illustration: Berk Karaoglu.
With this cursed year coming to a close, Berlin descends into one of the most magical times of the year: the holidays. Normally complete with Glühwein, freezing cold, and Christmas markets, this winter is going to feel far from normal (except the freezing cold). Although the holidays may be a bit different this year, it’s still the season to give back to the people you love and the city we all love. We’ve compiled this gifting guide featuring small businesses from Berlin if you’re looking for an alternative to Amazon. All the businesses listed in the following guides are small, ethical, locally owned, and sure to make your loved ones (and their owners) smile.
Read on…
by Adri | Christmas Present
photo: Le Buzz
When you think that you have done it all when you cannot decide what to do, or just want to have some different experiences this selection of Berlin Apps will help you no matter if you’re looking for a vegan restaurant or a ping-pong table. So you can discover yet another side of this kaleidoscopic city and make the most of your Berlin experience. Either if you are an Urberliner, you are studying or you are just here for your vacation. Check this list out and enjoy the city!
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by Amanda Artiaga | Products
Our team is made up of full time Berlin lovers that are dedicated to the cause – over the years, we have sacrificed both our sleep and social life to keep tirelessly exploring our urban jungle and provide you with tips on the most diverse aspects of the city’s lifestyle. Following our desire to get fully immersed in the Berlin state of mind, we’ve bravely entered some strange territories, like Berghain or even Zehlendorf, therefore compiling a pretty comprehensive guide for the city insiders. But if you’re not ready to commit just yet and only have a limited number of days to spend here – we’ve created this ultimate, one of a kind guide to a 7 day adventure featuring all the essential spots to make your Berlin fling into a lasting memory.
Click here for our 7 Days in Berlin Guide!
by Michalina | City Guide
Nothing compares to a true Berlin party night. But, every night has to come to an end, …or does it? Sometimes, all you want to do is keep on going, stay with your friends, have another beer and just live the moment, and why not right? Yes, everyone else might go to sleep, and maybe your grandma might not approve but if there is one city that allows us, even urges us not to conform to normal people’s bedtimes, it’s Berlin. Instead of seeing it as social misbehaving you should see the early morning hours as a land full of opportunity. In order to inspire you and your personal Berlin afterhour, we gathered some ideas in collaboration with Carlsberg and their #rightbeerrightnow campaign. The whole campaign is about celebrating friendship and to overcome the normality of everyday life by sharing special moments with your inner circle. The beer brand from Copenhagen has a long history of supporting a creative nightlife culture all over the world. We had a great time to explore with them Berlin in the early morning hours and hope you will do too.
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by Andy | Cafés, City Guide
It is that time of the year! Call it Pride, call it Christopher Street day, call it “All the Queers are out on the streets”, all differences, frictions, and issues aside, it’s the week when all queer people are loud, visible and all over Berlin, proud of what they are and fighting for their place in society. For some protest means political actions, demonstrations, and speaches for some it’s dancing protest on Berlin’s streets and clubs. Any way it’s done, we are here, we are queer and there’s a lot for us to do this weekend. And the selection is as diverese as the queer community itself. Whether you’re into CSD or not, there is definitly something to participate for everyone.
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by Andy | City Guide, Events, People
photo: James Dennes / CC
If you are into House and Techno and live in Berlin, you probably don’t need any Berghain advice anymore. You most likely already call this place your living room. Anyone who’s not as experienced with the Techno Temple, but actually really wants to go, can easily get confused by all the unfamiliar names on the line up So, should you go Saturday night at 4, Sunday morning at 7, or Sunday evening around 6? Where to start if you really want to experience what all the fuzz is about? At a club where every DJ set runs for at least 4 hours and your normal party stamina lasts for about 5 hours tops, you should pick your time and DJ wisely. Gladly, there is a website for that now created by Artiom Dashinsky. On dahinsky all the data of 8 years of Berghain bookings have been put into well organized, easy-to-read statistics. So, not judging individual musical styles and only trusting in OstGut Ton booking certain artists over and over again for a reason, you should watch out for the following DJs and their time slots in the next Klubnach line-up.
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by Andy | City Guide, Clubs, Music
photo: Robert Agthe / CC
The Spätis are as much of a trademark for Berlin as the TV tower or the Berliner Bear. The quirky little shops full of bottles and some often weird selection of supermarket goods are all over the city and a lot of people (mostly those too lazy or to unorganized to go to the next real supermarket) live off of these shops. Lately the beloved Spätis have been endangered by new laws that want to prohibit their Sunday opening hours and the beer benches in front of the popular late-night and after hour hang-outs. Who ever came up with these new laws: Shame on you! You are destroying one very great part of Berlin.
But here is a fun new project that celebrates the Spätis like they should be. It’s a new app developed by Clemens Morris that let’s you search the closest Späti near you. It’s really cool, especially if you are not in your own neighborhood or when you are new in town. If you walk by a Späti that hasn’t been listed yet, you can also submit one yourself or repost a closed one.
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by Frank | Products
photos: Sascha Wolters
Berlin is no place like others when it comes to special corners and Sightseeing. No wonder here, Berlin has a lot of history. With its many Sightseeing possibilities and countless historical buildings, there is probably no corner in the capital that is not worth knowing about. Which is why there are many city guides, leading foreigners through the capital. But also for locals it’s great to get to know one’s own city better. And there is one guide in particular that offers tours around the city with a special twist.
Tobi Allers is the founder of Berlin Kultour and offers around 15 tours through Berlin with different topics, interesting for anyone who is interested in art, culture and history – or just the city he lives in. We met up with him to take an exclusive, intimate version of his tour “Refugees in historical perspective” and got to know a lot. Get some impressions and see some pictures after the jump. Read on…
by Yasmin | Stories
UY, photo: Evelyn Bencicova
This summer the Berlin Fashion Week is kind of breaking a new record! While in the early years the term “week” has never really been deserved, it seems now that we can soon rename it to “weeks”. For the first time the Fashion Week stretches out over 9 days with all its satellite and unofficial fashion events scheduled around the official program of Mercedes-Benz. But this is not the only novelty! The MBFW has outsourced its smaller runway “The Stage” to the me Collectors Room gallery in Mitte. This is actually a pretty amazing space and I can’t wait to see shows there. I’m so glad I don’t have to bike all the way down to the Brandenburger Gate anymore to see some shows. But enough with that! Now it’s time to give you once again our huge Berlin Fashion Week Event & Party Guide with the best public events, shows and parties of the week. Enjoy!
by Frank | Events, Fashion, Party
