I'm a New Yorker who spent 48 hours in Berlin for the first time. 7 surprises made me sure I'll return for a longer trip.

• I visited Berlin for the first time to kick off a two-week train trip through Europe in 2022. • The non-stop flight from my home in NYC was more affordable than I expected. • I was surprised to find street performers with attentive audiences in Berlin.

In a city that's been around for nearly 800 years, I thought a visit would feel like one big history lesson.

But my first trip to Berlin was so much more than that.

In 2022, I flew from my home in NYC to Berlin for the first leg of a two-week train journey through Europe. I had 48 hours in the German city. It was a whirlwind trip full of surprises.

The flight from NYC to Berlin took eight hours. When I booked my ticket, I selected the cheapest non-stop option: a red-eye with Norse Airways, a budget airline I'd never heard of.

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