The beach at the lake Weißer See in the district Weißensee seems to be one of the last oases in the concrete jungle of Berlin and is situated only 20 minutes by tram M4 from Alexanderplatz.

It looks like a park from the outside, and as soon as you enter the green forest you will find a circular lake, which seems totally isolated from the outside world. Even in Winter it’s a really nice place to have some hot drinks while watching the sunset.

The beach is open every season and the access is free in spring.

 

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Beach at Weißen See | Relaxing | Free
Seeweg | Outer – North&East | +49309253241
Autumn – Spring 11:00 – open end daily

The old building which has housed the c/o Gallery since 2000 is the ancient imperial post office. Especially at night the big illuminated entrance impresses the passerby.

Founded by a designer, a photographer and an architect the gallery became one of the biggest private art institutions in Berlin. This year the “International Forum For Visial Dialogues” celebrates its 10th year.

Temporary exhibitions present the artworks of upcoming and famous photographers. The specific of the location is that the showrooms and the halls aren’t renovated so the rooms contrast with the exhibit. Take a look at the bathrooms in the first floor where old and new design collides in a very interesting way. Antique Columns in the hall and an ornate tiled floor are special details which make this gallery so like-able. Currently the gallery celebrates its 10th year of existence.

Here you can find the English program of the current exhibitions. Admission is € 10.00, but reduced is only € 5.00 (for students, children). 

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c/o Gallery | Art & culture | Entrance adults € 10.00
Oranienburger Straße/Tucholskystraße | Mitte | +493028091925
11:00 – 20:00 daily

The futuristic appearing building of the Bauhaus-Archiv is a real landmark in the urban landscape of Berlin. Combining two houses and a bridge on which you can walk “over” the house makes the museum a special playground of architecture. Planned by the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius in 1964 and built up in 1976-79 in a modified version the white building is a hidden eye-catcher on the bank of the Landwehrkanal.

The Archive/Museum attends to research and retrospection of Bauhaus architecture, art and design in the 20th century. It is the worldwide biggest collection of originals of the classical modernity. In a permanent exhibition which will be showed in December again, you can only see a part of the collection but the most interesting Bauhaus examples of architecture, furniture, ceramics, metal, photographs as well as artworks of the famous Bauhaus teachers Gropius, Itten, Klee, Feininger, Kandinsky, Albers, Schlemmer, Moholy-Nagy and van der Rohe.

Here you can find information in English about the permanent and the special exhibitions.

For a deposit of €10.00 you can rent an audio guide that explains the samples in your language. On wednesday, thursday and friday the entrance fee is one euro cheaper.

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Bauhaus-Archiv | Art & culture | Entry fee +/- € 7.00
Klingelhöfer Straße 14 | Tiergarten | +49302540020
Wed – Mon 10:00 – 17:00

The Knorrpromenade is a narrow, short street – or better: a little esplanade – in the middle of the quarter Friedrichshain. After you had a walk on the Boxhagener Platz (check the Boxhagener Platz flea market article) and after some creamy cupcakes at Cupcakes you shouldn’t miss to look for this little idyll.

The houses were built in 1911-1913 to attract more wealthy people in this worker’s area. Today it is the last example for a bourgeois housing complex in Friedrichshain. The now listed buildings are all individual because they were planned by different builders.

On the southern entry to the street you will find the rests of an old gate with ornaments. When I walk through this quiet homely allee I always get the same feeling: I want to live here! In this place the world seems still fine.

Since spring 2011 an independent organisation was founded to renovate the destroyed Ornamental gates at the entry near Wühlischstraße. On their website you’ll find many beautiful photos and more about the history of this small allee.

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Knorrpromenade | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Knorrpromenade | Friedrichshain
Daily

The window is covered up by paper and the entrance hidden. It looks like a shop under construction but every minute people go in and out. This is Dr. Pong: Prenzlauer Berg’s Ping Pong-Bar.

When you enter you get the feeling that this is not an official bar but a member’s only club. The Spartan interior includes little more than a ping-pong table and some chairs. The walls are empty, but the club is crowded. Upon further exploration, you will find a bar, a small lounge and a DJ stand. No luxuries here, just a comfortable, cozy grotto that offers a remarkable alternative to all the normal bars where you just sit, stand or talk.

In the bar’s main room, people with table-tennis paddles run in circular fashion around the ping pong table. Most of the people are not professional players and some have never played before, so don’t worry if you don’t hit the ball (and as a good excuse, you can always say that beer makes you lose your body control). Anyway, there is always a new round, which gives you the chance to show your hidden talent.

One of the bar’s owner’s interests is, according to the bar’s manifesto, “losing the definition between game/sport and partying”. A “healthy addiction” to beer and ping pong makes you definitely want to come back to this inconspicuous place.

By the way, you don’t need to bring your own ping pong paddle; you can borrow one at the bar for a deposit of 5 euro.

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Dr. Pong | Bars, Relaxing | Beer € 2.00
Eberswalder Str. 21 | Prenzlauer Berg
Mon – Sat 20:00 – open end, Sun 14:00 – open end

The alternative look of the Zosch’s façade seems not to belong in the tidy area of Oranienburger Straße. You could imagine it in Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg but Mitte has turned more or less into the home of fancy chic in the last years. The Zosch is one of the survivors of the first pubs that established itself after the political turnaround in 1989. And it still remains true to itself. The staff and the people are down-to-earth and the interior is rustic. But the attention belongs to the music.

