This weekend from the 29th of June to the 1st of July the Bergmannstrassenfest is on again. 50 bands will play on four different stages in one of Berlin’s most beautiful streets, the Bergmannstraße in Kreuzberg. Entry is free, so come on over and check it out.
If you’ve never been to the Karneval der Kulturen in Berlin you have missed on one of the best representations of the essence of Berlin culture.
Once a year for a whole weekend all Berlin comes together to celebrate its colourful and unique, multi-cultural, vividly beating soul with a big street festival that spreads from Hermannplatz in Neukölln all the way to Möckernbrücke.
Karneval der Kulturen is an invitation to everyone to experience the cultural, gastronomical and musical variety of the city. It’s easy to spend the whole weekend strolling from stall to stall, watching bands play in the streets or to take in the whirlwind that is the parade on Sunday.
A must see!
The Musikexpress, Germany’s influential and longest running music magazines, celebrates its 750th issue and you are all invited. There will be beer, pizza and two straight hours of amazing tunes. It’s the best way to start the evening after a day’s work.
So come on over to The Venue Berlin, Mehringdamm 33, on Thursday, May 17th, at 6:30 pm for the After Work Session curated by Musikexpress.
Around the celebrations for the 1st of May there’ll be a Free Open Air at the Bolzplatz in Falkensteinstraße in Kreuzberg. Come and listen to Techno & House, dance, have fun and support the local Cafés and Spätis. Entrance is free and everybody is welcome. Just take care of your trash, avoid bringing glass bottles and pets and be friendly and respectful with the people around you.
The 1st of May is International Workers Day and in Berlin it’s celebrated with the Myfest 2018 in Kreuzberg. It’s a tradition. It’s a festival. It’s a great vibe. It’s as Berlin as it can get. Don’t miss out on this.
No entry! Just don’t be an asshole.
Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready for a cool jam at one of the coolest clubs of Berlin: Saint George Friday & TINY Family Jam. Some of Berlin’s finest Rap, RnB, Boogie & Funk DJ’s will spin the desks, while the original cloud/inst rapper ANTWON will open the night. AND there’ll be free Pizza by Tiny’s Pizza. If that doesn’t sound like a cool night, what does?
Friedrichshain counts as Berlins hotspot for going out. Its packed with Cafés, galleries, clubs and bars. In the day time the students lay lazily in the sun and when dark comes they go raving. Every night Simon-Dach-Straße becomes the main attraction with thousands of visitors. Come here for a Currywurst at Curry66, Sundanese style Falafel, Indian food, Pakistani food, Vietnamese food or a Döner Kebab at the Warschauer Brücke. There is something for everyone.
Around the Boxhagener Platz and its side-streets are plenty of small stores. Berlin Designer shops are all over the place, yet some are hard to find. Some are hidden in backyards and out of view, but its well worth the search and if you ever find Big Brobot Prachtmädchen or Superschlüpfer you are in for a treat.
Ever since in the 90s Friedrichshain has been a home of the alternative scene and revolutionists. This is still the case here what with the squatted houses, self governing communities, colourful painted houses, loud music, graffiti and lots and lots of empty beer bottles. This belongs just as much to Berlin as the Museum-Island and Potsdamer Platz glasshouse.
Berlin has a long history of beer culture. Around 1900 you found huge brewery’s in nearly every district of Berlin. Now days you still find these huge Industrial relics mostly used for cultural purpose like the “Kulturbrauerei” in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg. In times of globalisation the important brewery’s combine into one big company, brewing several brands under one Name. But since a few years many microbreweries flourish in the districts Friedrichshian, Kreuzberg and Mitte. If you come to Berlin and are on the look-out for a very special taste try out some of their creations.
Maibock, Märzen, Mondscheinbier, Schwarzbier, Bernstein, Brown Ale, Rotbier, Weizen or Schoppe Hell are just some of the names you should look out for. We put together a list of our favourite Microbrewery’s in Berlin Friedrichshain not far from the U inn Berlin Hostel and of course also from some other districts.
Saturated in the northern part of Friedrichshain the Schalander successfully established quality fresh brewed beer in this area of Berlin where it was more common to just get you a cheap “Sterni” from the Späti. With “Helles” Pils “Dunkles” and “Weizen” they have 3 permanent beers fresh from tab plus seasonal beers. For the month May it will be a “MaiBock” a real speciality. The food they serve is called “Gut Bürgerlich” which is basically good German food. The menu is changing every week with seasonal speciality.
www.schalander-berlin.de
Schalander Hausbrauerei
Bänschstr. 91
Welcome to Berlin Friedrichshain. Not shiny, not blinky but we really know beer J Hops & Barley is a small local brewery right at the busy night-life area of Berlin. People come here of beer and of course for football. The variety of beer goes from typical Friedrichshainer Dunkel or Hell Pils to English Cider or Brown Ale. Bread made out of “Treber” a side product of the brewing process is served if you are hungry.
