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The arrival
Sometimes on a summer holiday, getting off the plane in the sweltering heat of a summer day that suddenly hits you feels like the city is greeting you with an unexpected, intense welcome. Sometimes it's the traffic jam on the way to the centre, lots of people on the road, cars honking, the restlessness on the streets, the first graffiti on the bridge pillars. Or it's the taxi driver whose Berlin accent sounds like a foreign language as he tells an anecdote with a mixture of cheeky humour and dry directness.
The first feeling
The first impression of a city is like meeting a new person for the first time. What were they wearing? Did they look well-groomed? Did they smile? How was the greeting? It's a moment that inevitably burns itself into our memory, often unconsciously, but nonetheless lasting. It shapes our initial expectations, our immediate mood, our feelings. This moment can be marked by wonder and excitement, but also by irritation, surprise, or even disappointment. And the best part: It doesn't have to last. But you'll never forget it.
The city
Berlin is direct. It doesn't make false promises. The city accepts you as it is: loud, ignorant, unvarnished and full of contrasts. It doesn't care whether you like it at first sight. It won't try to impress you. But it will grab you with its energy, its contradictions, its tireless movement.
The handling
Soak up these first moments in Berlin. Capture them, in your mind or on paper. Write down what you see, hear, smell, and feel. What's the air like? What colors dominate? Which people do you meet? How do you feel in those first few hours? Berlin can welcome you with open arms or give you a bit of a culture shock. Both are valuable, both are part of the experience.
A comparison
And then: Compare this first impression with the image you have of the city when you leave or when you walk through the same streets a few days later. Has anything changed? Have you perhaps discovered aspects of the city that were initially hidden from you? Has Berlin become more familiar to you, or does it remain a fascinating mystery?