Berlin is not smooth, not shiny, “poor but sexy” and above all loud and lively. A city full of contradictions and thousands of possibilities, over which one can quickly lose track. Nevertheless, or maybe because of that, Berlin is the most visited city in Germany. Yes, sometimes it seems as if everyone has been to Berlin, as if everyone knows Berlin.
With vacation pictures of the Brandenburg Gate, a nice tour of the Spree River, Checkpoint Charlie or the Berlin Reichstag, it’s been a long time since you can show off. No question, all wonderful, historically valuable and incredibly interesting places, but what do they say about today’s Berlin? What are the places that make Berlin Berlinish and which places still surprise you with something new?
Germany’s largest city has so much to offer and there are always new, unknown, quirky and exciting places to discover, far from the conventional travel guide tips. It’s time to go exploring!
If you’re visiting the city as a tourist and want to bring your loved ones something from the capital, you have many alternatives to the classic tourist knick-knacks offered on every corner. A great option for really unusual and, above all, innovative gifts is the inventor’s store, Erfinderladen Berlin, in the center of Berlin. Here you’ll find things that you won’t find anywhere else, developed by inventive minds who want to make your life easier and more fun.
Really inventive was also the case in 1910. That’s when architect Alfred Körner designed the buildings for the Royal Botanical Gardens – with impressive results. Even after more than 100 years, the so-called and little-known Mediterranean House still towers skyward, as if in a fairy tale. In the richly decorated façade of the glass cathedral, the rays of the sun refract and let everything shine in a sparkling light. A visit is especially worthwhile for those who don’t like winter! As soon as you enter the light-flooded, tropically warm glass building with plants up to 15m high, winter seems to be forgotten. Those who have always dreamed of a paradisiacal wedding can even get married here.
All picnic fans, pay attention! If you don’t want to miss out on a trip to the countryside even in a big city like Berlin, you’ll love the vastness of Tempelhof Airfield. Since the cessation of flight operations in 2008, the former military training area has become a lively experimental field for everyone. Berlin’s largest city park has been created on the 355 hectares of land, and its visitors are working together to shape it. The design of the Tempelhof airfield is based on a clear credo: Freedom! After all, Berlin already has enough meticulously planned, standardized parks that are restricted by regulations.
An idea that was realized on Kollwitzstrasse in Prenzlauer Berg also ensures a certain togetherness. Here one finds trees of a somewhat different kind. Fans have been carved into the trees at a reachable height, which, to the amazement of many passers-by, are filled with books that can be seen through a plexiglass pane. Freely following the motto “Sharing is Caring”, the so-called book forest was brought to life. The principle is as simple as it is ingenious: In the so-called “book crossing” movement, someone takes out a book and puts in a new one in its place. So then, flap open, book out!
The selfie is a classic vacation snapshot, whether in front of historic buildings, alone in the hotel or whenever we just feel like it – everyone shoots selfies, especially on vacation! But have you ever managed to take a picture of your entire body without a mirror and without help? Impossible! Not necessarily, because in Kreuzberg you can find the world’s only large-format camera that can capture life-size self-portraits of people directly on a special black-and-white paper, the Imago 1:1. The photo booth, which is strongly reminiscent of a spaceship or submarine, creates a 60x200cm 1:1 unique piece in just 10 minutes, as unmistakable and unique as the people it portrays.
A very specific Berlin festival is also about people. People from about 180 nations from all over the world live in Berlin. When you ask Berliners what they like about Berlin, you often hear that you can be as you like in Berlin, you are accepted. It is precisely this diversity that will be celebrated at Berlin’s “Carnival of Cultures” festival.The urban street festival, including a parade through Kreuzberg, will feature music and dance groups, amateurs and professionals, and children as well as adults. Everything is symbolic of the pluralistic society, just as colorful as Berlin is.
You see, there is a lot to discover! Take your time and look around, you will see that completely new doors and experiences will open.
Book your stay at Best Western Hotel Kantstrasse Berlin or Best Western Plus Plaza Berlin Kurfürstendamm.