Germany might be known for a lot of things but certainly not for its stand-up comedy. In this regard Moritz Neumeier is a refreshing and vitalising change. He’s smart, he’s witty, he’s politically relevant, simply, comedy at its finest. Check out his show Moritz Neumeier: Hurra. at Mehringhof-Theater on Tuesday (Wednesday and Thursday as well) at 8:00 pm. It’s worth it!
This show is in German and you’ll get tickets for 10-17 € at the door.
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?
Here we go! It´s time again for the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, one of the most attractive and funny events in our wonderful city!
Like every year, this week end thousands of people will join in Kreuzberg to breathe the spirit of different cultures, listen to the variety of music and admiring all the costumes and music trucks at the street parade that takes part sunday 25th of May.
The Carnival takes place from friday 22nd to monday 25th around Blücherplatz (U1 and U6 stop “Hallesches Tor”) with over 100 bands and DJ´s performing all kind of imaginable music and over 200 street performers out of the stages!!
Now to the highlight: The Parade on Sunday 24th
It begins at Hermannplatz (U7-U8 stop) at 12.30 pm and goes all along Hasenheide, Gneisenaustraße, Yorckstraße
End: ca. 9 pm, Yorckstraße/Möckernstraße
For more infos –> http://www.karneval-berlin.de/en/english.175.html
Have fun and see you there!
Your U Inn Berlin Hostel Team
You planning to visit Berlin now or in the coming weeks? Surely you will visit the main touristic spots, like Brandenburg Gate, Fernsehturm, Eastside Galaery and so on. But Berliners like to chill out after a full day at the riverside, or in nice open air location with cold beer and good music. Here are some of the best places you shouldn’t miss.
Bearchbars, Cafes or Sitting Outside:
Klunkerkranich
At the parking level of the shopping mall Neukölln Arcaden you can find not only a chill-out-café-bar called Klunkerkranich but also one of the best views over Berlin. You should definitely go there in case you are – by chance – one of these people in Berlin that are NOT blessed with their own gigantic roof terrace. You are not alone if you are one of them. Not alone at all.
The Prinzessinnengarten is a mobile garden next Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg. In the shade of the trees you can have a relaxing beer, or try a snack of the homemade organic food.
Club der Visionäre aka CdV is a bar swimming on the water of a sidearm of the river together with the bar Freischwimmer it’s the favourite place for people from Kreuzberg and Friedrichhain to chill out on a long long Sunday afternoon. At the CdV there are always really good Dj’s playing. There are no big gigs, it’s more like they go and play in their own living room. So often you get the chance to meet some high ranking Djs.
Yaam is one of the oldest Beach Bars in Berlin. It’s like a little island of Jamaica right in the middle of Berlin. Here you always find a little peaceful beach and chilled reggae music. At night they do some good parties too. Right now the Yaam is under threat because of a luxury condo they want to build on this location. That’s why a move is already scheduled for 2013. The new location will be the area of the former Maria/Magdalena/Josef Club and Schilling Bridge.
The Badeschiff is a very unique place. Since the river Spree isn’t particularly made for swimming. They transformed to old ships into a swimming pool on the river. Pretty awesome right?! A lot of people hanging out at the Badeschiff the whole day. Swimming, chilling, sun bathing and later on dancing since they also do a lot of open air parties in the summer months.
Lichtpark is one of the newer Open Air Party locations. For the weekend they provide for a small entry fee nice electronic music and a chilled location on the river. This place is often crowded by people who either just come or go to Kater Blau Club or did not get in for the Sunday after hour party but still want to make party.
You’ve probably been to open-air festivals at ://about blank or Sisyphos already. But it does not always have to be all electronic beats for crazy dance moves. At Monbijoutheater for example, you can learn to dance mambo, tango or swing. Feels like Dirty Dancing!
