Things to do in Berlin: a walk from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate

On our first day in Berlin we walked all the way along from Alexanderplatz, along the Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate. There is so much to see on this walk! 

As it was December, we had the Christmas markets in full swing to enjoy at Alexanderplatz, which are really something special. Our highlights were the ice skating rink surrounding the incredible Neptunbrunnen water fountain, warm schmalzkuchen (little donuts) and several fire pits surrounded by benches, perfect for people watching. The Berlin TV Tower is impressive to say the least, standing tall above the Christmas markets (or Weinachtsmarkt, to give you some insight into the profuse consonants you're presented with in Germany!) - we didn't get time to go up to the top for the views but we'd definitely try and do this next time. 

The Rotes Rathaus, translating directly as the Red Town Hall is a really lovely building with some interesting exhibitions inside, well worth a visit if you go on a weekday but is closed at weekends. We then walked along Nikolaiviertel's history trail, which has some great images along with interesting bits of history and other information about the area, down to the River Spree. 

This brought us along to Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we visited Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten. The Cathedral's dome is intricately decorated with mosaics, and although the 7 euro entry fee was a little steep on our tight budget it was definitely worth it for the views from the gallery. The tombs were quite interesting as well, so I'd suggest you allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the whole building. We didn't make it inside the Old Museum, or any of the other numerous museums and galleries for that matter, but we did spend some time admiring its columns from the Lustgarten. 

From here we made our way down the Unter den Linden, a lovely tree lined street with several old buildings to admire and a fair few inevitable touristy shops to avoid. We enjoyed the Christmas lights adorning the bare branches of the linden trees, but I imagine it would be really beautiful in the summer too. 

Finally, we arrived at the Brandenburg Gate. It is really quite an imposing sight  and has come to be a symbol of Germany's somewhat volatile history. If you don't know much about German history however, there are plenty of handy information boards dotted around the landmark, and indeed almost all landmarks around the city, giving details of past events and historical significance. 

We had to call it a day after the gate as we were starting to feel the cold (Berlin winters are intense!), so we hopped on the U-Bahn back to our hostel. We stayed in a really modern, design hostel called Pfefferbett (pepper bed) situated in a historical brewery the Prenzlauer Berg area. It was well located for getting around, and what the staff lacked in friendliness was more than made up for by the cosy chairs in front of the open fire and clean, comfortable bedrooms. 

Milly ♥

Outfit

Jacket - Alcott

Jumper - H&M 

Jeans - Zara

Boots - Boohoo

Bag - Primark

Hat - H&M