As we planned our visit to Berlin, a friend connected us with Miniloft, which is an aparthotel in a great location in the city. Miniloft offered to host us for a couple of nights so we could experience their property and see what kind of setup it would be for family and group travelers especially.

I had initially planned on mentioning the property in a larger Berlin post, but we enjoyed this place so much I felt like it deserved its own post.

Miniloft is located very close to different forms of public transportation and is an easy walk to/from the big train hub Hauptbahnhof (Hbf). So getting there from the Schönefeld Airport was an absolute breeze. We were able to get a train that went directly from the airport to Hbf, and we arrived at their location in about 35 minutes after leaving the airport.

Our room could comfortably support up to 6 guests with the use of comfy fold-out couches. When I became the most impressed, however, was when I started looking through the kitchen cabinets. This place was better stocked than most Airbnb apartments we’ve had!

I was also surprised by the large dining room table. In most places, you get a tiny round table which maybe seats 2 people even though there are 4 of you staying in the room. The table matched the possible occupancy, and it was so nice to actually have room to put my computer down and still be able to have plenty of room to eat.

The flat was quite spacious, and there was a large wicker box containing more pillows, sheets, and blankets.

There is also a booklet in the room with maps showing you where the various shops, markets, and restaurants are located in the immediate area. I felt it was a great extra touch.

Some of the windows could be opened if you wanted fresh air, and each window also had power blinds that could be raised or lowered from a central control system. It was nice to be able to have a lot of windows but still be able to achieve significant darkness at bedtime.

There is also a thermostat in the room so you can control the temperature, something I greatly appreciate in Europe as some places tend to really overheat with the radiators and your only option is to open some windows to try to balance things out.

The Wifi had really good strength and speed, and we were able to connect multiple devices to it.

Unlike most European places, including private apartments, this place had really good sound proofing. I could occasionally hear a door close from another room, but for the most part it was a very quiet location.

The location was great not only for exploring nearby on foot but for going out to the big sights in Berlin. The neighborhood also felt really safe, even late at night.

We enjoyed our stay there so much that I asked to pay to stay longer, but they were fully booked.

If you decide to stay at Miniloft, which I highly recommend, make sure to visit their website and look at the picture of their building. The addresses on this street aren’t the easiest to see, but the building has a very unique appearance which makes it easy to spot.

Have you stayed in an aparthotel before? What was your favorite amenity? For Tigger, it would be the dishwashing machine.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

This was the most disappointing, frustrating, and confusing memorial I think I have ever visited anywhere in the world. For starters, there is limited signage so you can easily arrive here and have absolutely no clue what it is unless you were already familiar with what it looked like.

This is supposed to memorialize the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust, yet people are climbing on the pillars, jumping from stone to stone, and making out in the little pathways. A few times I heard staff yelling at people to get off the stelae and one woman yelled “Have some respect!” but for the most part people seemed to treat it like some funky outdoor art installation.

The location next to some shopping centers and a Dunkin Donuts didn’t help it feel very special either.

On the southeast corner is a building granting access to the section below which carries the names of all the known victims as well as other information about the Holocaust. But here again if you didn’t know what the very tiny structure was you probably wouldn’t bother entering it.

I’ve seen many bloggers include this memorial on their “must see” lists for Berlin, and I’m not quite sure why. Maybe they think they have to? I don’t know. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one place you can absolutely skip in Berlin without feeling like you missed something important.

Which is really sad.

Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism

Tucked away in an obscure part of the park across the street from the above memorial is this equally disappointing and confusing memorial. Out by the street, you’ll see a small presentation with some photos and information describing some of the persecution that gay people received during the time of the Nazis.

If you want to visit the actual memorial, however, you’ll have to do a bit of searching.

I don’t know if this was artistically a way of re-creating the closeted lives of the LGBT community during the time, but it left a bad taste in my mouth that it was so hidden. Something which was only surpassed by my absolute confusion when I finally found the damn thing. (Hint: While looking at the photos with the Jewish memorial to your left, turn to your right. There is a small pathway with a sign that is low to the ground on the right. Follow that path.)

When you first come up to the memorial, you have absolutely no clue what the hell it represents. If you go up to the window and look in, you’ll see a video playing showing different male couples kissing (apparently, every 2 years they switch out the video to include females kissing).

That is your only clue that this has anything to do with the LGBT community. If you arrived via a different route through the park, you’d be even more clueless without this video.

While I stood there pondering the absurdity that is this memorial, I listened in on an English-speaking tour guide who expressed similar confusion and did his best to try to explain things to his group, all of whom had the same look on their face as I’m sure I did.

Unless you’re just fascinated by its ridiculousness or have to time to burn in the area, feel free to skip this one, too.

East Side Gallery

This is a 1.3-km section of the eastern side of the infamous Berlin Wall that separated the city between East and West Germany. From what I have been able to find, it is supposed to be an international memorial for freedom.

It is an impressive collection of street art, but unfortunately a lot of it has been covered by graffiti.

I love street art so did enjoy seeing the various pieces found here, some of which I thought had really great messages, but I think I had higher expectations of messages for peace and unity, of feeling a sense of awe of all that this wall once represented.

I understand that this wasn’t necessarily part of its focus, so I’ll blame my expectations rather than the wall itself. Still, I found it rather disappointing.

My friend Sam has a good writeup of the gallery, along with some photos, here.

