Tag Archives: Whats up in Berlin

Berlin Survival Guide part two – Validate your ticket

Posted on by
2

You see it on your metro ticket, you see it on the screen when you buy it, and occasionally you will see it on the train, but what does it mean?

We trust You

validate your ticket by genista @ flickr.com

flickr.com/photos/genista

Well this may sound strange to some people, it definitely did to me when I first heard it, but Berlin’s metro system is on the HONOR SYSTEM!!! Can you believe it?? Such a populous and modern city such as Berlin cannot possibly have smoothly running public transportation by trusting in its citizens and visitors… Can it? Apparently it can, and does. Here is how it works. Instead of buying your ticket, inserting it in the machine and entering through the gates one at a time, Berlin has a more efficient system. Just buy your ticket, validate it at any of the strategically placed machines and that’s it! No waiting for the guy in front of you to feed his ticket through the slot 12 times because it got too crumpled in his pocket… or huge lines during rush hour, just get on the metro!

Don’t bet against the house

So, why does anyone do it?? Why not just get on the train and not even mess with getting a ticket?? Well, I suppose it’s not 100% honor system. They have a few people whose entire job is going from train to train in normal clothes asking you to show them your ticket, and if you do not have one, or even if you have one and it is not VALIDATED it is a 40 Euro fine… Uh oh, that just became an expensive train ride… So if you are a gambling man, technically you can risk it and not pay. But remember: in the end, the house ALWAYS wins!

See also the Berlin Survival Guide part one – Make money out of empty bottles and part three More Bang for your Buck

Berlin Survival Guide part one – Make money out of empty bottles

Posted on by
Reply

For all of you planing your backpacking trip through Europe on a very small budget, we put together a few tips on how you can save a buck or more. Although Berlin is a quite cheap city you might enjoy a little inside story. So here we go with part one of our “Berlin Survival Guide”.

Bottles = Money

U inn Berlin Hostel Survival Guide PfandgebenIf you have been to Berlin, you have seen them. The people going from trash can to trash can looking for something… But what is it? Surprisingly it is not food, it is much better than food, it is MONEY!! Well, not exactly. They are actually bottles, but here in Berlin bottles = money! One typical beer bottle is 0,08 Euro. This may not sound like much, but you know that six pack of plastic beer bottles you threw away in the park trash can and everyone looked at you like you were insane? That was because you just put 1,50 Euro in the trash. “WHAT?? 1,50?? I thought it was only 0,08 Euro???” Nope, plastic ones are 0,25 Euro “Pfand”. Which is what we call a deposit. So next time you are enjoying your delicious beer in the street (yes it is legal to drink in public in Berlin) don’t forget to collect your PFAND!!!

For those of you who are not so good at math, here is a simple break down for you:

  • 60 plastic bottles = 1 night in a dorm at U Inn Berlin Hostel
  • 188 glass bottles = 1 night in a dorm at U Inn Berlin Hostel
  • 26 plastic bottles = 1 Day Pass for the local transport
  • 8 plastic bottles = 1 Berliner Curry Wurst

Collecting bottles = good Karma

But seriously, in Berlin everybody is collecting bottles. It saves the environment. And saving the environment gives you a good Karma. You like to achieve some extra Karma Points? Checkout Pfandgeben.de if you have some spare bottles you can give them to people in need. Just call a number and your bottles get picked up by someone in a few minutes. Extra Karma Point guaranteed.

Check out part two of our Berlin Survival Guide – Validate your ticket and part three More Bang for your Buck

Hipster Olympics Berlin 2012

Posted on by
Reply

Hipster olympics berlin 2012Hip Hip Hipster!

I don’t know if Berlin is really the Hipster capital everybody claims it to be but since we have the official Hipster Olympics in town it might be so. On Saturday 21.07.2012 at the Postbahnhof in Berlin Friedrichshain Hipsters from all over the world but most likely from Neukölln, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain will meet to find out who is the “Hippest” Hipster in town. Get yourself a Club-Mate or a Bubble Tea and join the (hip) crowd on Saturday at the Postbahnhof next to the East Side Gallery. You still don’t have any clue what this event will be about?

