The Porcelain Cabinet in Schloss Charlottenburg
Berlin Diary: Saturday 19 July 2025
Steps done: 19,533
This is a continuation of the previous post introducing our latest trip to Berlin. See here for notes from our trips in June 2023 and May 2024.
8:15 AM: Breakfast at NENI
We wake up to a beautiful morning. Aside from the heavy rain on our first afternoon here, the weather was hot and sunny throughout our stay.
Staying at the hotel, guests have instant access to both NENI Berlin and Monkey Bar, located on the 10th floor. You could start the day at the former for breakfast and end the day at the latter for a late night drink.
Guten Morgen Berlin: the view from our room window over the Tiergarten
The view from NENI looking out to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin)
For another time: a corner table with a view
9:15 AM: Wochenmarkt auf dem Karl-August-Platz
The weekly market on Karl-August-Platz was in full swing when we arrived. Stalls selling fruit, vegetables, cold meats, cheeses, cake, bread, flowers and other local produce line the four sides of a square that surround the Protestant Trinitatis Church. It would be very easy to pick up a picnic here for eating later in the garden of Charlottenburg Palace nearby. If you were renting an apartment, this (and all the other local farmers’ markets) would be a perfect place for fresh fruits and vegetables. We did not do either, but I was interested in seeing a local market.
The church at the centre of the market in Karl-August-Platz
Some of the local market stalls
10.15 AM: Schloss Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg Palace has a long history and as you can imagine there is almost too much to see on one visit. It is designed to impress, of course, and as such there is something to catch your eye in every room and every corner. You can think of any number of superlatives to describe the palace.
When visiting grand houses I often think two simultaneous thoughts: 1) how fantastic to live in such splendour and 2) how long it must take to clean the place. Then I return to my London townhouse and aim to keep life (and possessions) even simpler.
Charlottenburg Palace
Interior of the palace
1.15PM: A reverse breakfast at Canal
Having eaten a bigger breakfast than normal, we had a light pastry for lunch. Three in fact, as they were very good. There are some things I would return to Berlin for and this is one of them. Canal also sells ice cream and eclairs, which makes it the perfect stop for a sweet treat at any time of the day.
2.30PM: Berliner Dom
There are 228 steps up to the dome of Berlin Cathedral and you cannot turn back once you start your journey upwards. It was a hot day and I had to think twice whether I wanted to do this. In 1988 Mr Gochugaru and I climbed to the rooftop of Milan Cathedral and also to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. We have never done this a second time, so Berliner Dom may be now or never. This encouraged me to do the climb. Afterwards I would think of doing the same at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Berlin Cathedral
Interior of the cathedral
Views from the dome
7:15 PM: Dinner
Our third dinner was at Night Kitchen, a restaurant we visited previously. On account of a change in their portion sizes (which seems to have gotten bigger) and us being only a party of two, we tried three dishes plus bread. We found the dishes over-salted and later, back at the hotel, we drank a litre of water each with a lots of ice to relieve our raging thirst. NK is one to avoid in future.
8:45 PM: A Walk and a Bus Ride
An evening stroll along Unter den Linden, a boulevard in the centre of Berlin which runs from Humbolt Forum in the east to Brandenburg Gate in the West. We then took a Bus 100 via the Tiergarten back to our hotel.
Brandenburg Gate at dusk
View of the Siegessäule (Victory Column) in Tiergarten from the bus
10:15 PM: Goodnight!
In our next post we say goodbye to Berlin, but not before spending the morning with the residents of Berlin Zoo.