Berlin is booming. In the last decade, its popularity as a tourist destination has exploded with the number of international visitors increasing two-fold. The city’s diversity plays into how trendy it has become — and although the TV Tower, Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag are worth seeing, what do you do after you’ve checked them off your list?
Whether it’s your first, second or thirty-ninth time visiting the capital city, here’s where to stay and what to see in Berlin:
RAW Gelände/Temple
The RAW Gelände (RAW Temple in English) is one of the few large centers of alternative culture remaining in Berlin. Built in 1867, the former train repair yard was taken over in 1999 and is home to a multitude of spaces and venues.
- Street Art: The compound is open to the public all day. Almost every wall in the place showcases a piece of art. From evidence of tagging wars to large-scale murals, the ever-revolving work here never fails to impress.
- Music: RAW Gelände plays host to a range of venues like Badehaus and Cassiopeia, where you’ll find everything from jazz to punk and metal to hip hop. For bigger concerts, festivals and parties there is also Astra Kulturhaus.
- Food & Drink: There is a variety of great bars, like Crack Bellmer or Zum schmutzigen Hobby, to visit if you’re looking for a cold brew. And don’t let your hangry side get the best of you. Sit down for some vegan street food at Emma Pea or check out the Holi Cow food truck.
- Sports: Get some exercise and work off all that Schnitzel. Skatehalle Berlin is a world-class enclosed skate park, Der Kegel offers rock climbing and at the bar/club Haubentaucher, you can play volleyball or swim in the pool. Even while the party is “getting lit.”
- All of the Above: Looking for a little bit of everything? Check out Urban Spree. This bar slash gallery slash music venue has something for everyone — Brazilian BBQ, Disco nights, punk and indie bands, book launches — oh my! And to top it off, the whole space is centered around a massive beer garden open until very, very (very) late in the night/morning.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at the Hotel Hackescher Markt – less than 1 mile from RAW Gelände and close to Berlin City Center. Starting at $76/night.
The Russian Memorial & Treptower Park
Eighty-thousand Russian soldiers fell fighting to capture Berlin during World War II. This daunting memorial not only pays tribute to them but acts as a mass cemetery for 7,000 of the troops that died. The entirety of the park is so vast, it’ll be one of those “you have to be there” moments when trying to explain the experience to others. The marble reliefs depicting Russia’s role in the war, the vast steps and tiled walkways are impressive. But it’s the statue of a Russian soldier holding a child in one arm and a sword in the other, crushing a swastika underfoot that will give you goosebumps. This monument can be found in Treptower Park.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at nhow Berlin, less than 2 miles from Treptower Park and Berlin City Center. Starting at $89/night.
Bergmannkiez
Kreuzberg is one of the most sought-after boroughs amongst visitors looking to find the “hip” aspects of Berlin. However, many don’t realize that this suburb can at times be as multifaceted as the larger city. The neighborhood to which Bergmannstraße lends its name is a bit trendier that the nightlife-heavy area around Schlesische Straße. It’s got a lot of other things going for it, too:
- Food Market: Head to Marheineke Markthalle for an abundance of fresh foods, delis and specialists and then picnic at nearby Templehofer Feld or Viktoriapark.
- Food Adventures: Go international with your food selections right in Berlin. Make a stop at Little Tibet for momos. Find a tasty Indochinese kitchen at Umami. Dine Italian-style at Maselli Ristorante, or go for classic pizza and pasta at Pastarium. Eat sushi at Cube, Turkish at Knofi, a variety of delicious Goulash at G’s Goulash, Thai at Sarod’s, and visit The Vegetarian Butcher for veggie and vegan substitutes. Don’t say you’re not spoiled after this.
- Coffee & Cake: Can you guess why so many people visit, yet? Another thing that Bergmankiez provides is a damn good cup o’ joe. Skip the commercial coffee chains and seek out these hidden gems: Golightly, Cuccuma and Chapter One – where crafting a cup of coffee is practically a religious experience. Most German cafés offer breakfast and lunch menus as well, but the cakes are the real MVPs. Head to Barcomi’s to get a winning coffee and cake combo.