Here are some of the hipster disciplines:

  • Jute bag jumping
  • Club-Mate crate race
  • skinny jeans fighting
  • Apple product – The price is Right
  • Bubble tea dive
  • vinyl marathon

And many more.  Sound fun to you?!!  Go –> www.hipster-olympiade.de

 

Finding Berlin Tours – classic vintage bike tours

Posted on by
Reply

Discover Berlin

Finding Berlin Tours

A great way to discover Berlin is doing it by bike. Everyone can do it! The city is more or less flat. The ‘Finding Berlin‘ tours take you to see the real Berlin and allow you to discover why so many people fall in love with this city and decide to move here. Join Martin the tour guide, who loves his Classic–Vintage bikes, on a tour through Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg.

Getting off the beaten tracks

Berlin is a city with a long history with Museums, Churches and Boulevards, that’s what everybody likes to see! But there is so much more than just the “Brandenburger Tor” or “Unter den Linden”. What’s happening right now on the streets of Berlin is just as important. Berlin sets trends in many ways, music, art and fashion. So why not get off the beaten tracks. Visit art galleries, checkout the newest street-art, hang out at awesome chill out spots, and find the best Turkish food in Berlin. You can choose from different tours and ride some of the most stylish bikes ever!

 Art Avantgarde tour

Are you into art? Do you like to find out what makes Berlin’s art scene so unique? This week they start a new tour called ‘Art Avantgarde tour’. Let them take you on a journey through avant-garde art and enjoy fantastic exhibitions. Get in touch with artists and talk with them about their business and what they think about the Berlin scene. This tour will take place every 2nd Tuesday starting on the 26nd of June.

Finding Berlin Bike Tours

  • Art Avantgarde tour – What’s on in the Berlin Art scene?
  • Every 2nd Tuesday Start 14:00 20€
  • IRONarttour – Street Urban Art culture inside & out of the gallery
  • Saturday Start 14:00 18€
  • Berlin Kiez Life – Berlin’s most inspiring districts far away from the main tourist sites
  • Thursday  Start 11:00 25€
  • Favourite Places – Your Berlin Guide
  • Saturday Start 11:00 20€
  • Little Istanbul – The Turkish Berlin
  • Saturday 13:00 22€
  • Good Morning Saigon – The Vietnamese Berlin
  • Friday 16:00 25€

The ‘Finding Berlin’ Headquarters is based at RAW Temple in Friedrichshian. Just down the stairs next to the famous photo box right on Warschauer Straße. If you would just like to rent a bike you can also do so. Opening hours are 10 am till 7 pm.

Contact:

FindingBerlin-Tours Revaler Str. 99 10245 Berlin
phone +49 176 99 333 913
www.findingberlin-tours.com

Open air cinemas in Berlin Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain

Posted on by
Reply

Open air cinemas in Berlin summer season 2012

Like every summer, the open air cinemas in Berlin invite you to watch big and small movies underneath a starry sky. With the rising temperatures the open air cinemas in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg offer a unique range of movies from independent, to Hollywood blockbuster movies. No matter if you favour the classic black & white or the newest special effects, let the cinema screen take you into another world. From the middle of may till September the Berlin open air cinemas are open for you.

 Freiluftkino Friedrichshain

Located at the Volkspark Friedrichshain, it is the biggest open air cinema in Berlin. A place to watch classic Hollywood movies like “The Artist”, “Drive”, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” as well as the famous Berlin short movie night “Kuirzfilmrolle”.
Season 2012: 16.05 till 16.09
Entry fee 6,50€

www.freiluftkino-berlin.de

Freiluftkino Kreuzberg

This open air cinema is located in Berlin Kreuzberg in a backyard of the art house Bethanien on Mariannenplatz. Kreuzberg is known as the multicultural district of Berlin, same goes for the Kreuzberg open air cinema. Most of the movies are shown in their original version with German subtitles. They will be screening high quality movies like “Charly Chaplin – The great Dictator” or Roman Polanski’s – Carnage”.
Season 2012: 4.05 till 2.09
Entry fee 6,50€

www.freiluftkino-kreuzberg.de

 Freiluftkino Insel Cassiopeia

The open air cinema Insel is located at the Cassiopeia compound right in the centre of Berlin’s district Friedrichshain. Every Monday, Thursday and Sunday they will show movies in their original language with subtitles in German or English. At the opening night they show a movie about Berlin in the 90s “Berlinized Sexy an Eis”. Also, the upcoming program will feature many local movies and independent productions. The Freiluftkino Insel at the Cassiopeia is just a short walk from the hostel. And the bars and clubs in this part of Friedrichshian invite you to enjoy a hot summer night.
Season 2012: 5.05 till …
Entry fee 6,50€

www.freiluftkino-insel.de

Start your new life in Berlin

Posted on by
Reply

Looking for a room in Berlin?

