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There is no city in Europe that parties harder than Berlin
Berlin has always had a reputation as a place filled with people from somewhere else. Someone who has lived in Berlin for ten years will see themselves as a "true Berliner," looking down on the person who has only been there for five. It may seem tough to find someone born and raised in the city but this is part of Berlin's charm: it never gets stuck in a rut.
German is of course the main language in Berlin but you can easily find information in English and sometimes in French. Due to the football world cup in 2006 all public transport staff got language training and should be able to help you in English.
Berlin is a beautiful city, so allow enough time to get to see the sights. A good map or iPhone app is highly recommended. While the public transport system is superb, it can be confusing to visitors, due to a lack of directional signs in some of the larger stations, so again a map or iPhone app is essential.
There is no city in Europe that parties harder than Berlin; the nightlife of most cities is tame in comparison. There are lots of great clubs and dance parlors. You only need to ask around to find the most popular hotspots in town. Most of the usual good places to go are in the center of Berlin (Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg), but the eastern part of the city has all the nightlife. Berlin has also played host to the "Love Parade," an outdoor rave that attracts millions of people from around the world who dance to rhythmic techno and electronic music and crowd the streets at night.
So what should you see?
Tacheles (Oranienburgerstraase 54-56a, tacheles.de)
This was a department store damaged in the war and then squatted in 1990. It is still full of interesting artists, galleries, a cinema, a theatre, a club and lots of fun people. Videos are projected on to a huge wall opposite the complex from the top floor bar every night. The whole thing was almost torn down a few years ago when a four-star hotel was built next door, but a couple of timely lawsuits saved it.
Zosch
The weekends start on Wednesday in Berlin - one of the advantages of 16.5% unemployment is that nobody works on Thursdays. Zosch (Tucholskystrasse 30) is where a local Creole jazz band plays for free drinks and fun. Entrance is always free, and the setting is vintage; with low ceilings, smoky ambience and constant chatter
The Kit Kat Club
This is one of those rare clubs that has achieved legendary status before it's even been closed. It can chart it's history back to 1994 when a rather liberal Austrian couple decided to try and combine two scenes together: the hippy vibes of a Goa trance party and the hardcore love action of a fetish night. Well you can probably guess the rest. Although the orgies these days are said to be tamer than of old, let's just say that should someone offers you two fingers or four, it's nothing to do with a Nestle chocolate biscuit. If you are planning on paying KitKat Club a visit please note that only highly original, and revealing, glamour/fetish outfits will get you past the door.
www.kitkatclub.org
Kreuzberg - Berlin
Checkpoint Charlie - This is one of the most popular of Berlin attractions and lies to the north on Friedrichstrasse, it was the point which marked the end of the former American sector. Standing there now is a museum called the "Mauer Museum am Checkpoint Charlie”, Wall museum at Checkpoint Charlie which describes the history and recounts countless escape stories.
U-Bahn: Kochstrasse
Friedrichshain – Berlin
East Side gallery – Just across the Oberbaumbrücke bridge (made famous in the film Run Lola Run) stands the largest remaining section of the wall, saved by artists who’ve turned it into a canvas for their work. Called the East Side Gallery it runs along Mühlenstrasse at the river’s edge.
Between Warschauer and Ostbahnhof S-Bahn stations.
Berlin – Mitte
Auguststrasse is a good street to explore the modern art gallery scene. Just down the road is Tacheles on Oranienburger Strasse, which is a great stop off on your sightseeing adventure, as it is one of the last authentic places in Berlin to be occupied by squatters. It acts as an artistic, creative commune that’s a great place to visit, if you dare to venture upstairs! It’s open to the public and there’s always artists working and exhibiting there. During the summer the beach bar at the back is also a great place to have a drink. See Tacheles before it’s made into another luxury development.
S-Bahn: Oranienburger Strasse.
Hackescher Markt - You will find a food market here on Thursdays and Saturdays. The rest of the time it’s a hub of tourists frequenting stylish Berlincafés and the two authentic style cinemas called kino central and Hackescher Höfe film theatre which sometimes have films in their original language. This part is also only a stone’s throw from the river Spree where you can take a boat trip in the warmer months. Also nearby are Alte Schönhauser Strasse and Münzstrasse which have some of the more exclusive boutiques and flagship stores, a must for any serious shopper. Check out the Be-My-Guest shopping guide for a run down of the highlights.S-bahn: Hackescher Markt U-Bahn: Weinmeisterstrasse
Alexanderplatz or ‘Alex’ to the locals, named after the Russian Tsar who visited in 1805, used to be the Berlin Centre for the inhabitants of the former East Berlin as it is today for residents of the surrounding area. The huge square is a popular meeting place and has great transport connections. There you’ll also find one of the most famous of Berlin landmarks, the iconic 386m TV tower (Fernsehturm), affectionately know as the Telespargel (Tele-asparagus) because of its shape, it’s a ‘must-see’ for its views over Berlin on a clear day. On the far side of the station you’ll find the Nicolai-Viertel, the Nicolai quarter with its famous double steeple church and slightly further on, Museum Island in the middle of the river which, as the name implies houses most of the major museums including the Pergamon. If you enjoy exploring a city on foot, carry on walking from here towards the Brandenburg Gate at the end of ‘Unter den Linden’ and on to the Reichstag (parliament building).
S-Bahn/U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
Charlottenburg
Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche - In the centre of the busy shopping area of Kurfürstendamm near the Zoo is another of the most famous Berlin landmark. The Gedächtniskirche (memorial church) is a preserved ruin of a once great church which was partially destroyed during WWII. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained as a memorial and its ground floor made into a memorial hall.
Kurfürstendamm, U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Zoologischer Garten
Treptower
Soviet Memorial - This is one of a number of Soviet war memorials in Berlin but this one is on a grand scale. It’s a real must-see on your Berlinsightseeing tour. The statue alone is one of the largest in Europe. Set in a corner of the expansive Treptower Park, south east of the centre, it’s well worth the effort. A nice thing to do is to sample some of the Berlin cafés along the river whilst you’re there.
S-Bahn: Treptower Park
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Tags: travel berlin be-my-guest kitkat club
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