eat! Berlin aiming to sparkle in spring

Berlin is one of the world's most vibrant cities - and a potential magnet for food and wine lovers early in the new year. 

The eat! berlin 2026 gourmet festival runs from February 19 to March 2, 2026 showcasing German and international cuisine.

The festival boasts a prominent international line-up including star Austrian chef Lukas Nagl, who will will be a guest at the "From the Other Shore" event at the Rutz Zollhaus, while leading Alsatian chef Lucas Ramstein will bring a culinary journey through France with "Le Tour de France" to the Brasserie Quarré at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski.

Among the two-Michelin-starred chefs are Tony Hohlfeld, who will create a special evening at Restaurant Horváth, and Daniel Schimkovitsch, a guest chef at POTS. 

The national line-up covers a broad stylistic spectrum - from classic produce-based cuisine to modern regionality and internationally inspired concepts.

Among the program highlights of 2026 is the premiere of "SpizzaPizza", which makes a promise of "from oven to hand in two minutes". 

Local star chef Tim Raue (top) will present his new gastronomic concept for the first time at eat! berlin and will showcase it on February 24 at his eponymous restaurant. 

There will be a completely Vegan cinema evening at the Astor Film Lounge, while a perennial audience favourite the Tagesspiegel Blind Date; where neither the chef nor the wine supplier is known.

With "SparklingB!", eat! berlin 2026 is expanding its portfolio for the first time to include a major, independent sparkling wine trade fair. 

See www.eat-berlin.de 

easyJet unveils new cheap flight options from the UK to Europe

One of the thrilling surprises for Australians visiting the UK is the ready availability of flights to exotic destinations for the cost a rail trip back home. 

There may be all sorts of restrictions; the extras can pile up and some of the flights leave from secondary airports. But there are some real bargains to be had if you have a sense of adventure. 

EasyJet - one of the leading budget airlines - has just unveiled two new routes for summer 2026 from the UK to Germany and Italy. 

Seats now on sale to Naples from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and to Munich from London Southend. 

The Naples flights will operate on Mondays and Fridays from August 3, while easyJet’s new flight to Munich will start on September 17, operating twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays and starting ahead of Oktoberfest. 

EasyJet holidays has also launched packages to both cities with flights and accommodation included. 

“We are really pleased to be launching even more new routes and package holidays," said  Kevin Doyle, easyJet UK country manager. 

"By continuing to grow our network, we are providing even greater choice and connectivity from across the UK.” 

As of today, easyJet serves 22 UK airports, offering more than 640 routes to 140 destinations from the UK to Europe and beyond. 

The airline also recently announced new routes from across eight UK airports including new connections to Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Malta. 

Worth checking out. Just don't expect any frills. 

Lufthansa planning to can domestic flights

German airline powerhouse Lufthansa is poised to cancel up to 100 flights a week on domestic routes. 

Reduced passenger numbers, higher taxes and airport fees at German airports were reasons given by Lufthansa, which says many domestic routes are no longer profitable.

The decision follows a recent one by Ryanair to cut back on its flights in and out of German destinations. 

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said around 100 weekly domestic air links are now under review, news hub Travel Mole reported.

“Without a reduction in the burden on our home markets, further cuts will be unavoidable,” Spohr told Welt am Sonntag.

The decision comes as Lufthansa also plans to eliminate about 4,000 administrative positions as part of a wider cost-reduction effort.

“Routes such as Munich–Münster/Osnabrück or Munich–Dresden are under review,” Spohr said. “We operate these flights at a loss every single day.”

He noted that the cost of operating within Germany has nearly doubled since 2019 due to higher air traffic control fees, airport charges, and environmental taxes, making some services unsustainable.

Unlike international traffic, domestic air travel in Germany has failed to return to pre-pandemic levels. Industry groups attribute this to a decline in business travel. 

Many businesses have permanently shifted to videoconferencing while there is also major competition from high-speed rail services. 

If implemented, Lufthansa’s reduction could affect smaller regional airports such as Dresden, Münster/Osnabrück, Nuremberg, and Saarbrücken. 

These all rely heavily on connections to Munich and Frankfurt. 

Berlin makes a stand for freedom

Berlin, for so long a city divided, is taking a stand against authoritarianism with Berlin Freedom Week in November. 

More than 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German city says it will be "giving freedom fighters and prominent democrats from all over the world" a stage. 

