I love to go to the same city several times. Why? Because at the second time I start enjoying the trip more, feeling the vibes of the city, doing things because I want to do them, not because it is a must-see. Also, I love just to stroll through the streets without any specific goal. Because this is the way how you really get to know the city and the people and the atmosphere. And that is how you discover cool, hidden places which you would have never found with a strict, well-organized sightseeing plan. Like during my last relaxed weekend in Berlin, I found a little cute Danish Christmas market with danish wine and cookies just by strolling around without specific aim.
How does a relaxed weekend in Berlin look like?
Today I’d like to show you some unusual sights, hidden places and cool breakfast places, lunch or a drink which real Berliners recommended to me. Also, I’ll take you to an alternative historical sight apart from Checkpoint Charlie or the remainings of the wall. It is full of history, exciting and freaky at the same time. But let’s start the day with a good breakfast:
Markthalle Neun – the little, charming market for breakfast, brunch, lunch or linner, or just for a snack in between
First of all, I’d like to show you a small market hall in the trendy neighbourhood Kreuzberg. „Markthalle Neun“ is an old market hall with little stands of regional products like bio fruits and juices, meat from happy cows, cheese from „old milk“ as the owners promise with a twinkle in its eye. But besides many local offers, you’ll find international food like Spanish tapas at la Cazuela or KAME, a Japanese bakery. A secret breakfast tip is a stand in the left back of the hall with the simple name „Café“ and „Kantine“. With only a few dishes on the menu which vary from day to day, everybody will be happy and satisfied.
Try the Saturday brunch there and don’t miss to try „huevos rancheros“, a tortilla stuffed with egg, salad, guacamole, salsa and coriander. Some fancy drinks like fresh ginger lemon tea or Asian jasmine green tea round your brunch. What I also like in this market hall is that there was no hustle bustle at all as you would expect on a Saturday morning in a market. It was more like a relaxed place, where people like to hang out, stroll through and have a chat with the happy bee-keeper of the honey stand. Every Thursday there is a street food market and for more theme markets, like for Christmas. Definitely plan to come here, even if it is just for a homemade ginger apple iced tea.
How to get there:
Subway U1 to Görlitzer Bahnhof or Bus M29 to Görlitzer Bahnhof
Address: Eisenbahnstraße 42-43, 10997 Berlin
Suicide Sue – my breakfast heaven
My favourite breakfast and brunch place in Berlin. It is located on a little side street of Danziger Street and offers all which I expect from a good brunch place. I love the interior, natural material, used wood combined with white furniture, and a mix of old sofas, different chairs and cosy benches in a quite small room create a warm, familiar and cosy atmosphere. But no brunch place is good without good brunch. Here it feels as if the owners asked me what my favourite foods for breakfast are. From fresh homemade (ice) teas, like ginger lemongrass, to pancakes with fruit in different styles, and the classic German „Stulle“, which is homemade bread with different salty and veggie spreads. My favourite: Stulle Dr.Green, avocado-chillier-spread with tomato and sprouts and afterwards: pancake with cinnamon and sugar. The staff is friendly, open-minded and quick. The owners also provide magazines and few books in case you want to spend a rainy afternoon there – perfect for a relaxed weekend in Berlin.
How to get there:
Tram M10 to Husemannstr or Subway U2 to Eberswalder Straße
Address: Dunckerstraße 2, 10437 Berlin
Tajikistanian tee house – a cozy, hidden place to sip tea
What should not miss at a relaxed weekend in Berlin is tea. This hidden tea house has its routes in Tajikistan, a landlocked country in Central Asia. The majority of the inhabitants traditionally live as nomads and follow an Islamic culture. Tee houses in Tajikistan are places to meet up, communicate, discuss and sip a tea and smoke shisha. This tea house in Berlin offers a variety of different traditional teas and reflects the Asian tea culture. Guests traditionally take their shoes off when entering the room and sit on cosy pillows on the floor – a must-go place for tea-lovers!
How to get there:
Tram M5 to Hohenschönhausen or Metro S2 to Oranienburger Straße or Subway U6 to Oranienburger Tor
Address: Oranienburger Str. 27, 10117 Berlin, entrance in the backyard
Grosz – little Paris in the middle of Berlin.
This beautiful coffee house and restaurant which makes you feel like in Paris. Even if you don’t like coffee, it is worth to go there for the delicious homemade cakes and the impressing interiors. High ceilings, stucco on the ceiling, beautiful chandeliers, dark wooden furniture and the waitresses with short little skirts will make you feel like in an upper-class café in Montmartre. Gozs is located in the Kurfürstendamm and is the perfect rest in between a cold, rainy shopping day to heat up, relax your legs and collect new energy for more shopping.