During the summer the bridge and its grassy shores are alive with droves of Berliners, relaxing and chilling with some cheap späti beers. All whilst taking in the vibes from the buskers, acoustic groups, And any other manner of movers and shakers that swings by. Free entertainment at its best! Setting the groove all the way into the night.
We also recommend the big and green parks in Berlin like:
Preußenpark
Tempelhofer Feld
Insel der Jugend Treptower Park
Volkspark Friedrichshain
Images © Sabine Alex
…a bed in our hostel is a good alternative after a busy house hunting to relax and to get insider tips from our hostel team about available rooms and the most amazing parts of the city. Compared with the room rents in Berlin depending on bed category to book a bed at our hostel is often cheaper or equal. Our door is open to all home seekers. We want to make your start in Berlin as pleasant as possible.
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.
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.
The 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.
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.
For Berlin and surroundings the websites wg-gesucht.de, wg-welt.de, www.studenten-wg.de and also www.kleinanzeigen.ebay.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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
This summer will be an amazing summer. London hosting the Olympic Games and Poland and Ukraine host our so much loved Euro 2012 Football Cup. Poland is not far away from Berlin, if you get one of the rare tickets you will probably have a time of your life. For the rest of us what is left is to watch the Europe Cup 2012 in one of its many public viewing locations in Berlin. And Berlin proved during World Cup 2010 which taken place in South Africa that we don’t need a World Cup in our own country to have a great party. Hundreds of thousand of football fans have joined the big public viewing events in Berlin. Again this year you got the chance to watch your favourite sport together with your friends here in Berlin next to the hostel in Friedrichshain.
“11 Freunde” is the German Football-Fanzine. Together with the German Football Association DFB and some more or less important cultural and political organizations the “11 Freunde” gathering at the “Alter Postbahnhof” next to the Ostbahnhof and the East-Side-Gallery. Postbahnhof is a huge compound with indoor and outdoor areas. All games will be shown there. Before and after the matches you get a Polish/Ukraine cultural overdose. Bands, artist and football talks, everything a real football fan likes.
Adress: Straße der Pariser Kommune 2-4, Berlin
Entry: Free
The Rosi’s Club is a typical Friedrichshain Club. It is located on Revaler Strasse, right at the heart of Berlin’s night-life district. All matches of the Europe Cup 2012 will be shown on 2 big screens in the garden of the Rosi’s Club. To make sure you will get a seat in the first row you should go to the Rosi’s 1-2 hours before kick-off.
Address: Revaler Str. 24
Entry: Free
Yaam Reggae Bar is right next to the famous East-Side-Gallery and it invites you to join them at their beach for the Europe Cup 2012 Public viewing. They offer; Big screen, relaxed music, cold beer and a wonderful view on the river spree. That’s what you get at Yaam. Thanks to its location on one of Berlin’s tourist hot spots, the East-Side-Gallery, the crowd will be a very international mix.
Adres: Stralauer Platz 35
Entry: Free (own drinks not allowed)
The Lido Club together with a local radio station STAR FM and the well known social network service YELP announcing the “Lido EM2012-Hauptquartier” in Berlin Kreuzberg. Last year they already hosted the public viewing for the “11Freundinnin” on the Woman’s World Cup 2011. This year they go totally nuts. 1 big screen inside and many smaller screens in their beer garden will give you a perfect public viewing experience.
Address: Cucrystr 7
Entry: Free
Simon-Dach-Str. is Berlins most famous Bar/Night-life Street. And you can bet on it that all bars and restaurants on this street will held their very own public viewing event. For 4 weeks this street will become one of Berlin’s most popular public viewing arenas. If you don’t like to go to one of the above listed public viewing spots in Berlin or you are always too late to get a seat in the first row, Simon-Dach-Str will be your best chance to view the matches with your friends.
Simon-Dach-Str. Friedrichshian
Entry: 1 Beer or the cheapest meal on the menu
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.
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€
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€
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€
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.
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.
The 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.
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.
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