Berlin Freedom Week will run in the German capital for the first time from November 8-15 - with over 70 events at over 30 locations throughout the city with The Berlin Freedom Conference on November 10 in the Schöneberger Gasometer (top image) on the EUREF campus the centrepiece of the event. 

Numerous international guests are expected to attend, including civil rights activists, researchers, media professionals and politicians.

Berlin Freedom Week will focus is on the special significance of freedom for Berlin, as well as the topic in the current global context.

The patron of the event is the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner. The entire program of events for Berlin Freedom Week is available at berlin-freedom-week.com.

Guests will include the Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk, the Russian journalist and civil rights activist Vladimir Kara-Mursa, Ben Hodges, former Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces in Europe, and the Director of the German Economic Institute, Professor Dr Michael Hüther. 

Speakers from the World Liberty Congress include the President and renowned Iranian journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad and the Venezuelan politician and freedom activist Leopoldo López. Tickets for the Berlin Freedom Conference can be booked via this link.

A mobile stage will stop each day at central and symbolic locations with a program of stage performances, film screenings, audio installations and interactive elements. 

The centrepiece is the 1:1 replica of the Freedom Bell, which was donated to West Berlin by US citizens in 1950 and ceremoniously hung in Schöneberg Town Hall. 

Small Luxury Hotels expands global portfolio

A boutique hotel in the vineyards of the Yarra Valley is among the new properties being showcased by the fast-expanding Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) group.

SLH, known for its global portfolio of boutique properties, has continued a growth spurt, announcing 49 additions to its portfolio in the first half of 2025.

This follows a record-breaking 2024, in which the brand saw 82 new signings.

They joined 620 hotels across 90+ countries and SLH's latest additions include destinations in Australia, Japan, Mexico and India.

Opening in December is December is the 33-room Levantine Hill Hotel, a suite-only hotel next to Levantine Hill Estate's cellar door and restaurant to allow guests to indulge in exceptional dining experiences. See https://www.levantinehill.com.au/pages/hotel

“2024 was a record year for SLH, and 2025 is shaping up to surpass it,” said Richard Hyde, SLH Chief Operating Officer.

“As the demand for genuine and intimate luxury stays continues to soar, we are in the right place at the right time. Our expanding and diverse portfolio of independent properties ensures there's something for every discerning, independently minded traveller.”

Openings in early 2025 included La Valise Mazunte in Mexico, located between Oaxaca's rugged cliffs and the Pacific Ocean.

July 2025 saw the opening of The James Suite Hotel Firenze 1564, a hidden retreat in the centre of Florence, housed in a 16th-century Renaissance palazzo built in 1564.

Maya Hotel Courchevel 1850, meanwhile, will open in the heart of French mountain resort Courchevel in December, with easy access to the ski slopes and nearby boutiques.

In Germany, the Wilmina Hotel marks SLH's arrival in Berlin located in a former courthouse and prison.

For more info visit www.SLH.com

First we take Paris, then we take Berlin

 

Travelling by train is often the best choice in Europe - and two of the continent's great capitals are now linked by a direct high-speed train connection. 

Germany’s Deutsche Bahn and France's SNCF introduced a daytime InterCity Express (ICE) service between Paris and Berlin last month and are planning to add a second route between the two capitals in 2026.

Taking advantage of its new fleet of 322 kph ICE3neo trains, the once-a-day service takes around eight hours in each direction, also serving Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt on its 878km trip.

The trains link Paris Gare de l'Est with Berlin Hauptbahnhof. 

Fares start from around $100 Aus and each train has capacity for 444 passengers, of which 111 are in first class.

The new high-speed ICE service is the first direct daytime train between Paris and Berlin since the 1990s and complements the Nightjet sleeper service introduced in 2023.

Unfortunately, speeds on some section are reduced with trains having to use lower speed lines, but the service is expected to prove popular with both business and leisure travellers. 

The price of a Paris-Berlin ticket varies depends on many parameters such as whether you have a discount card or an SNCF subscription, the dates of the journey and the railway company.

For more details see https://www.sncf-connect.com/train/trajet/paris/berlin

Oktoberfest city adds alcohol-free zone

You know consumer trends are drastically changing when the home of one of the world’s biggest celebrations of beer adds an alcohol-free space.

Yep, Munich - home of the legendary Oktoberfest - has created an area near its central railway station where sad ass revellers can drink zero-alcohol beers.

Called Die Null (The Zero), the venue will serve exclusively alcohol-free drinks to visitors before the festival, which is due to be held for the 189th time from September 21 to October 6.

