BerlinLocal Life
Insider tips to help you find the real Berlin
After checking out Berlin’s top sights, experience what makes the city tick. Eclectic shopping strips, charismatic residential areas, chameleonesque neighbourhoods, neuron-destroying party quarters and even an antidote to 'boring Sundays' are all features that make up the Berliner’s Berlin.
An Afternoon in the Bergmannkiez
AEclectic shopping
AUrban oases
Wrapping around cafe- and boutique-lined Bergmannstrasse, the Bergmannkiez (neighbourhood) is Kreuzberg’s quieter and more bourgeois western section. After a spot of shopping, enjoy wide open spaces at an airport turned urban playground, contemplate the resilience of the human spirit at the Berlin Airlift Memorial and enjoy a beer on the hill that gave Kreuzberg its name.
Nosing Around Neukölln
AVibrant creative scene
AMulticultural bar-hopping
Berlin’s newest ‘it’ quarter is a shape-shifter, a dynamic and restless animal fed by an appetite for diversity and creativity. An exploration here is bound to be an eye-opener, perhaps even a glimpse into future trends. We can only provide suggestions on where to start, but give in to the local DIY spirit and you’ll soon make your own discoveries.
Sundays Around the Mauerpark
AFlea market and karaoke
ACoffee culture
When it comes to the Mauerpark, we have to agree with the tens of thousands of locals and visitors: this is a great place to be on a Sunday, especially a sunny one. A fabulous flea market, outrageous outdoor karaoke, barbecues and bands, all in a place once bifurcated by the Berlin Wall, create the ideal cocktail of fun and experience.
A Leisurely Saunter Through Schöneberg
ACafe scene
AIndie boutiques
Often overshadowed by Kurfürstendamm to the west and Kreuzberg to the east, Schöneberg deserves its own spotlight. It’s a largely residential but engagingly eclectic neighbourhood where greying suits rub shoulders with party-hearty gays, ex-hippies and Turkish immigrants. Plenty of street cafes provide perfect people-watching perches.
Kotti Bar-Hop
ABars for all persuasions
ARestorative fast-food joints
It takes a nanosecond to figure out that Berlin has no shortage of libation stations. By our estimation, the vibrantly gritty area around Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station has some of the city’s best, and all are conveniently within stumbling distance of each other. No matter whether you’re the beer or cocktail type, you’ll find a favourite booze burrow here.
