Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Berlin

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Germany : Berlin - November 2007

Country Code: Dial for Germany

As the days get colder, Berlin’s famous cultural scene and nightlife heat up. Every district of this vast city is like a town unto itself, with unique shops, bars and restaurants wherever you go. René Blixer sheds some light on Berlin’s neighbourhoods

Getting around

Tempelhof Airport is located in the southcentral borough of Tempelhof- Schöneberg.

Train: The airport is connected to the city centre by U-Bahn line 6, which can be picked up from Platz der Luftbrücke station. The journey takes 10 to 15 minutes and tickets cost €2,10.
Taxi: The trip into the city centre takes around 15 minutes and costs about €12.
Tourist information: There are offices at the Brandenburg Gate and the main railway station (0025, visitberlin.de).

Mitte

The city’s historic centre has it all: luxury hotels, underground clubs, posh restaurants and snack bars. It also has the highest density of museums, galleries and nightspots in the city.

Sleep soundly – The stylish apartment suites at Miniloftmitte (5 Hessische Straße, tel. , miniloft.com, from €140) are a few blocks from the buzzing areas of Mitte.

Culture vultures – C/O Berlin in the Postfuhramt (corner Oranienburger Straße, Tucholskystraße) hosts cutting-edge exhibitions by leading local and international photographers. The MartinGropius-Bau (7 Niederkirchnerstraße) is currently showing an exhibition on the origins of the Silk Road, as well as a retrospective of early 19th-century French photographer Eugène Atget.

Must eat – For delicious Japanese soups and light meals, head to Susuru (17 Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße, tel. )

Must drink – Kim (10 Brunnenstraße) is a perfect example of the sort of arty, makeshift bars that abounded in Mitte in the 90s.

Dance the night away – Bang Bang Club (10 Neue Promenade) hosts live indie bands and DJs from Wednesday to Saturday. The glamourous Cookies Club (158 Friedrichstraße) reopened its doors last winter and is now open Tuesdays and Thursdays. Expect a young, dressed-up crowd and lots of house and electro.

Shop til you drop – The once drab Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße is dotted with boutiques. Blush (22) sells beautiful lingerie, Immaculate Heart (28) does vintage clothing and Redspective (18) has streetwear by Russian artists.

Mauerpark

The neighbourhoods around Prenzlauer Berg’s Mauerpark are full of life.

Sleep soundly – Schall und Rauch (23 Gleimstraße, tel. , schallund-rauch.de, rooms from €45) is a friendly hotel on a busy street packed with restaurants and bars.

Culture vultures – Smothered with graffiti, the remains of the Berlin Wall are a cultural attraction, as are the musicians, jugglers and drummers who gather here.

Must eat – Wolf down Berlin’s best burgers at The Bird (5 Am Falkplatz, tel. ).

Must drink – Nemo (46 Oderberger Straße), is a delightfully down-to-earth boozer, complete with table football.

Bergmannstraße

The Bergmannstraße area in Kreuzberg caters to the ageing hipster crowd with cafés, bars and restaurants.

Must eat – The cosy Austria (30 Bergmannstraße, tel. ) serves the eponymous country’s classic cuisine

Must drink – Zyankali Bar (64 Großbeerenstraße) is decorated with coffins, skeletons and East German stuff.

Dance the night away – SchwuZ (61 Mehringdamm) is Berlin’s oldest gay club and throws unforgettable parties.

Shop til you drop – Love liquorice? Kadó (75 Graefestraße) sells hundreds of varieties from all over the world.

Schöneberg

This vibrant district is one of the city’s most diverse areas – the heart of Berlin’s gay community and famous for its good grub and lively nightlife.

Sleep soundly – The holiday apartments at My Style Stay (12 Motzstraße, tel. , mystylestay.de, rooms from €75) offer affordable accommodation.

Must eat – Some of the finest Italian ice-cream in Berlin can be found at Freddo Dolce (6 Maaßenstraße, tel. ).

Must drink – Ring the bell to be let in to the sleek Green Door (50 Winterfeldtstraße), home to some of the city’s best cocktails.

Dance the night away – Four-floor Havanna (30 Hauptstraße) has become Berlin’s hottest club. If you love salsa, it’s a must.

Shop til you drop – Vendors at the Nollendorfplatz Saturday Market (Winterfeldplatz) sell everything from gourmet food to cosmetics and handicrafts.

Compiled by René Blixer