A suggested rhythm for the 5 days. Nothing locked in — use it as a skeleton. First base: Friedrichshain (Numa, Apr 5–8). Second base: Mitte/Spittelmarkt (Motel One, Apr 8–10).
Sunday · Arrival DayApril 5 ✓ Lived
MORNING
Fly Paris CDG → Berlin BER ALL
S-Bahn from BER → Ostbahnhof ~30 min. Arrived and checked into Numa Friedrichshain.
BER Airport
AFTERNOON
Walk the neighbourhood + Boxhagener Platz Flea Market ALL
Explored Friedrichshain on foot. Hit the Sunday flea market at Boxhagener Platz — vintage finds, street food, good neighbourhood energy right outside the front door.
Boxhagener Platz
EARLY EVE
Drinks: Intimes Cinema Bar ALL
Stopped in for a drink at this Friedrichshain neighbourhood bar inside the historic Intimes cinema. Good vibe to end the afternoon.
Maps
EVENING
Dinner: Khinkali House (takeaway at the hotel) ALL
Picked up Georgian dumplings from Khinkali House and ate at the hotel. Good call for a low-key first night with a toddler.
Maps
Monday · Mitte & Vietnamese LunchApril 6 ✓ Lived
MORNING
Breakfast: Bäckerei Backfree ALL
Quick breakfast at the bakery right next door to Numa. Easy start before heading into the city.
Maps
MID-MORNING
Alexanderplatz → Museum Island ALL
S-Bahn from Ostbahnhof → Alexanderplatz, then walked through to Museum Island. UNESCO World Heritage, neoclassical architecture, Easter Monday buzz.
Museum Island
AFTERNOON
Hackescher Markt + Coffee at The Barn ALL
Walked up to Hackescher Markt for the street energy, then stopped at The Barn Café Mitte on Auguststraße for coffee.
Hackescher Markt
LUNCH
Dong Xuan Center — Vietnamese neighbourhood ALL
Headed out to the enormous Vietnamese wholesale market in Lichtenberg for lunch. Pho, bun bo hue, banh mi — a city within the city. One of Berlin's most unique spots.
Dong Xuan Center
Tuesday · Tempelhof + Old FriendsApril 7 ✓ Lived
MORNING
Grocery run: Denns BioMarkt ALL
Started slow at the hotel, then walked down to grab a handful of groceries at the organic market nearby.
Denns BioMarkt
MID-MORNING
Coffee at PAUS + Walk through Tempelhofer Feld ALL
Coffee at PAUS right at the entrance, then walked the runways of the decommissioned airport. Open sky, kite flyers, one of Berlin's most unique urban spaces.
Tempelhofer Feld
LUNCH
Imren Grill — Karl-Marx-Straße ALL
Where Berliners actually go for döner. No tourist queue, no fuss. The real thing.
Imren Grill
AFTERNOON
Back to the hotel ALL
Quiet afternoon back at Numa — good reset before the evening.
EVENING
Reunion with Elodie & Daniele 🤩 ALL
Met up with Tibz's childhood best friend Elodie and her fiancé Daniele — freshly engaged! Started at a park nearby so the little one could run at the playground, then headed to their place for homemade pizzas. A proper Berlin evening.
The Park
Wednesday · Hotel Move, Kreuzberg Walk & The GameApril 8 ✓ Lived
MORNING
11:00
Checkout Numa → Check in Motel One Spittelmarkt ALL
Moved hotels. Dropped bags and settled into Mitte base for the rest of the trip.
Motel One
NOON
Checkpoint Charlie → Bier's Currywurst + The Barn ALL
Walked to Checkpoint Charlie, then grabbed a currywurst at Bier's and a coffee at The Barn. Classic Mitte afternoon combo.
Checkpoint Charlie
AFTERNOON
Schlesische Tor → Oberbaumbrücke → East Side Gallery → Park an der Spree ALL
Jumped on the U-Bahn to Schlesische Tor, walked across the gorgeous Oberbaumbrücke, then followed the East Side Gallery murals along the Spree. Continued through Park an der Spree, Bethaniendamm, and the Luisenstadt/Kreuzberg streets back to the hotel. A proper long walk.
Oberbaumbrücke
GOÛTER
LATE AFT
Rest at hotel + Lidl run SHANA + KID
Rested at the hotel. Quick Lidl trip for Shana and Zouzou.
EVENING
Dinner: K'ups Gemüsekebap YOU + COLLEAGUES
Transport mishaps meant a change of plan — ended up grabbing a kebab at K'ups near the venue. Quick, no-nonsense, got us there on time.
