Berlin, Germany
Recreation
Pick up a copy of Exberliner, the monthly English-language paper for Berlin to find out what’s on, when and where. It provides high quality journalism and up-to-date listings. If you understand German, the activity planners for the city, zitty [56] and tip [57], are available at every kiosk. Be prepared to choose among a huge amount of options.
Parks
Berlin has many great parks which are very popular in the summer. Green Berlin operates the biggest three public parks:
* Tiergarten is Berlin’s largest park and hosts the Love Parade in July. In the summer and on weekends you will see loads of families with their barbeques.
* Britzer Garten, the 1984 national floral show garden with an amazing variety of plants. Playgrounds for children, small beach on the lake, very popular with families and seniors on weekends.
* Viktoriapark offers superb panoramic views across south Berlin.
* Volkspark Mariendorf is favoured by young people and students and boasts an open-air cinema.
* Charlottenburg is inside the area of the Castle of Charlottenburg, but the green area of the park is free, so you can go there to have a walk even if you are not interested in the Castle. It covers a really large area and you can get in from the entrace just near the “New Pavillon” (Neuer Pavillon a.k.a. Schinkelpavillon) placed on the right of Luisenplatz. The nearest station is Sophie-Charlotte Platz on the U2.
* World’s Garden (Gärten der Welt) in Marzahn. Inside you can find a quite large and well established Chinese garden, a Korean garden, a small Bali’s Garden/Glasshouse, an Oriental Garden with nice fountains and a cloister and a Japanese garden which is a project by the city partnership of Berlin and Tokyo. The latter has been built by Zen priests. Guided tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays every 30 min from 10:30 until 12:30. The park is open from 1st April until 29th October. Although quite crowded at times, there are not that many tourists so here’s a chance to brush your German skills. Entrance is 2 €. As the journey to this park will be around an hour from the city centre, don’t miss this opportunity to complete your picture of Berlin by seeing some of Berlin’s clean and quiet suburbs. Eisenacher Strasse, 99 – Berlin-Marzahn – S7 Marzhan (Zone B) + Bus 195 (before the departure ask to the driver for the right stop). Notice that another Eisenacher Strasse exists in Schöneberg, so don’t be mislead by the U7 Station Eisenacher Strasse.
Lakes, Beaches
* Wannsee is called Berlin’s “bath tub”. The Strandbad Wannsee is the most famous bathing area with locals. Take the S-Bahn lines S1 or S7 to the station Nikolassee and follow the crowd!
* Sunbathing on the banks of the Havel and Spree Rivers is popular
* Müggelsee in the south east of Berlin is a popular swimming spot
Boat trips
* Stern und Kreisschiffahrt is by far the biggest boat company in Berlin. They offer tours on most lakes.
Festivals
* The Berlin Film Festival / Berlinale. The city’s largest cultural event and an important fixture in the global film industry’s calendar (up there with Cannes and Venice). 150,000 tickets sold, 500 films screened and a host of associated parties and events every year. In contrast to e.g. Cannes, most screenings at the Berlinale are open to the public. Tickets are inexpensive and relatively easy to get for the “International Forum of Young Film” screenings and the “Berlinale Panorama” (movies which are not in the competition).
* In August (check the exact dates) you can find the nice Oberbaumbrücke Festival near the East Side Gallery, just under the Oberbaumbrücke. Artists are selling their works, amateur tango dancers are giving public performances and you can contribute to a collaborative painting on a very long canvas spread on the street along the festival.
Parades
* Loveparade – This massive techno parade takes place every summer. It is back on 15 July 2006 after a two year hiatus and opens at 12PM (Noon) with an underground talent show at Siegessäule. The actual parade will begin at the “Grossen Stern” (surrounding streets of the Siegessäule) on the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) at 2 PM and will return to the Brandenburg Tor at 6 PM. Post-parade events will wrap up around 11 PM.
Some notes about the Love Parade:
* The trucks with the DJs move down the Strasse des 17. Juni. This means that if you like the DJ, you should move and dance along with the truck.
