But is Berlin is the best capital?

[fourhundredandten]

I have been blown away by the laid back artistic vibe, the efficiency and good value of the public transport (does anyone know - do if most travellers have tickets as have yet to see any inspections/control measures), the great food and the excellent coffee. There are lots of little affordable independent shops and the kind of cute or ethical or creative spaces that have long been priced out of our (country?) cities.

I was in a random city centre cafe and the man left to me left his bag and laptop and went to the toilet. I could see his wallet! He sauntered back eventually and I couldn’t remember when I would have been able to do that. I bought a good bottle of whisky from a supermarket and couldn’t find the tag - because there wasn’t one. My city centre is the Wild West compared to here and while I have seen some homelessness there have been very few and compared to the people by me they look either much better supported or far less advanced in addiction.

Bikes everywhere and cars super observant of the wheels and pedestrians. I would move here tomorrow if I could. AIBU to think this is the best city or this holiday vision?

I was racially abused and then chased in Berlin when I was there for a long weekend with a friend and it’s really put me ever returning.
Everyone else I know says it’s fantastic so you’re not alone in your thoughts op, I just don’t share them myself.
We found it pretty easy to get around but just very sort of spread out, no real ‘hub’ so to speak of and the architecture ugly.
The food was okay, definitely nothing to write home about.
But as I say, I’d never return.

It's my favourite city too. I'd live there if I could. Obviously people and experiences vary, but every time I've been there for fun or work the good vastly outweighed the less good.

And the architecture varies too. It's obviously less gothic romance than say, Paris or Vienna, but the range of buildings in different areas is interesting.

Love it - as did about 15 field trips of students over the years. I’d go every year if I could. I have my favourite historic areas and restaurants, and try and get to Potsdam every time as well.

It wasn't a capital, but we were in a city in Denmark last summer and it felt very clean, very safe and had a lovely vibe. I've never been to Berlin, which is pretty ridiculous as I have taught German for 30 years . Keep meaning to go - everyone always says how wonderful it is!

It's my absolute favourite place. We considered moving there long before Brexit and now really regret not doing it.

If you live Berlin, please get yourself to some other German cities! They are even more liveable!
Munich
Bonn
Münster
Dusseldorf
Essen
Mannheim
Darmstadt
Kassel
Germany is just great and so easy to travel around! I would move there tomorrow if I had a job!

My (English, white) brother lives there with his (Taiwanese, Asian) wife and whilst they have not experienced any overt racism/xenophobia, they have found it a lot harder to be taken seriously when people like employers, estate agents or anyone vaguely official find out they’re not German. My brother’s German is very, very good (on the cusp of C1) so it’s not that, I think Germany is just nationalistic and that includes Berlin despite its arty/easy going reputation. His wife has definitely struggled more than he has. Also, the “jokes” about Germany being a country of bureaucrats is still true in Berlin!! You need to get 4 bits of paper stamped in 8 different locations to do anything.

All that said, they’ve just had a baby over there and seem happy to stay after a bumpy first year/18 months. And my family love visiting!

Cologne is lovely too imo. I find the Germans really friendly, but I speak the language and probably look like I might be German.

Agree - so much to explore! I’ve been to Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg, and explored the mountains and countryside too. Absolutely love Germany 🇩🇪

Yes!!! It’s so easy to access the countryside as the rail network (delayed as a train may be) still connects tiny little villages. Germany never had its Beeching moment and it makes everything so much more accessible

@TheChosenTwo that is unpleasant and no wonder it’s not on your return list. I did visit a concentration camp near by and in their audio guide they mentioned the lack of support from the local police in relation to right wing attacks on their memorial. It didn’t elaborate but did make me wonder how right wing/racist the police might be.

@PurpleEmerald ha Germany is famous for admin isn’t it - I did read that getting an apartment was a logistical challenge. I am glad your brother has settled - I can imagine the nationalism you describe although I have been surprised to the extent that English is used - in a way that it never would be accepted in a capital like France. I speak no German beyond thanks and goodbye type words and very one has been really friendly.

I have enjoyed the architecture - still found it diverse and interesting and I like the art and the graffiti- and the delight of the yellow trams.

