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When people come to visit Berlin they don’t necessarily want to tick off the major sights of the city. Many visitors want something different: that edgy Berlin feeling and way of life the city has become famous for. This real side of Berlin is best experienced by mingling with the local people who live and breathe the city’s heart and soul.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, we have combed through Airbnb’s extensive catalog of experiences to identify some of Berlin’s best female hosts. So whether you’re about to host friends and want to surprise them with an unusual alternative to sightseeing, or feel like trying something new yourself – read on and check out these awesome experiences!
Changemaker Tour Berlin
On this cultural tour led by Natalie, the founder of the social impact initiative ‘By Heart Projects’, you’ll get to discover Neukölln and Kreuzberg while hearing inspiring stories about Berliners who are changing their environment for the better. Celebrating Berlin’s reputation as ”a global hub for entrepreneurship, social impact & innovation”, in the description of her tour Natalie promises to touch upon such pertinent issues like gentrification in Berlin, global deforestation, the European Migration Crisis and more.
photo via Airbnb
Paint Together With a Berlin Artist
This art class led by Dina, who’s a visual artist with a BA in art history and a self-confessed “professional clubber”, combines the two classic Berlin characteristic: creativity and techno! It’s a painting workshop where you go step by step to create your very own artwork (acrylic on canvas), and are surrounded by techno vibes throughout the whole process. You can also check out Dina’s website to find out more.
photo via Airbnb
Berlin’s wildest era & a cozy tea party
If you’re into the Roaring 20s, this history walk is right up your alley! Your host Maria will give you an exciting insight into the colorful stories from what she describes as Berlin’s wildest era. The walk, during which Maria will tell you all about ”the crazy spirit of 1920s Berlin with its unprecedented sexual freedom, wild nightlife, cutting-edge avant-garde cinema, decadent cabarets, and bold political satire”, leads up to her apartment where a cozy tea party concludes the experience.
photo via Airbnb
How was life behind the Berlin Wall?
Travel in time and get a peek behind the Berlin wall. This history walk led by two local Berliners who have experienced the times of the divided city and can share their stories from both sides of the wall is an amazing chance to get the most authentic account of the Cold War. There’ll also be time for a pleasant break in a cafe.
photo via Airbnb
Learn Urban Sketching
This art class is your chance to channel your inner Kreuzberg visual artist as you meet with your instructor Karen by the Oberbaumbrücke to sketch together. As she emphasizes in the course description, you don’t need any prior experience to participate. She’ll teach you the basics and be ready to serve with further tips.
photo via Airbnb
Make your own cheese
Granted, this cooking class might not be the first association when you think about ”Berlin workshops”, but it actually reflects the international spirit of the city. The instructor Klarida is half Greek and half Albanian and just loves sharing her passion for high-quality food and promises that after this experience, ”you will never buy cheese in the supermarket again”.
photo via Airbnb
Pictures of Blue
During this photo class, you’ll discover the cyanotype technique. Your instructor Kirsten invites you to her artist’s studio where, in a relaxed atmosphere, she’ll ”guide you through a workshop that will result in striking cyan blue prints”. You can also use your own photographs to create very special cyanotypes – read more in the course description.
photo via Airbnb
Sex, Love & Adversity Tour
Berta Berlin, an Urberliner who’s known as the publisher of various cute foldable themed Berlin maps, will tell you all about Berlin’s queer past during this history tour. She starts with the iconic stories back from the Weimar Republic and the times of Christopher Isherwood, and goes on to introduce you to others who contributed to making Berlin of today into, as she puts it, ”the symbol of liberation”. If you book the tour you will get her QueerBerlin map for free, or you can get it here.
photo: Nadja Wohlleben
How to be a Berliner
Another offer from the enterprising Berta: this time, she teams up with a friend and invites you for an intercultural dinner where you’ll get a general idea of what being a Berliner is all about and probably develop even more love for this wondrous city. It’s a dinner with drinks, but Berta and Lena bring way more to the table: local tips and tricks and lots of positive energy.
photo via Airbnb