- Shopping: While the main strip is populated with design stores, clothing shops and basement-level antique merchants, it’s the side streets where you’ll find the hidden boutiques, hand crafted goods, record stores and vintage shops. If it’s vintage bargains you’re looking for, hit up the Fleamarket during the weekend.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay in the Kreuzberg neighborhood at Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Berlin City, just under 2 miles from Berlin City Center. Starting at $69/night.
Flughafensee
If you speak to anyone that lives in Berlin, they’ll tell you that the place to be is at one of the many lakes you can find within the Berlin/Brandenburg limits. While the more solitary the lake the more in need of a car you’ll be, there are also many bodies of water that are reachable with public transport.
- Swimming: Visit any of Berlin’s lakes for a dip while the weather is still warm, if you’re not quite ready to surrender summer.
- Relaxation: Pack a bag and find a quiet spot on the shore or head to the large sand banks on the lakes, grab a spot and let go.
- Accessibility: While locals each have their own recommendation, the beauty of Flughafensee is that it’s right at the Otisstraße station on the U6 line, which makes it an easy 20 minutes from Berlin City Center.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at the Hotel Alexander Plaza in City Center and train out to Flughafensee for the day. Rooms starting at $82/night.
Wall Memorial Bernauer Straße
Although the wall extends into other parts of the city, this 4,600-foot long memorial is worth the trip to every section. The outdoor monument sits on the original border strip and combines remnants of the original wall with the Monument in Memory of the Divided City and the Victims of Communist Tyranny as well as the Window of Remembrance. There are further exhibitions and a viewing platform at the Visitor’s Center.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at the The Westin Grand, Berlin, just a 15-minute drive from any part of the monument. Starting at $128/night.
Auguststraße
Get contemporary with your artistic tastes. This street and the adjacent Linienstraße are home to a sizeable chunk of Berlin’s institutional and commercial galleries.
- Art: Head to the me Collectors Room, which showcases international private collections plus features a creepy, grotesque and fun Cabinet of Curiosities on the upper level. Eigen + Art is the brainchild of Gerd Harry Lybke, an important figure in the post-unification Berlin art scene, and shows artists who continue to push the proverbial envelope. The KW Institute for Contemporary Art is a 4-story showcase that combines workshops, lectures and film screenings with exhibitions from both emerging and established artists. The neighborhood is littered with galleries of different sizes and purposes, from painterly to sculpture to video and everything in between.
- Food & Drink: Architecturally beautiful, the street (and surrounding area) is peppered with bars like My Bar ICI and cafés like The Barn,.
- Dancing & Dining: Clärchen’s Ballhaus has always been part of Berlin’s famed nightlife. Today it offers fantastic food, drinks, music and dancing every night of the week. EXTRA TIP: Upstairs is the Spiegelsaal, a “mirror room” that is true to its original form. While it also plays host to concerts, dining and dancing, casual visitors can wander up there during the day.
- All Of The Above: If you need even more art but are also in desperate need of a seriously amazing pastrami sandwich, visit the Jüdische Mädchenschule. This school, long left empty, has been converted into a cultural playground that is home to Michael Fuchs Galerie, CWC Camera Work Galerie and MUSEUM FRIEDER BURDA | Salon Berlin.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at the Meliá Berlin, located on the River Spree and just a 15-minute walk to Auguststrße. Starting at $108/night.
Monbijou Park
Monbijou Park is a sprawling green in City Center that runs behind Museum Island and along the River Spree. Many of the the cafés, restaurants and bars offer sunbeds for you to recline on with a much-needed cocktail.
- Theater: If you love theater and studied German at school (or if you just want to hear what Shakespeare sounds like in Deutsch), visit Monbijou Theatre for some top-notch acting.
- Dancing & Drinking: Alternatively, if you prefer the spotlight on you, head to Strandbar and have a drink before joining in a free dance class (7 days a week, weather permitting). Go ahead, salsa right into that Berlin sunset.
KAYAK Hotel Hack: Stay at the Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackescher Markt to be within walking distance of the park. Rooms starting at $116/night.
Just writing this makes us want to go back. So, start your adventure in Berlin. And if you happen to post a few photos, be sure to tag us so we can see.
Methodology: Hotel prices based on a double-occupancy room for check in: Saturday, September 16 until check-out: Sunday, September 17, unless otherwise stated. Prices, availability, and cancellation policies may vary. Please check actual provider policies before making a reservation.
Header Image Attribution: canadastock/Shutterstock.com
