6 alternative things to do in Berlin

1. Alternative Berlin walking tour

We joined the Alternative Berlin Tours‘ ‘tips based’ tour. They do not have a set price, but you just pay what you think it’s worth. The tour consists of a walk around different areas in Berlin viewing various street arts and graffitis. Our guide was super professional and knowledgable; he knew so much about the city and it’s history, and fun and interesting facts about Berlin’s sub culture and street art scene. The tour was educational and gave me a unique insight into the city’s culture, art, politics and communities. I believe the tour route is not always the same depending on the season and obviously due to the nature of the tour, but we saw Astronaut by Victor Ash and Nature Morte by ROA.

Our tour started at Alexanderplatz and ended at YAAM beach – a bar near the Ost Bahnhof. The tour ran for 3hours and we used public transport once, so the AB metro ticket and comfortable shoes are recommendable.

http://alternativeberlin.com/tours/free-tour/

2. Hansa Studios

The legendary recording studio near Potsdamer Platz where David Bowie recorded ‘Low’ and ‘Heroes’. There is a studio tour organised by Berlin Music Tours, but this time around we went just to see it from the outside. It is still a working studio which used to overlook the wall and be called ‘Hansa by the Wall’. I wonder how it felt to create music and work there back then, looking at the Berlin wall from the window.

Hansa Studios / Hansa Tonstudios, Köthener Str. 38, 10963 Berlin

3. David Bowie’s former Berlin apartment

This is where he lived from 1976 to 1978. Bowie moved to Berlin to cure himself of a drug addiction – and I guess to rediscover himself and his life musically and personally. There is a plaque on the building and that’s all there is, but it was fascinating to be there and imagine how this area might have been in the 70’s. For me, visiting this place was a reminder that we all need to find our own Hauptstraße 155 in our lives sometimes. This is why some of us travel, to remove ourselves from the current environment to find a place that understands us, or doesn’t know us at all, so we can reshape the old and create new.

Hauptstraße 155, 10827 Berlin

4. Tempelhof Airport

The abandoned airport is located in the south of city centre, easily accessible by public transport (Berlin-Tempelhof station). After going through historical and political turmoil, it stopped acting as an airport in 2008. Since then, Tempelhof’s future has been a matter of debate, but currently it serves as a public park. It is a massive space and there are free public toilets and a tiny information booth, apart from that, it is pretty much left to it’s own devices. We went on a cold and cloudy August afternoon and the place was empty. There was a sense of freedom and community, but there also was a tinge of loneliness about this place. The airfield remains largely unchanged and standing on a runaway was such a strange and wonderful experience.

 

5. Vegan Currywurst

That’s right. Vegan Currywurst. I had it at the legendary Curry 36. Their Vegan Currywurst (115g) was big, plump, fresh and in perfect harmony with their original ketchup. As demand of the Vegan Currywurst is less frequent, they cook it to order which is great. €4.30 with chips and ketchup/mayo. A single normal Currywurst was €1.70, a portion of chips with sauce was €1.80. Service at Curry 36 was quick, efficient and friendly. Tasty comforting food, it goes without saying that the chips were really good too.

Mehringdamm 36, Kreuzberg, 10961 Berlin

6. Visit Bavaria before leaving Berlin

The end of holiday is always sad and you particularly feel it when you reach the airport. But that is not the case at Berlin Schönefeld Airport. Just outside Terminal D is Almhütte, a Bavarian restaurant/pub that offers a rustic Alpine ambiance and hospitality. The alpine cottage, white sausages, Augustiner beer… how else should one end their Berlin holiday I simply don’t know. On a serious note, Augustiner beer here was super super tasty. One more little fun before saying good-bye to Berlin!

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