A must-buy three-day museum pass! Get started on your first trip to Berlin, Germany

Text, photo/Backpack Ken's Travel Notes

Adding this trip, I've accumulated over half a year in Europe. This series of travel experiences is for first-time independent European backpackers.

Transportation inside the area: vast space, accessible by metro, bus, and on foot

Itinerary planning: Slightly difficult, with many attractions and museums, making it hard to choose.

Sensory Enjoyment: Medium to High, Rich in Knowledge, Abundant Historical Architecture

Base price: Medium, relatively low in Germany

Safety and security: Above average, significantly better than most Western European tourist cities

▲The most iconic section of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the “kiss of death” between the East and the Soviet Communist regime.

Three reasons to recommend Berlin for beginners

1. The Berlin Wall & the Cold War are easy entry points for understanding European history.

Europe is a place rich in history, but to be honest, stories of castles and knights feel somewhat distant to many people, more like movie tales, with a sense of history that feels slightly removed.

But the Berlin Wall & the Cold War feel quite close to us.Because it is modern history, when we were kids there were still international news events happening, adults around us discussing them, and many spy war movies were made as a result.

Compared to castles and knights, the Berlin Wall and the Cold War gave me a stronger sense of history. You can feel the dramatic changes of the era, understand how they affected Asia, and even imagine the stories of countless ordinary people caught up in those times.

For example: At the German Historical Museum, there is an exhibit comparing the development of cars, refrigerators, blenders, etc., in East and West Germany during the same period. It's a really great and impactful way to see the contrast. The photo below shows the West German section first.

▲Modern household items from West Germany.

In West Germany, we know brands like Bosch, etc. To compete, East Germany also developed similar products, but in terms of production capacity, functionality, and quality, they were far behind.In East Germany, ordering a car could take months or even years to receive, and trying to show off would clearly reveal the difference in craftsmanship between East and West Germany. Does anyone know any East German car brands nowadays?

▲ Hitler posters warned that Jews would pollute German bloodlines, and cartoons portrayed Jews as sex offenders, making the message clear and leaving a deep impression of the era of racial cleansing.

Europe is full of history, but few places can offer as accessible (and that’s a positive word) historical insight as Berlin does—so close you can feel the turning of the wheels of time.

2. High-quality and diverse museums—there’s bound to be one that suits your taste, offering a wealth of knowledge.

Europe has many museums renowned for their artworks and ancient relics, which are well worth visiting.But often you walk out feeling completely confused, and can only say you’ve tried your best to appreciate some culture.

If you also want to try artworks and antiques, or if you are already a connoisseur of such items, Berlin will definitely offer you world-class experiences. The five museums on Museum Island, featuring artifacts and art from ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and more, can satisfy even professionals.

▲This is the interior decoration of a Middle Eastern merchant’s room. The Pergamon Museum brought the entire space over and placed it in a glass house for restoration.

This article recommends Germany, Berlin (Berlin), with the following five difficulty ratings.

Additionally, Berlin has many easy-to-understand museums, such as the German Museum of Technology and the German Historical Museum, which I have visited.There are also quite a variety of themed museums, such as the Gay Museum and the Water Sports Museum, totaling perhaps hundreds.

The following are exhibits from the German Museum of Technology

▲The mechanics of this bicycle are incredibly refined—it seems even more complex to make than 21st-century products.

▲Did you find your old phone from back then?

▲Modern digital cameras may only depreciate and be discarded after prolonged use, but the craftsmanship of older cameras is truly fascinating.

▲ The massive locomotive beast—this type of muscular and oversized monster is no longer seen in modern high-tech trains.

When I use the word "popular," I don’t mean to imply it lacks value. It refers to modern, easy-to-understand history, and the museum's collection is truly impressive, with a strong emotional impact on our hearts.

1. The Berlin Wall & Cold War is an easy entry point into European history.Seeing the various cutting-edge technologies at the German Museum of Technology, the shock of modern human innovation (it felt almost like alien assistance) was no less impressive than how the pyramids were built.

TIP:

Be sure to make use of the Museum Island Card or the three-day Museum Pass.

Berlin has an explosion of museums, with a density that might not surpass the entire country but is at least on par with the postal service.Often, after planning museum visits, I’d spot something else I liked along the way.