* If you make it down to the Brandenburger Tor, be attentive. Trucks and people are all on the same road and very few are sober, so there is a risk of getting injured in the crowd. Emergency crews are in place but better stay out of the mass because only limited access control.
* Not as many fun or freaky costumes as in the early years, quite a few bad dressers.
* 90% of participants are German
* Fuck/Hate Parade. The Fuckparade is at the same time as the Loveparade but with a big difference: the Fuckparade is political. The general motto of the Fuckparade is “against the destruction of the club scene”. The other difference is the music played: underground club, goa, gabber, gothic, speedcore, terror …
* Hanf Parade End of August. The Hanfparade is the biggest European political demonstration for the legalization of hemp for use in agriculture and as a stimulant.
* Christopher Street Day – as the Germans name their gay prides – is a well-known annual political demonstration for the rights of the gay culture organized in all major German cities. Even if you are indifferent about the issue, the Christopher Street Day is usually a worthwhile sight as many participants show up in wild costumes.
* Fête de la Musique. In June. Everywhere in Berlin there is different music on this day, which co-ordinates with a similar day in several French cities.
* Karneval der Kulturen. In May or June (usually at Whit Sunday). The idea of the “Carnival of Cultures” is a parade of the various ethnic groups of the city showing traditional music, costumes and dances. Other more modern, alternative and political groups also participate. Similar events are also held in Hamburg and Frankfurt.
Theatre, Opera, Concerts, Cinema
Berlin has a lot of theater houses, cinemas, concerts and other cultural events going on all the time.
Theater
* Deutsches Theater. Classical theater with impressive line up of actors and directors.
* Volksbühne am Rosa Luxemburg Platz. Sometimes controversial, modern theater.
* Schaubühne am Leniner Platz. Modern theater.
* Schillertheater. Former theater now stage for stand-up comedians or musicals.
* Theater am Kurfürstendamm. Popular theater with tv celebrities in modern plays.
* Theater des Westens. A historic theater tn the former West Berlin, only musicals today.
* Grips Theather. Famous children theater with a light political touch, European recognition for the musical Linie 1.
* Friedrichstadtpalast. Cabaret shows and revues with actresses from the former East German ballet.
* Kabaret Theater Distel]. Cabaret and comedy, political satire in German.
* Maxim Gorki Theater. Sometimes plays the 3 Pennys Opera by Brecht.
* Berliner Esemble. Contemporary theater.
Opera
* Komische Oper. Modern operas.
* Deutsche Oper. Classic opera house of West Berlin.
* Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The impressive building and royal history make the building alone worth a visit.
* Neuköllner Oper. Voted several times best off-opera house and known for its modern and contemporary pieces. Most in German as usually relating to developments in Germany. Very creative and innovative.
Cinema
* Movimiento. Independent movies, some in English.
* Cinemaxx. Have English program.
* Cinestar. The “Cinestar Original” Cinema located inside the Sony Center at the Potsdamerplatz shows only movies in English.
It should be noted that all movies which need translation to German are released later in Germany.
Concert Houses
* Philharmonie. Berlin Philharmonic orchestra is one of the best in the world. Famous building and outstanding musicians make a reservation essential. Cheaper tickets usually available 2-4 hours before the concert if not sold out.
* Konzerthaus
Sport
In Berlin you can do virtually all sorts of sports
* The most popular sport is soccer, which is played all over the city. The Berlin FA lists all the clubs. Not to be missed is the Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 2006 world cup final. Hertha Berlin, Berlin´s highest professional football team, plays there during the bundesliga season in the winter.
* Public swimming pools can be found around the city. Check out BBB for pool listings and opening times.
* Sailing on one of the many lakes is also popular. You can find sailing clubs and most universities have ships as well.
* Golf is popular as well: at U-Bahnstation Gleisdreieck, for instance, there is a driving range with an amazing view on Potsdamer Platz. You can find golf clubs all around Berlin, although for non-members Motzen has one of the best.
