It’s that time of year when we begin to dream about those delicious German Christmas Markets. The festive atmosphere, the taste of Glühwein and the smell of sizzling bratwurst. We love German Christmas markets and the appeal is huge. Here are just some of those taking place and when they’re on.
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There’s a great opportunity at the moment to visit museums and landmarks from home. Google Arts and Culture is an online platform (also available on the app store and Google Play) where you can get your daily dose of arts and culture. There are videos, high res images and street views with activities to do with the kids as well. Here’s a list of some of the museums and landmarks offering virtual or 360-degree tours.
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You might think Berlin is off limits when it comes to a European city break with kids but in actual fact there are sights, attractions and parks aplenty. One of the things I love about this city is its diversity and how it really does appeal to all ages. From the well known sights you’d automatically associate it with to attractions specifically geared towards children.
Such a brilliant weekend was had by all in Germany’s capital city. We saw numerous sights and attractions including the historic Berlin Wall, East Side Gallery and Wall Museum. There are over 400 galleries in Berlin but there’s an abundance of public art to be found too. Not just at the 1.3km long East Side Gallery (where you’ll find the renowned “fraternal kiss” either. Much like London, street art can be found all over Berlin. Work by International artists such as ROA, Victor Ash, Os Gemeos, Romero and Flix can be found here along with local talent like Bimer, Bonk and El Bocho. When looking for the best places to find street art in London, I knew exactly what to look for and where. We didn’t have the time to do a full street art tour in Berlin but that’s not to say we could seek out a few of those well-known murals.
If you’ve not visited Germany’s capital before you might presume it’s not geared up for kids. In actual fact there are an enormous number of sights, attractions and parks to discover as a family. Not only that our recent Jet2CityBreak saw us take advantage of the Berlin Welcome Card which gives you free train and bus travel plus up to 50% off the top 200 attractions.
Having enjoyed a great night’s sleep and superb breakfast at the NH Collection Hotel on Friedrichstrasse, our first port of call during our city break in Berlin was to visit the Berlin Wall. There’s no shortage of things to do in Germany’s capital, whether visiting as a group or a family, but the wall is an absolute must.
There have been some superb trips to Germany in the past, living south of Frankfurt in Heidelberg for a month probably the most memorable. Berlin is not somewhere I’d visited until recently and there is so much to see in Germany’s capital city. From the Fernsehturm, with its magnificent views, to the iconic Brandenburg Gate and of course the Berlin Wall with it’s open air gallery. Plus there’s an abundance of family attractions such as the planetarium, zoo and aquarium to be discovered too.
Germany is widely recognised for its historic Christmas markets and festive fairs with Berlin, Cologne and Munich among the largest. Although we’re a little biased (my father-in-law was stationed in Germany and I also lived there), their markets are like no other. They have that traditionally festive feel, an abundance of charm and truly captivate the magic of Christmas. You can expect to see hand-made gifts aplenty coupled with smells like deliciously warming Glühwein and mouth watering bratwurst.