The decision to open Die Null was also partly taken in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour before and during Oktoberfest, when thousands of beer fans descend on the city of Munich to raise a stein or two… or three.

Local government officials decided to position the alcohol-free beer garden in the middle of the city so that it would be “anchored in the centre of society.”

Die Null was opened by Munich city mayor Dieter Reiter last week and will remain open until the provisional date of September 15 to encourage a peaceful build-up to Oktoberfest.

Guests at the open-air, alcohol-free establishment will be allowed to bring their own food, and there will be free live entertainment provided by bands, choirs and DJs. Soft drinks, mocktails, juices, water and non-alcoholic beers will be on offer to thirsty visitors.

It just doesn't sound all that festive to me. 

High-tech undersea tunnel to link Germany and Denmark

As someone who lives in Tasmania, where progress in building infrastructure is glacial, at best, I was stunned by news this week from Germany and Denmark.

Work began last month on the first tunnel element of the new Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany, which, once completed, will be the world's longest underwater road and rail tunnel.

The 18km tunnel between southern Denmark and northern Germany will slash travel times between the two nations, replacing a 45-minute ferry ride across the Baltic Sea with a seven-minute train ride or 10-minute car journey.

But here is the kicker: The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is expected to open in 2029. That's just five years. Where I live it takes longer than that to complete a couple of kilometres of above-ground urban bypass.

The tunnel will be a major connection between central Europe and Scandinavia and the electrified high-speed rail line will support speeds of 200 km/h.

It will shorten the rail journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen from the current four hours and 40 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes.

The underwater link will be built across the Fehmarn Belt, a Baltic Sea strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland.

It will be financed by state-guaranteed loans, which will be paid by road and train tolls.

Image: Fermen A/S 

Flight nightmare: Poo to the left of you; chunder to the right

It is every airline passenger's nightmare: a mass outbreak of food poisoning on board a flight.

Dozens of passengers fell ill with a gastro-type bug during a long haul flight from Mauritius to Germany over the weekend, Der Spiegel newspaper reported.

About 70 of the 290 passengers on board reported discomfort with nausea and vomiting.

They were aboard Condor Airlines flight DE2315 bound for Frankfurt.

The plane landed without incident with emergency services waiting on the tarmac.

“Condor has already initiated an investigation into the case to get to the bottom of the cause,” and airline spokesperson said. 

It is not clear whether he was making a bottom joke. Probably not. 

Condor is a German leisure airline established in 1955

Lufthansa makes major investment in new aircraft

German airline Lufthansa is extremely confident about the future of the aviation industry, making a major investment in new planes.

The Lufthansa Group has announced the order of 80 new "highly efficient" short- and medium-haul aircraft and agreed on a further 120 purchasing options.

Lufthansa has signed for the purchase of 40 Boeing 737-8 MAX with 60 purchasing options; the purchase of 40 Airbus A220-300s for Lufthansa City Airlines and 20 purchasing options as well as purchasing options for 40 aircraft from the Airbus A320 group. 

Deliveries will be made from 2026 to 2032 with the cost of the firm orders totalling around $US9 billion. 

"With this aircraft order, we are accelerating the largest fleet modernisation in our company's history," said Dr Detlef Kayser, member of the executive board, fleet and technology: 

This increases our order list of around 200 aircraft to 280 – plus an additional 120 purchasing options for further state-of-the-art short- and medium-haul aircraft. 

"We are pleased that both Airbus and Boeing were able to convince us on all commercial and technological aspects. 

"In addition to this, the decision for the Boeing 737-8 MAX will also give us more flexibility for the procurement of short- and medium-haul aircraft in the future. The new ultra-modern aircraft offer our guests additional comfort. They are also quieter, more economical, more efficient, and emit up to 30 percent less CO2 than their predecessor models. 

"The order demonstrates our airlines' future viability and ability to invest, and it shows that we are living up to our responsibility to reduce our carbon emissions."

With a current fleet of more than 700 commercial aircraft, the Lufthansa Group says it is pursuing "a long-term fleet strategy focused on cost efficiency and reducing emissions". 

See https://www.lufthansa.com/

ProWein delegates warned to prepare for "chaos"

There are thousands of wine exporters from around the world - including many from Australia - ready to descend on the German city of Düsseldorf for one of the most important events on the wine calendar: Pro Wein.

The event starts on Sunday and runs until Tuesday, but unfortunately coincides with a Düsseldorf bus and metro strike.