@Plump82 yeah I think I would regret that too. Is it too late? Any Irish grandparents? Someone was talking about Brexit here and they were just embarrassed for us.

Thanks for the recommendations of the other cities - am coming back in a camper van when I retire. I need to study their junction rules first:)

i love it too, one of my besties has settled there and he raves about it

only slight complaint is it’s very flat. A bit of a hill somewhere nearby would be nice.

My brother would have moved to Berlin years ago if his German was good enough. I had a long weekend there years ago and it was fab, I loved the Friedrichshain area. I love most European cities I’ve visited. Realise I do have a lot of privilege as a white woman in the way that I’m treated.

I love Germany but I don't think Berlin is anything special. Like many cities in Germany, it was razed to the ground at the end of WW2 and the Red Army certainly got its revenge for what the Nazis had done to the USSR. It's a lot of fairly dull 1950s onwards architecture plus the shiny towers that are ubiquitous in 21st century Europe.

Some of the "cool" areas at night are shitholes by day. Kreutzberg was full of graffiti and broken glass when we went in daylight but lovely in the evening with all the bars open and the fairy lights everywhere. I'd say most European capitals have similar.

Germany as a whole is far more bike friendly than the UK. As PP said, that bit of Germany is very flat.

DeutscheBahn used to be a byword for a well run railway system but is a laughing stock now. Yes public transport in Germany is generally good but they moan about lack of spending on infrastructure too.

I once (accidentally) left my mobile on a cafe table in Tooting and it was still there when I came back from the loo. Most people are decent wherever you are. Crime is a risk everywhere but actually a middle class cafe isn't a first choice spot for any thief. Far easier to steal a bag when people are on a busy train.

Berlin is ok but I don't get the love.

Berlin is a really interesting city and it's very evocative if you like your Weimar/WW2/Cold War history, all the place names mean something.

After the Brexit referendum I seriously researched going to Hamburg which is my favourite city in Germany. Stayed in the UK for various reasons - but do wonder what our life would have been like now.

Yes I am a great fan of Germany and Berlin in particular. Totally with you OP about the vibe.

I think Germany is very underrated as a tourist destination. I love love love the Lake Constance ('Bodensee' in German) area.

A neighbour of mine married a German (she is Spanish, with very dark hair like her dad). She used to tell us that sometimes she would be mistaken for Turkish/Kurdish and people´s attitude would radically shift and lighten up when she said she was Spanish. She said it was an eye opener as to how others are treated.

It’s a city I would consider moving to, been many times and I’ve always enjoyed it. Had a couple of bad experiences with antisocial behaviour, but it’s a major capital city so you have to accept the odd bad thing will happen.

Brilliant transport system, clean, feels safe for the most part. The Germans are pretty friendly and do have a sense of humour despite the reputation. You usually don’t get the service with a smile in bars and restaurants like you would in America, but that’s a standard German thing. And I kind of respect the not giving a shit attitude!

There is a homeless problem in Berlin. Go to any event that generates plastic bottle waste and you will see them in droves. The government gives money for plastic bottle recycling. The trains definitely used to be better, they are still clean and spacious but delays happen a lot more frequently than they did 10 years ago. The rail network is still far more superior to the uk though.

No, it isn't. Copenhagen, Edinburgh, and Barcelona (capital of Catalonia if not of Spain) I would choose over Berlin.

As a mixed race woman, though, I have to say I didn't find Berlin racist at all. I just don't find it as beautiful as the cities I've mentioned. Any capital is better than Paris, though. I adore France but Paris is not my vibe.

I love Berlin. My favourite capital city is Copenhagen though.

Always wanted to go but wouldn't like to scratch the surface too much.

I LOVE it and would also move in a heartbeat if I could. My best friends live there and had the sense to move before brexit 😭 i visit every year but I always get a bit low because I miss them dreadfully but also envy them so much. Every time I visit I stay in a different area and find new favourite places. I try and get out to flughafansee every time though, I find it so peaceful and beautiful there. Want to go for new year but flights are ridiculous.

I LOVE Berlin. It made me regret not studying German at uni.