Seeing and Doing
Walking into the faded grandeur of Clärchens Ballhaus is to step back in time a hundred years; it’s one of the only old dance halls left in the city. It has survived the fall of the Kaiser, the brutal clampdown of National Socialism, the firestorm that engulfed and destroyed virtually all of Berlin in the. Second World War, the Berlin Wall, and Germany’s dramatic re-unification. The Hall of Mirrors is one of the most breathtaking rooms in all of Berlin and it’s graced with cracked mirrors, faded gilt frames, peeling paint and the air of being a place undisturbed for a hundred years.
If you want to see another kind of history, get cosy at Yorckschlosschen, the oldest bluest bar in the whole of Berlin. It’s a perfect mish mash of the old and new: there’s a touch of the Belle Epoque with the ornate chandeliers and wooden interior, and there’s zesty bric-a-brac from top to toe with posters of the greats to the disco ball on the ceiling. The tables, which are right up close to the stage, are small and sometimes shared so by the end of the night you’ll be dancing with your neighbours. Home to a faithful clientele, stop by on Sunday for a bluesy brunch, and have a beer in the garden when the sun’s out.
Berlin is a thrifter’s paradise. Your first rabbit hole awaits at Berlin’s Indoor Flea Market (Hallenflohmarkt) at Arena. The messy market spans a few thousand meters, and it’s a veritable maze of vintage furniture, Cold War memorabilia and wonderful wardrobe finds. Glass chandeliers hang from the warehouse pipes
over boxes filled with everything from silverware to silk scarves. Haggling is expected here and there’s a lot of junk to be sifted through to find the gems.
In recent years, the Flea Market at Mauerpark has become a local favourite for Sunday bargain-hunting in the park where you can also get a bite to eat and enjoy a side of al fresco karaoke!
For some more serious antiquing, check out the open air market at Straße des 17. Juni, one of the oldest antique markets in Berlin with professional merchants who have a real eye for beautiful things.
Welcome to the Flutgraben Canal, a canalside playground with restaurants, night clubs, cafes and sun decks lining the water. Hop on the U-Bahn and get off at S Treptower Park station, which is only a short walk away.
At the end of the canal where it meets the Spree river, you can take a dip in the giant swimmer’s tub, Badeschiff – a public floating swimming pool, open year round (covered in winter).
After your dip, head on over to the Birgit & Bier beer garden for a cold one. If you’re feeling peckish after your afternoon lengths, or if you’re simply feeling romantic, you can get a bite to eat at the al fresco restaurant on the waterfront, Freischwimmer.
If you feel like a boogie, you can head to the heart of this little riverside community, Club der Visionaer, known for its Sunday afternoon DJ sets on the https://clubdervisionaere.com/terrace beneath a weeping willow tree.
The Stasi was a notorious undercover police force that hunted enemies of the totalitarian regime, feared by everyone. At their former Headquarters, which is now the Stasi Museum, you can learn about the methods they used for spying, brainwashing, and manipulating civilians (some of which may surprise you). Discovering the HQ’s buildings will leave you goosebumps as it’s largely been left undisturbed since the fall of the wall, like a sinister dystopian time capsule.
You can also visit the archives that contain all the documents and materials found in the offices of the Stasi staff during the storming in January 1990. There are hour long tours of the exhibition and archives every Friday at 3pm at Haus 7 of the former headquarters that were once the centre of power for
the East German secret police.
For an urban adventure with a view, make your way to the highest point in Berlin, Teufelsberg, also known as Devil’s Mountain. This man-made hill was created using rubble from the Second World War bombings, which was loaded on top of what was meant to be a Nazi military academy. Later, the US established an espionage unit so that they could intercept Soviet communication and prepare in case of a pending attack, but it was abandoned at the end of the Cold War. It’s still not certain what was going on in the
complex, and archives are planned to be opened in 2020 to reveal what’s been kept under wraps. In the meantime, you should go and investigate!