* Ice Hockey. The Berlin Eisbaeren (Polar Bears) play this fast, exciting and very physical sport during the winter. The excitement is heightened the singing and chanting of the crowds, who are fuelled by the copious quantities of wurst and beer available. www.eisbaeren.de
Spa
Spas are very trendy.
* Day Spa. In Riverside hotel next to the Friedrichstadtpalast.
* Club Olympus Spa. In Grand Hyatt Hotel at Potsdamer Platz.
Learn
Berlin has three major universities:
* Freie Universität. Founded after World War II in West Berlin and today the city’s largest university by number of students, the Freie Universität has an impressive range of faculties and outstanding professors.
* Humboldt Universität. The oldest university in Berlin with an impressive record of alumni and professors – Albert Einstein, G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, to name but a few. During the Cold War it was the main university in East Berlin and after reunification there have been efforts to reinstate its former glory.
* Technische Universität. Technical university founded in West Berlin after World War II with a good reputation for its research.
There are several smaller universities and colleges in Berlin but the current restruction of the university makes it difficult to give an overview. The responsible senator of the City of Berlin has a good overview page.[83]
For children, technical interested people and on rainy days the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin is worth a day visit with almost indefinite possiblities to explore the industrial and mechanical explorations of the last 150 years. Original steam trains, planes and oldtimer cars. Furthermore, there’s a splendid science centre in the nearby SPECTRUM where you can spend hours on end with more than 250 hands-on experiments on the fundamental laws of science that govern the world.
Work
The current economic climate is getting better but work is still not easy to find in Berlin. If you don’t have a sound level of German it’s unlikely that you will find work easily. Any kind of skills (especially languages) that separates you from the mass will defintely improve your chances for a job.
If you are an EU citizen, a student or have a work permit you may be able to scrape by teaching English (Spanish, French, Latin are good, too) or working in a bar but it’ll be tough, there’s not much work around. Chances are better when big trade fairs or conventions are in town, so apply at temp agencies. Hospitality and call centers are constantly hiring but the illegal workforce is keeping wages low.
Berlin has a growing media, modelling and film industry. For daily soaps, telenovelas and movies most companies are looking for extras with something specific. Apply at the bigger casting and acting agencies.
For English-language jobs, if might be worth checking out the classfied ads of the monthly magazine for English-speakers Exberliner (http://www.exberliner.com)
Buy
Due to the federal liberalisation shopping hours are until 10pm from Mondays-Saturdays in most places but shops might close earlier if they want to. Sunday opening is still limited to a dozen weekends in one year, though if you have time to queue you can go to Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstrasse, Innsbrucker Platz or Ostbahnhof stations for the supermarkets there on Sundays. Some bakeries and small food stores are open on Sundays in busier neighbourhoods. The city of Berlin intends to liberalise the shop opening hours by the end of 2006. It’s not fully clear what will be the outcome so follow the media or stick to the current valid opening hours.
The May 2006 opening of the new Hauptbahnhof (central station) has introduced a whole new dimension to both weekday and Sunday shopping in Berlin: a small supermarket, fashion, gift and accessories shops with long opening hours, also on Sundays.
Ku’damm remains the main shopping street even now that the Wall has come down. KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) at Wittenbergplatz is a must visit even if just for the vast food dept at the 6th floor. There you can find almost every kind of food from every part of the world, but the task is to find where it is, as the floor is indeed very large and the layout a bit confusing. You can find anything from a baked chicken to take away to a Champagne brand bar if you fancy an expensive aperitif. It’s reputedly the biggest department store on Continental Europe and still has an old world charm, with very helpful and friendly staff. Be aware that on a Saturday this shop can be very busy with rich and arrogant customers plus a bunch of coach tourists, so it’s best to go during the week if you can.
Friedrichstrasse is the upmarket shopping street in the former East Berlin with Galerie Lafayettes and the other Quartiers (204 to 207) as main areas to be impressed with wealthy shoppers. The renovated Galeria Kaufhof department stores in Alexanderplatz are also worth a visit. For some more affordable but still very fashionable shopping there is Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain with a lot of young designers opening shops. Constant changes make it hard to recommend a place, but shopping guides in the bi-weekly papers Tip or Zitty can help.
