photo: Manfred Weber.
Have you ever experienced this? You’re standing in front of a packed buffet at the company Christmas party and you’re just about to start feasting when you think: wait a minute, where are the vegan and gluten-free dishes? Sometimes you’re lucky and find at least a selection of, well, one dish. But often there are simply no dishes that meet one or the other criterion – let alone both. Eating then becomes an exclusive and, let’s face it, exceedingly monotonous affair.
Heissa Holzmarkt.
With our nerves hanging on really thin threads these days due to the… – let’s just call it circumstance – there is only one thing really keeping us remotely sane: the prospect of Christmas. It’s like that one warm cozy light at the end of the tunnel that is the second year in a fucking pandemic.
While a lot of markets were actually not happening last year, the vaccinations and current regulations make it possible that they are happening again this year. We are glad they are because Christmas and Winter markets make up for a lot of the magic of the holiday season. And no better excuse to fill up on mulled wine than a visit to a Christmas market.
Of course, we wouldn’t be iHeartBerlin if we sent you to the regular markets happening in the usual places – you know where to find those. We picked the more unique and special ones that often come with a little twist as well. Here goes our Christmas Market guide for 2021. (Mind you, they all call themselves “Winter Markets” these days for whatever reason that might be…)
Having lived in Schöneberg for the past eight years, I consider myself an expert on my Kiez. I always claim that it’s the best place to live in Berlin, not just because of the omnipresent Gasometer or the best döner ever (Ruyäm Gemüse Kebab, but that’s a story for another time) but also because we have awesome open-air markets. Everyone is always raging about Mauerpark or the flea market at Boxi on Sundays but let me tell you a little secret, Schöneberg has the best markets in all of Berlin. The Schöneberg markets might be a little less trendy than their East Berlin neighbors but they also boast some of the best prices in the city–sounds kinda similar to the housing market, right? And with Corona being an airborne disease, open-air markets are a better option for your weekly groceries than supermarkets. Here are my three favorites:
The beloved cozy Christmas atmosphere with all its lights, markets and holiday feels are gone, even the excitement and glitter of New Year’s Eve has faded. The new year leaves us longing for more happy celebrations, but instead, gloomy January has taken their place to spread his dreaded winter blues. I can’t tell you how bad it gets to me, every time. Since I was very quickly over Netflix and couch after the fourth night in the row, I thought about what other activities in Berlin could brighten up this dark January. So this list goes out to everyone suffering from the January blues – let’s get off the couch and have some fun!
Gendarmenmarkt, photo: Michael Setzpfandt
December is upon us, degrees are dropping down and Berlin winter has come. Even if we haven’t had any snow yet, we can feel it in the air: it’s almost Christmas markets season!
Even when it comes to Christmas events, Berlin has style and originality. If you were thinking that Christmas markets in this city are just about drinking smoking hot glühwein, eating “ich-liebe-dich”- gingerbread hearts or thousand different chocolate delicacies, you are wrong. The Berlin Christmas events have so much more to offer! To help you experience the Berlin Christmas season, we have created a 2018 Christmas Markets’ guide of the best and unconventional markets to visit in December. Berlin’s just as versatile as you might have expected – you’ll find a few traditional markets, some really design-oriented events, and even a Christmas film festival. Have a look! Finding the perfect Christmas gift it is not going to be demanding and boring anymore.
photos: Amanda Artiaga
There are so many reasons why we heart Berlin. In a fast-paced city like ours, it’s hard to keep track. People move in and out, places come and go. What one person loves about this city, might be completely unknown to others, and possibly gone before they even find out about it. Every city guide, every restaurant recommendation, list of cafés, clubs or bars can only give little indications and reflect someone else’s love for this city, but in the end why you love Berlin, is your own story.
Those who have been born and raised in Berlin, and, after all these years, still decide to call Berlin their home, have a genuine love story to tell. We asked some of these ‘Ur-Berliners’, with lifelong experience how they would spend a day in Berlin. The results are a collection of hidden gems and nostalgic places that never lose their charm. #whyiheartberlin
Gendarmenmarkt, photo: Michael Setzpfandt
Although this year it may feel like the Christmas Markets season came exceptionally early, with still no traces of snow and surprisingly mild temperatures, the festive frenzy is upon us – and we’re excited for all the Glühwein, Plätzchen and proper christmas shopping! In this year’s guide, we’re reacquianting you with some places from last year and presenting others that are happening for the very first time.
When it comes to christmas events, Berlin’s just as versatile as you might have expected – you’ll find a few traditional markets, some really design-oriented events, a film festival and even a masked ball.
photo: Axel Kuhlmann / CC
Berlin is the capital city of flea markets and visiting these iconic institutions is a great way of spending a couple of hours of your weekend (singles watch out: there is a strong possibility of starting a flirt with a handsome stranger at the innumerous stalls) but as I walk along the Spree towards my first destination, the Arena Indoor Flea Market, feelings of smallness start to unsettle. In fact, I could not have chosen a worse day to venture out into flea markets – it is freezing cold, bloody foggy and there is mud everywhere due to the melting snow and I cannot stop thinking to myself that only a strike of luck will prevent me from slipping and falling into the river. It would not be the first time…
illustrations: Johanna Dumet
For some people it might be shoes, for others clothes or “high tech stuff” – a term that does not exactly prove my awareness in this area. For me it has always been food, especially the process of purchasing it. There have always been two things that could make me happy no matter what: a beautiful, sunny weather and a huge supermarket full of quality products. The Turkish market combines both these elements into one fascinating extravaganza of color, scent and lively sounds. On top of that, the market is situated at the river bank known as Maybachufer offering people the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing lunch break while gazing at the playful swans in front of them. When the sky is cloud free and the sun shines, it feels like walking into an oasis, where a highly convenient trade-off takes place: you walk into the market as if you are walking into a safe haven, which will suck all your stress and negative energy and replace it with tranquility and a sense of relief. read more…
Flowers are totally hype these days! With quite a few flower related start-ups and projects on the rise it seems they are taking over the reign from the trending positions of food delivery and dating apps of the last couple of years. The slightly antiquated job of the florist is now totally in fashion again.
Flower services such as Florale Welten, Damerius, Flowerstudio Berlin, Bloomon and many more are now reinventing the classical flower bouquet to make it into the contemporary, Instagram-worthy little pieces of art that people just can’t help but fall in love with.
Tollwasblumenmachen.de is an online magazine that is dedicated to the beauty of flowers and promotes all these little projects that we have here in Berlin. They also have a huge map and search function that let’s you find the best flower shops in your proximity.
This coming weekend they are organizing a huge Flower Market at Bikini Berlin that you shouldn’t miss. The amazing flower installation by Rebecca Louise Law in Spring showed us that flowers and the Bikini Berlin go really well together, so we are looking forward to this new flowertastic event.