Discover a little pocket of wilderness in the middle of the city at Prinzessinnengärten. What was initially a wasteland the size of a football-pitch, is now an urban farm which is cultivated by a passionate urban farming community. Stroll through flowerbeds, vegetable patches, and herb gardens, which have been craftily planted using up-cycled materials. You’ll see rosemary in rice bags, sprouts blooming out of old milk cartons, and a thriving apiary. You can even take some scissors and pick what you fancy. Munch
on homemade produce at the rustic café housed inside an old shipping container, and attend community events and workshops. Hang around long enough and you might just start to see your thumbs turn green.
The only museum in the world dedicated to the man who serenaded the country during the fall of the Berlin Wall is hiding in the small basement of. a hostel. The tiny David Hasselhoff Museum is home to the largest Hasselhoff stencil in the world and a replica of the piano scarf he wore during his famous Berlin Wall performance. A Berlin oddity of kitsch so bizarrely amusing that it’s worth the stop.
At the Designpanoptikum you’ll find a carefully selected collection of surreal and industrial curiosities from the past century, from medical devices to a cat submarine. The dimly lit space used to be a Chinese and GDR restaurant too, and you can see the clues on the walls. Track down the owner behind this
magical installation, Vlad, and ask him to reveal some insightful nuggets of knowledge about his quirky museum.
For a dose of German fairytale magic, visit the Puppet Theatre Museum, a collection which spans over at least 100 years. The living toy box is crammed with puppets, marionnettes, and stick figures from across the globe. You can take an adventurous torch-lit tour, try you hand at puppeteering, make your
own at one of their workshops, and stay for a performance.
Airports can be pretty impressive spaces, but what good is it if you can’t run wild in them? Well, in Berlin, you can do just that at the Berlin Tempelhof Airport. Sitting smack in the middle of the city, one of Europe’s most iconic pre-World War II airports sat abandoned for several years after its closure in 2008. Today, rather than awaiting a sprawling commercial complex to be built over its runways, it is officially Berlin’s largest park since its reopening in 2010, making it one of the world’s largest free inner city spaces, ideal for biking, skating to baseball, kiting, festivals, music events and even urban
farming. Read more about its history here.
Spreepark, an abandoned amusement park in Berlin, has remained untouched for nearly 20 years. Once featuring a towering Ferris wheel, dinosaur sculptures, and roller coasters, it is now heavily guarded due to a suspicious fire in 2014. While sneaking in is no longer an option, occasional guided tours offer a glimpse inside. Built in 1969 under the GDR, Spreepark thrived with its “Western-style” attractions. After reunification, Norbert Witte took over but failed to revive it, amassing €15 million in debt. He later fled to Peru, got involved in a cocaine smuggling scheme, and was imprisoned along with his son. The park has never reopened—but if you’re curious, keep an eye out for those rare tours.
There are free-roaming peacocks on Pfaueninsel, a quaint island in southwestern Berlin where King Friedrich Willhelm II used to meet his mistress. He built her a castle, which was officially named Schloss Pfauenninsel, but known as the little castle of lust (Lutschlosschen) to those in the court. It still stands today and the island has largely retained its intended character as an idyll of nature, making it a very picturesque picnic date away from the city centre.
Eating and Drinking
The exterior might not look like much, but walking inside Diener Tattersall is like entering a time warp. It’s easy to imagine bohemians of the Weimar Republic mingling in the cavernous, candlelit den serving traditional German fare. Once you’ve ordered, you can get lost in the museum-worthy collection of pictures and photographs that cover the walls, from old monochrome portraits to antique doodles. No one’s quite sure how long this place has been around, but some sources claim it was serving Prussians as early as the 18th century, but we can be certain that in 1954, an ex-boxer took over the space with his artist friends and turned it into Berlin’s most treasured bohemian diner.
