"Berlin is poor, but sexy", former Mayor Klaus Wowereit once said and it remains so despite the current boom in the capital. Berlin has something to offer for everyone and money does not necessarily have to play a major role. Discover here the best low-budget tips for your next trip to Berlin.
Accommodation: TOP 3 hotels
- Hotel-Pension Funk: The boutique hotel is located in the former flat of the silent movie star Asta Nielsen not far from the Kurfürstendamm. Here you can not only experience the flair of the Golden Twenties, but also spend the night at a low budget.
- Amstel House Hostel: In the listed Art Nouveau building you will stay for a reasonable price in a typical Berlin neighbourhood. The hostel is centrally located, making it the perfect starting point to explore Berlin's city centre.
- miniloft Berlin: this design apartment-hotel between Naturkundemuseum and Oranienburger Tor is perfect for those who enjoy self-catering. Stay in modern mini-lofts that offer everything you need for your Berlin trip.
Food: TOP 3 locations
- Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap: the most famous döner kebab in Germany can be found on Mehringdamm. Here you can get the original at a fabulously low price, topped off with chicken meat and roasted vegetables. What makes the döner kebab so special? A well-kept secret ingredient and, of course, a lot of love. The result speaks for itself, because even after many years of success, the queue is always there outside Berlin's most famous kebab shop.
- Curry 36: Mehringdamm is also home to the original Berlin currywurst, with and without skin. A must for every short trip to Berlin. And affordable, too.
- Miss Saigon: Kreuzberg is also home to original South Vietnamese cuisine. Miss Saigon offers freshly prepared pho, chicken dishes, and also vegan spring rolls, among other treats. Everyone who wants to eat a light and tasty meal will love it.
Seeing: TOP 3 discoveries
- Low budget city tour: If you want to save on sightseeing, board the100 Bus and ride past many important sights all for the price of a bus fare. Starting from Zoologischer Garten, you'll pass the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate, continue along Berlin's famous boulevard Unter den Linden to the east of the city, where numerous historical buildings and the TV Tower await.
- East Side Gallery: At the world's longest open-air gallery, learn about the history of divided Germany portrayed in a series of art works painted on a mile-long stretch of the Berlin Wall. Shortly after the fall of the Wall, artists from all over the world came to the city to paint this unique gallery and thus created a new piece of history. The gallery is now a listed monument.
- Music school concerts: Low-budget Berlin at its best! Students at the Hanns Eisler Music School regularly ofer free concerts. There's no better way to end a long day of sightseeing.
Knowledge: TOP 3 excursions
- Charlottenburg Palace Gardens: during a short trip to Berlin, you shoudl definitely make a stop in the palace gardens. Here you can enjoy the French baroque gardens created by Princess Sophie Charlotte, who lent the palace and the district their names.
- Palace of Tears: the Friedrichstraße S-Bahn is home to the area where the East German government processed visitors entering and leaving East Berlin. It is called the palace of tears because this is where families would come to say farewell to family members as they returned to West Berlin after visiting them for the day. Free exhibitions tell the story of what it was like at this former border crossing.
- Domäne Dahlem: In the south of Berlin, you can learn everything about agriculture and life on a farm on the former Dahlem Manor. The museum takes you back to the past, where vegetables etc. are grown organically in the fields. The site is free to visit.
And if you're not wanting to trace Berlin's history or eat in Kreuzberg, there's always the chance to relax in any of the city's many parks.
