Charlottenburg neighbourhood houses several famous Berlin landmarks: the KuDamm shopping street, KaDeWe -Berlin’s fanciest department store, the Memorial Church and another cool store housing many local design brands: Bikini Berlin. That enough will put it on many people’s list when visiting Germany’s capital. But what about the kids you may ask…what is in it for the kids? As we all know, kids and hours long shopping sprees have very little in common. Unless it’s a toy shop.

Well, for one, the Berlin Zoo.

If you decide to spend a day with kids in Charlottenburg, the Zoo should be the first on you list. You should buy you tickets online on the Zoo website to avoid queues. Otherwise, try to arrive before 10 AM. It can get pretty busy, especially at week- ends.

To get to the zoo, you have 3 public transport options:

1. Zoologischer Garten S-Bahn stop (on the following lines S5 + S7 + S75).

2.Zoologischer Garten U-Bahn stop (on lines U2 + U9) or Kurfürstendamm U-Bahn stop (U1 + U9) and

3.approx. 15 bus lines and express bus X9 to the airport.

They all are within a short walking distance from the Elefantentor, the main entrance to the Berlin Zoo.

With more than 1.4000 species ( including giant pandas :), it is the most species rich Zoo in the World! Your can easily spend a day here discovering the dedicated enclosures designed to copy the animal’s natural habitat. The zoo and its aquarium had more than 3.5 million visitors in 2017. It is considered to be the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. Regular animal feedings are among its most famous attractions.

It may be a bit overwhelming at the first visit, especially if the kids are very young. This is why, I am happy to share with you an efficiency tip: the interactive map on the Zoo’s app. The interactive map shows you points of interest such as the playground, gastronomy, sanitation including baby changing stations and exits. It will save you time and unnecessary detours when navigating the grounds. It will also show feeding times and any special tours organised on the day. You can even tick a box to see additional tips for kids like the petting zoo. It really helped us keep an eye on the time and making the best of the hours spent there.

Another useful tip, in case you left the stroller home and are wondering how small legs may cope with the 33 hectares of enclosures: rent a hand cart. These are available for 5 Euro (with 10 Euro guarantee). The rental station can be found by the Löwentor entrance.

If you already visited the Zoo or are in need of extra kiddy entertainment, head to the Berlin Aquarium, a few meters right from the main entrance of the Zoo. Over 9,000 animals are presented on three storeys. It contains jellyfish, tropical and native fishes, crocodilians and a broad variety of insects. In addition to its fish tanks, the aquarium houses a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles. A combined zoo and aquarium ticket for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids costs 51 Euro.

After the kids had their fill of activities, you can consider heading to the 6th floor of the KaDeWe department store for lunch. This is a food mecca with options ranging from oysters with champagne to German sausages with sauerkraut. If your kid likes sausages ( I am still  to find one that says ‘no’ to minced meat) go to the saussage bar in the back. You can get a plate of saussages with patatoe salad for about 10 Euro. You can also go for simple Italian or French cuisine. More importantly, you will get to spend time with the Berlin crowd in what is really an institution of the West. On your way out, stop by the patisserie for some mouthwatering cakes.

If department-store dining is not your thing or you want to try the local snack, take a short stroll on Kurfürstendamm to no. 195 where you will find a currywurst institution: Bier’s Kudamm 195. Autographs on large-format Berlin photos at the entrance to the legendary snack bar, which opened in 1965, announce that a number of celebrities have eaten their sausages here. It became famous for the combination of currywurst and champagne. So while your kids are bussy snacking on currywurst and fries, you can enjoy a glass of bubbly to celebrate your Berlin trip. A great spot to please kids and a treat for the parents. Bring some wet tissues to rub off the ketchup from tiny hands!

If you prefer eating your currywurst without the bling, go for the Curry 36 snack bar instead. This is the latest outpost of a local chain, located at the entrance to the Zoo Train Station on Hardenbergplatz no. 9. A currywurst here will cost 1,7 Euro.

If the kids are bigger and ready for some exotic food options, the nearby (about 15 min walk)  Kantstrasse is well known for its Southeast Asian food. We went for a place called Papaya that serves delicious North Thai food and has huge portions. It does not look like much from the putside but the interior is clean and they have high chairs as well as a corner with some colouring books in the back.

With the kids happy and fed, it is now time for the parents to enjoy a small piece of Berlin history: the Memorial Church. The Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is the symbolic centre of West Berlin, an anti-war memorial to peace and reconciliation. Following allied bombing during WWII, the original west Tower has remained standing as a ruin and is called the “hollow tooth” as it is literally an empty husk. The Gedenkhalle (Memorial Hall) contains photographic exhibits of the Church and the surrounding area before and after the War. You can visit the monument between 10h and 19h Mon to Sat.

An alternative cultural option in the vicinity (Kurfuerstendamm 207-208) is the Museum Story of Berlin.  In 23 theme rooms you can experience everyday life of the people of Berlin during different eras. It covers 800 years of hisory in bite-size pieces . By using many multimedia tools, it manages to keep even some of its youngest visitors interested. One highlight of the exhibition is a guided tour through an original nuclear bomb shelter from the Cold War below the Kurfurstendamm which still can be used in case of an emergency. For kids, ask for the search game “Pinky & Fox”. Carrying a pencil and the treasure map, kids go on a discovery tour through the museum. On request older children get the STORY-Quiz leaflet with some puzzle games and thrilling details about the Berlin history.

If your energy levels are still high, conclude the day in the industrially designed Bikini House (Budapester Strasse, 38-50). There are healthy food options on the ground floor and a few bars and caffees offering artisanal brews and a spot for people watching and recounting the great adventures had during the day.

Happy travels!