If you want to discover what’s going on today in the Berlin food scene, you should start with Markthalle Neun. This independent market was built in the 19th century and locals have fought hard to keep this place around. Discover a melting pot of fusion foods as well as local artisan delights. Keep an eye out for
the different events all through the year and don’t miss the famous “Street Food Thursday” which happens every week.
In the trendy Kreuzberg neighbourhood, the inviting and charming ambiance of Tulus Lotrek is a little touch of Paris in Berlin. The truly original food is not entirely French, like the spelling of the painter’s name, but the restaurant is inspired by his bon vivant lifestyle. Dine on old wooden candle-lit kitchen tables with beautifully-plated dishes and good wine. On a warm day, you can enjoy their lush and overgrown outdoor jungle-like terrace and watch life go by in Berlin’s coolest district.
For a bucket list experience, make a reservation at Shiori. This restaurant is run by a couple who only serve 10 customers each evening so that nobody is rushed and everyone is able to get comfortable with one another. They organise dinners inspired by the momentous Japanese tea ceremonies and every detail is carefully crafted: from the eight-course seasonal menu made with traditional Japanese techniques to the owners’ collection of unique tableware. Shiori is on the expensive side, but it’s absolutely worth it.
There’s no sign outside CODA, a dark and mysterious cutting edge, Michelin star dessert-only bar. While sipping on carefully paired cocktails, you can order a multiple course dessert menu where all the dishes are made from the finest natural ingredients. Once you finish, you’ll leave feeling like you have a slightly more sophisticated sweet tooth.
When it’s chilly outside (which is very often in Berlin) a great place to stop by is Knödelwirtschaftswunder. The small, rustic restaurant specialises in knödel, which are like dumplings. The cosy joint will make you will like you’re eating at a friends house in the mountains of Germany, with the homely furniture and hearty food.
For a bright start to your day, head to Nothaft Seidel Café with its weathered walls, exposed tiling alluding to pre-war Berlin and shabby chic thrifted furniture. In warm weather you can sit under the pink parasol with a homemade sweet treat and watch Berlin’s trendy locals stop by for their morning
caffeine fix and fruit juice. An inspiring little workspace where the Wi-Fi is super fast and the friendly staff are a bonus.
Katz Orange, meaning “orange cat” in German, was inspired by owner Ludwig Cramer-Klett’s trip to Peru, where he met a shaman with an orange cat. This influence is reflected in the restaurant’s warm, eclectic ambiance, filled with kilim furniture, antique curiosities, and well-traveled books. Located in a 19th-century brewery with a charming courtyard, the brasserie follows a sustainable ethos, using respectfully sourced ingredients and produce from its own garden. Notably, Lou Reed dined here twice before his passing. To top it off, Sundays feature live jazz and wine tastings.
Where to Stay
For a brief while between the two World Wars, Berlin was one of the most decadent, thrilling and glitziest of European cities. “The city had a jewel-like sparkle, especially at night, that didn’t exist in Paris”, remarked Josephine Baker. Travel back to Berlin’s most glamorous era and make a reservation at Hotel Pension Funk. The house was built in 1895 and home to the famous silent film actress, Asta Nielsen. The home has been carefully restored but much of the original furniture and design remains, from stunning art deco beds and Art Nouveau stained glass windows to the Belle Epoque chandeliers and original cage elevator. There’s nostalgia at every turn, transporting you to the enchanting world of bygone Berlin.
Taking it one step further in the heart of Berlin, is the Ostel Hostel. A fine example of GDR architecture, Ostel offers hotel, apartment and hostel accommodation decorated with original cold war-era furnishings, complete with some of the most fabulously kitsch wallpaper you’ll ever come across–
or the most ghastly; it depends how you look at it, or rather, which side of the wall you were on. Even the room rates are priced to reflect the economy of a communist worker’s state. A double ‘comfort’ room will set you back just €44 per night. So if you’re in Berlin and communist time capsules are your thing, give this time travel experience a go.