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What's the story behind returning bottles on Sunday?
Do people have so little to do on a Sunday they'd gladly just stand 20 minutes in line to drop off bottles that they apparently can't do any other day of the week? I guess I'm just missing the mindset here, maybe someone can give me some insight? is it just some deeply rooted tradition?
You're overthinking it a bit. Sunday is the only day most people have time to deal with the annoying logistics. During the week you're juggling work, errands, and the Pfand bottle bag just sits in the corner of your kitchen getting in the way. Come Sunday, you finally have the brain space to haul it out.
Also worth noting that the bottle return machines are notoriously finicky. They reject bottles that are too crushed or have the wrong barcode, and then you're stuck waiting for an employee to come override it. Nobody wants to deal with that hassle on a Tuesday evening when they're just trying to grab milk. So it all piles up for Sunday, when you've got the patience and the time to wrangle with the machine for 15 minutes.
yeah sunday is basically the designated pfand day for most people. during the week you're either at work or too tired to drag a sack of empties across town. plus a lot of the smaller spätis or kiosks won't take bottles if they're not from their own stock, so the big edeka or rewe is your only real option. sunday mornings are chill, you grab coffee, walk over, reclaim your deposit, maybe grab a brötchen next door. it's less about having nothing to do and more about it being the one day where the timing actually works without rushing
it's mostly a sunday ritual thing honestly. pfandflaschen are a pain to haul around during the week when you're rushing to work or doing quick errands, so people just stockpile them. the edekas near stations are always busy on sundays because that's when everyone's off and remembers they need to clear out their balcony or kitchen corner. plus some folks treat it as a little pocket money mission, like "oh i've got 3€ worth of bottles, might as well grab a döner after"
3 Days in Berlin: Itinerary 2026
Choose accommodation near a central transport hub like Alexanderplatz or Friedrichstraße. This saves you 15-20 minutes each day on transit. For budget options, consider the area… 🗺️ Plan Your Base
Choose accommodation near a central transport hub like Alexanderplatz or Friedrichstraße. This saves you 15-20 minutes each day on transit. For budget options, consider the area around Zoo Station (Bahnhof Zoo).
🏛️ Day 1: Mitte Highlights
Start at Brandenburg Gate (Pariser Platz) at 9am, then walk to the Reichstag building (free dome visit, book weeks ahead). By 11am, head to Museum Island (Pergamon Museum, 19€). Lunch at Hackescher Markt (street food from 5€).
🚲 Day 1 Afternoon & Evening
Rent a bike (Nextbike, 1€ per 30 min) to explore the East Side Gallery (Mühlenstraße). At 6pm, take U-Bahn to Kreuzberg for dinner at Markthalle Neun (Eisenbahnstraße 42/43). End with drinks at a rooftop bar like Klunkerkranich (Neukölln).
🎨 Day 2: Art & Alternative Scene
Morning at the Berlinische Galerie (Alte Jakobstraße 124-128, 10€). Then walk to Checkpoint Charlie (free, but crowded). After lunch, explore the street art in Friedrichshain, especially along Revaler Straße. Visit the RAW Gelände for flea market finds.
🌳 Day 2: Parks & Relaxation
Spend late afternoon at Tempelhofer Feld (former airport, free entry). Rent a bike or skate at the runways. For dinner, try the Thai park (Preußenpark) on weekends for authentic street food (5-8€ per dish).
🏰 Day 3: Day Trip or More City
Take a 30-minute S-Bahn to Potsdam for Sanssouci Palace (14€, gardens free). Return by 3pm for a visit to the Berliner Dom (9€, climb the dome). End with a river cruise from Friedrichstraße (1 hour, 15€).
🚇 Getting Around Efficiently
Buy a 72-hour Berlin WelcomeCard (34€) for unlimited transit and museum discounts. U-Bahn and S-Bahn run every 5-10 minutes. Buses 100 and 200 are tourist-friendly double-deckers passing major sights.
🍺 Local Tips & Prices
Döner kebab costs 5-7€, a beer in a bar is 4-5€. Tipping 10% is standard. Avoid taxis; use BVG trams or Uber for late nights. Most museums are closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly.
tbh the itinerary is solid but you're missing one of my favorite spots in mitte - the dussmann das kulturKaufhaus at friedrichstraße. it's a massive bookstore open till midnight and they have a great english section plus a listening station for music. perfect for a rainy afternoon or if you need a quiet break between sights
also for day 1 lunch at hackescher markt, don't just grab any street food stall. there's a little turkish place called hasir right off the square that does amazing lahmacun for 4€, way better than the generic döner spots. and if you're doing the east side gallery in the afternoon, walk a bit further to the oberbaumbrücke for the best photo spot of the river, less crowded than right at the wall
one more thing about the welcomecard - you can actually get a cheaper 72-hour ticket for like 30€ if you're not planning on using the museum discounts. i usually do the math before buying and half the time the regular transit pass wins out
nice itinerary, you've got the big stuff covered. for day 1, if you're doing the reichstag dome booking, do it first thing in the morning slot, the light is way better for photos and it's less crowded than midday. also, skip the museum island ticket if you're only hitting one museum, it's cheaper to just buy the pergamon entry alone unless you're planning to do three or four in a day.
this is a good itinerary honestly, you've covered most of the bases. one thing i'd swap is the roof bar - klunkerkranich is cool but it's on top of a parking garage and gets packed fast on summer evenings. i prefer the panorama bar at the kudamm 101 hotel if you want a view without the chaos, same price range around 5-6€ for a beer
for day 2, if you're already at raw gelände, walk five minutes to the urban spitball gallery on revaler straße. it's a tiny free space with rotating local artists, way more interesting than checkpoint charlie tbh. checkpoint charlie is basically a photo op with guys in costume charging 5€ for a picture, skip it unless you really need that shot
and a heads up on the potsdam day trip - the s-bahn ride is 45 minutes from alexanderplatz, not 30, so leave earlier than you think. also the sanssouci park closes at dusk and the palace tours run in german only unless you book the english one in advance online