“Workation” in Berlin, Germany

I was recently invited to a conference in Berlin and took the opportunity to visit the city. If Europe’s holiday season is known for its wonderful Christmas markets, Berlin is certainly one of the cities that embodies this tradition the best.

Berlin is a huge city, but it is extremely well served by urban transport. Many modes of transportation are available, including an underground subway (u banh), a rapid transit system in and out of the city (s banh), and numerous buses and trams.

Despite all these options, one impression still remains in Berlin: no matter where you go, it always takes 20-30 minutes to get there. This is due to the size of the city and the fact that not all points of interest are concentrated in the center, but rather are scattered all over the place!

Located in the north of the city, the AC Hotel Berlin Humboldthain Park is slightly removed from Berlin’s main attractions, but still conveniently located for transport.

The hotel, which faces a small park, is adjacent to the Moxy Berlin Humboldthain Park hotel (also part of the Marriott group) and shares some services with it (including the gym).

The area is residential on the whole and relatively quiet. Just outside the subway – which is two blocks away – there is a shopping center, which is handy when we are missing some essentials, as was the case during our visit! Pharmacy, grocery store, clothing or electronics stores, the offer is not lacking. We had no trouble getting the few essentials we needed.

The AC Hotel Berlin Humboldthain Park is also located on the so-called “ring”, a line of the S-Banh that runs around Berlin. Some subway lines also run at the same location. It is therefore very easy to get to, despite its location somewhat removed from the city centre.

The room was on the 6th floor and faced north, essentially giving us a view of small houses. It was very large, clean and modern. There was a small refrigerator, which is always a plus for us. To keep expenses down, whenever possible, we buy cereal and milk for breakfast in the room, which is always a fraction of the price of a hotel breakfast.

To get Marriott Bonvoy points for free hotel nights, here’s a credit card offer recommended by milesopedia:

Berliners, and Germans in general, are not kidding when December comes around. There are many Christmas markets throughout the city, some modest and some truly grandiose. You can taste the famous “Glühwein” (spiced mulled wine), hot chocolates (alcoholic or not), sweets, caramelized nuts and other such delights!

Of course, Berlin is a city with an impressive history. We started our first day of historical sightseeing by visiting the Brandenburger Tor (or Brandenburg Gate), Berlin’s landmark symbol, and the main symbol of the division that separated the East from the West of the city – but also the world – for three decades. In the square directly in front of the gate was a temporary sculpture paying tribute to whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning.

A few minutes away, we then visited the memorial to the European Jews murdered during the Second World War. Located outside, access is free. The place is impressive and you want to walk through it in silence. The concrete slabs are of various shapes, angular, imperfect.

In Berlin, it is difficult to go more than two blocks without finding the famous Currywurst.We affectionately call it “Berlin’s poutine”! It is a mixture of fries, sausages (fried or steamed), tomato sauce and curry. A pure delight! Especially since it only costs a few euros. Having tested a few places, we decided that the best place to find an excellent currywurst was at “Curry 61“, which offers plates that can satisfy two stomachs for the modest sum of 4.60€.

There are numerous inner courtyards such as the Hackesche Höfe, lovely places to stroll and admire for hours. In addition to the enchanting scenery, there are small hidden shops, excellent cafés and even small independent cinemas.