www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de
Wühlischstraße 22-23
10245 Berlin
At the Bier Kombinat Kreuzberg you get served a great variety of fresh brewed beer by Schoppebräu a local Microbrewery. They Serve Schoppe Hell or Dunkel but also a Weizen witch tastes a little bit like banana with a slice of pickled gherkins. Definitely off the mainstream taste.
www.bier-kombinat.de
Manteuffelstraße 53
10999 Berlin
The Marcus Bräu is a little hideout in Berlin Mitte. This district is usually more main stream and little Bars must close and make space for new big commercial places. But the Marcus Bräu has held its place for a long time now. And their recipe is simple.. Just a little Tank for their delicious beer and a typical down to earth menu in-case you are hungry. Simplicity at its best. And because of that fact it’s worth to visit this place if you around Alexanderplatz. Their Speciality is a huge Roasted Pork knuckle with a half litre of Helles or Dunkles Beer.
www.brau-dein-bier.de
Münzstraße 1-3
10178 Berlin
The Brauhaus Lemke on Hackischer Markt is like the Mercedes of the microbrewery. It’s not really small. They have a beer garden for the summer month. The interior is rustic and the beer.. Woohooo! 4-Kinds of fresh brewed beer on tab. You can sit next the huge tanks. And there is always a smell of fresh beer around. Beside many Seasonal beers you get the so typical for Berlin Helles and Dunkles Pils plus a Weizen. The menu is outstanding. Good German kitchen which even for this part of Berlin has very reasonable prices. Check out their “Kasespetzle” one of my favourites.
www.brauhaus-lemke.com
Dircksenstr. S-BahnBogen 143
10178 Berlin
Green is in again, so why not on the plate too? It shouldn’t be just a matter of the environment, but also good for us and above all our friends the animals. Berlin offers a great selection for vegetarians and vegans to go crazy with. Now Friedrichhain’s first vegan supermarket opens their doors on the 30th of March 2013 at Warschauer Strasse 33. www.veganz.de
And here are more vegan/vegetarian places in Friedrichshain worth a visit:
• Yoyo Foodworld 27 Gärtnerstr. (Burger, Pizza, Salads and Co.)
• Vöner 56 Boxhagener Str. (Vegan Döner)
• Ohlálá Tartes Shop 18 Mainzer Str. (French Vegan Food)
• Bistro Bardot 83 Boxhagener Str. (100% Organ Vegan/Vegetarian Dishes)
• Hot Dog Soup 67 Grünberger Str. (vegetarian/vegan Soups and -Hot Dogs)
• Emma Pea Vegetarian Food & Bar 99 Revaler Str. (Soups, different Meals every day, Wraps, Tapas, Cakes – Vegetarian/Vegan-)
• Eisdiele Caramello/Organic Delicious 31 WühlischStr. (vegan/non-vegan organic Icecream)
• Eisbärliner 11 GärtnerStr. (tasty homemade vegan Soy- and Fruit-ice cream, bursting with fruit)
Source: http://www.berlin-vegan.de/berlin/restaurantkritiken/
For everyone who would like to find out more about Veganism http://www.berlin-vegan.de. You’ll find information about everything from `Vegan Taster Weeks´, renting vegan/vegetarian WG’s/Rooms to TIPS for being vegan and pregnant.
U inn says it’s worth having a look at !
STAY HEALTHY !!!!
*Vegetarian – don’t eat meat, mostly no fish as well
*Vegans – don’t eat any products from animals (NO milk, meat, fish, honey, …)
The age old question: “Do you get what you pay for?” In most cases yes, but that is not to say you cannot find quality for a good price! Supermarkets in Berlin, or Germany in general, are tricky because there is no rule where “this one” is the cheapest or “that one” is more quality because it depends on what you are looking for.
For example you can get the essentials like pasta and rice for less than a Euro, including milk and bread which are pretty much the same price across the board even if you prefer to go the bio/ vegan/ hipster route ;). However, vegetables, meats and fruits it gets a bit more complicated. In general, Lidl and Netto tie for the cheapest in this department but it does vary from week to week and what is on sale. Kaiser’s is generally a bit more expensive, but the quality is also quite a bit better. Berlin overall is quite famous for its incredibly cheap food prices so if you are on a budget it is quite easy to still eat well. So in short, Lidl and Netto are going to be the best bet for your fruit and veggie supply if the Flohmarkt/ Flea-market, Farmers-market or the Turkish Market in Kreuzberg are not available. If you are whipping up a simple pasta dish, any will suffice, and if you are more quality conscience then mosey on over to the nearest Kaiser’s (some are even open 24/6) or check out one of many Turkish Markets in our neighbourhood .
Additionally if any of you heavy beer drinkers out there wonder why there are so many people asking for your empty beer bottles you might find this Blog post about collecting bottles interesting. Did you know?! All Supermarkets accepting empty bottles as payment Woohoo!!
Also read our first and second part of the Berlin Survival Guide.