Greifswald - A City of Boats & the Best Ice Cream

Berlin, München, Hamburg...there are some of the cities in Germany that one would generically list, but these are often large tourist cities. The smaller cities, such as Greifswald, can be a treasure because they are so unique and free of the tourist attractions.

Last weekend, my program went on an overnight excursion to Greifswald, a city by the Baltic Sea and 3 hours north from Berlin, Germany. Being able to live away from the business of Berlin was something I didn't realize I needed. It led to me realize that not Germany is not all about seeking the touristy places or trying the most reviewed restaurants, but it's also exploring different cities and viewpoints. Greifswald was a small city with a population of about 60,000, and its peacefulness and serenity was something I embraced.

The youth hostel that we stayed at was my first time my favorite part of the whole trip. Last year, I learned about youth hostels in my high school German class, but I had always thought of it as hotel. In reality, it isn't a hotel, but it's a room with multiple beds that are set up to promote social interaction, leading to a great time with the friends I stayed with. In addition to that, we had a barbecue and ate a traditional German dinner, including bread (you can never forget the bread), bratwurst (sausage), and potato salad. It was also in Greifswald that I had the most amazing ice cream of my life for just around one euro.

On the second day of the trip, we went down to the beach to get our feet wet in the Baltic Sea. Going to a beach that wasn't a typical, sunny Californian beach was eye-opening and loads of fun! Right after our short beach trip, we had to pack our bags and travel back to Berlin. Greifswald is a city that I hope to visit back again if I do happen to come back to Germany.

Thank you for reading my blog, and stay tuned to hear about my last week in Germany soon.

Bis bald! Ciao!