Top Hostels

Berlin

Story Highlights

- East meets West
- Friedrichshain
- Free Rough Guide
- Shopping in
- Fashionably un-cool in Kreuzberg
- The Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Free walking tours.
- St Christopher's Inn

Berlin is the kind of city that you can't compare to the likes of London and Paris. The history of the capital has shaped it into a place that is impressively like no other and despite the fall of the wall back in 1989, the culture that envelops this city is split between two very different camps.  What's even more exciting is that because of this turbulent history, the city is still evolving into a destination that no one can really define. That's a big part of why St Christopher's set up shop, slap bang in the middle of all that evolution.

In the East you have Friedrichshain where your very own travel writer spent his pre St Christopher's days. This isn't the wealthiest area of the city but it's affordable for the backpacker and it's fashionably unfashionable - much like the trendily expensive meat packing district in New York. You can get a good meal and an alcoholic beverage or seven, from the plethora of restaurants in the area for less than €15. The nationalities of these eateries are more diverse than the United Nations and there's one nifty little Mexican restaurant where every meal comes with a complimentary shot. Because of this inebriating fact I can't tell you the name of the place but the first backpacker who writes in with the correct memory jigger, gets a Rough Guide and a shout out in the newsletter.

If you don't get caught in conversation, miss the last station on the U-Bahn and end up stuck in a maintenance tunnel for half an hour, you should definitely take the super efficient German underground to the shops in and around Potsdamer Platz. Here you can get lost in floor after floor of designer gear and unlike rip off Britain, you won't pay extortionate prices for a little Hugo Boss.

If the thought of shopping just depresses you and your wallet, you should go for a stroll through Kreuzberg. This is an under visited part of Berlin that is crammed full of little cafes, court yards and parks. The main park here boasts one of the best views and looks into the center of Berlin from the South. I can also recommend that you shouldn't attempt to climb to the highest view point when the steps and the entire area, are covered in an inch of ice. Needless to say your rear end, like my bruised friend Jez, will thank you for the tip.

And last but not least you should definitely take a trip to the Brandenburg Gate where you can nurse your hangover in the wonderfully overpriced and corporate Starbucks, before checking out the Reichstag and the many, many walking tours that start in this area. The best one I came across starts with a harrowing tale of the Nazi book burnings before it takes you onto some wonderful ecclesiastical and technological sights.

Best of all you can do this with the best Backpacker Hostel in Berlin at St Christopher's Inn. Of course I'm going to say it's the best but when you check out the uber modern rooms, the brand new Belushi's design and what it's right next to, you might just agree with me too.