Eisenhüttenstadt: the flagship socialist city
Welcome to the largest monument in Germany – a sleepy city steeped in history. Founded in 1950, Eisenhüttenstadt is technically the newest city in Germany. It was known as Stalinstadt between 1953 and 1960, and was built to be a shining example of the socialist doctrine. Although the city resembled many of its Baroque predecessors, […]
Street Food Thursdays
Street Food Thursdays Dumplings and Killer Kellerbier Foodie Berliners like to spend their Thursdays crammed into a nineteenth century iron-framed market hall known as Markethalle Neun. Tibetan momos or Taiwanese jiaozi here, Polish pierogi or Swabian Maultaschen there — at Street Food Thursday you don’t have to discriminate, those doughy delights are all homemade no […]
Holocaust Memorial
The Holocaust Memorial Concrete Remembrance From far away the array of concrete rectangular blocks might seem almost unremarkable. But step just a few metres into the grid and the weight of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe begins to sink in, quite literally. In the capital of Nazi Germany, the specter of the […]
R.A.W Flea Market
R.A.W Flea Market Where Berlin’s underground speaks — in fashionable fabric, street food, and spray paint. Berlin is famous for its flea markets. Spread across a sprawling, vibrant, gritty cultural complex in an abandoned former railway, Friedrichshain’s RAW (pronounced by locals “R-A-Vay”) comes alive on Sundays. As you venture in, you’ll find dozens of stalls […]
Otto Weidt Museum
Otto Weidt Museum Don’t overlook this blindspot! Haus Schwarzenberg in Berlin’s Mitte is known for its raw charm — the typical Mitte höffe, impressive street art walls with art from all across the world, the old-school Café Cinema, and the Anne Frank Centrum. But the courtyard also shelters a memorial museum well worth the visit for […]
Sofi
Sofi Bakery No Loafing Around.. Are you a bread junkie? The kind who measures happiness in the flavour and texture of sourdough, and who believes baking should be made compulsory in state schools? Then you owe yourself a trip to SOFI. This rustic bakery is difficult to find at first — it’s tucked away in […]
Der Görli bleibt auf!
A plan to fence off Kreuzberg’s beloved Görlitzer Park has sparked fierce debate. The issue? Drug dealing. Berlin’s conservative mayor Kai Wegner wants to close the park after dark to curb the trade, but locals see it as an assault on their neighbourhood’s spirit, and the start of the gentrification they’ve always resisted. Görlitzer Park […]
Film and cinema Berlin
Cafe Cinema Back in the 20s, Berlin had quite the reputation in the film industry. Home to groundbreaking productions like Metropolis and stars along the likes of Marlene Dietrich, it was regarded as the European film capital. The city attracted prominent film-makers from around the continent. Even Alfred Hitchcock had his start there! Berlin’s former […]
Esther Ramos Owner of Canela a Spanish Hand fan shop
When 20-year-old Esther first landed in Germany, little did she know that some 20 years later she’d become the ultimate ambassador for authentic Spanish artisanal hand fans – showing Berliners the great beauty and practicality of this century-old accessory. ‘Hand fans are like handbags or shoes. There are many different forms, sizes, designs, and […]
Teufelsberg – Berlin’s abandoned spy station
I get off the S-Bahn at Heerstraße, walk past an Imbiss stand sleeping in snow, and tread onwards down a long, tree lined street. The day is misty and cold, the air heavy with snow, and the road curls away into fog without much clarity as to its destination. It’s a scene fitting for today’s […]
Helmut Newton Foundation
The Helmut Newton Foundation / Museum für Fotografie displayed the work of Alice Springs, (the name under which June Newton photographs), from the 3rd June until 19th November 2023. Over 200 photographs were displayed in the museum to celebrate what would have been Springs’ 100th birthday. The Museum holds free admission for those aged up […]