Therefore, you might experience choice anxiety, since every place requires you to pay to get in.

It’s much easier if you have a Museum Island Pass or a three-day museum pass—you can go without hesitation, see everything, and get your money’s worth.

▲ This is just part of the 3-day Museum Pass list,Details
 

▲East Germany, trying to keep up with West Germany, launched similar products to show the same living standards, but years later they became exhibits showing the contrast in living conditions in museums.

Although we emphasized accessible modern history earlier, Berlin’s status means that castles, historical sites, and churches are definitely not lacking. We can still return with memories of magnificent architecture and beautiful photos.

For example, my favorite, the Berlin Cathedral.

▲Berlin Cathedral.

Even after spending a hundred days traveling across Europe and feeling church-fatigued from seeing a hundred cathedrals, a glance at Berlin Cathedral will still snap you back to attention.

Berlin is the capital, home to the German Parliament, and also a historical architectural attraction.

▲ Reichstag Building (German Parliament).

Reasons Why Berlin Isn't Suitable for Beginners

1. Not suitable for those who seek extreme safety

▲The Pergamon Museum not only took other people's interiors, but also dug out their outer walls and assembled them in their own museum.

Berlin might be a bit unconventional in this regard. I came to Berlin because of the phrase “Berlin is poor, but sexy.”

This phrase subtly suggests that Berlin is relatively less orderly.On-site observations confirm this: while below the German average, it remains higher than the overall order in Europe.

▲Chaotic neighborhood.

2. Not suitable for those seeking a large number of ultra-famous attractions

Apart from the Berlin Wall, which enjoys extremely high fame, other attractions are somewhat less impressive by the standard of world-renowned must-sees.

Although Berlin is sexy, has high-quality attractions, and is full of knowledge, taking photos at famous landmarks to check them off your list is also an important joy in travel—and there's certainly more of that kind of fun in cities like Paris or London.

And when I was a beginner, I also wasn’t sure if I could return to Europe a second time, so it’s normal for beginners to first choose those highly famous places.

To be honest, the German Museum of Technology is, in my experience, second only to the Louvre and even ranked higher than the British Museum.

My recommendation principle is (1) places others might not go, but I think are amazing, and I hope you’ll reconsider.(2) This is a place everyone will definitely go to, and I love it so much I’ll recommend it again.

East Side Gallery
I want to see the Berlin Wall !But the original 160 km of the wall has almost all been torn down; traveling a long way to see just a short stretch of concrete wall carries the risk of disappointment.

If you want to see the Berlin Wall, you can choose the East Side Gallery, and it’s best to save it for the last two days.

(1) It is the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall, stretching 1.3 kilometers and covered in artistic creations—you can stroll, admire the art, and take photos (no graffiti).

(2) Come on the last two days. Having already learned a lot about the East and West Germany story, walking along this 1.3-kilometer stretch allows you to better feel the sorrow of ordinary people on both sides of the wall (not dry and yet profound).

3. European historical building complexes

Berlin Underground Air Raid Shelter
A mysterious and cool attraction where you can see Berlin’s underground facilities, featuring impressive designs even under the pressure of impending defeat.

▲The awkward part isn’t using the oversized restroom next to someone, but facing a long queue for the restroom—that was the dilemma at the time.

Berlin Zoo
There is a world-ranked zoo—please seeTravelogue

Vabali SPA
Amazing German tradition—you can refer to this article (same activity at another location).

German Sauna Naked Bath Mixed-Gender Centuries - Wiesbaden

Recommended accommodations

Many beginners start with Germany because they’ve heard it’s the most organized and safest country in Europe, much like Japan in Asia.Hostels that stand out in the industry all have great reputations. If you don’t want to compare, you can rest assured—transportation, price, safety, and entertainment all receive high praise from countless backpackers.

Christophers (for entertainment seekers)
https://www.st-christophers.co.uk/berlin-hostels

Wombats (practical option)
https://www.wombats-hostels.com/berlin/

Berlin expenses

Please check out this painstakingly written article,

Germany Berlin Self-Guided 6-Day Trip Cost Analysis – 8,579 NT.

Backpack Ken
Backpack Ken's Travel Notes