Maps
8:00 PM
🏀 Alba Berlin vs. Unicaja Málaga — BCL Quarter-Final YOU + COLLEAGUES
Basketball Champions League Quarterfinal Game 2 at Max-Schmeling-Halle, Prenzlauer Berg. U2 from Spittelmarkt → Senefelderplatz. Shana + Zouzou at the hotel.
Max-Schmeling-Halle
Thursday · Work Day + Team DinnerApril 9 ✓ Lived
MORNING
Breakfast: Wiener Feinbäckerei ALL
Breakfast downstairs with Shana and Azul before the work day started.
Maps
ALL DAY
Work YOU · City exploring SHANA + AZUL
Full work day from the hotel. Shana and Azul explored the city — park, discovered the Dussmann bookstore, and enjoyed Mitte.
MID-AFT
Back together ALL
Reunited with the family mid-afternoon.
EVENING
Team dinner: Lemke am Hackeschen Markt YOU + COLLEAGUES
Dinner with the ITONICS team at Lemke, the brewpub tucked behind Alexanderplatz near Hackescher Markt. House-brewed beers, solid German food.
Lemke
Friday · HomeApril 10 ✓ Lived
MORNING
Checkout Motel One → Berlin BER ALL
Checked out and headed to the airport early. Picked up gifts at BER for the Franco-German neighbours and their kids, and grabbed a fresh veggie/protein bowl before the flight.
BER Airport
AFTERNOON
Fly BER → CDG · Back to Paris ALL
Flight home. Azul got nauseous in the Uber on the way back from CDG — rough end to the trip for the little one.
CDG
EVENING
Home 🏠 — Caesar salad + a show ALL
Quiet night in. Homemade Caesar salad for dinner, watched a show, and passed out. The best possible ending after 5 days in Berlin.
⚠ Easter Hours
Easter 2026 is April 5. Good Friday + Easter Monday may mean reduced hours or closures. Double-check Museum Island hours before visiting on Monday Apr 6.
Places we actually ate and drank at — in order of the trip.
☕ Coffee
🏚
The Barn Café Mitte
Stopped here twice — once after Museum Island on Monday, once on the Checkpoint Charlie walk Wednesday. Serious coffee, minimalist space.
✈️
PAUS COFFEE am Tempelhofer Feld
Coffee right at the entrance to Tempelhofer Feld before walking the runways. Exactly as advertised.
🥐 Breakfast & Bakeries
🥖
Bäckerei Backfree
Quick breakfast right next door to Numa before heading into the city.
🥐
Wiener Feinbäckerei
Viennese bakery just down from the hotel. Became the go-to — goûter on Wednesday, then breakfast with Shana and Azul on Thursday.
🥙 Lunch & Street Food
🍜
Dong Xuan Center
Enormous Vietnamese market in Lichtenberg. Pho, banh mi, bun bo hue. A city within the city — one of the best things we did.
🌯
Imren Grill
Where Berliners actually go for döner. No queue, no tourists. The real thing, after Tempelhofer Feld.
🌭
Bier's Currywurst
Currywurst stop right after Checkpoint Charlie. Classic Berlin street food, hit the spot.
🥙
K'ups Gemüsekebap
Pre-game dinner pivot after transport mishaps. Quick kebab near the venue — no-nonsense, got us there on time.
🍽 Dinner
🥟
Khinkali House
Georgian dumplings on arrival night, eaten at the hotel. Smart call for the first night with a toddler.
🍕
Elodie & Daniele's place
Homemade pizzas with Tibz's childhood best friend and her freshly-engaged fiancé. Best dinner of the trip — no contest.
🍺
Lemke am Hackeschen Markt
Team dinner with ITONICS at Lemke's brewpub. House-brewed beers, solid German food, good spot to close out the work trip.
Places we actually visited and explored — in order of the trip.
🛍 Markets & Neighbourhoods
🛍
Boxhagener Platz Flea Market
Hit the Sunday flea market on arrival afternoon — vintage finds, street food, and an immediate feel for the Friedrichshain neighbourhood. Perfect day-one move.
🏮
Dong Xuan Center
Enormous Vietnamese wholesale market with food stalls. Pho, banh mi, bun bo hue. Felt like a completely different city within the city.
📚
Dussmann Das KulturKaufhaus
Shana and Azul discovered this giant cultural department store on their own — books, music, film, open until midnight. A proper Berlin find.
