Toddler In Germany (2nd of 3 Parts)

 I happen to find myself in one of the most amazing cities in the world, the German capital, Berlin. And with toddler in tow, of course! With oodles amount of things to do for children, it is just never-ending!

 My two favorite hotels in Berlin are the Hotel Adlon Kempinski and the Radisson Blu Berlin, both of excellent location. The Hotel Adlon Kempinski is located directly beside the Brandenburger Tor (the main area and centre where the Berlin wall fell in 1989) and was also featured in a movie called Unknown (probably rings a bell to you) starring actors Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger. The Radisson Blu Berlin on the other hand is home to one of the most spectacular pieces of architecture as it features the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium, the Aqua Dom, measuring 25 meters high, filled with1,000,000 liters of salt water and housing over 1,500 fish in its tank surrounded with beautiful coral reefs! Amazing! Divers feed the fish and clean the tank on a daily basis, making it great entertainment as well. So, we chose to stay here as it is absolutely perfect for children. Ensure to request for a room on a higher floor facing the lobby for an excellent Aqua Dom view.

 When visiting Berlin, delicacies you will have to sample are a Berliner (a greasy doughnut filled with jam and covered with sugar), a Currywurst (a pork sausage sliced and covered in curry sauce) traditionally served with a bun called schrippe on the side or fries for the more modern and an Eisbein (a cured pork knuckle cooked in aromatic broth). You will find these in many of the side streets, bakeries and restaurants. I was also amazed to find a mobile sausage vendor when throughout my travels; I have never seen anything like it so I thought that was really cool! If you also fancy good steak that has been serving the public since 1968, Block House is the place to be or if you opt for seafood instead, you might want to try Nordsee.

 As Germany being one of the countries with a high chocolate consumption, we took toddler to the world of Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt along Französische Strasse. Seeing how this colorful assortment is made, a 75-minute scheduled tour recommended from ages 0-99 is available at a cost. Make reservations in advance or if you’re lucky, you might find some free slots at the door. A shop and a restaurant are available on site as well serving of course, Ritter Sport’s finest ingredients. A must try are the muffins and chocolate fondues! Shortly after, we visited another luxury chocolatier, Fassbender and Rausch established in 1863, home to one of the largest chocolatiers in the world! Famous for fresh and quality truffles, it sure delights every visitor. Hundreds of buy and take me home items are widely available, as well as a chocolate café and restaurant that offer delicacies prepared with only Rausch Plantagen-Schokolade. If you are an absolute chocolate lover, a chocolate-dinner show with a four-course dinner might be a brilliant thing to experience!

 Narrowing down my favorites, other interesting places and things to do for children are (1) getting swept away at the fun Legoland Discovery Centre located at the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz. And don’t forget to take a piece of Lego home with you. Your child can even celebrate his/her birthday at this centre with different themes to choose from; (2) Experience closer views of the stunning sea life of many shapes and sizes at the Aqua Dom and Sealife Berlin. Answer a quiz as you go along and your child could even win a prize; (3) you will find that there is a lot to discover around an interestingly popular urban snack at the Deutsches Currywurst Museum. A snack bar is available where you can sample their in-house specialties where they have loads. The museum souvenir shop is a must visit if you love curry! (4) The Tierpark Berlin established in 1844 is known to be the largest parkland zoo in the whole of Europe. Its baroque style gardens make this place even more so attractive, a must-visit! (5) The DDR Museum (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) where you can look behind the walls through a former socialist state, East Germany is a must see. Located directly across the Berlin Cathedral, I would think that this has got to be one of the best and most interactive museums in Berlin, a “hands-on experience of history”. Seeing a real-life Trabi (East German car) or the more luxurious Volvo or even a typical living room, bathroom and kitchen, no wonder that this is one of the most visited places in the city! Directly next door is the DDR-Restaurant Domklause where you can sample some Eastern dishes such as Soljanka (soup with vegetables garnished with sour cream), Steak with Lecho Vegetables, Goulash, Sugar Pasta(traditionally served with cinnamon, so request for it) and a drink called Vito-Cola, made popular during Eastern times (6) Hop On Hop Off city sightseeing tour bus where you can enjoy Berlin at your own pace and not have to worry about the long walks with a child in tow is highly recommended (7) the Spring fair at Kurt-Schumacher Damm with many leisure fairground attractions such as water ride and merry-go-rounds but only open at certain times of the year is worth a visit, (8) Jacks Fun World, which is an indoor playcenter and also Berlin’s largest has no end to fun! Suitable for ages 0-13, with an accompanying adult is a must-visit! (9) Similar to Jacks Fun World, another indoor playground is Jolos Kinderwelt play centre so take your pick between the two. Note that younger children are normally free of charge at MOST of these attractions I have listed. Plus, you are also entitled to take advantage of jumping the long queues!

 For some reason, Berlin’s architecture never fails to intrigue me! I have come to conclusion that architects here have an eccentric way of thinking, which makes them stand out in many ways. I am referring to one of many attractions toddler had visited, the Fernsehturm, the former East Berlin TV Tower located right in the middle of the historical city just a few meters away from Alexanderplatz station. This tower, at 207 meters in height offers breathtaking 360degree views of a distance of up to 80km! Do also try a meal up at the Sphere rotating restaurant, which makes two revolutions every hour. The queues are massive but at the end of the day your patience is well worth the wait. “Ich bin ein Berliner”, the same famous phrase used by JFK in 1963, which I would certainly agree with!

 It’s true that a visit to the influential city of Berlin makes a fun and memorable holiday with children. Read on again next week of more on toddlers travel.