How to get there:
Metro S5 to Savignyplatz or Bus 109 to Bleibtreustraße
Devil’s mountain
Devil’s hill, as it is called today, is a former US listening station on the top of a hill in the north of Berlin. The hill is man-made, created out of debris from Berlin within 20 years after the second world war and is approximately 80 meters above the surrounding plateau. During the Cold War, the US army established a listening station on top of the hill in order to observe the airspace of Berlin. The huge building was established with 5 domes of antenna, which form the characteristic look of today’s remainings. It is also rumoured that the NSA established on the hill during the ECHELON intelligence gathering network. Nowadays the hill is used by mountain bikers, longboarders or runners to practice their sports. In the beginning of the 2000s there were many rumours that the government wants to take over the hill and build hotels there or naturalize the whole area, however, nothing happened and the ruins are still open for visitors. For a small entrance fee, you can visit the former listening station and the area around, climb up on the highest point of the main building where you’ll have an amazing view on Berlin. In addition, there is some kind of street art gallery on the second and third floor of the building. In 2016 when I was there, some artists and freethinkers established there to live. Be aware that this establishment is not maintained to any safety standards, also there is a lot of debris and broken glass all over the area.
How to get there:
Metro to Heerstraße
Address: Teufelsseechaussee 10, 14193 Berlin
Hummus & friends – must go place for friends of chickpeas
The slogan „Make hummus, not walls“ got a third dimension in the days since Donald Trump became president. Anyways I don’t want to get political now. This pretty restaurant offers different variations of Hummus which is served with Pita bread as well as more vegan and Kosha food. Go and try to take over the beautiful sofas on the upper floor of the restaurant which are perfectly suitable for a relaxed weekend in Berlin.
How to get there:
Tram M5 to Hohenschönhausen or Metro S2 to Oranienburger Straße or Subway U6 to Oranienburger Tor
Address: Oranienburger Str. 27, 10117 Berlin
Buck & Breck – the hidden bar where you have to ring the bell to enter
If you don’t know the exact address of this bar, you’ll never find it. Because the only indication in the street is the little sign of the bell which says „bar“. A friend recommended it and when I read the quote under the bell, I already liked this place before even entering. It is a very very small bar and literally exists on one counter with chairs around. If you are travelling solo or you want to get in touch with other people it is a good spot to be, make friends and have a fun evening. I’m not going to show you how it looks inside, to there and find it out!
How to get there:
Tram M8 to Ahrensfeld/Stadtgrenze or Subway U8 to Rosenthaler Platz
Address: Brunnenstraße 177, 10119 Berlin
Zalando Outlet – for shoe lovers!
For non-europeans: Zalando is one of the biggest German online shops for shoes and fashion with online stores all over Europe. In Berlin Kreuzberg, the company established an outlet store. If you are lucky you’ll find super cheap offers for men and women. Don’t expect too much though, the store is of medium size.
How to get there:
Bus 265 or Bus 140 to Manteuffelstr./Köpenicker Str.
Address: Köpenicker Str. 20, 10997 Berlin
Ahmadiyya Mosque – the Taj Mahal of Berlin
Do you know that feeling when temples in Southeast Asia start looking all the same? The last few times when I was in my beloved Southeast Asia I skipped temples completely because at one point non is special any more and they start looking all the same – except maybe the white temple in Chiang Rai. Anyways, the same phenomenon occurs in Germany when it comes to Christian churches, especially when you come from the south like I do. That’s why I want to recommend this beautiful mosque Ahmadiyya in Berlin Wilmersdorf which reminds a bit of its big sister in India – nobody can deny that.
Unfortunately, you can’t go inside but it is definitely worth to pass by if you are in this area.
How to get there:
Subway U7 to Fehrbelliiner Platz or Metro S42 to Hohenzollerndamm or Bus 101 to Fehrbelliner Platz
Berlin’s streets & street art – keep your eyes open when strolling through the streets
Discover Berlin’s street art
Strolling through the city is definetly one of my favorite activities when spending a relaxed weekend in Berlin. Sometimes I hate Berlin because it is dirty, many weirdos live there and it is full of ugly graffitis and dark corners. But at the same time I love Berlin because it is alternative, freethinker and artists live there and it is full of beautiful graffitis and hidden nice places. Open your eyes when you stroll through the town. In every smelly dark corner might be a cool café or impressing street art, have a look at some things I found:
New Synagogue – never forget what happened and never let it happen again!
It is not a secret place but I liked the atmosphere there and would like to remind about the story behind this beautiful building: The synagogue was founded in 1866, but parts of it were destroyed in the „Night of broken glass“ (in German: „Reichskristallnacht“) on 9th of November 1938, when hundreds of jews where killed by the Nazis in one night. After this happening the synagogue was not used as a place to pray anymore and in 1943 it was destroyed badly by bombs of the second world war. After many years of standstill, it was completely rebuilt in 1988 on and today counts as a symbol for the horrible past and as a reminder of the things which happened to be avoided forever. Just go there, watch the facade, read the signs and let the energies around this historical place do the rest. „Never forget what happened.“ Is written with capital letters on the facade of the synagogue – and never let it happen again. Don’t close your eyes, this is also a part of Berlin.
How to get there:
Tram M5 to Hohenschönhausen or Metro S2 to Oranienburger Straße or Subway U6 to Oranienburger Tor
Do you have more tips how to spend a relaxed weekend in Berlin? Drop me a comment and let me know about it!