🏛 Sights & Walks
🏛
Museum Island + Alexanderplatz
S-Bahn to Alexanderplatz then walked through to Museum Island. UNESCO World Heritage, neoclassical architecture, Easter Monday crowds.
🏙
Hackescher Markt
Walked up from Museum Island — cafes, street energy, the buzzy heart of Mitte. Coffee at The Barn nearby.
✈️
Tempelhofer Feld
Walked the runways of the decommissioned airport turned public park. Open sky, kite flyers, strollers everywhere. One of the best things we did.
🏰
Checkpoint Charlie
Quick stop on the Mitte walk after the hotel move. History in a very tourist-facing package — but worth seeing once.
🌉
Oberbaumbrücke
Walked across this beautiful double-decker Gothic bridge over the Spree connecting Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. One of Berlin's most photogenic spots.
🎨
East Side Gallery
Walked the full stretch of Berlin Wall murals after crossing the Oberbaumbrücke. Free, always open, and genuinely moving.
🌿
Park an der Spree → Bethaniendamm → Luisenstadt
Continued from East Side Gallery through the park along the Spree, then through Bethaniendamm and the Luisenstadt streets back to the hotel. A long, beautiful walk.
🏀
Max-Schmeling-Halle
Alba Berlin vs. Unicaja Málaga — BCL Quarterfinal Game 2. U2 from Spittelmarkt, evening at the game with ITONICS colleagues.
Drinks stops we actually made.
🎬
Intimes Cinema Bar
First drink in Berlin — stopped in at this neighbourhood bar inside the historic Intimes cinema after the flea market. Good vibe to close day one.
🍺
Lemke am Hackeschen Markt
Team dinner and drinks with ITONICS at Lemke's brewpub. House-brewed beers, good energy, a fitting last night out.
Berlin's BVG network is one of the best in Europe. From Friedrichshain you can reach any part of the city in under 30 minutes. From Spittelmarkt you're already in the middle of everything.
The Four Networks
U-Bahn (Underground)
Best for cross-city hops. Key lines: U5 (Frankfurter Tor → Alex) and U1 at Warschauer Str. From Spittelmarkt: U2 direct.
S-Bahn (Surface Rail)
Faster for longer trips. Ostbahnhof from Friedrichshain. Alexanderplatz from Motel One (~10 min walk).
Tram
Covers East Berlin well. Low floor — great with a stroller. Tram M10 connects Friedrichshain → Prenzlauer Berg directly.
Bus
Fills the gaps everywhere. Night buses (N prefix) run when U/S-Bahn frequency drops late.
Tickets & Pricing
Zones AB covers the whole city — Zone C only needed for the airport leg.
🎫 Day ticket (Tageskarte AB): ~€9–10/adult. Valid all day on all networks.
👶 Kids under 6 travel free — no ticket needed for your daughter.
📱 BVG app — buy tickets and plan journeys in real time.
🎫 Day ticket (Tageskarte AB): ~€9–10/adult. Valid all day on all networks.
👶 Kids under 6 travel free — no ticket needed for your daughter.
📱 BVG app — buy tickets and plan journeys in real time.
Key Journeys
Friedrichshain → Museum Island / Mitte
S3/S5/S7 from Ostbahnhof → Hackescher Markt. ~12 min.
Friedrichshain → Mauerpark (Prenzlauer Berg)
Tram M10 from Frankfurter Tor → Eberswalder Str. ~20 min.
Friedrichshain → Tempelhofer Feld
U1 Warschauer Str. → Gleisdreieck, transfer U6 → Tempelhof. ~20 min.
Friedrichshain → Kreuzberg / Neukölln
U1 from Warschauer Str. → Schlesisches Tor (Kreuzberg) ~5 min. For Neukölln: U8 from Hermannplatz ~15 min total.
Spittelmarkt → Tiergarten / Brandenburg Gate
U2 → Potsdamer Platz, then walk into Tiergarten. ~15 min. Or walk — ~25 min on foot.
Numa → Motel One (Hotel Transfer, Wed Apr 8)
S-Bahn from Ostbahnhof → Alexanderplatz, short walk to Spittelmarkt. ~20 min with luggage and stroller. Check-in from 3pm — drop bags if arriving earlier. Booking #24994B10917353.
BER Airport ↔ City
S-Bahn BER → Ostbahnhof (Friedrichshain) or Alexanderplatz (Motel One). ~30 min. Zone ABC ticket required.
💡 Pro Tips
Validate your ticket before boarding — inspectors check regularly. Day tickets start from first validation, not midnight. With a stroller, trams are your best friend — low floor, spacious. Download the BVG app before you land.