If are looking for books (also cheap) a nice choice is Jokers Restseller in Friedrischstrasse 148 (Tel 030 20 45 84 23) where you can find many interesting remainders. For souvenirs, have a look just in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche and the shops near there. These shops sells almost the same item of others, but are quite cheap, but not all the staff speaks english. You can find also cheap postcards ( from 0,30€ while the average price for normal postcard is from 0,50 to 0,80 € ). For collectible stamps go to Goethe Strasse 2 (Ernst Reuter Plaz, U2), where you can find a Philatelic Post Office from the Deutsche Post. They generally speak English.
Flea markets
* Strasse des 17. Juni, in front of Ernst-Reuter-Haus, take the S-bahn to Tiergarten Station, Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 to 17.00
* Arkonaplatz, Prenzlauer Berg/Mitte, Sundays 10.00-17.00
* Am Kupfergraben/Museumsinsel, Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 -16.00
* Boxhagener Platz, Friedrichshain, Sundays 10.00-18.00
* Treptow, Eichenstraße 4 , Sundays
Fashion
Fashion from Berlin is getting popular. Most shops are located in Prenzlauer Berg. Best access is U-station Eberswalder Strasse.
* UGLY, Eberswalderstrasse 26, near “Mauer Park”. Mon-Sat 12 – 20, Sun 12 – 18.
* “Who Killed Bambi?”, Lychener Strasse 8. Mon-Sat 12 – 20.
* Flagshipstore, Oderberger Strasse 53, Prenzlauer Berg. Mon-Sat 12 – 20
* Hit In TV, Oderberger Strasse, near “Mauer Park”. Tue-Fri 12 – 19, Sat 12 – 18.
* Berlinomat, Frankfurter Allee 89 (Friedrichshain, U/S Frankfurter Allee). Mon – Fri 11 – 20, Sat 10 – 18.
Record shops in Berlin
Berlin is known for its vast number of record stores. Especially techno record shops can be found at many places in the centre (Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain). If you want to get the latest techno and house productions from around the world, Berlin is the place to shop.
* Rotation, Weinbergsweg 3, Mitte. Mon-Sat 12.00-20.00; offers vast range of Techno, House and Electronica; weekly news
* Hardwax, Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44a, Kreuzberg. Mon-Sat 12.00-20.00; THE techno record shop in Berlin; huge back catalogue and weekly news from around the world; also Reggae 7″ and Drum&Bass
* Leila M, in Cinema Babylon, Rosa Luxemburg Str. 30 , Mitte. Mon-Fri 12.00-22.00, Sa 13.00-20.00 ; That’s the place to get all the music from Berlin on CD & Vinyl, also loads of romantic songwriter, inspiring pop-music , minimal techno, contemporary electronia …
Eat
Eating out in Berlin is ridiculously cheap compared to any other Western European capital or indeed even most other German cities. The city is very multicultural and most cultures’ cuisine is represented here somewhere, although it’s often modified to suit German tastes.
For eating out, note that it is best to ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down – it’s not that common to accept credit cards in restaurants in some parts of the city. Most likely to be accepted are Visa or Mastercard, all other cards will be only accepted in some upmarket restaurants.
All prices must include VAT by law. Only in very upmarket restaurants a further service surcharge might apply.
Vegetarians can eat quite well with a little bit of research and menu modification despite it seeming like a meat eaters heaven with all the sausage stands. Kebap restaurants have a lovely selection of roasted veg and salad. The falafel they serve is an unusual processed entity but yummy and meat free.
As restaurants change quite fast, it is recommended to buy the “Speisekarte 2007″ (Menu 2007) where about 1000 restaurant are listed with all kind of cuisines in all areas of Berlin.
