Named the ‘City of Design’ by UNESCO, Berlin has endless room for artistic freedom and an ever-growing creative scene that keeps it pulsating with design, art and culture.
Arte Luise Kunsthotel
Its strategic location and view of the Reichtstag building and Spree River aren’t the number one charms of the Arte Luise Arthotel. The restored and extended neoclassical building is not a home away from home but an art gallery with lodgings. Some of the rooms are pretty basic, but all of the 50 single rooms, double rooms and suites incorporate different themes by different artists, from the surreal room with a divided red horse sculpture installation by Roman Schmelter to the borderline-freaky room by Nathalie Daoust depicting the cabaret scene of Berlin in the 1920s.
luise-berlin.com
nhow Berlin
Claiming to be the first music hotel in Europe, nhow Berlin knows how to spoil superstars and music aficionados during their stay. The rooms are complemented by modern entertainment systems including iPod docks so guests can live the music. Has inspiration suddenly struck? Request an electric guitar or keyboard to be delivered to your room, or make use of the hotel’s state-of-the-art recording studio and music lounge. With the lively Envy Bar and the surrounding nightlife, the hotel is oft flocked by travelling cosmopolitans and business jetsetters.
nhow-hotels.com/berlin
Pauly Saal
Retro colors, Murano chandeliers, locally made ceramic tiles and other period-inspired interior elements bring back Berlin’s golden ‘20s era into the former Jewish school gym. Adapting an eclectic, artistic atmosphere in the Mitte hub, a giant torpedo is perched on the wall along with two stuffed foxes with bandaged limbs. Pauly Saal, with its brand of rotisserie, offers sophisticated and seasonal German dishes reinterpreted from the bygone era, from Brandenburger Gabelbissen, rabbit bacon and crispy Müritz pike perch to gratinated Bamberger Hörnchen and a selection of German cheeses made from raw milk.
paulysaal.com
Big Stuff Smoked BBQ
The star of the restaurant is, as it name suggests, the delicious smoked meat slowly cooked until it’s juicy and so tender it seems to melt in the mouth. Dishes like the Beef Brisket Sandwich and Pulled Pork Sandiwch are among favorites. Big Stuff Smoked BBQ is only open from Thursday to Saturday and is always filled with determined carnivores, so it’s not uncommon for several items to be sold out well before closing time. The advice on their Facebook page is straightforward enough: ‘Our food takes endless hours to cook, so when it’s over it’s over. Come hungry and come early.’
bigstuff.de
Zagreus
Gallery space and restaurant Zagreus was founded by Ulrich Krauss, who has been collaborating with artists to create a simultaneous culinary and artistic experience. Exhibition nights are open menu nights. The artistic foodfest ranges from modern Indonesian meals served in a traditional wooden longhouse built by Yudi Noor, Philipp Geist’s underwater scenes projected onto the wall accompanied by a meal made with ingredients from different bodies of water, to menus based on French postcards illustrating a regional dish and its recipe sent by artist Pierre Granoux’s friend.
zagreus.net
Flea Markets
The fine tradition of hunting for bargains and selling things one doesn’t need is huge among Berliners. If you’re in the city on a weekend, visit one of the city’s flea markets. Some are located near tourist destinations and parks, making them a popular (and wallet-friendly!) shopping alternative. Nowkoelln Flowmarkt is a new Sunday flea market that has attracted a younger and trendier crowd with an array of items from vintage household goods and chic secondhand clothing to old books and rare vinyl. Located on Landwehrkanal, the view and atmosphere are best imbibed while enjoying a bite from one of the food stalls. Visit www.nowkoelln.de to find the flea market schedule.
nowkoelln.de
Concept Stores
In a wildly diverse shopping landscape, innovative designer brands are abundant. Among them is Stilwerk, a large concept store focusing on interior décor and furniture. Lifestyle and art products from both classic and avant-garde designers are housed here, and there are regular events and exhibitions to introduce the latest trends. Helping inventors realize their out-of-this-world products and present them to customers, Erfinderladen is a shop where you can browse and play for hours. Some of the products are so unexpectedly useful you will wonder why you haven’t felt the need for them until now.
erfinderladen.com, stilwerk.de/en/berlin
Art Hunting
Art can be found anywhere: in the form of wall graffiti, public sculptures and art spaces of all shapes and sizes. Popular art galleries include the Carlier Gebauer, famous for its high-caliber exhibitions, while the Berlinische Galerie is a favorite among artists. If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon one of the colorful and adorable Buddy Bears, the iconic painted bear statues that have become Berlin’s mascots. Also not to be missed is the long-running, historical, open-air East Side Gallery displaying 105 paintings on the east side of the Berlin Wall.
Museum Stroll
With over 170 museums and galleries, Berlin can be quite daunting for museum hoppers. But if you’re short on time, visit the Museum Island, a complex of five museums in the central Mitte district including the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum and Pergamon Museum. The latter is the most popular, attracting visitors from all over the world to marvel at the reconstructed historical buildings such as the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
Festivals and Parades
Berliners are fond of culture programs and outdoor festivities – holiday celebrations included. No matter what season you decide to visit Berlin, expect an ever-changing rotation of traditional markets, creative forums and open-air concerts. Coming up early next year are the Berlin International Film Festival and the Transmediale, a huge international media art and digital culture festival. For something even more festive, come in the spring to witness the Karneval der Kulturen, a parade to celebrate Berlin’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
Rise of Architecture
Despite the mass destruction of World War II, the few remaining historic landmarks are not only memorials but have been extended to embrace modern ideas. Berlin brims with new and contemporary architecture that retains hallmarks of the past. There’s the more tourist-oriented Reichstag, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and Brandenburg Gate, the grand Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Building and Gendarmenmarkt, the vibrant and striking Berlin Philharmonic and GSW Headquarters to the heartrending Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
Alternative Tours
Alternative tours around Berlin offer a different point of view and more flexibility, from culinary tastings to twilight walks. Supporting the local community and selected charities, Urban Culture Tours is a nonprofit project designed to tell the stories of Berlin’s citizens, arts and urban living. Currently, there are three types of tours offered. The ‘Abandoned City Tour’ attracts adventurous types and relic photographers; The ‘Green Tour’ introduces the fascinating urban projects to promote a sustainable world, while the ‘Gallery Hopper Tour’ immerses you in the city’s art scene with trips to vernissages (private previews), opening nights, and exhibitions.
Photos by: German National Tourist Board, Jürgen Pollak, Andrew Cowin, Jim McDonald, Raine Kiedrowski