Can you really get a weekend in Berlin for under £250pp? Including flights, food, drinks, sightseeing and a decent hotel? You can - if you know where to look...
Friday night
The first-night bite: At no-menu Mercan (Wiener Str 10; 00 49 30 6128 5841), in edgy Kreuzberg, choose from a delicious display of stuffed aubergine, spiced lamb, chickpea stew and braised beef (£10.60 for two courses).
The stylish sleep: Hotel Amano (Auguststrasse 43; 00 49 30 809 4150, www.hotel-amano.com; doubles from £66, room only) is an oft-overlooked minimalist beauty in a city of designer spaces. Included in your room rate is use of the hotel’s bikes and pre-loaded iPods.
Advertisement
Saturday
The view to thrill: Grab a bagel and a cappuccino from Luigi Zuckermann, (Rosenthaler Str 67; £4.40), en route to the Reichstag (www.bundestag.de; free; prebook) and the views from Norman Foster’s landmark glass dome. The city is pretty, but spying on the debating politicians is more absorbing.
The free guide: Get the lowdown on what’s left of the Wall by joining a complimentary tour; seek out a red T-shirt at the Brandenburg Gate at 9am, 11am, 1pm or 4pm (www.newberlintours.com). Tip your leader if you see fit.
The lunch to linger over: The French menu at La Crapule (Skalitzer Str 68; 00 49 30 6003 1293) is great value: £7.50 for soup, main and pudding. Add two glasses of Bordeaux and an espresso and you still won’t spend more than a tenner.
The big night out: The absinthe is cheaper in cool Kreuzberg – try Luzia (Oranienstrasse 34) and Möbel-Olfe (Reichenberger Str 177). Soak up the booze with noodles at Spätzle Express (Wiener Str 14a; £3.30), before hitting legendary club Berghain (Am Wriezener Bahnhof; £10).
Advertisement
Sunday
The brilliant brunch: Pay £8 at Frida Kahlo (Lychener Str 37; 00 49 30 445 7016, www.fridakahlo.de) to fill your plate repeatedly with thyme-infused potatoes,
green beans, pasta and syrup-drizzled pancakes. Sip Champagne (£3.50) as you bask in your frugality.
The bargain hunt: Walk to Mauerpark flea market to rifle through vinyl, teapots, old love letters and spare computer parts.
The Sunday sing-song: Every week, in a concrete amphitheatre within Mauerpark, 1,500 people gather to sing with Joe Hatchiban and his karaoke machine (www.bearpitkaraoke.com).
Advertisement
The big chill: At Weisser See (White Lake), 20 minutes by train from Alexanderplatz (£4 return), there’s a beach, complete with loungers and bar – a laid-back place to end your trip (Berliner Allee 155; £2.20, or free after 7pm).
Get me there: EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) has weekend returns from five UK airports from £49. Or try Germanwings (www.germanwings.com).