"Public transport in Düsseldorf and the region will be the subject of a strike by the Verdi union on Monday and Tuesday, March 20 and 21, 2023," event organiser Messe Düsseldorf announced.

"The strike will start at 3 am and will last 48 hours."

Unfortunately, the Düsseldorf exhibition centre is located well away from the city centre in the direction of the airport.  

The hunt for taxis promises to be a competitive sport but organisers have announcd that shuttles will run every 30 minutes to the exhibition center from the airport and Düsseldorf Central Station.

Queues for the Düsseldorf metro and bus can already be substantial in normal times, wine website Vitisphere reports, adding "these exceptional conditions raise fears of some form of chaos."

The 2023 edition of ProWein is expected to welcome 6,000 exhibitors and over 50,000 visitors. 

Take public transport anywhere in the country for €9 a month

Be quick.

Until the end of this month visitors to Germany can pay a one-off €9 ($13) fee and travel anywhere in the country by public transport.

One fee. Unlimited trips.

And Germany’s €9 a month rail passes have proved so successful the government is under pressure to extend the scheme it introduced in June but finishes at the end of August.

The heavily subsidised pass grants all German residents and visitors unlimited travel on regional transport.

The pass entitles the user to travel on buses, U-Bahns, S-Bahns, trams and local and regional trains for one calendar month but does not include high--speed long-distance trains like the IC or ICE.

The current pass has led to a drop in congestion on roads in 23 out of 26 cities examined as part of a preliminary analysis by traffic data specialist Tomtom for the German Press Agency last month.

Around 21 million of the €9 tickets were sold in June alone, Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) figures showed. That’s on top of the roughly 10 million subscribers who automatically received the discounted ticket.

Christmas markets canned in German states

The German states of Bavaria and Saxony have cancelled all Christmas markets due to a surge in Covid-19 infections.

"The situation is very, very serious and difficult," Bavarian Premier Markus Soder told German news outlet DW.

Restrictions will amount to a "de facto lockdown for unvaccinated people".

The state government has also imposed a lockdown on all districts that have a seven-day Covid incidence rate of over 1,000 per 100,000 people.

In those places, bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as cultural and sport venues will be closed, Soder decreed.

Schools and kindergartens, however, will remain open.

To the north of Bavaria, the eastern state of Saxony has announced widespread public restrictions to remain in place at least until December 12.

Christmas markets throughout the state, including one of Germany's largest in Dresden, are cancelled.

"The measures are tough but necessary," said Saxony State Premier Michael Kretschmer.

A little slice of Munich in South Melbourne

You might not be able to enjoy pretzels and beer in Munich right now, but a new South Melbourne venue is promising the next best thing: German street food.

Little Hof will deliver pork knuckle from the the rotisserie, German sausages on the barbecue and pretzels from the oven, matched with a cold Bavarian beer. 

Situated in the heart of one of the city’s most important food markets, South Melbourne Market, Little Hof aims to create an authentic, European food experience. 

Little Hof is the latest venue from the team behind the iconic German Bierhall Hofbrauhaus Melbourne in the heart of Chinatown, and The Hof Downtown. 

Home to the oldest Hofbrauhaus outside of Europe, Melbourne’s strong ties with German cuisine inspired the team to venture into the street food market. 

"We want to bring back that memory from [customers’] last European trip and surprise people with [their] food,” says the publicity blurb. 

Executive chef Sunny Gilbert (formerly of MoVida, TGI Friday and Oriental Teahouse) says the menu will combine traditional recipes with local ingredients and some imported from Germany. 

“The food is as German as it gets," he said. "We are not here to pretend we are anything or anyone else.” 

Signature dishes will include pork knuckle from the rotisserie - slowly roasted on the bone with crispy crackling and served on a bed of sauerkraut, mustard and gherkins - along with currywurst. 

The beer selection is imported straight from Bavaria and Austria, paying homage to the authentic European market experience. 

“Our philosophy is to support only family-owned breweries, to protect the industry from the take over of shareholder-driven global companies,” says Little Hof general manager, Phillipp Hockenberger. 

One wall of Little Hof is dedicated purely to telling the story of German Street Food - featuring images of a Berlin sausage vendor in 1908, a pretzel saleswoman at the 1920 Oktoberfest and the location where currywurst was invented. 

Little Hof is at 0/116 Cecil St, South Melbourne. It is open 9am- 9:30pm Wednesday-Saturday.