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…)
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by Frank | Nov 27, 2021 | Christmas, Market
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I’m sure that for many of us, Airbnb has completely changed the way we travel and experience cities and places over the past few years. Airbnb has opened doors to private homes, people’s lives and otherwise hard to reach places, giving us a more immersive travel experience than we could have ever imagined.
For some time now, Hosts can not only offer their homes on Airbnb, but also experiences. Just like the many unique stays on Airbnb, these experiences are offered by Hosts around the world who offer their guests authentic adventures for every conceivable interest.
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by Frank | Nov 19, 2021 | Art, Charlottenburg, Events, Museums
photo: Fahimi Bar.
Now that the cold and dark evenings make the concept of a Wegbier by the canal a rather unpopular idea, bars with their cozy and inviting interiors are a tempting alternative. In this post, we’ve collected some of our favorite spots in Kreuzkölln. They’re all more or less within a walking distance from each other, so don’t get discouraged if one of them is too full and simply enjoy your stroll through one of Berlin’s most famous nightlife areas!
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by Michalina | Oct 29, 2021 | Bars, Kreuzberg, Neukölln
The final days of summer are upon us, and soon Berlin will descend into its dark and dismal winter. Soak up the final rays of sun in some of our favorite “Biergarten” (beer gardens), open-air clubs, and rooftop bars. Peruse this list, pick your favorite, and make the trip. Make sure to check Resident Advisor, Facebook, or our events page for all the latest news about events. Cheers!
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by Adri | Sep 10, 2021 | Bars, Clubs
We can’t believe that we are writing this, but after 1,5 years of lockdown, Berlin’s indoor clubs will finally be allowed to re-open without mask requirements and distancing rules. The Berlin Clubcommission announced the news yesterday after the Senat of Berlin lost a court case about it and decided to not challenge it any further. From Friday, September 3rd onwards, clubs will be allowed to re-open their indoor dance floors. Of course, there is a catch because we are still in the middle of a pandemic: Entry will only be allowed to vaccinated and recovered people. Especially since the enforcing of mask rules at outdoor parties has been reportedly causing some friction in the nightlife scene lately, that last bit seems to be a relief for many.
The news is of course welcome, not only for the struggling nightlife makers but also for hungry party-goers that have been starved of their favorite activity. We feel you. But they don’t come without some concerns.
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by Frank | Sep 1, 2021 | Clubs, Party
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Since our first blog post, we have been dedicated to capturing and documenting Berlin in its many facets so that the whole world can have a glimpse of this wonderful city. It has always been important to us that we address both the residents of this city, as well as visitors, no matter how long they are here and no matter where they originally come from. Our special focus is on those people who have come here and brought a piece of the part of the world they came from with them when making their projects. Because Berlin is never just Berlin – it’s a potpourri with influences from all over the world. And that’s a good thing.
The new interactive exhibition BERLIN GLOBAL, which ceremoniously opened last week in the new Humboldt Forum, takes exactly the opposite approach here, showing Berlin with all the footprints that this city has left behind in the world. We find this approach extremely exciting, which is why we took a closer look at the exhibition.
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by Frank | Jul 28, 2021 | Mitte, Museums
photo: Tjard Asseng
I’m not usually one for sports, but there’s something truly magical about Berlin when Germany plays. The excitement and tension that fills the city is not only palpable but also infectious. Every waiter and waitress pause what they’re doing to check the score, every moan from the crowd is felt whole-heartedly as communal suffering, but when Germany (or whatever team you support) scores, a glorious wave of serotonin washes over the city. Whether you’re routing on your favorite team, admiring the sexy players (and commenting on how homoerotic the whole ordeal is), or just in it for the atmosphere and big beers, we’ve compiled this list of five of our favorite spots to watch the Euros.
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by Adri | Jun 25, 2021 | Bars
If we can’t dance in Berlin clubs, at least we can watch a documentary about clubbing there, right? With the corona regulations operating a club has become really difficult and this is threatening the one thing that has put Berlin on the map worldwide in the last couple of decades. While everything is back open again after the endless lockdown, clubs are still the one type of place that is still not allowed to open. It’s not that that is not understandable – but it doesn’t make it any better or fair for the people behind it.
The new documentary Clubkultur by filmmakers Leonie Gerner and Andrea Schumacher for Hauptstadt.tv shines a light on the importance of the Berlin club scene with various interviews with club owners, nightlife artists, DJs, and musicians, but also politicians and the Berlin Clubcommission. We also get to see a lot of footage from some wild Berlin nights that make us super nostalgic and that feel like they are from a distant time decades in the past.
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by Frank | Jun 14, 2021 | Clubs, Movies, Pandemic, Party
photo: Birgit & Bier.
Despite many different efforts and many alternative concepts, it’s the Berlin club scene that is probably suffering the most from Berlin’s cultural landscape during the pandemic as the majority of the places have been locked down now for over a year. While their future is in the balance and a re-opening for indoor partying is not really inside, at least a political movement has managed that they are recognized as places of culture which makes a big difference for them when it comes to taxes and funding.
But the Berlin nightlife scene has always been inventive, so pretty much like last year after the first lockdown where the few clubs that have the luxury of an outdoor area came up with alternative usage concepts such as beer gardens to be able to partially re-open over the summer, the same thing is happening right now with the first clubs already open again for guests.
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by Frank | Jun 1, 2021 | Clubs, Pandemic, Party
As far as sustainability goes, we’re super lucky to be living in Berlin. I’m reminded of this every time I speak to friends and family back home. Often marketed as trendy, time-consuming, and expensive, a lot of people assume you have to completely overhaul your lifestyle to be more sustainable…but that’s simply not true. Being more sustainable is about figuring out what you use the most, and then finding a way to get those same products in a way that doesn’t have such a negative impact on our planet.
There are some fantastic unpackaged stores to choose from in Berlin that not only enable us to support local businesses and encourage innovation but also give us the power to refuse — to send a clear message that we don’t want our products wrapped in plastic. And because we live in Berlin, we can achieve this without too much extra effort on our part, and without breaking the bank.
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by Guest Author | Apr 10, 2021 | Charlottenburg, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Schöneberg, Shops