The week before Christmas I had the pleasure of traveling to Germany for my job. This was my first time traveling to Germany so I was super excited. I spent a week in Chemnitz and a weekend in Berlin. Although it was cold, I had a great time.

The Berlin Tegel airport is not fancy and is hard to navigate. Since each airline doesn't have branded terminals, you have to read every sign to find which one is checking in your plane. There are no kiosks. I took a metered cab to my hotel which was in the outer part of the city center, which was great for sightseeing.

After my extended nap, I headed straight to the train station, Berlin Hbf. It looks super cool because the subway runs above all the restaurants and vendors inside. On the bottom levels are the trains that are similar to Amtrak. I arrived in Chemnitz 3 hours later. I had a 20-minute layover in Leipzig which had a pretty cool train station too. The trains had 6 person compartments, kind of like a 90s Hogwarts Express. Thankfully I was able to ride alone.

Chemnitz reminded me of Indianapolis. Random I know, but I say this because a small area is developed with commercial buildings/skyscrapers and everything else is residential. The hotel I stayed in was the Seaside Residenz Hotel Chemnitz and it was like 4 blocks from the city center. Since my hotel was located relatively close I feel like Chemnitz is walkable. I only had to take the train to go to one awesome Nepalese restaurant. I am sad I did not write down the name (I found out it’s called Namaste Nepal).

I would not describe the city as multicultural. I saw a few black and brown people. However, based on the stares I must have looked unusual. Also, my co-workers and I were speaking English so a large group of Americans may have been weird.

My favorite part of visiting Chemnitz was the Christmas markets. All over Europe Christmas markets spring up at the being of December. The one in Chemnitz reminded me of A Christmas movie. It was classic and beautiful. There were dozens of merchants selling food, ornaments, and all different kinds of items.

The best part of Germany, the Christmas Markets. Glühwein, which a spiced mulled wine that comes in dozens of different flavors was the highlight. It tastes so good. There are so many specialty vendors selling ornaments, food, clothes, souvenirs, and so many other things. My German co-workers explained to me that these Christmas markets are more traditional (compared to the mall) and you can feel that as you walk around. At 9:00 p.m. a special song plays and the vendors shut down and pack up.

Chemnitz felt like a great place for family. All around there were lots of children and families. Although is it not necessarily a bustling metropolis, I am glad I had the opportunity to visit.

Berlin, as expected, was super cool. I went there on a solo adventure for 2 days. I took the hop on hop off bus to see the sights. I didn't get to do all of the tourist things but I saw a lot. I saw the Berlin Wall and went up in the TV Tower for dinner. I learned a lot about German history. There are very few historical buildings (compared to other European cities) because many of them were destroyed in World War II. The city was multicultural and way more cosmopolitan than Chemnitz. Between the bus and walking, I was able to see a lot of the city.

Christmas Market in Gendarmenmarkt. That’s how it’s spelled.

I also visited two Christmas markets in Berlin. Can you tell I have a thing for Chrismas markets? The first I visited was in an area called Gendarmenmarkt. It was the most trendy of all of the markets. The uniform white tents and high-end Christmas ornaments were very different than anything in Chemnitz. The second Christmas market I visited was in Alexanderplatz which was more basic, however, they also had more vendors and more people. I think before the holidays is the best time to visit Germany so you can experience the Christmas markets. Or Octoberfest.

In a weird way, Germany is either super modern or stuck in the 80s and I can't put my finger on why it felt like that to me. One recurring thing I saw all over the country was graffiti. From beautiful murals to beginners' sketches, there is graffiti everywhere. I always heard other people's opinions of Germany so I am glad I was able to experience it for myself.