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Germany : Berlin - August 2008

Country Code: Dial for Germany

As high summer hits Berlin, the city’s creative juices are in full fl ow. Residents used to bitter winters take every opportunity to get outside and enjoy life. And as Nadja Vancauwenberghe reveals, the German capital looks very different in the sunshine

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).

FRIEDRICHSHAIN

Teetering on the edge of complete gentrification, this central Berlin area has perhaps 10 years before its edgy spirit is forced into the peripheral districts. Bars, restaurants and cafés cluster around Warschauer Strasse and Boxhagener Platz, while the clubs are scattered about, often housed in what look like abandoned buildings.

Sleep soundly – Soak up the GDR charm of Ostel, which comes complete with original East German furnishings, colour schemes and portraits of Erich Honecker.

Culture vultures – The longest remaining portion of the Berlin Wall has been converted into The East Side Gallery (Mühlenstrasse). Stretching down to the Spree river, the Wall has now been covered with murals.

Must eat – Nil (52 Grünberger Strasse, tel. ) serves inexpensive and tasty Sudanese fast food, great when you’ve had one kebab too many. Schneeweiss (16 Simplonstrasse, tel. ) does a modern take on traditional German food. It also has an extensive cocktail menu.

Must drink – Fischladen (83 Rigaerstrasse) serves cheap beer and vegan dinners. It’s one of the thriving punk community’s mainstays, so expect to see plenty of tattoos and piercings.

Dance the night away – Next to the Spree, Bar25 (25 Holzmarkstrasse) is City lowdown a breath of fresh air for Berlin’s infamous electro scene, with two dance floors and plenty of green space. Only open in summer, it has a fairly tight door policy, but it’s worth gritting your teeth and being nice to get in.

KREUZBERG

Berlin’s most diverse district, ‘Little Istanbul’ constantly gives birth to new bars, galleries and restaurants. The thickest action is around Kottbusser Tor and on Schlesische Strasse.

Sleep soundly – Once a brick factory, Die Fabrik Hotel is now a polished bolthole, sitting right on one of the liveliest streets in Kreuzberg.

Culture vultures – Although galleries in Berlin open, close and relocate at a dizzying rate, Galerie Zink (27 Schlesische Strasse) is (currently) a good place to start.

Must eat – It can be hard to find a decent Arab imbiss (snack) in Berlin, but Bagdad (2 Schlesische Strasse) is pretty good and open late.

Must drink – Club der Visionäre (1 Am Flutgraben) sits right on the canal and is the perfect location for a refreshing break from all that sightseeing.

Dance the night away – Located just outside Kreuzberg, Arena Club (4 Eichenstrasse) is one of the city’s hottest minimalist electro clubs, and its post-industrialist allure regularly attracts international DJs.

PRENZLAUER BERG

The original East Berlin hipsters have become proud, prudent parents, and they’ve dragged their district along for the ride.

Sleep soundly – Just outside the district’s border, The Circus Hostel is clean and lively, with a good bar and a central location.

Must eat – eat W der Imbiss (85 Kastanienallee, w-derimbiss.de) manages to make good food with healthy and fresh ingredients, while keeping the prices low. Make sure you try one of the incredible naan pizzas.

Must drink – With sofas, candles and a name that roughly translates as ‘living room’, Wohnzimmer (6 Lettestrasse) is a cosy little venue – and a good place to enjoy those first few drinks of the evening.

Dance the night away – Icon (15 Cantianstrasse) hosts regular drum’n’bass nights with British label Ninja Tune, and is one of Prenzlauer Berg’s last respectable clubs.

Shop til you drop – Choose from a huge selection of vintage shades at Lunettes (11 Marienburger Strasse).

Compiled by Nadja Vancauwenberghe