

When I made traveling a goal on my 2019 to-do list, I never imagined I’d visit three new countries in six months. Just 30 days after returning from Cuba, I got a random call from AllieBe with the proposal for another adventure. Within an hour we chose Berlin as our destination, booked our flights and added “Brown Beauties in Berlin” to the calendar for fall.
THE SITES
We made it a point to visit most of the popular monuments and tourist spots in the city: Charlottenburg Palace, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, Berlin Wall, Reichstag and the Holocaust memorial. Each site was special in it’s own way. We used public transportation to navigate to each of our destinations and I highly recommend you do the same. Visually, Berlin has a lot of character which made the commute to each of these destinations just as enjoyable as the sites for me.
The first week of November turned out to be the perfect time to travel. We wore coats to keep warm, but the temperature was completely bearable and the rain stopped entirely by noon each day so it never conflicted with our plans. In addition, we didn’t deal with large crowds, long wait times or photo bombs due to swarms of tourists.
THE FOOD
I didn’t have a single bad meal in Berlin; on the other hand I didn’t have a single cocktail that I liked. I recommend going the wine or beer route if you plan to drink. I’m far from a foodie, but definitely appreciate a good meal. The food in Berlin was SO GOOD. We ate at Schnitzels*, Benedict, Al Colosseo, Seoulkitchen*, Commonground* and even found a Currywurst stand with vegan dogs so I could sample the popular meal. We found most of these gems by simply plugging in “nearby restaurants/coffee shops/etc” in google maps.
*Highly recommend restaraunt
THE PEOPLE
I hate sharing generalized views of an entire population based off a few days as a traveller; I’m sure the people of Berlin are special in a lot of ways just like any other place I’ve been to. However, I feel it’s important to share honest thoughts about my experience…
I’m used to a few glances here and there but have never experienced them like I did in Berlin. Whether we were eating in a restaurant or walking the streets, we could not escape the constant stares from people. Thankfully, we didn’t have any crazy or rude encounters. (I’ve read that some other black women have not been as fortunate.) wouldn’t describe the locals as warm or inviting like other places I traveled, but everyone pretty much minded their own business and went about their day outside of the stares. Any really friendly people we managed to engage with were travelers just like us. I’ve heard the city is a bit more lively during night-life hours, so that’s something to keep in mind!
GETTING AROUND
Confession – I’ve never rode public transportation before…..and what a way to experience it! If I’m being honest, hopping from bus to tram after navigating the streets using my trusty google map was one of my favorite parts of this trip. If you plan to travel in Berlin, it’s worth taking the time learning how to get around. By paying just under $8 for a day pass, you can ride on any form of public transportation (bus or underground/overground tram). The S-Bahn was my personal favorite!
TIPS