Semester Abroad, Global Correspondents 5 Little Things I Love About Berlin

Leo, one of the Semester Abroad Global Correspondents, shares his experience abroad during the Spring 2024 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.

Berlin is an amazing city, with one of the best public transit systems in the world and some of the most creative uses of urban space (i.e. techno clubs in converted power plants, cafés in abandoned buses). But what has made my month-and-a-half here special have been the little things in my kiez (neighborhood) that I know I’ll miss when I’m gone. Here are five of them:

1. My afternoon walk to Vatan Bäckerei

My first week here, I knew I needed to find a bakery for my morning bread fix. Every day I went to a different one, but something was always lacking: one was too expensive, the other only made fresh bread in the morning, and the third was 20 minutes away. I worried I would have to resort to buying a toaster (far from ideal considering my tiny kitchen counter).

Enter Vatan, a Turkish bakery directly down the street from my apartment that sells warm loaves of Fladenbrot for just 1.10 €. It’s the perfect companion for a bite of hummus, an avocado toast, or an infusion of carbs before a long night out. Most days after class, I stop by on my way home from the U-Bahn to buy a loaf that inevitably only lasts the night. 

2. Watching Bayern Munich games with fellow fans

Being a Bayern fan doesn’t exactly make me the most popular person in Berlin. It’s like being a Patriots fan in Philly; Bayern is the most successful team in Germany and has won a record number of Bundesliga titles. But that’s how I was raised (my dad is a lifelong fan) and luckily, I’ve found a good crowd of fellow fans at the local pub to watch with. There, I can wear my jersey with pride and cheer on my team.

3. Plötzensee

Last week, I went to Plötzensee, a nearby lake, for a bike ride with a friend. Within 15 minutes of arriving, a stranger was helping us fish out the money we had accidentally and idiotically dropped in a sidewalk grate. 30 minutes later, we were sharing tea with the same person by the water, and soon after, we were tossing a frisbee with another elderly German man who’d stopped by to chat. That’s the magic of Plötzensee, where I plan to spend my summer swimming and meeting more fun people.

4. Student Tickets (+ the museums)

For 22 €, I purchased a yearly student pass that allows me to get tickets for the opera, ballet, and classical music performances—which can run up to 100 € each—for just 15 € (with a plus one!). I also have a yearly museum pass, which allows me to get into all Berlin city museums for free. So far, I have seen a Casper David Frederich exhibit at the Alte Nationalgalerie, an East German art exhibit at the Neue Nationalgalerie, and an exhibit at the Kupferstichkabinett showcasing works that were secretly hidden during Nazi times to prevent them from being confiscated.

5. The (non-German) food 

As a German myself, I feel qualified to say that German food doesn’t exactly excite the palate. But that’s far from a problem in Berlin, where it’s easier to find Turkish lahmacun, Sudanese-style falafel (the peanut sauce <3), Chinese hand-pulled noodles, and Vietnamese bánh xèo than traditional German fare. But of course, there’s still room to indulge in a currywurst or spätzle when you’re really craving it.