As this area is a rather iconic part of Berlin, I think it’s worth a visit. It does have some interesting parts, and that area of the city is also very intriguing and has a different kind of beauty of its own. The gallery, though, is really just kind of meh in my opinion, so if you’re short on time in Berlin, I would focus on some other sights.

I’ll write more about those more-worthwhile places in a future post.

Have you been to any of these Berlin attractions? What are your thoughts?

Berlin is famous for its dramatic history, rich culture, and dynamic nightlife. What a lot of people don’t know is that there are a lot of things to do in Berlin with children and teens. I worked as an au pair for a year in Berlin, and I enjoyed the small daytime adventures as much as Brad* did.

City Life

Berlin has one of the best transportation systems in the world. It is fast, accessible, and cheap. Children up to the age of 6 ride free, and a ticket for kids from 6-14 years old costs 1.40 EUR (about $1.59 USD). The city is also a very safe and child-friendly place. All the families that I know let their 10-14 year olds ride alone on the buses; the bus driver is right there so the children feel very safe. Most of the school kids walk home alone, too, even in the inner city. Like every city, pedestrians are required to abide by the lights at the crosswalk. While not every Berliner follows this rule, they follow the unspoken rule that they are not to jaywalk in front of children!

Outside

Berlin is absolutely amazing in the summertime. There are dozens of parks, big and small (Körnerpark to Tempelhof) and also some great lakes on the outskirts of the city. Grunewald (S-bahn Grunewald) is one of the biggest forests in the area and offers great hiking trails. There is a huge hill just 15 minutes from the S-bahn where families go to fly kites and look out over the city. Teufelsberg is just over the other hill, so very brave kids can climb up to the abandoned radio tower. The U3 will take you directly to Krumme Lanke where you can swim, picnic, and even rope-swing! The kid-filled area is a 15-minute walk from the entrance; turn right at the lake and follow the path to a large sandy area. The tree with the rope swing is just three minutes on the path if you turn left at the lake. It is about 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) above the water.

Winter is cold and grey, but still a great time to be outside! Bring, buy, or borrow ice skates, because as soon as it is ice, it is fair game for skating! The best place in the city for snow and ice is by the U4 Rathaus Schöneberg. There is a small pond just outside of the station that freezes entirely (it is not even half a meter deep) and is usually full of teens playing hockey or broom ball. There is also a great hill where you can sled.

Especially for teens: Mauerpark, translating to ‘Wall Park’ is a famous park in Prenzlauer Berg (U2 Eberswalder Str.). They have a huge flohmarkt every Saturday, with at least 100 stands and tents selling clothes, records and CDs, jewelry, handmade artisan crafts, and lots of food. In the spring and summer, a group comes out and sets up free karaoke for the public.

Inside

There are dozens and dozens, maybe a dozen dozen, of museums to choose from, and you should definitely see as many as you can. However, even over the museums, I would recommend visiting the libraries in Berlin. They are beautifully built, free, cozy, and they represent the hugely varying neighborhoods in Berlin. My two favorites are in Steglitz and Neukölln. In Steglitz (Rathaus Steglitz, U9, S1) you will find a huge selection of books for kids and teens, in English and German, computers for them to use, and a great view of one of the most famous shopping streets in Berlin, Schloßstraße. Brad and I went here every week to read in English and German. You will find all the same things in Neukölln’s library (U7 Rathaus Neukölln), plus a rooftop garden with a great view of the entire city. Just go out onto the parking garage, walk up one level, and you’ll see an arrow to the garden.

Still want to swim? There is an amazing, amazing, AMAZING schwimmbad (swimming hall) in Schöneberg. Take the M48 or M85 to Albertstraße and you’ll see the giant hall. Entrance for kids is a little more than 3 EUR, and for adults it costs 7 EUR. There are three pools: one baby pool; one kid’s pool with a slide and an outside portion with heated water; one Olympic-sized pool that goes 3 meters deep, has windows underwater, and a high and low diving board; and there is a relaxation pool for adults to lay out and relax. There is a place to buy snacks inside, but we always brought our own. You can stay the whole day if you have enough snacks!

Especially for teens: There is an independent theater called ‘Babylon’ that offers free movies every Saturday night at midnight. It’s called ‘Null Uhr, Null Euro.’ Get there on Saturday night at 11:45PM, at U2 Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, find seats in the beautiful, old theater, and enjoy the free silent film. There is even a woman playing the organ throughout the entire show!

Nightlife (Only for teens!)

There are clubs all over the city, with great music and a very relaxed atmosphere. Teens are also invited, as Berlin constantly welcomes European and international exchange students. Kids aged 16 and older are allowed in most clubs. Those who are under 18 receive a certain stamp and can stay until midnight. The legal drinking age is 16, and it allows teens to drink beer and wine. Those 18 and over can drink spirits as well. There are also ‘clubs’ for kids under 16; these parties offer dancing, nonalcoholic drinks, and a chance to meet kids from other parts of the city. They are usually promotional, whereas official clubs allow teens every night.

With so many wonderful things to do in Berlin with kids and teens, you really should add it to your destination list.

*Not his real name.

Kristyn Bacon is the founder and editor of Trainless Magazine as well as a freelance writer. Her stories have been published by literary journals such as MOOKYCHICK and DEW ON THE KUDZU and are included in anthologies by BOOKIMBO and SWYERS PUBLISHING. Her sports writing has been published by INSIDE DIRT and DAN HOLLOWAY, EIGHT CUTS. An architect read her work and compared it to George Saunders.