Travel Tips

Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Berlin, Germany

Locations in this article:  Berlin, Germany

berlin 2Baby, it’s cold outside in Berlin. But winter visitors warm up by bustling through dozens of Christmas markets in a day and capping it off with a hot and spicy Glühwein. Eight times the size of Paris, Berlin covers a massive area broken up into many boroughs, each with its own distinct flair. Offering something for every personality, and of course, its affordability, the city draws people from all over the world. (In fact, New Yorkers and Londoners are so prevalent that Berliners refer to them as NyLons.) From Berlin’s hip art scene to avant garde music to shopping favorites, Taylor Grant shares some of her top picks from this trendy city.

First Encounters

With an uncountable amount of sights to see in Berlin, it can be overwhelming upon arrival. Get a feel for the city with Fat Tire Bike Tours.

Image Credit: Jorge Lascar

Image Credit: Jorge Lascar

In four hours, you are whisked around the city, stopping at famous spots like Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, and of course, remains of the Berlin Wall. Of course, the tour wouldn’t be complete without a stop for typical German food and beer at a local beer garden.

After biking by the outside of the Reichstag, the Parliament building, go back to the glass dome at the top (get up early to miss the long lines). From the top get a 360-degrees view of the city and peer through the glass floor into the hall of a Parliament meeting. In order to destroy any thoughts of a corrupt government, rather than making decisions behind closed doors, the public is allowed to see the proceedings for themselves.

Although the bike tour takes you to a part of the Berlin Wall, make sure to check out the East Side Gallery, an open-air section where artists have painted directly on the wall.

Just outside the city, visitors can get a real sense of Germany’s darker history in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, which dates back to 1936. Upon entering you will see the infamous phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei” translating to “Work Makes [You] Free” carved into the gate. Take the local S-Bahn subway to Oranienburg, and either walk 20 minutes or hop on a bus straight to the camp.

Shopping Gems

Christmas marketBerlin’s sparkling Christmas markets are the main attraction during the holiday season. These festive open-air  markets showcase handicrafts and traditional treats, with some embracing themes like eco-friendly gifts and a Hanukkah market at the Jewish Museum. Click here for a complete list of markets for 2010 [pdf].

Formerly in East Berlin, the Friedrichshain neighborhood was made up mostly of the working class when established in 1920, and was severely damaged during WWII.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, it has gained a reputation as a young, vibrant, and fashionable district attracting students and artists. Around Boxhagener Platz and Simon Dach Strasse are cafes, pubs, record shops, and edgy clothing stores. Try Seven Sisters for second-hand club clothes. On Saturdays, crowds pour in for the market selling fresh and organic food.

For less of a crowd, walk a few streets over to Sontaggstrasse (right next to Ostkruez subway station) where cafes and bars line the street across from a small local park. Grab brunch on Sunday from one of the cafes before making the 10-minute walk to see the local designers set up stalls to sell their goods at the flea market back over by Boxhagener Platz.

If shopping made you thirsty, try Die Tagung on Wühlischstrasse, a quirky place sometimes referred to as “the communist bar” because of its GDR (German Democratic Republic) design. Serving up affordable cocktails in a dim and cozy setting, take a load off in this unpretentious pub.

Dinner for Three Dollars

mamimiliansAlthough most people associate German cuisine with some kind of sausage, a large Turkish population means that the döner has become a staple in Berlin. Wander into one of the hundreds of döner shops that line the streets to order a tasty filled warm pita filled with chicken, lamb or beef for only a couple of euros. Voner, a vegetarian döner shop on Boxhagener Strasse in Friedrichshain, will likely leave you extremely satisfied.

As for the sausage, currywurst is created by smothering a hot pork dog with curry sauce (ketchup or tomato paste mixed with curry and other spices). Expect a long line at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg, one of the best and most famous stands in the city—but it’s worth it!

If you get tired of the fast food, sit down at Maximilian’s Restaurant for big Bavarian beers and specialty food. If you’re hungry, try the knuckle of pork for a true taste of local food.

If you’re looking for entertainment while you eat, White Trash is the spot to be.

OK, so the name doesn’t make it the most appealing, and the Chinese characters outside mixed with Italian style tablecloths inside is just plain confusing, but if you can get past that, this kitschy place will prove to be an exciting experience.

Located in the in the up-and-coming area of Prenzlauer Berg, this spot features all different types of food from burritos to weinerschnitzel, along with live music and a tattoo parlor.

Berlin Night Life

Since they don’t have a real beach in Berlin, locals are drawn to the idea of “beach bars.”  Right in the center of the city, stroll down Oranienburger Strasse in the Mitte district to find the Tacheles, an art complex housing a strip of bars that converge outside into a vast area filled with sand and art sculptures.

During the day, grab a beer and peruse the graffiti covered walls and local artist galleries. Go at night for live music, dig your feet in the sand, and sip on cocktails around a fire pit with visitors and locals alike.

Berliners love their dance clubs and techno music. Perhaps the most famous club of them all, the Berghain, named for its location between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, is set in an industrial-style warehouse offering a massive main room and smaller Panorama bar upstairs.

The hedonistic atmosphere is accompanied by DJs spinning minimalist techno beats well into the morning or even following night. However, with a well-known strict bouncer easily spotted by the spider tattoo on his face, getting in may be a problem, but if you pass the test, the experience is once in a lifetime.

four musicA few tips for getting in: don’t show up with too many people, go before midnight or after 4 a.m., behave yourself in line (don’t speak English), and when asked how many people you’re with, answer in German. If you are a woman, surprisingly having a guy with you actually helps rather than hinders. Many Germans will tell you that even they have trouble getting in sometimes, but it’s worth a try.

Unlike clubs in the United States, where buying bottle service or slipping doormen cash is common practice for getting in, VIPs do not exist here, and those tactics will not get you through the doors of the Berghain.

For those who want to forgo the hassle but still indulge in Berlin’s crazy club scene, head south of the river Spree to Kreuzberg, a neighborhood formerly known for punks, squatters and street riots. It since has started improving with more elegant restaurants, but still hosts a slew of bars and clubs on the waterfront like the Watergate. The first floor is set beside a large glass window with a view of the River, and a patio area right on the water. Downstairs loud techno beats thump as you join the crowd on the dance floor.

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By Taylor Grant for PeterGreenberg.com