The 7 Best Things to Do in Germany in Your 20s

Berlin can be a playground for everyone, but especially for those who are in their 20s, when life can be beautiful and confusing, and some experimentation is called for. Berlin is the best city to lose yourself in, to discover and explore what tickles your fancy, both socially and creatively. It’s affordable, and it’s a safe space to push your own boundaries and incubate who you might become. Here are some great things for twenty-somethings to try out in Berlin.

In Berlin, you can find cheap food on every corner and at any hour, and in most cases it’s also sinfully delicious. Try the quintessential currywurst, tasty falafel or crispy schnitzel, none of which will cost you more than a few coins. It’s legal to drink beer on the street, so there’s no problem there. It’s also a great place to be vegan; Berlin is leading the way in terms of restaurant options for the non-carnivorous.

No matter how long you’re around for, skip the hotels and find your accommodation in a Wohngemeinschaft or WG (shared flat). Rentals can be anything from a few days to a few months long, and you’re bound to meet a bunch of crazy, eclectic people, either from Germany or abroad.

If you find yourself in Berlin in the cold months, you need to join the other million revellers to enjoy an ocean of German beer, a spectacular fireworks show and maybe even yet another appearance by David Hasselhoff, for an unforgettable New Year’s bash at Berlin’s most iconic landmark, the Brandenburg Tor.

Millennials need to know the world that came before them and to understand the unfathomable things some people had to go through in order for us to live as we do now. It’s important to understand the mistakes that were made, so that we can move forward and create a new world. Germany’s history is both horrific and arresting, and the monuments and museums built in honour of its turbulent past are educational, heartbreaking and moving. We recommend a visit to the Stasi Museum, the Jewish Memorial and Museum, East Side Gallery, Typography of Terror, the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park and a visit to the remains of the Berlin Wall near Mauer Park.

Being a student in any capacity is a very good thing in Berlin. Sign up for a dance class or a live-drawing session, take a semester in fine arts, history or the German language, attend any number of wacky free lectures, go to an eye-contact experiment or take a writing workshop. Berlin isn’t like any other place in the rest of Germany, or indeed in the rest of the world, so use this time in your life to indulge yourself in all the city has to offer.

Berlin has a rich and thriving street-performance scene, especially when it comes to live music. A hot spot for Berlin’s buskers is just outside the train station at Warschauer. Grab a beer and some spare change for the musicians’ hats, and head on down during the golden hour when the sun sets over the Spree. It’s a great place to marvel at the Berlin skyline.

Before you blush and squirm, know that going to a fetish party does not mean you have to partake in anything you don’t feel comfortable with. But if you keep an open mind, you never know what kind of freedom you might find, and there’s no better time or place to explore your own sexuality than in your 20s in Berlin. Take a look at our guide on how to survive a sex party in Berlin.