Travis told me to tell people about all of the cool shit we get to do (Editor’s Note: Yes, I did). Cool shit like going to visit Europe in the dead of winter. And trust me, visiting cities in Europe in winter is very underrated, because there are several countries that are very good at being cold, countries like Germany and the Netherlands. And you should go check them out. Let’s begin in Berlin.

Part One: Berlin

When you go to Germany you are going to need a good tour guide. Ours was Marco and he knew all the weird little nooks and crannies in Berlin that held the best surprises. We straddled the border between East & West Berlin, drank in the train station in Cologne and ate schnitzel when we were hung over. This is how I travel.

Culture, history, great food and a dark powerful underbelly of clubs that stay open for days on end. It all really depends on how much you’re ready for.

You can see a lot of Berlin by foot. And the Mitte district is a great place to start. It is central to the city and has a host of cool bars, café’s and shops.

History is rich in Berlin and they don’t shy away from any of the generations past. Even the ones that aren’t the happiest of times. And that makes it well worth a half day to be a full tourist. The Brandenburg Gate, Bebelplatz, Checkpoint Charlie and Holocaust Memorial are all within walking distance of themselves and need to be seen to be appreciated. Along the way you will walk by other important points of world history that will make you a better person for doing it. Make sure to google what you’re looking at.

There is plenty of amazing street food in Berlin, things that come from all over. You can go local with Curry Wurst (German bratwurst smothered in ketchup & curry powder) served with fries — or go more Mediterranean with a chicken Donner Kabab (think Turkish burrito). Either way you will be hungry from walking and can find cheap good eats on the street. And BEER! It’s everywhere! And German’s make some damn good beer.

For dinner you can’t go wrong ordering traditional Wienerchnitzel (thin breaded & pan fried pork cutlets) served with German potato salad and lemon. But don’t be afraid to branch out, there are tons of restaurants to find amazing food. Dinner at Fame may have been one of the best I’ve ever had.

When the Berlin Wall came down, there was (and still is) a lot of confusion from the city and police on how to regulate previously communist East Berlin. This lead to a spring of radical neighborhoods, like Friedrichshain that house a ton of great bars, restaurants, venues and clubs.

The music scene goes off and everyone loves to party. Especially in winter when it’s too cold to do much else. And if EDM isn’t your cup of tea, there are some great rock ‘n’ roll venues to check out – Cassiopeia, What Trash Fast Food and Bassy Club are a few notable ones we liked.

And if EDM is your cup of team than you won’t be disappointed. Either way it is highly recommended to take your seatbelt off and get weird. Clubs like Salon zur Wilden Renate will surely melt your face. Renate is in an un-renovated old apartment building that opens Thursday and doesn’t close until Tuesday morning. Literally. If you see the little barber shop poll spinning in the middle of a Monday afternoon, shit is getting weird in there. And it has been for days…

Are you hungover yet? Good, you can sleep on our $65 one-hour flight to Cologne. (to be continued next week). Let’s start booking.—Adam Warren