I took a small weekend trip with my daughter to spend some one-on-one time with the eldest of my two children. The youngest is 2 and often gets a lot of attention because of his age. I try to prioritize some one-on-one time with my daughter instead and if you have more than one child I can only recommend it.
How We Got There
When living in Hamburg, Berlin is only 2 and a half hours away by train. The train ride itself is a big part of the trip as well. When asking my daughter what she liked the most about our trip, she actually said the train ride, so that’s a confirmation.
We took a really early ride at 8.20 in the morning. Stocked up on snacks and ate our brought breakfast in the train. No limitations on either Ipad or snacks – what’s not to like?
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Monbijou Hotel, which is a really nice and small boutique hotel across from Monbijou Park in Mitte, just 2 minutes walk from Hackescher Markt. It was really easy to get there from the central station, which was a big priority so we didn’t have to spent even more of the day traveling. I had done quite a lot of researching on hotels, because I wanted it to fit a list of criteria: easy access to the places we wanted to visit, cozy, close to central station and affordable. Monbijou Hotel could check everything off the list. While researching I also considered Hotel Zoe by Amano in the same area and will probably try that next time.
What We Did
We arrived around 11 o’ clock and after checking in we went to get lunch. There are loads of possibilities, but I really wanted to visit the newly opened Bakery Sofi by danish chef Frederik Bille Brahe in Sofienhof. It was walking distance from our hotel and we of course stopped by Viel Spiel in Großer Hamburger Straße 28 on the way. The bakery is in a beautiful and calm courtyard and it quickly became clear that it was a popular spot – especially for visiting Danes not surprisingly. We shared a sandwich which was more of my taste than my daughter’s, but we also got a slice of sourdough chocolate loaf, so there was no hard feelings.
We went to see the Museum für Naturkunde, which was a longer walk than expected. The exhibition was smaller compared to similar museums I’ve visited, this could be due to renovation or Covid restrictions, but no matter what, it was the right amount for a 5 year old. After that, we knew more about distances and we took the tram to our hotel and got some snacks on the way.
After a short break at the hotel, we had dinner at Vino & Basilico and both ordered the Tagliatelle Tartufo – probably one of the best I’ve ever had. The restaurant is bright and cozy, which makes it perfect for a date with your kid, but not recommendable for a dinner with your husband. The waiter were really nice and friendly and brought my daughter extra pens, so she could paint in her own brought drawing book. Would definitely come again!
Photo Moritz Schmid
Sunday
Sunday we had breakfast in the hotel and wanted to go out a bit, before heading back at 11 am. Even though I did my research, I did not do it well enough. I’m aware that Sunday is Ruhe Tag in Germany, and apparently on Sundays you have to stay in bed all morning, because it is not easy to get a coffee before 12.
General Tips
- Don’t rush, focus on the time you spent together and not on what you have planned.
- Don’t expect a shopping or spa trip, decide something in your child’s interests.
- Decide on one area to minimize travel time.
- Plan ahead and research, but expect changes.
- Have a drink, enjoy and relax – you can discipline your child any other day but this.
Text and photos by Kajsa Englesson