One of the main tourist areas to eat is Hackescher Markt / Oranienburger Strasse. This area has dramatically changed from what it was even two years ago. Once full of squats and probably not entirely legal bars and restaurants it had some real character and was a great place to be. However, it is rapidly becoming developed and corporatized, even the most famous squat, the former Jewish-owned proto-shopping mall “Tacheles” has had a bit of a face lift. So while there is a now a good selection of restaurants and bars in the area, the food quality is not always worth the price. The “Assel” (Woodlouse) on Oranienburger Strasse furnished with DDR cast off furniture is still relatively authentic and worth a visit, especially on a warm summer night. Oranienburgerstrasse is also an area where prostitutes line up at night, but don’t be put off by this. The area is actually very safe because several administrative and religious buildings are there, too.
For cheap and good food (especially from Turkey and the Middle East) you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln with their abundance of Indian, Pizza and Döner Kebap restaurants (Berlin was the birthplace of the Döner Kebap about 30 years ago). Prices start from 1,50 € for a Kebap or Turkish-made pizza (usually good pizza if you are hungry, but different from the original Italian recipe and ingredients). If you are looking for a quick meal you could try getting off at Görlitzer Bahnhof on the U1 line, where in the range of a few steps you can find a good variety of cheap and good quality places to eat.
Kastanienallee is a good choice too but again not what it used to be since the developers moved in (much less exploited than Hackescher Markt, though). It’s a popular area with artists, students and has a certain Bohemian charm. Try Imbiss W, at the corner of Zionskirchstr. and Kastanienallee, where they serve superb Indian-fusion food, mostly vegetarian, at the hands of artist-chef Gordon W. Further up the street is the Prater Garten, Berlin’s oldest beer garden and an excellent place in the summer.
Waiters and tipping
The custom in Berlin is to tell the waiter how much you’re paying when you receive the bill – don’t leave the money on the table. If there is confusion with the tip, remember to ask for your change, “Wechselgeld” (money back).
Normally a 5-10% tip is OK (or round up to the next Euro) but remember that even if waiters don’t get paid much anywhere, in Europe they are not dependent on tips to make a living as they are in the U.S., and it is possible to live on one’s hourly wage. Berlin is known for rude service, although it’s not necessarily bad per se, just a little cold in some places. If the service has been good and friendly feel free to tip more (especially when they help you with the language!).
Restaurants
All restaurant recommendation are in the corresponding borough articles of
* Kreuzberg & Friedrichshain (young and independent student area with big turkish community in Kreuzberg)
* City West/Charlottenburg (heart of West Berlin with nice and good quality restaurants)
* Mitte (political and new center of East Berlin with upmarket restaurants)
* Schöneberg (city slickers and street cafe feeling)
* Pankow (buzzling Prenzelberg and its lively student scene)
Breakfast
It is very common to go out for breakfast. Here are some tips:
For children
* Charlottchen, Droysenstraße 1, tel. 030-324 47 17. Buffet breakfast and institution for parents and prepared for children of all ages, indoor play room!
* Strandbad Mitte, Kleine Hamburger Straße 16, tel. 030-24 62 89 63. Playground next to the restaurant and good breakfast.
Buffet breakfast
* Gottlob (see Berlin#Restaurants)
* Morgenland (see Berlin#Restaurants)
* Cafe Sarotti-Höfe, Mehringdamm 57, tel. 030-61 62 09 39. Located in a former chocolate factory with buffet for 5 Euros!,
* Operncafé, Unter den Linden 5, tel. 030- 20 26 83. Sundays a Jazz brunch with live music in rococo atmosphere (reservation strongly recommended), all other days nice buffet.
* Grüne Lampe, Uhlandstraße 51, tel. 030-88 71 93 93. Excellent Russian breakfast buffet.
Individual style
* Café Sur, Akazienstraße 7, tel. 030-782 04 39. Part of a deli shop and Mediterrian gourmet breakfast.
* Cream, Schlesische Straße 6, tel. 030-61 07 49 80. Urban coffee house culture with own breakfast creations linked to the film “Herr Lehmann” and own coffee creation!
* Tiki Heart, Wiener Straße 20, tel. 030-61 07 47 03. Innovative and creative Asian, Polynesian and South American breakfast.