Downstairs in the cozy cellar which reminds you of an old larder in a medieval castle, mostly every night jazz bands or songwriters play. The atmosphere is familiar even if the pub is full of people. The big wooden tables and benches almost fill out the whole room and the place is quickly crowded.

Especially on Wednesday evening when the Goethe Institute of Berlin holds its student’s regulars’ table in the pub. But normally Zosch is a place where you find a lot of native people. It’s not overcrowded by tourists and most of the bands playing here are from Berlin. The Zosch is always trying to satisfy different tastes of music. Not only jazz but also songwriters, blues or gypsy bands enter the small stage.

Every Wednesday the band La Foot Creole which is committed to New Orleans Jazz plays in the Zosch’s catacomb.

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Zosch | Bars, Music, Snacks | Beer € 2.00
Tucholskystraße 30 | Mitte | +49302807664
16:00 – open end daily

Russians know how to party. One of the most famous ones in Germany is the writer Wladimir Kaminer. He came to Berlin in 1990 and started a Russian Disco at the Kaffee Burger 8 years ago.

Soon the Russendisko turned into a real Berliner institution. The two DJs, Kaminer and Yuriy present famous Russian Pop, Hip Hop, Rock, Ska and Reggae twice a month on Saturday.

Kaffee Burger used to be frequented by actors, authors and singers in the 70′s and the atmosphere is still authentic. Old velour wallpaper, dark wooden chairs, leather lounges and dim light make this place perfect for Russian parties where Vodka flows freely and the joint is always jumping. An old GDR-list of beverages on the wall and the huge soldier’s head next to the checkroom remind you of times when one part of Germany was run by a socialist regime.

Now people from all over the world dance together to the beat on the rather small dance floor. Hot air and lots of romping people create a frenetic party atmosphere that generally gets started around midnight and lasts until 4 or 5 in the morning.

Aside from Russendisko on Saturday nights, it’s also worth it to visit Kaffee Burger for other events. Almost every day they offer readings, live music, movies or parties. Kaffee Burger Bar itself is always open on Friday and Saturday evening.

The next Russendisko dates you will find here.

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Kaffee Burger | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Entry fee € 5.00
Torstraße 60 | Mitte | +493028046495
Fri – Sat 22:00 – open end, Sun – Thu open during events

Berlin offers flea markets for every taste. One of my favorites is the quite young flea market at the RAW-Tempel, which used to be a garage area for trains until 1994. Since last year everyone is welcome here to sell and buy stuff.

The Raw flea market is the best alternative to the big and crowded markets at Boxhagener Platz and Mauerpark. Here mostly private sellers try to get rid of clothes, books, games, jewellery, art and decoration. Not only used things but also handmade clothes and jewellery is waiting for a new owner. And there is something for every style: girly, punky, chic, grungy, with flowers or without…

Thanks to the warm and intimate atmosphere this flea market is the place to be for me on Sundays – even in winter. The sellers are open for a chat and always willing to bargain. So I definitely make one or more snips! Don’t forget to bring small change.

After heavy shopping and bargaining there are live music, coffee and Waffles waiting for you.

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RAW flea market | Music, Shopping, Snacks | Free
Revaler Straße 99 | Friedrichshain
Sun 09:00 – 17:00

Berlin is not only a historical city of the long 20th century but holds also relicts of an anterior time. For example the Zitadelle Spandau which is one of the most well-preserved Renaissance forts in Europe. The old medieval castle was rebuilt in the 17th century in a “neo-Italian manner” by the elector Joachim II. In 1839 it was changed again in a neo-classical style.

The oldest parts of the Zitadelle are the donjon Juliusturm and the Palais which were built in the 13th and 15th century. During World War II the area was used for military purposes.

The ancient arsenal houses a nice museum and it is definitely worth it to climb the wooden stairs of the Juliusturm. On the top you have a beautiful view over the west of Berlin where nature and city are close to each other. At the end of the day you should have a break in the historic tavern where you can enjoy the rustic atmosphere while eating with your hands (open every day from 11:00, Sunday from 10:00).

The Zitadelle Spandau offers also many activities for kids: Discovering the Middle-age, art classes in the Kunstbastion (School of arts), puppet theatre and many more events. Just have a look at the programme.

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Zitadelle Spandau | Art & culture, Music, Festivals & events | Entrance € 4.50
Am Juliusturm | Outer – South&West | +49303549440
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 17:00

In the neighborhood of minimalistic Asian restaurants and newly built hotels you will find one of the many typical shabby Berlin coffee places. But this one is not only furnished with second hand seating accommodations surrounded by grey walls.

The coffee place “Mein Haus am See”, which means in English “My house at the lake”, is a quite new location which established near Rosenthaler Platz in December 2009. After entering the place through a big window you will find a high spatial with lots of space for all the inviting couches.

In the back there is a stand where you can sit on big stairs. The walls look like they do after an incomplete renovation, but they have beautiful drawn pictures on them. Next to the small room you find a separate smoker’s area behind a glass wall – a real luxury for smokers in Berlin!

Besides the interior there is another fact, which makes this location unique: “Mein Haus am See” is open 24 hours every day. They serve not only coffee, but also tea with fresh peppermint or ginger, different breakfasts and snacks, cakes and more. This is definitely a second living room!

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Mein Haus am See | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Latte Macchiato € 2.50
Brunnenstraße 197-198 | Mitte | +493023883561
24 hours daily