The European city break with 180-year-old beer gardens, cheap football and amazing street food
THE sheer thrill and energy of a live football match is something that always gets the pulses racing.
And few places do it better than Germany.
With its high-quality games, affordable tickets and famous beer culture coming together harmoniously, it is fantasy football heaven for fans like me.
I booked my getaway with CW Travel, who had arranged a full itinerary including tickets for a match in Berlin, along with some unique experiences I would never otherwise have known about.
While I was fortunate to take in one of the thrilling Euro 2024 games this summer, Berlin’s Bundesliga offerings, featuring local rivals Union and Hertha, are every bit as enticing.
The Olympiastadion is a must for fans. I got to see the spot where France legend Zinedine Zidane ended his career in the worst possible way by getting red-carded for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup Final.
And where the podium was placed at the 1936 Olympics to honour Jesse Owens, the black multiple gold medal-winning US sprinter, to the dismay of Nazi tyrant Adolf Hitler.
Football wasn’t my only reason for visiting Berlin. It is crammed full of both history and excellent grub.
During all those years of hosting big sporting events, the city has perfected the art of putting on a show — with strong German beer served even in the stadium stands, along with pretzel and bratwurst snacks.
But football wasn’t my only reason for visiting Berlin. It is crammed full of both history and excellent grub.
Fork and Walk’s street food tour should be top of the list for foodies, taking you round the hugely exciting Prenzlauer Berg district in the east of the city.
A traditional currywurst was our first port of call, followed by a visit to Happies, whose German owners have created a twist on Chinese bao buns.
The soft, pillowy dough balls are stuffed with fillings from around the world.
My goat’s cheese, honey and walnut concoction, in a rocket-and-cashew pesto sauce was sensational.
For dessert, you simply have to pay a visit to Bekarei, a half-Portuguese, half-Greek cafe, serving treats from the two countries and voted the sixth-best baked-goods merchant in the whole of Germany.
Pick of beer halls
Their spanakopita was light, flaky and incredibly full of flavour, while their coconut pastels tasted heavenly.
No visit to Germany would be complete without sampling some of its famous beer.
And when it comes to enjoying an al-fresco ale in Berlin, it seems nowhere has improved on Prater Garten — aka the city’s oldest beer garden.
It’s still going strong after first opening in 1837, and still attracting visitors in huge numbers.
A giant three-pint stein of cold local booze went down wonderfully in the hot sun, accompanied by flammekueche, a thin German pizza traditionally eaten in bars.
Unlimited travel on Berlin’s transport network costs just over £22, with a Berlin WelcomeCard available from tourist information points across the city.
If you’ve been watching the footie and fancy a post-match pint, you’ll have your pick of beer halls and other watering holes around the Mitte and Friedrichstrasse area.
We headed to Nolle, a 1920s-style restaurant and bar serving an array of local beers as well as German dishes such as schnitzel.
Fortunately, my evening’s accommodation, the NH Hotel, was just a few short steps away, right outside Friedrichstrasse Station.
This is a great spot from which to explore the city, with most tourist sights just a short journey away.
Unlimited travel on Berlin’s transport network costs just over £22, with a Berlin WelcomeCard available from tourist information points across the city.
The room itself was as reliable as any NH Hotel throughout Europe and the chain offers a higher-end experience than most budget options but at reasonable prices.
You’re on to a winner, on and off the pitch, in Berlin.
GO: BERLIN
GETTING THERE: Ryanair flies from Stansted to Berlin from £24.99 each way.
See ryanair.com.
STAYING THERE: CW Travel organises trips from £399pp, including hotel, tours and match tickets.