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This summer is going to be great! I can feel it in my gut. Ok, admittedly summers in Berlin are usually always great. But somehow there’s something in the air. Everyone is in the mood to just have the best time.
We’re looking forward to visits to the lake, walks in the park, outdoor cinema, open-air parties, evenings by the canal, festivals and a lot of fun. And there’s a lot to experience this summer, too. In large part, we have the Kultursommerfestival (Cultural Summer Festival) to thank for that, which is taking place for the second time this year. From June 24 to September 3, the festival brings together a full program of 100 events. It is probably one of the largest joint projects of Berlin cultural institutions there is.
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by Frank | Events
illustrations: Sophia Halamoda.
As a native Istanbulite, summers always meant eluding the city as soon as possible with everlasting fear of crowds, the heatwaves and the tourists during the entire three months. Leaving the city in summer is almost a global tradition for every metropolitan, except for Berliners. We prefer to foray into foreign lands in winters, but every true Berliner knows in their heart that our city is exceptionally beautiful and sexy in the summer, and we don’t want to skip a bit of it.
Inspired by some of the chapters in our book Like A Berliner, we narrowed down our favorite activities that make Berlin so special in summer. If you enjoy it, you should get the limited summer package including our 2 books Like A Berliner, Learn Deutsch with iHeartBerlin and the “Summer in Berlin” poster in our webshop!
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by Burak | Stories
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
Summer is here and we could not be more excited to finally go out again and enjoy what the city has to offer. This year everything is different and we kinda have to rethink the way we spend our time. But we’re up for the challenge and ready to get creative.
Having lived in Berlin for 20 years you would think I’ve been everywhere in town. Well, I have not! And I’m kinda glad Berlin is so large there still remain some places that I hadn’t heard of before or never managed to visit. One of these corners of Berlin is Köpenick. It’s in the B zone, so it’s technically part of the city, but it pretty much feels like a separate little town, much like Potsdam, but smaller. And there are quite a few things there to discover, so a couple of friends and I decided to embark on a bike tour there.
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by Frank | Travel
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
When it’s really hot in Berlin and the time is to short to go outside of the city to the lakes the only other option to cool down a bit is hitting the pools! Luckily, Berlin has a whole bunch of them from traditional public swimming pools, to cool urban pools and spas with open-air pools – there is something for every taste.
So it’s time for you to pack up your swimsuit, smack on some sunscreen and head out to the public swimming pools of Berlin for a refreshment!
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by Frank | Charlottenburg, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Wedding, Wellness
During the cold dark Berlin winter, everybody longs for the sun and the warmth. And when the longed-for summer finally arrives the sunshine makes suddenly everybody smiley and more friendly. You can chill in the parks, swim in the lakes, go on an excursion with your bike. But there is nothing that screams out summer like a cold sweet ice cream. Whether you like it in a “Waffel” or “Becher”, with cream on top, vegan, on a sandwich, we’ve got you covered. Here is our selection of the greatest ice cream places in Berlin. Enjoy!
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by Amanda Artiaga | Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Schöneberg
Berlin summers can be everything. They can be this steamy, sweaty, never-ending fantasy covered in a golden, glowy filter. They can, however, also not happen at all. So, you spend that first 26+ degrees day in late March or April inside thinking: “Well, summer’s only getting started, I’ll get my chance to tan. No worries”. And then you end up in late July looking at 14 degrees max, and clouds, clouds, clouds, plus thunderstorms, possibly. “Yeah, thanks Berlin!” Eyeroll. This lady is never to be trusted. What do we learn from this? In Berlin, we have to stick to very basic postcard philosophies and: “Carpe that diem!” When there’s sunshine and blue skies outside of our bedroom window we got a “Drop everything situation” going on. If this puts you in a state of shock and you’re catching your breath, we prepared a step-by-step plan of action for you.
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by Andy | Stories
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
photos: Min Kyung Choi
Dearest Berlin, let us dance!
Already wearing your prettiest summer-dress and smiling your brightest smile!
Finally your days are long, your nights short. Melt into each other. Have no beginning and no end.
The melancholic spirit of winter seems long past and is forgiven.
Dark November blues melt simultaneously with my frozen lemon popsicles.
The sky painted in radiant blue. This is why I fell in love with you, Berlin.
Everything is blooming and the city is raging with life. Listening to street musicians while bathing in the sun.
Watching shimmering shadows dancing in the moonlight.
Dreams seem to come true during summer.
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by Guest Author | Photos, Stories