Roughly 3.5 million people currently live in Berlin. Many of them are students who just stay for one or two semester in Berlin. And some just stay for the summer. Since the revolutionary student protests in the 70s it is common to live together in a big shared flats. It is the easiest way to settle down in Berlin and you will find many shared flats (WG) available. Since the wall came down and Berlin has grown up to be a busy metropolis the situation with the rent market has changed and the prices have gone up. Finding a proper room in a WG (German for shared flat) isn’t that easy any more. The location is very important. Among the Berlin Hipsters Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Neukölln are the best districts in Berlin. But finding a room there is a troublesome adventure. Standing in a long line with about 20 other Students can be a normal situation now days. But maybe we can help you. We as Berliners got plenty of experience in finding a WG since we used to live in shared flats for a long time.

 Your room at the In-district

 Which area is the best to live in? This is the first and most important question. In Berlin the answer usually is Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. There you will find a lot of old buildings and old buildings mean large rooms and plenty of space. A must if you’re looking for a shared flat. No one wants to live in the broom closet. Friedrichshain and especially the neighbourhood around Boxhagener Platz is crowded and popular among students. It offers many pubs and cafés and of course the Revaler Straße, also known as “Technostrich” where one club chases the other. This gives you a good diversion from a stressful study. Neukölln has gotten very popular during the last few years but think about the everyday transportation. The FU Berlin is located at Dahlem. For us locals here in Friedrichshain it is in the middle of nowhere. Every day pilgrimage thousands of students to the campus in Dahlem. From Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg area the transportation could easily take you 45 minutes. The HU Berlin and TU Berlin are located straight in the middle of Berlin and are easier to reach. The technology and science headquarters are in Adlershof and it is relatively easy to reach from Friedrichshain using the S Bahn.

 How much is a shared apartment

Find your flat in BerlinThe times when you could get a cheap apartment in Berlin are long gone. But shared apartments in Berlin are still a good option for those making their first steps in the city. Around semester breaks and in the beginning of spring the renting price rises and it gets harder to find a place. There are however companies who make a lot of money with shared apartments with high rents, so when you are in Berlin take your time for your search for suitable apartment.

 Intern ship in Berlin

 It can be really hard to find a room if you are a trainee looking to stay only for few months in Berlin. For those people we got the magic word they need to look for: “Zwischenmiete” (interim tenant). Many locals are leasing their apartments/rooms out for short time period and you will find them online as well.

 Resources

For Berlin and surroundings the websites wg-gesucht.de and wg-welt.de are the most important flat- search websites on the Internet If you are staying for a short period of time look at “Mietwohnzentrale“. Of course we at the U inn Berlin Hostel can help you out ones you are here and give you a hand searching for an apartment or maybe we already know a residential community that is searching for a new member.

 Photos by: Libertinus _timl and offshore @ Flickr

Top 5 – What is the best Fast Food in Berlin

Posted on by
1

Top 5 Fast Food of Berlin

Berlin never stands still. The city has always been in a constant state of change, both on cultural and physical level. The foundation of Berlin is very multicultural with over 160 nationalities in the district Neukölln alone. This shows on the various Fast food menus Berliner diners have to offer. Did you know that the famous Currywurst has already lost the 1st place to the tasty Döner Kebab. Find out what else there is to chew on in our Top 5 fast-food article.

Döner Kebab

Best Doener Kebab in BerlinBerliners love Döner. No matter if it’s the vegetable Döner from “Mustafa” in Kreuzberg or the delicious Pide at the Warschauer bridge im Friedrichshain, they love their Döner. An imbiss named Saray is expeciually beloved amoung the night wolves in Friedrichshain. The place is at the beginning of Revaler Straße, corner of Warschauer strasse, AKA The PartyMile. At 6 in the morning when guests from Cassiopeia, Rosis, M.I.K.Z, RAW and Suicide Circus come out for food, they often find themselves in a long Döner and Sterni queue. You will find Döner Kebab all over Europe but the best Döner is still found in the city that created it, Berlin.

