Fun and cool things to do in Berlin

The TV tower, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag – everyone does them. Are you looking for a special adventure off the beaten tourist track for your trip to Berlin? Discover the alternative Berlin, explore hidden gems and do unusual things that you can do so really only in the Spree metropolis.

Chug through Berlin like an Ossi

For a first overview of the sights of Berlin, a city tour is a good idea. You can do this in style in the Trabant 601. Admittedly, it jerks and bumps in the little car from the East German pre-reunification era, it’s not comfortable either, the gearshift takes some getting used to and the smell of gasoline gets up your nose – but after the second hair-raising bend, you’re gripped by Trabi fever. The Trabi Safari is one of the craziest things you can do in Berlin. The route takes you across Potsdamer Platz, past the Brandenburg Gate to the TV Tower and on to the East Side Gallery. Let’s go to Zimmerstraße in Mitte.

Dive into the underworld

A city tour of a very different kind is a tour through the underground Berlin. Explore disused subway stations, World War II air raid shelters and tunnels used by people to escape from East to West Germany. Take the opportunity to visit very special places in Berlin: Each of the seven guided tours through the Berlin Underworlds takes you further down into the bowels of the city. Tours are offered in six different languages; each tour costs €15.

Barbecue on the Spree

The charcoal crackles under the grate, smoke rises in small wisps and the meat sizzles juicily over the open fire – clearly, grilling is pure pleasure for meat lovers. In summer, however, it is not only possible to barbecue in Berlin’s parks – attention, only permitted in designated areas – but also on the water. Rent a barbecue boat, pack sausages, steaks and beer in the built-in fridge and sail across the Havel, Spree and Wannsee, smacking your lips with pleasure – a little cooling down included.

Feast vegan in the monastery

If you prefer to spend your afternoon meat-free and dry-footed, visit the Buddhist monastery Lotos Vihara. Not far from Alexanderplatz and in the midst of gray Plattenbau giants, this gem surprises with a quiet and tranquil Zengarten and a cozy café where only vegetarian, vegan and organic food is cooked. Monk Wilfried Reuter, who founded the monastery, regularly leads meditations here in the Theravada tradition, which are free to all.

Art on the wall

Berlin walls are full of street art, artistic graffiti decorate once gray walls. The artfully designed facades are spread all over the city – discover the great pictures. A must-see is definitely the East Side Gallery between Warschauer Straße and Ostbahnhof. Over a length of 1.3 km, street artists have designed remnants of the Berlin Wall with graffiti. The motifs are sometimes political, sometimes activist – and always colorful and fascinating. In Mauerpark, on the other hand, you can watch graffiti artists at work on weekends.

On the trail of Bond and Co.

Of course, Berlin as a divided city between East and West was the epicenter of the Cold War – and thus also the capital of spies, scouts and secret agents. The German Spy Museum on Leipziger Platz in Mitte is dedicated to the myth surrounding the shadowy observers. Look directly into the everyday life of Stasi, NSA and of course James Bond in the interactive museum, listen to the spectacular stories of real top agents, solve exciting cases and overcome the laser course. The Spy Museum is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm; tickets cost between €6 and €17.

Discover the Lost Places of Berlin

They promise adventure, have a certain creepy factor and offer that special experience – Lost Places, abandoned and forgotten places, have their very own charm. Explore in Berlin for example Spreepark Plänterwald. Located in the southeast, the amusement park was built in the GDR and finally abandoned in 2002. Entering the area without a guide is prohibited, but people still visit on their own. The Siemensbahn is also popular. The 4 1/2 km long commuter rail line in the northwest has not been used since the 1970s; nature is slowly but surely reclaiming the rails and stations. Further inspirations: the listening station on the Teufelsberg, the S-Bahn Rondell in Pankow or the Beelitzer Heilstätten.

Bouldering on the RAW site

You like to hang Mission-Impossible-like on steep rocks and love to overcome heights and cliffs? Then visit the cone on the RAW grounds in Friedrichshain. The bouldering hall has different courses under the open sky and indoor. After the workout, explore the RAW grounds. The arts and culture center on the site of the former Reichsbahn repair plant houses alternative pubs and cool clubs, creative snack bars and offbeat stores in old workshops and warehouses. While it is rather leisurely in the morning, life dances here at night. This is pure Berlin nightlife!

Dance until dawn

When the sun goes down in Berlin, the basses rumble through the air. On a trip to the capital of techno, a visit to a club is, of course, not to be missed. At the top of the list of techno disciples is Berghain, probably the most famous techno club in the world with a spectacular sound system. Maybe you’ll be one of the chosen ones who make it in. It’s worth a try! Style yourself cool, sexy but also authentic: hip sneakers instead of high heels, black mesh shirt over chic bra or on bare skin, casual hairstyle and not too much make-up – that’s how it sometimes works with the bouncers. Besides techno clubs, Berlin has plenty of cool, alternative rock and Latin clubs on offer. If you prefer to party queer, go to Schwuz, Berlin’s most popular gay club.

Every intersection a stage

You are in Berlin for the summer solstice? Then spend the longest night of the year walking through the city and discover the musical Berlin. Because every year on June 21 Berlin celebrates the Fête de la Musique. Then musicians and bands play all over the city in the open air – sometimes on terraces, sometimes on squares, sometimes simply on the crossroads. And best of all, the Fête de la Musique is free and open to all.

Karaoke in the open air

Sundays are also a musical day in Mauerpark. But this is where your singing skills are needed. So oil up those vocal chords, gather your courage and head to Mauerpark for karaoke. Since 2009, around 1000 music lovers and professional and amateur musicians have gathered in the amphitheater every Sunday from around 2 p.m. for the open-air karaoke party. Good mood, lots of atmosphere and applause are guaranteed, even if not every note is right.

Between Manga, Furry and Cherry Blossoms

A green oasis is hidden in the midst of gray prefabricated building giants: The Gardens of the World in Marzahn are home to a Chinese and a Korean, a Balinese and an Oriental, an Italian and an English garden as well as other facilities on 43 hectares. A special highlight is the Hanami, the blossoming of the cherry trees in the Japanese garden. On the weekend of Cherry Blossom, fans of manga, anime, and fabulous creatures compete for the cosplay crown in self-tailored costumes at the Cosplay Competition.

Kitelandboarding across the tarmac of Tempelhof Airport

Today, it is hard to imagine that airplanes once took off and landed in the middle of Berlin. Today, only the Tempelhofer Feld bears witness to this. The roller rinks are an excellent place for cycling or skating. Or how about kitelandboarding? Point the kite into the wind and kite on rollers over the asphalt of the runway.