It’s more than 15 years since the wall came down and
Berlin is still on the up. The German capital blends an intriguing
past with a multi-cultural influence unseen in any other German
city, creating a truly vibrant short-break
destination.
It is unmissable for its restaurants, bars and frenetic cultural
mix: where dirty blues clubs sit next to trendy bars, and flea
markets nudge up alongside designer boutiques. It’s safe,
easy to get around, good value for money and just over an
hour’s flight from London.
Cresta Cities product development manager Ian Lomas said: “The
whole city has come alive since reunification. Customers can enjoy
a cocktail by the river and a performance at the opera one night
and then a meal in a Moroccan restaurant and a live guitar set the
next. It really does have something for everyone.”
Travel Weekly highlights seven reasons to visit the city.
1. On yer bike
Despite an extensive public transport system that’s clean
and feverently punctual, the best way to get around the city is by
bicycle. Racks of gleaming new bikes, complete with lights, maps
and kiddie seats, sit ready and waiting across the city. Clients
can hop on one of these free-of-charge two-wheelers and join the
lines of fresh-faced locals on the wide cycle paths around the
city. Once they’ve reached their destination, they simply
deposit the bike at the nearest rack and continue on their way.
2. Shopping
Whether it be upmarket, designer, offbeat or underground,
Berlin’s designer shops, boutiques, department stores and
flea markets can supply anything from tailor-made suits to GDR
relics.
Fashion is prominent with a new show – B in Berlin
–hoping to attract big-name designers and models to its
catwalks to showcase the German capital as a city for fashion
alongside London, Rome and Paris. Shopaholics should buy a two-day
£10 welcome card for free public transport and head to
Potsdamer Platz for chain stores, Friedrichstrasse for designer
labels and Tiergartenstrasse for Berlin’s best flea
market.
3.Street food
Chinese, Turkish and Greek inhabitants mix with traditional
German stalls to create a street food culture that is second to
none. Turkish kebab houses and Chinese huts supply hot snacks for a
few euros a piece. At weekends, these eateries become places to
meet, greet and start the weekend, with cheap bottled beer washing
down the duck pancakes, falafel rolls and lamb and feta kebabs.
4. Cocktail hour
Orangienstrasse in the former East comes alive at night with a
mish-mash of converted squats selling hard liquor and swanky bars
mixing some of the best Mojito’s this side of Cuba.
Clients should head to the converted railway arches of
Hackescher Markt for well-designed bars selling draught beer and
international snacks to young, semi-affluent guests.
5. All that jazz
Encompassing everything from pub jams to international
festivals, Berlin’s jazz scene is beginning to get the
attention it deserves. With 30 venues, international acts play
anything from traditional to modern… and everything in between.
Admission varies from free to around £10 depending on the
venue. B-Flat in Rosenthaler Strasse is particularly good value and
once welcomed Herbie Hancock to its stage.
JazzFest Berlin takes place on November 3-6, see
berlin-tourist-information.de for details.
6. Brunch
Sunday brunch is as much of an institution in Berlin as roast
dinner in England.
Starting at 10am and continuing into the early afternoon,
Berliners use this time to relax, unwind, nurse their hangovers and
meet friends and family.
Restaurants generally offer a set-price buffet, and diners can
choose whether to simply fill up or take several hours to graze
through cheeses, hams, breads, eggs, fruits and cereals.
Clients should walk the length of Kollwitz Strasse to find their
favourite and never pay more than £8 including a large latte
or a glass of champagne.
7. Art
Art buffs will find it hard to fault Berlin as a place to
appreciate contemporary, alternative or ‘degenerate’
art. Housed in a bank, the Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin bears no
resemblance to its New York counterpart but there are plenty of
other galleries in the city to keep guests happy.
A £8 three-day museum pass will give reduced entrance to
over 50 museums and modern art collections.
Tacheles in the east has offered the top two floors of its
eight-story converted warehouse up to art with exhibitions of the
artists at work, galleries and places to buy, as well as a quirky
outdoor sculpture park.