* Telecafé, Panoramastraße 1a, tel. 030-242 33 33. Enjoy breakfast and city view right at the top of the Fernsehturm.
* Dachgartenrestaurant Käfer, Platz der Republik 1, tel. 030-22 62 99 0. Breakfast from 9-10:30 am at the top of the Germany’s parliament.
In style
* Café im Literaturhaus, Fasanenstraße 23, tel. 030-882 54 14. Classical style, waiters in livreé, excellent food.
* Desbrosses, Potsdamer Platz 3, tel. 030-337 77 64 00. The Ritz Carlton imported a whole French brasserie which freshly bakes bread.
* Fischers Fritz, Charlottenstraße 49, tel. 030-2′ 33 63 63. Royal style and offers Japanese breakfast in Regent hotel.
Drink
Pub crawling becomes very popular in Berlin and organised pub crawls are especially famous with backpackers. There are several tour companies but the best known Pub crawl for backpackers is organised by New Berlin Tours.
* At Warschauer Straße (which you can reach via S-Bahn and U-Bahn station Warschauer Straße) and more specifically Simon-Dach-Straße you can find a wide variety of bars, from sport bars to comfy waterpipe bars. It is common for locals to meet at Warschauer to go to a bar there.
* Cafe Einstein is one particular example of a home grown coffee chain which has nice staff, great coffee and is fairly priced. In particular, the Einstein on Unter den Linden is as far from “junk coffee” as it’s possible to be.
* There are lots of Irish bars all over the city, as there are in all European cities. If you like off-the-shelf Irish bars or watching the football in English then you won’t be disappointed, but in a city with new cool bars opening pretty much daily and a huge range to choose from, you’ll find that these cater mostly to the Irish construction workers and Germans attracted by Irish music, which is often played in them. Famous is the Irish pub in the Europacenter at Tauenzien Strasse (prolongation of Ku’damm 250m opposite the KadeWE at Wittenbergplatz). In the basement of this skyscraper you will find a big Irish pub and a rowdy crowd on the weekend.
* The LuisenBrau next to Schloss Charlottenburg has excellent brewed beer. You can have either a helles (light) or a dunkles (dark). Although the beer is quite excellent, the atmosphere is quite touristy, and clearly not as antique as it strives to be.
* The Ostzone bar near the S-Bahn station “Hackescher Markt” is an Ostalgie themed bar with many relics from Communist-era East Berlin. It is meant to be a refuge for people who are nostalgic about memorabilia from the Communist-era.
* If you want to get some tap water in a bar ask for “Leitungswasser” (if you just say “water” (Wasser), you will receive mineral water), it is common if you drink coffee. They should not charge you for it but you should order some other drink as well…
Clubs
Stylish
* Delicious Doughnuts, Rosenthaler Strasse 9, 10119 Berlin Mitte, U-bahn Rosenthalerplatz. Very cozy venue with a relaxed atmosphere. Definitely non-pretentious with a diverse and friendly crowd. Remember to ring the door bell and wait for the door to be opened before you walk in. There is usually a small entry fee.
* 40 seconds, Potsdamer Straße 58, tel. 030-890 642 41. Posh club with dinner area and amazing view over the Potsdamer Platz
* Adagio, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1, direct on Potsdamer Platz. A place with chandeliers for the rich and famous.
* Rio, Chausseestrasse 106. New and already one of the best in electronic music – check opening times before you go if you are not an insider.
* Bungaluu, Invalidenstrasse 30, tel 030-809 690 77. Stylish club and restaurant (10 course dinner) in a former post office.
Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain
* SO36, Oranienstrasse 190. Legendary club whose roots are punk, nowadays plays different alternative mainstream concerts. Don’t miss the GAYHANE, the Turkish gay party.
* Club der Visionäre, Am Flutgraben 1. Minimal techno, house and techno-house at this atmospheric venue by the water.
* Rosi’s, Revalerstraße 29. Rosi’s features grungy underground – the best club in town if you are into that. Nice grill outside with lots of chairs for the warm days, has one chill out floor and one main stage almost in front of a very nice bar. 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month: drum’n'bass, 2nd and 4th Saturday: house electro and on other days concerts and rock parties.
