Tag: easter

Easter in Berlin: hop on a bike!

During the Easter period, Germany’s capital city is a treasure trove of cultural events, including spring festivals, bonfires on Easter Saturday or the popular markets with their giant chocolate eggs (check them out here).

However, if you are looking for a gentle jaunt to complement this hectic spring agenda, grab a bicycle at the Hotel Gat Point Charlie and set off to explore the city and its surroundings at your own pace.

Landwehrkanal, Kreuzberg


@culturetrip
The picturesque Landwehrkanal is less than a 10-minute ride from the hotel and passes through the beautiful Kreuzberg and Maybachufer neighbourhoods. Enjoy the picnic areas set alongside the canal and in Görlitzer Park, which is also a great place for a barbecue on a sunny day.

The Berlin Wall

@visitberlin
If alternative activities are more your thing, but you don’t want to leave the city, why not ride the 159 km Berlin Wall trail? If you are short for time, choose the most artistic stretch which goes from the East Side Gallery to Bernauer Strasse via Potsdamer Platz.

For anyone keen to go a little further afield:
Glienicker Brücke

@visitberlin.de
This bridge crosses the Havel river, which connects two lakes–Groß Glienicker See and Jungfernsee–and separates the city of Berlin from Brandenburg. Apart from the spectacular beauty of the landscape, the area’s rich history also makes it an iconic attraction. You’ll pass the castle on your way to the bridge, and you’ll be tempted to have a quick dip in the lakes on a warm spring day.

The banks of the river Dahme


@visitberlin.de

This itinerary begins at the East Side Gallery, just a few metres from the hotel. Enjoy the idyllic landscape as soon as you start to follow this tributary of the River Spree and discover the localities of Grünau and Müggelheim or the famous Müggelturm observation tower. When you think you’ve explored enough, simply follow the river back to the city!

Easter in Lisbon by Gat Rossio

As the capital of a Catholic country, Lisbon opens up its chest of enchanting customs and traditions during Easter Week. In this post, we share some of our favourites with you.

One of the unmissable culinary treats over the Easter period is the Folar da Páscoa, a sweet or savoury bread that represents the bread eaten at the last supper, and is baked with hard-boiled eggs in the dough to represent the resurrection of Jesus.


@buendiatours

As tradition dictates, meat is off the menu on Good Friday, and is replaced with another culinary great: bacalhau (cod). Why not order yourself some delicious, creamy bacalhau com natas? However, Easter Sunday more than makes up for the abstinence observed on Good Friday with succulent roast lamb, which represents Jesus himself, the Lamb of God.

To cap off your Easter feasts, Lisbon also offers a host of mouth-watering sweet treats, such as chocolate eggs and caramelized almonds.

@discoverlisbon

In terms of cultural traditions, some that catch every visitor’s interest are the compasso pascal, or Easter walk, during which a priest visits the home of any parishioners who have laid flowers at their door; theatrical productions of the Passion of Christ; Easter Sunday Mass at Lisbon Cathedral; and the popular Easter processions (the ones held in Óbidos are the most impressive).

Beyond these traditions, visitors should also enjoy some of the everyday aspects that shape Lisbon’s soul, such as the weekly markets, the classic and sometimes unusual bookshops, bars at which to take in spectacular views over the city, or popular venues for an evening of traditional fado music.

Make time to discover some of Lisbon’s varied neighbourhoods as you take a gentle stroll through the quaint streets of Rossio, Baixa, Bairro Alto or Alfama, for example.

If you’re looking for the perfect base during your stay, remember that Gat Rossio has everything you need. Take a closer look at our hotel and book your room online at https://hotelgatrossio.com/en.

In Easter, enjoy Ostern in Berlin

Photo: @AndreuPoison

The Easter holidays are just around the corner, and our city is looking better than ever!

We think so, anyway – and when you read about Berlin’s Easter customs and traditions, festivals and markets, we think you’ll agree with us! We have a sneaky feeling that you are going to want to make your way here soon to see it all yourself…

Ostern in Berlin

In the German capital, tradition dictates kicking off Easter week on Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) with a green seven herb soup followed by Osterlamm for dessert, a sweet Easter cake baked in the shape of a lamb and dusted with icing sugar. A delicious start to the Holy Week!

Photo: @_nudels_kitchen

Don’t miss the incredible events held to commemorate the changing seasons. Celebrate the arrival of spring at the Frühlingsfest in Kurt-Schumacher-Damm, the Britzer Baumblüte in the southern part of the city, and the Kirschblütenfest cherry blossom festival held in the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World), or bid farewell to winter on Easter Saturday around the huge bonfires held in Britzer Garten, Spandau and Frohnau, among others.

Photo: @berlimama

The world-famous German markets liven up the squares at Breitscheidplatz, with “Mr. Bunny” and twelve huge eggs, and Alexanderplatz, which will be decorated with nearly six thousand crochet eggs.


Photo: www.tagesspiegel.de

If you prefer to take a step back in time and visit a medieval market, head for the Museumsdorf Düppel, an open-air reconstruction of a typical 13th century German village that offers traditional Easter activities such as egg painting or storytelling. You will also have the chance to savour some typical German food – the smell of freshly-baked bread is irresistible!

@kulturreise-ideen.de

Ladies and gents, we invite you to enjoy a fun-packed Holy Week by devouring a traditional green soup on Maundy Thursday, admiring the incredible colours of spring blooms at the Kirschblütenfest, bid farewell to winter with the bonfire at Britzer Garten and find the crochet eggs at Alexanderplatz.

While you are on your adventures discovering our local traditions, GatRooms Hotels will take care of the rest to ensure you have an unforgettable stay.

Where is… Easter in Berlin?

During April, Berlin lives one of the most wished celebrations of the year, which is, without doubt, Easter. According to the tale of the German spring goddess Ostara, the German festivity “Oster” was named after her. During Easter we exit the cold winter, as well as honoring the awaken of nature with the arrival of spring. Continue reading “Where is… Easter in Berlin?”