For me, the success of the Berlin summer is measured by the number of lake visits that I managed. I’ve come to learn to take immediate advantage of good weather no matter if I have time or not, because you never know how many good lake days you gonna get. This year has been not great. Not been to the lake at all. So I have a lot of catching up to do in the remaining weeks of the summer. Let’s hope for some good weather, right?
We already published a big lake guide a while ago which you can find here. For this year we decided to make a smaller, updated version for you guys that reflects a bit more which lakes we personally actually frequent. Enjoy!
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by Frank | Wellness
The looming arrival of the heatwave has the people talking about literally nothing else than how they could possibly escape from it. One thing every conversation about it seems to have in common is that no-one is planning to go to the office. Well, we’ll see how many bosses will have mercy on their employees in these special circumstances.
To give you some inspiration on how to deal with the heat we compiled some ideas about places and activities that will help you cool down.
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by Frank | Wellness
Heading into the colder season I find myself oddly disappointed with what is normally the highlight of the year: Summer in Berlin.
I know, what is the point of lamenting it any further. It is what it is, and there were a couple of nice days. So we shall not complain too much. But you can’t take the summer away from the Berliner and at the same time also his right to complain. You need to leave him at least one!
I don’t see myself as someone who complains much about the weather. I try to keep an optimistic spin on things. But hell, this year really stretched my limits. I wasn’t at the lakes once this year, because on those 3 days where it would have been possible I had to work. This is not ok. We Berliners have to suffer through so many grey months and cold weathers the short but intense summers are completely necessary for us to recharge our batteries (and good will). I looked at those last couple of months pass by us without giving us much of a summer with great frustration. The temperatures were so skewed I think I have never felt cold and sweaty at the same time this often (maybe it’s also my progressing age?). And on top of that I even missed the train to book a end-of-season short trip South to get my summer fix and now it feels a little too late for that.
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by Frank | Videos
Wondering how to spend the weekend if the weather does you a favor and is nice ever again in the future? Look no further as we’ve gathered for you some of our favorite cafes and restaurants by the water; because, what’s a better summer setting than this? Whether a lake or a riverside, these places are absolutely perfect for summer strolls, and God knows how we miss those. So next chance the weather gives you, grab your friend, your boo, your mom, and be where life is nice! You will find us there sipping on our beer, letting our toes catch some vitamin D.
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by Stella | Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Tiergarten
One of the ways in which Berlin is truly incomparable, is that it’s a big city you can escape without really leaving it; no long hour driving to get to an oasis of green, for they are all around the city! And the best way to enjoy nature, relax, and let all stress go? A boat ride.
For those who don’t have a way out of the city due to work, Berlin’s parks offer the perfect little escape on a daily basis: it’s the place we can cool off, forget about the city’s busyness and let nature have us as its kids again. And when these parks have a lake we can take a boat ride in, all the better! One of our options is right in the center of Berlin, with Tiergarten offering boat rides in Cafe am Neuen See! A cute little lake you can paddle your way around, wave hello to your co-paddlers, and lose yourself in the serenity of the scenery.
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by Stella | Cafés, Tiergarten
photos: The Gentle Temper
So much is happening during the summer in Berlin that it’s become some kind of a parallel universe everyone is longing for. And no wonder – nothing can compare with the time where you get to enjoy Mauerpark to the fullest, wear your least demure clubbing outfit with no annoying jacket over it, and drink as many Späti beers around the Kanal as you may wish. Another amazing feature of Berlin’s summer is our lakes. Find out more about the beautiful publication that will help you discover them after the jump.
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by Michalina | Books
photo: Jacob Schickler
Summer in Berlin is a blessing of another world. Everything seems weightless, effortless and without complications. Pleasure is spelled differently all of a sudden. All the things that are only possible in these few month, few weekends of heat and sun become part of a ritual. A jump into cold water of a green sea means purification. Breathing in the dust of a festival dance floor means contemplation. Looking into the sun until your eyes start to cry means devotion. Kissing a stranger at night, while sitting on a concrete sidewalk still warm from the sun means dissolution.
Time to save some light for the long months of darkness and cold. Every sensation, every taste of watermelon and mango, every lick on salty sweaty skin is experienced and immediately stored into a library of memories. Some of these memories are only meant for yourself. Others are meant to be shared with others to make them turn to life over and over again.
The photographer Jacob Schickler was kind enough to share his private visual memories of this never-ending summer in Berlin. Take a look, but promise me to cherish them without discontent. That summer will end one day is a fact that we can’t ignore. But we don’t have to taint our sunny days in grey even before Autumn will do his job. Enjoy his photos after the jump.
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by Claudio | Photos, Stories
photos: Valerie-Siba Rousparast
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing more beautiful than summer in Berlin, but when crowded places get even busier and riding the subway becomes a sweaty nightmare, it’s amazing to escape the chaos for a moment or two.
Sometimes it’s just very healthy for body, mind and soul to get out of the fast pace and the heat. What nicer place could there be than Liepnitzsee with it’s clear, turquoise water and the tiny beaches? This lake is not as easy to reach as Wannsee, or Schlachtensee, but trust me, it is worth the ride. Depending on where you start your trip, you will reach the lake in about an hour, going to the far north of Berlin and entering Brandenburg. And you will actually feel like you are entering a different tiny universe, since round Liepnitzsee time seems to stand still. Even on the hottest summerdays, the lake isn’t very crowded.
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by Guest Author | City Guide
photo: Miguel Silva Rodrigues / CC
Weißensee – ever heard of it? If you haven’t, don’t blame yourself. There are some districts in Berlin that kind of fall under the radar concerning public attention. Lichtenberg is one of them, or Reinickendorf, Marzahn. And so is Weißensee, it seems to be also one of the hidden gems. Even though there is quite a lot going on, the clocks are ticking a little slower here. This might not be the version of the Berlin you know. But maybe you should.
Weißensee is a part of Pankow and used to be like many other districts a little village, back in the 13th century. Named after the big lake, the then-village Weißensee has more to offer than meets the eye. With the help of the new aber hallo, Weißensee map we selected some of the most interesting places that will make your visit worth while.
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by Yasmin | Cafés, Galleries, Shops, Weißensee
photo: I. Haas, Botanischer Garten
We know you’re city kids and you love Berlin for its cool districts, the freaky people, and the party next door. But how about a bit of recreation, silence and a nice trip with the family? For tourists it’s not necessarily the first meeting point, but Zehlendorf and neighboring Dahlem and Wannsee offer a lot of beautiful places that you should visit in your spare time. We created a small guide for your next trip to these charming districts – read more about it after the jump.
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by Olga | Dahlem, Misc., Wannsee, Zehlendorf