* Watergate. Great location with two floors directly at the Spree river. The regular Drum and Bass night is called Hardedged, usually on Fridays. Check the schedule for other nights. Take the U1 to Schlesisches Tor or the Tram 20 from Eberswalder Strasse to Warschauer Strasse (last stop) and then cross the bridge.
* Maria am Ostbahnhof. Used to be an underground techno club called Deli, they play softer music now but still a very cool location. Lots of live sets. Hosts Tresor im Exil parties. Go to Ostbahnhof with a train, then walk to Schillingbrücke (Map on the website)
* Geburtstagsklub, Am Friedrichshain 33. Best reggae party in town on Mondays, other days vary.
* Insel Berlin, Alt-Treptow 6. Three floors, music varies from reggae to techno.
* Berghain. Only Berlin could offer such a huge techno cathedral – the best new techno club in the world? A large venue with a gay majority. Be prepared for a tough door policy. Not for teenagers, no cameras allowed.
Schöneberg
* Goya. Former theatre turned into a club with excellent bar, 30+ crowd, music from salsa to house. Most nights have special themes. Now bankrupt, check homepage for development.
* KitKatClub, Bessemerstrasse 2/14. Some say that without the “KITTY” Berlin wouldn’t be Berlin. Others think that it’s one of the best night clubs in Europe because of its unique concept. A very famous address, a unique clubbing concept mixing techno/electro/trance music with sexual freedom. Be careful and open-minded, and respect the strict dresscode. Nonstop party from Saturday night to Sunday evening. From 2007 in a new location.
* Havanna, Hauptstraße 30. Largest latin music club in town (4 floors from RnB to Salsa/Merengue and Bacchata). Open on Wed, Fri and Sat.
Mitte
* WMF, Stralauer Strasse 58. Electronic music. U Klosterstrasse, S+U Jannowitzbrücke.
* Kinzo]. Situated under the TV tower at Alexanderplatz.
* Sophienclub, Sophienstr. 6. Tuesdays is Britpop, Disco on Thursdays and Funk & Soul on Saturdays.
* Fate Club, Hochstr. 46. Techno, trance and house; houses an after hour (5am) gay and lesbian lounge.
* Russendisko, Torstrasse 60, tel 030-280 464 95. Every second Saturday in the Kaffe Burger performed by author Wladimir Kaminer live music (Polka).
* Club der polnischen Versager, Torstrasse 66, tel. 030-280 937 79. From Polish films to country music, everything to make our neighbours feel like home.
* White Trash, Schönhauser Allee 6-7, tel. 0179 473 26 39. Cowboy hats, beards and 70′s style – if those are your things then you have a new home.
* Week-End, Am Alexanderplatz 5. During the day an office complex, from Thu-Sat from midnight onwards at the 12th floor amazing views over the city in classical club style for people under 40. Parties till the dawn.
* H2O-Club, Dircksenstr./Ecke Karl-Liebknecht-Str. Mainly hiphop with a younger crowd. Excellent DJs.
* Lime Club, Dircksenstr. 105. For the “dark side” of music: morbid but comfy.
Prenzlauer Berg
* Dunckerclub, Dunckerstr. 64. Alternative, Hardrock, Independent.
* Magnet, Greifswalder Str. 212/213. Alternative. Some indie concerts and club nights. Take care, there is also a FC Magnet Bar in Veteranenstrasse, which is a cool place, too.
* Icon, Cantianstrasse 15. DnB every Saturday, some Hip Hop and a monthly Ninja Tune night. Walking distance from Eberswalder Strasse Station.
* Dr Pong, Eberswalder Strasse 21. A typically Berlin style club where you can play table tennis and drink cheap beer, very friendly place.
* NBI, Schönhauser Allee. Nice small club, not really for dancing, with nice people and live sets.
* Bastard, Kastanienallee, next to Prater Beergarden.
