10 things to do in Berlin

Happy New Year! I realise it's been a while since I last updated, and even longer since I've actually written anything about Berlin itself; I have to admit I've been somewhat busy actually being in it. But just for you lucky, lucky people, I've cooked up something special. Behold, a list of 10 great things to do in Berlin!


These are just 10 of the things I've enjoyed doing in my first few months here. If this all sounds terribly appealing, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that you should live here. Just like everyone else :)

1. Cycle - Berlin is one of the best cities in the world to cycle in. Until a few months ago, I was terrified of the two-wheeled monstrosities, but in just one afternoon of biking around the main tourist sights, I was hooked. Thousands of cyclists pedal frantically (or annoyingly casually) around Berlin everyday, sometimes seeming like a law unto themselves, and whilst sceptical at first, it soon became apparent that joining them was far preferable to trying to survive them as a pedestrian. My cycle route to work now takes in the cathedral, the Brandenburg gate, a couple of winding paths through the giant Tiergarten park and a picturesque stretch of the River Spree, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
   
2. Be amazed by the transport system...then get lost on it - As in any major city, the inhabitants of Berlin rely heavily on public transport to get around. The difference between here and, say, London, is that here, it actually works. At practically any time of morning, noon, or night, there are S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram or bus routes running to practically all destinations withing the inner city borders. Once you've familiarised yourself with the U- and S-Bahn network plan (or beforehand, if you're feeling particuarly daring), you can start to abuse this system by simply hopping on a tube for a while and seeing where you end up. It's a great way not only to discover new parts of of the city, but at the same time to immerse yourself in the lifeblood of Germany's vibrant capital.
   
3. Catch a show - The complex array of threads which make up Berlin's colourful history have resulted in the city being extraordinarily open to a wide variety of cultural entertainment. Since my arrival in August the British Ukelele Orchestra have swept through town, while the now-legendary Blue Man Group have continued their epic run at the BlueMax Theatre. In addition to this, the list of diverse rock groups to play across the city is no less befits a major capital. For those who prefer their shows a little more sophisticated, there's always a good selection of jazz concerts on any given night, and the Berliner Ensemble offers a different Bertolt Brecht play each month, amongst other high-quality pieces.
   
4. Have Sunday brunch - Brunch in Berlin is something of an institution, especially in the suburbs which have boomed since the fall of the wall. Every Sunday (and, in many places, every Saturday too), cafes and bars in Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Prenzlauer Berg open from 11 am to offer their sumptuous buffets to throngs of hungry locals. The best offer an all-you-can-eat buffet encompassing between 20 and 40 breakfast and lunch dishes, including varieties of eggs and omlettes, continental-style rolls with hams and cheese, a selection of salads and pasta dishes and 4 or 5 hot main courses, often including lasagne or some kind of cheese and vegetable bake. Prices range from 5-13 €, and for the more popular restaurants it might be advisable to book, but for what could well be the only meal you'll need to eat all day, it's well worth it.
   
5. Go out drinking - Berlin has a reputation as one of the party capitals of the world, and not without good reason. The healthy backpacker and exchange student population has contributed to a boom in this area as the city has modernised, and the culural diversity offered around the different districts has ensured that there's something to suit everyone's tastes. Electro and techno are the biggest crowd-pullers, with clubs such as Watergate achieving worldwide recognition as pioneers of this scene in the early nineties, though Berlin is also establishing itself as a hotbase for indie and alternative music.Whatever your music of choice, with no restriction on opening hours, the party will always go on all night long, wherever you are.
   
6. Something new - Over the years, Berlin has seen so much that almost nothing seems unusual here any more. Nearly anything you or anyone else can think of exists or can be done in Berlin, and if it doesn't already exist, then it probably won't be long before it does. Since moving here, two of my personal favourite haunts have been the Ludothek just around the corner from my flat (a cafe dedicated to playing board games, with an astonishingly wide selection) and the poetry evenings held by Rakete 2000, a local light-hearted group who intersperse their delightful musings on life with amusing musical interludes. If I'd been told before moving here that I'd be spending my time listening to poetry and playing board games, I'd probably have questioned my decision, but the lifestyle in Berlin embraces and imbues in people the desire for the new to such an extent that I now can't imagine my life without these activities.
7. While away the afternoon in a park - The German capital is blessed with a multitude of parks in which you can pass the time on a summer's afternoon by reading, playing Indiaca, barbequing or simply being. Each of the districts has a park or parks of its own, but the pick of the bunch is always going to be the massive Tiergarten in the middle of the city, which stretches from just past the Brandenburg Gate deep into the suburb of Charlottenburg in the old west. Home to the House for the Cultures of the World and the Reichstag, Tiergarten is a green paradise in which you can escape from the hectic hubbub of city life whilst stil being in the centre of it. And all the trees are exactly the same height, too.
8. Absorb some history - From the modern to the more ancient, history is all around you wheverever you go in Berlin. Not only does the city offer some amazing museums, including the Pergamon, which houses one of the ancient gates of Babylon, but it also bears the scars which tell the tales of some of the most important events of the twentieth century. To live amongst the remnants of the wall, walk streets which still bear the names of some of the most important socialist philosophers and see in day-to-day life the bullet holes from the battle which ended the Second World War is an amazing feeling, and this singular closeness to such incredible events has made Berlin the city it is today.
9. Learn to speak the local dialect - One of the more endearing characteristics of the natives of Berlin is the way they approach their mother tongue. As a northern Englishman often burdened with prejudices based on my own accent, and as a languages graduate, I can't help but be fascinated by Berlinerisch and the way it's often so unintelligible even to other Germans. Also, there's no way of making yourself feel quite as at home in a new place as by blending in with the locals, and in Berlin this is just as much a case of knowing your "Dreiviertel elf" from your "viertel zwölf" as it is of not referring to yourself as a jam doughnut.
   
10. Go to to the market - Berlin's cosmopolitanism is reflected every bit as much in its market culture as in its architecture and restaurants. On various days throughout the week, and even more so at weekends, every little square in every suburb is filled with wooden stalls offering all manner of foodstuffs and clothing. The real fun, however, starts on Sundays, where some of the city's most notable squares become the location for the spectacular flea markets, offering all kinds of trinkets and hidden treasures, as well as modern craftwork and, most importantly, bicycles. And to top it all, the winter season is only ever officially open in Berlin, as across Germany, when the Christmas markets set up and the Glühwein begins to flow.