CurrywurstBest Currywurst in Berlin Friedrichshain

If you don´t want vitamin and other (un)necessary nutrition for the body and fat & sugar are your best friends, then the Currywurst is just the thing for you. Here in Berlin it is considered a full meal, not just small snack. The long queues at the famous Currywurst stores at Eberswalderstraße named Konopke and the one in Kreuzberg named Curry 36 gives the impressions that that’s all Berliners ever eat. If you are up for the hottest (chilli) Currywurst in town, make sure you check out a place called Curry 66 in the Grünberger Straße in Friedrichshain a short walk from the U inn Berlin Hostel away. Apparently it scores 7,1 million on the Scoville heat unit scale. (They serve it wearing rubber gloves). If you want to know all about the Currywurst can visit the Berliner Currywurst Museum in Mitte. If that´s not enough and you still want more make sure you check out the website www.basteltuete.de and buy a “Curry-to-go” kit so that you can make your own “Currywurst”at home.

Grilled Chicken

This fast food tradition of a rolling ´n grilling chicken on a spear started in the 60s. Most diners in town offer the grilled chicken, best served with French fries and Mayo. Yet the number one place to eat it at is the Hühnerhaus, located at the entrance of Görlitzer Park in Kreuzberg. To Grap a chicken and head to Görli for a delicious, crispy chicken has become hip and cool. The demand is so great that they opened up a second Hühnerhaus just 50 meters away.

Burger joints

For many years the only burger place that competed against the international burger chains was the Frittersalon in Friedrichshain. Now days there seem to be a burger joint on every corner. And they are getting better and better at grilling them. Görli Burger, Burgeramt, Kreuzburger, Burger-Meister to name a few are all fantastic burger joints. Check out Berlins special Burger with Kraut,Tofu,Tzaziki, Halumi or even Köfte.

Bratwurst

The Bratwurst is the typical fast food the people on the move enjoy. It’s kind of an old fashion but still very popular for the ever busy Berliner. You will find the Grillwalkers at Alexanderplatz and anywhere big crowds gather selling Bratwurst for 1,20€. It’s not the best sausage in Germany, but who can resist having one from a Grillwalker. I know I can´t.

This Ain’t California – a GDR Skateboard documentary

Posted on by
Reply

GDR Skateboard Movie

This Ain’t California – a GDR Skateboard documentaryThis ain’t California is a documentary about the Skateboard scene in East Germany. Yes you hear right. Between all these gray socialism there where some kids who not only build their own skateboards they build there very own freedom. And this idea is not so wrong at all. Just think about the fact that the GDR had some of the biggest urban development projects with a lot of concrete. Perfect conditions for skateboards. The premier of this Movie was at the Berlinale 2012 in Berlin. Just a few days ago. For more information go to www.thisaintcalifornia.de

 

Silvester in Berlin Friedrichshain

Posted on by
Reply

 Silvester in Berlin Friedrichshain

Silvester in Berlin FriedrichshainBald ist es wieder so weit. Alle warten schon wie verrückt auf das Ereignis des Jahres. Touristen Berliner und wir im U inn Berlin Hostel Silvester steht vor der Tür. Ende Dezember wird es wie immer voll in Berlin. Silvester wird gefeiert und das nicht nur auf der großen Silvester Party am Brandenburger Tor. Sondern auch in den vielen Bezirken von Berlin. Wir laden Euch ein zu Silvester in Berlin Friedrichshain. Das im Bezirk Berlin Friedrichshain gerne gefeiert wird ist über die Grenzen Deutschlands bekannt. Ob Berghain, Watergate oder die Ravaler Str. Hier wird das Neue Jahr wohl am extremsten in Berlin gefeiert.

Ubernachten in Berlin

Legendär sind auch die Partys auf der Warschauer Brücke, der Moderson Brücke und der Oberbaumbrücke die Berlin Friedrichshain und Kreuzberg die beiden Trendbezirke verbindet. Wer natürlich lieber unterm Brandenburger Tor feiert mit seinen vielen Bühnen und der Tanzfläche von ca 80.000qm und sich das große Feuerwerk anschauen will erreicht den Alexanderplatz in nur 10 Minuten mit der U-Bahn U5. Wer lieber im Friedrichshain feiert hat nur ein paar Minuten bis zu Simon-Dach Straße oder der Revaler Str. mit ihren vielen Clubs zu laufen. Für ein Angebot zur Übernachtung in Berlin während der Silvester Feierlichkeiten in Berlin schreibt einfach eine Buchungsanfrage an uns.