* Knaack, Greifswalder Straße 224. Three floors with different music.
* Grüner und Roter Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2. On weekends hiphop, electro, 80s and indie with freestyle DJs.
Bars
Berliners love to drink cocktails, and it’s a main socialising point for young people. Many people like to meet their friends in a cocktail bar before clubbing. Prenzelberg (Eberswalder- & Danzigerstrasse, Kulturbrauerei), Kreuzberg (close to Görlitzer Park), Schöneberg (Bergmannstrasse) and Friedrichshain (Simon-Dach-Strasse) are the main areas. There aren’t as many illegal bars as there was in the 90s but bars open and close faster than you can keep up with – check out the bar and cocktail guides in the bi-weekly magazines Tip or Zitty. Kneipen Suche can help you track down places when you know some names.
Some places worth checking out:
* Zu Mir Oder Zu Dir, Lychener Str. 15. Everyday from 7pm till late. Very releaxd atmosphere, genuine 70ies interior and excellent drinks, the prices are fair and the bartenders are nice. Music changes from soul to electro.
* Victoria Bar, Potsdamer Straße 102, tel. 030-25 75 99 77]. Excellent bar with a huge variety of cocktails.
* Kulturbrauerei. Close to U-Station Eberswalder Strasse in a former brewery are located several bars. Most famous is the Soda Club with an excellent bar.
* Haifischbar, Arndtstr. 25, tel. 030-691 13 52. Bar with sushi and excellent cocktail and whiskey selection.
* Orient Lounge, Oranienstr. 13, tel. 030 – 69 56 67 62. Relaxing lounge with good drinks.
* Train at U-Bahn station Kleistpark and just opposite the headquarters of the public transport company is a bar in an old S-Bahn car.
* Coma, Detmolder Str. 61, near U-/S-Bahn station Bundesplatz. Made up with sand on the floor and two pool tables. XL-Cocktails will kick you faster than you would think.
* Newton Bar, Charlottenstr. 57 (direct at Gendarmenmarkt), tel. 030-20 61 29 90. Poshest bar in town and a must hang-out place for the beautiful, the famous and the rich. Excellent cigar and whiskey selection.
* Habermayer, Gärtnerstr. 6, tel. 030-29 77 18 87. Nice relaxing bar in Friedrichshain with laid back people.
* Reingold, Novalisstrasse 11, tel. 030 217 516 45. Lounge in a former locomotive construction hall (1930s style), mix of after work crowd and normal scene.
* Freischwimmer, Schlesischen Tor 2, tel 030-61 07 43 09. Bar directly located at the river on a ponton with good food and drinks, good for chilling.
* Cafe Moskau, Karl-Marx-Allee 34.
* Tabou Tiki Room, Maybachufer 39 cnr Nansenstrasse. Tuesday until Sunday from 8pm.
Talk
Most people under 40 in Berlin are able to speak English in a varying degree of fluency, but it might not be as widely spoken as you might expect, so a few key German phrases are worth having, especially in the suburbs and generally in non touristic places.
Some people are afraid of speaking English due to their limited experience in talking to foreigners. So a lot of people pretend not to speak English but might understand your intention if you explain your desire with some gestures. Basic French and Russian is partly spoken because French in West Berlin and Russian in East Berlin were taught in schools.
There are some words in Berlin that differ from regular German, especially in the former East Berlin the language preserved a certain level of dialect.
Schrippe: Roll
Stulle: Sandwich
Broiler: grilled chicken
Pfannkuchen: doughnut (without a hole in the middle but with filling)
Contact
In all parts of the city you will find internet cafes and telephone shops where you can call with low fares. Shop around for the telephone shops because most have a focus region in the world.
A lot of bars, restaurants and cafes offer free W-Lan for their guests. The mobile network covers although the U- und S-Bahn but all is on GSM. So if you are a visitor from a non-GSM standard country (eg. North America) you will need a triband mobile.
There is a free wireless network covering parts of Berlin, but it requires special software on your computer. For more information and maps of Berlin with coverage, see http://www.olsrexperiment.de/