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Visit Berlin!
Almost no other European city can offer so much for so many. Whether you’re looking for inexpensive beer and punk rock gigs, historical sites, art or good food; Berlin has it all. Lately East Berlin has become more and more popular. The district hasn't t yet been commercially exploited and has a unique charm with its shabby houses, flowery balconies, colourful pubs and quaint cafes. Many artists and musicians live here, which has led to an exciting street culture bubbling with innovative art and music. Outdoor artArt can be found everywhere in Berlin; you only need to step outside your door. On a lot of buildings and walls you’ll find huge murals made by young local artists. It’s a much easier way to reach an audience with public art, rather than finding a gallery who’s willing to display your work. East Side Gallery is one of the largest outdoor galleries in the world. It stretches 1,3 kilometres from Oberbambrücke to Ostbahnhof. You can look at hundreds of pieces by various artists that were painted when the wall was torn down. Unfortunately the original paintings are worn and difficult to make out, but in 2000 some of the original paintings were restored. A slightly different museum is the Ramones museum, also located in Mitte, on a side-street to Oranienburgerstrasse. It’s a small museum with a lot of fun nick-knack. Occupied culture houseTacheles is a cultural centre located on Oranienburgerstrasse in Mitte. It’s actually an old condemned building that was occupied by a group of youngsters in the 90s whom turned it into a sanctuary for underground art and culture. At the ground floor you’ll find a bar with a fire-breathing dragon and a cosy beer garden decorated with colourful lanterns. Many bands perform here and you can buy a beer for almost nothing. A few floors up you’ll find new and contemporary art. A lot of the artists live here, displaying their art in the hallway, and take turns of being in charge of the business. Clubs and barsBerlin has a vast selection of clubs and bars. Every day something new happens – regardless if you´re into indie rock, techno or punk. Some of the big clubs are Kaffe Burger, SO36 and one of Berlin´s best club is Berghain, which is located at Ostbahnhof. The easiest way to find out about the current clubs is to grab the flyers available at cafes, bars and hostels. You can also pick up the magazine Tip which has a detailed weekly guide to clubs, concerts, exhibitions and cinemas. Oranienstrasse in Kreutzberg is a well known pub district with many good bars and restaurants, the club SO36 is amongst others located here. You will also find one of Berlin’s hottest and kitschiest bars here; though it hasn’t got a name you’ll easily recognize it from the street by its big shining rose and chequered façade. The bar is entirely decorated with pink fluff , Madonna icons and colourful chandeliers. Yesterday at Rosa-Luxemburg Platz is another nice bar with good music and huge electronic ludo games working as tables. BrunchYou have to eat to keep going. Berlin has all kinds of food, but they are especially known for their excellent Indian and oriental restaurants. The best tip is to have a proper “Berlin brunch” that will keep you full all day, and then grab a döner kebab before you hit the clubs at night. Having breakfast in Berlin doesn’t compare to anything else, they are often served till 5 pm and comes in different sizes. You usually get a big plate full of different spreads, ham and cheese, and a basket with bread. They always have lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Order an orange juice and a milchkaffe and your brunch is complete! Café Berio in Schönenberg is one of the best brunch cafes. They serve breakfast all day till 11 pm and have huge plates. The vegetarian brunch consists of three pâtés, two kinds of vegetarian sausages, cheese, vegetables and three kinds of bread. Water pipes and KebabAt cosy Alhamra you´ll get delicious Oriental food. For lunch or breakfast you can get dishes with baba ganoush, hummus, sundried tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves and pita bread. In the evenings you can order similar dishes and enjoy them with a tasty cocktail or a water pipe. Their specialty is water pipe with apple and arrack water. In the evening it’s easy and inexpensive to visit a döner. They´re practically everywhere in Berlin and you can choose among falafel, spinach bürek and döner kebabs. Döner kebab is somewhat of a specialty In Berlin and is made out of finely sliced meat served in crispy bread. Another option is to buy a snack at one of the many small fast food stands called Imbiss; they are located at almost every S-bahn and U-bahn. It may not be for everyone, but the currywurst is very popular. It´s a German sausage with curry ketchup on the side. If you’re looking for fine dining you should visit Nocti Vagus for an unusual experience. Here you´ll have your dinner in a pitch black dining room, served by blind personnel. You can order their tasting menu; since you won’t see what you get you have to rely on your taste buds to guess what you´re eating! AccommodationThe cheapest option is to stay at a hostel. The standard is usually OK, with a shared bathroom in the corridor. To stay in a sleeping hall with several beds is definitely the cheapest option, but you can almost always choose a room with lesser beds or a private double room. Some of the larger hostels are A&O Hostel, Backpackers and Generator. You´ll find them at booking site www.hostels.com Transportation in BerlinIt’s easy to get around in Berlin. The S-bahn, U-bahn and the metro is connected and you rarely have to wait longer than ten minutes for a new train to arrive. The best thing to get as a tourist is a one day pass or a week pass depending on how long you’re staying. They cost 6 respectively 27 euro. Transportation to BerlinFrom Malmoe and Copenhagen it’s easy and inexpensive to travel to Berlin. Many buses depart to and from Berlin. It might not be the most comfortable way of travelling, and takes up to eight hours, but you can’t find any cheaper way of getting there. A round-trip ticket costs 400 SEK - 900 SEK depending on available seats and your age. SAS, AirBerlin and Easyjet fly from Kastrup Airport to Berlin, and if you’re lucky you might get your hands on some very inexpensive tickets. The train to Berlin is a comfortable alternative which doesn’t include check-in, waiting hours or uncomfortable seats. The night train departs once a week around 10 pm, and when you wake up in the next morning you’re in Berlin! You will find more information at: Published 2009-01-29 14:00 |
