Trip to Deutschland

Hey guys,

I'm going on a vacation to Berlin Friday just for sight seeing and stuff. I know no German, by the way. Is there anything I should see in particular, anything to be warned about etc?

Also, I hear German food is terrible (like Sauerkraut :P) Is this true? Are there any good food places in Berlin? Or should I have to rely on American food chains all week?

Thanks.

Well personally i love German food, its all about taste (and if you are willing to ignore the sometimes strange appearance).

Try not to offend anyone, remember that there is always somebody who speaks English (poorly or well) somewhere in the giant crowd your walking in.

I would personally also recommend getting in some high class Schnapps and Ale, cause it doesn't get any better than from there.

That's about as much as I can tell you. Ask Rommel or Maxi, they can really help you...

Too young to drink, and even if I was, I'm going with my parents.

I think there's a food called schnitzel :P. Try that ;D. I think there are a few castles there. And museums. You should probably ask other ppl though. Or get a tourist book from the library about Germany.

What I've learned from going abroad is, don't worry about food in cities, unless you're going somewhere like Somalia, Sudan or North Korea. The world is so heavily globalised that even traditional places in cities will cater for pretty much any taste... even in the depths of Bulgaria I could still find fish and chips... even if the fish was baked and unbattered with it's head, eyes, tail fin, skin and bones still intact. Thank fuck for stray cats :P

I believe the drinking age there is 16 years old, correct me if i'm wrong

neosdark wrote:
I believe the drinking age there is 16 years old, correct me if i'm wrong

Not like I'm ready to drink, and I'll be with my parents so that's out. I also don't turn 16 until November.

Germans make bloody good sausages so you should definetly try them.

i recommend getting Currywurst (it is a sausage with a lot of spicey sauce)
german food is nice and there is a lot of international food around in berlin, it is  a very international city
and dont be afraid to speak english to everyone ( most germans are happy if they can show of their nice english :)
enjoy berlin

HyperSniper999 wrote:

neosdark wrote:
I believe the drinking age there is 16 years old, correct me if i'm wrong

Not like I'm ready to drink, and I'll be with my parents so that's out. I also don't turn 16 until November.

There's nothing to be "ready" it's just alcohol lol
I remember my 1st beer at 15,i puked on my bro's sofa xDD
His mom was like You little motherfucker  >:(
And still she washed my puked sweater :D
Oh btw hope you enjoy Berlin  ;)

Gogo wrote:

HyperSniper999 wrote:

neosdark wrote:
I believe the drinking age there is 16 years old, correct me if i'm wrong

Not like I'm ready to drink, and I'll be with my parents so that's out. I also don't turn 16 until November.

There's nothing to be "ready" it's just alcohol lol
I remember my 1st beer at 15,i puked on my bro's sofa xDD
His mom was like You little motherfucker  >:(
And still she washed my puked sweater :D

I never puked of alcohol and never were drunken because I know my limit and that's for the most people in germany the same and that's why it's from 16 years.

walki1 wrote:

Gogo wrote:

HyperSniper999 wrote:

neosdark wrote:
I believe the drinking age there is 16 years old, correct me if i'm wrong

Not like I'm ready to drink, and I'll be with my parents so that's out. I also don't turn 16 until November.

There's nothing to be "ready" it's just alcohol lol
I remember my 1st beer at 15,i puked on my bro's sofa xDD
His mom was like You little motherfucker  >:(
And still she washed my puked sweater :D

I never puked of alcohol and never were drunken because I know my limit and that's for the most people in germany the same and that's why it's from 16 years.

Trust me dude it was my bros 18th bday i had to !!
Rules are rules  ;D
I knew my limit ofc but i didn't know how to drink,there is a lot of difference there :)

HyperSniper999 wrote:
Hey guys,

I'm going on a vacation to Berlin Friday just for sight seeing and stuff. I know no German, by the way. Is there anything I should see in particular, anything to be warned about etc?

Also, I hear German food is terrible (like Sauerkraut :P) Is this true? Are there any good food places in Berlin? Or should I have to rely on American food chains all week?

Thanks.

Time that a German person (except of Pauly3) answers your question  ;D

To be warned about.. I think you just follow the typical rules, don't offend anyone, don't do things that you could be punished for in your home country.
Most of the young people are able to speak proper English, you won't have a problem with communication. In bigger cities, they even have most signs and stuff in English, too.

The food known as "German Food" is just the typical food from southern Germany. Sauerkraut, Weißwurst, Brezeln and stuff like that is Bavarian, some of it may be terrible, even for me. In Berlin, you should indeed try Currywurst (though they stole the recipe from Hamburg ;D) and Schnitzel and other Sausages.
Years ago, the Currywurst was the most eaten fast food around here, today the "Döner Kebab", an invention of a Turkish immigrant in Berlin, has taken the Currywursts place, so make sure to taste a "Döner" (chopped meat from lamb or chicken, served with salad, onions, red cabbage and two kinds of sauce (a white and a spicy red one) in flatbread).
For me (probably because I'm used to) German food isn't terrible, you should try it at least. If you don't like it, it's ok, because it's very special.

Forget about American food chains. Everything they serve is just full of fat and the opposite of healthy. Just rely on good restaurants where they serve good German and international food.

To come to a conclusion, there is something very special that you should remember before you visit Germany:
Forget everything that you've heard from Germany before (except of what's written in this thread lol  ;)), forget about all of your stereotypes of a typical German person and just let Germany surprise you!

Last edited August 18, 2011 at 1:49 PM by MaxiKing6

MaxiKing6 wrote:
Forget about American food chains. Everything they serve is just full of fat and the opposite of healthy. Just rely on good restaurants where they serve good German and international food.

*Blargh* That shit is disgusting. Embarrassment to america.

We should open a new thread - Countries, cultures, stereotypes, at least for stuff like that  ;)

Maxi that Doner Kebab you mentioned isn't acttually a Turkish invention, it sounds to me like a corruption of the Adana Kebab, which is lamb, with lettuce, red cabbage, onions, the white yogurt sauce, and the red spicy sauce, served in Pita bread (or flatbread if you so prefer to call it), pretty much what you described, but this particular dish has been around for a good 100 years cause, the Turkish restaurants in New York have been serving for years and according to my Turkish friends has been around since Ottoman times.

Last edited August 18, 2011 at 8:04 PM by neosdark

I didn't know the meaning of what we call "Fladenbrot" in English so I had to look it up and that's what my dictionary said. I didn't know of it being there in the US for such a long time, but in TV they told many times that it was invented by a Turkish person in Berlin.

Cranialwizard wrote:

MaxiKing6 wrote:
Forget about American food chains. Everything they serve is just full of fat and the opposite of healthy. Just rely on good restaurants where they serve good German and international food.

*Blargh* That shit is disgusting. Embarrassment to america.

I know, I can't stand MacDonald's these days. Always had a terrible after taste. That food sounds interesting, thanks.