OH Berlin

Another blog at The Local
Share

Archive for October, 2012

Christmas in Berlin

Friday, October 26th, 2012

December always feel a little special in Berlin. The Christmas markets everywhere, indulging in the warming and spirit enhancing properties of Glühwein and the festive lights on most streets.

Berlin is also an excellent place for Christmas shopping. You have all your favourite well known stores and brands plus the up-and-coming designers and great vintage stores. A visit to the impressive KaDeWe, “the Harrods of Berlin” and the largest department store in Europe is a must. And no visit to Berlin is complete without checking out at least one of the excellent flea markets such as Mauerpark.

If you are thinking of coming over to do your Christmas shopping in Berlin or even staying over for Christmas or New Year you should really consider renting an apartment. Staying in your own holiday apartment is very affordable and gives you so much freedom, perfect for staying with friends or family. You will have lots of space for your shopping bags and you can even cook an authentic German Christmas dinner.

Read the full Christmas in Berlin – Accommodation, shopping and Christmas markets article at the Oh-Berlin blog.

Report abuse »

Posted in Plan your visit | No comments »

Berlin New Year´s Eve

Friday, October 26th, 2012

Over a million people will choose to celebrate New Year´s Eve in Berlin this year. Many will head for around the Brandenburg Gate for the biggest open-air New Year´s Eve party in the world. Berlin being Berlin there will also be countless parties and events throughout the city to celebrate well into the early hours.

The 1920s, ah, that golden period for style, beauty, elegance and a little decadence thrown in for good measure.  Bohème Sauvage will be having their 1920s style theme party this New Year´s eve at the Wintergarten. A chance to get glammed up, do the Charlestown, drink a bit of the green fairy and even hit the poker tables.

If you are looking for a big clubbing night Kulturbrauerei will be hosting one humungous party; and with 15 different dance floors there is bound to music for everyone to get their groove on.

A nice meal is a great way to start your New Year´s celebration and Nocti Vagus Dunkelrestaurant are offering their special Silvestre dinner. Dine in the dark watching a show and music. The event finishes at 11pm so perfect timing to get the partying starting properly.

The more discerning reveller wanting a more refined cultural experience can enjoy a concert and fine dining in the Orangerie at Charlottenburg Palace.

See the full article ´Berlin New Year 2013 – The best parties and the perfect accommodation´ at the Oh-Berlin Blog

Report abuse »

Posted in Plan your visit | No comments »

Berlin for free

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Ah everyone loves something for free and Berlin has quite a bit you can take advantage of.

If you are keen on art then head for Auguststrasse where a host of commercial galleries await your visit all year round.

Come the last week of April and there is the fantastic ´Gallery Weekend´ in Berlin. An annual event that sees around 50 leading galleries open their doors to the public for three days and three nights. At many of the openings the artists will be around to have a chat and you can typically enjoy a glass (or two) of wine and sometimes even snacks.

There is also a wealth of free entry museums in Berlin to suit every interest and timescale. Make sure you don’t miss out on these gems ranging from the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen, located on the former site of Sachsenhausen concentration camp, now open to the public as a museum and memorial to the er… Sugar Museum, a museum dedicated to sugar!

A number of companies offer free tours around the city including Sandeman and Alternative Berlin tours where you can see street art, squats and alternative Berlin.

You can read the full Berlin for Free article at the Oh-Berlin blog.

Report abuse »

Posted in Things to do | No comments »

Jewish Museum Berlin

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Oh-Berlin set off to visit the Jewish Museum Berlin intrigued by the Daniel Libeskind architecture and wondering how we would judge the permanent exhibition it housed.

We found the unusual Daniel Libeskind design of the Jewish Museum a challenge in trying to grasp what it possibly symbolised and how it related to the exhibition. The unique conceptual aspect is typically not something you have to take into consideration in most museums.

Many people will have a familiarity with the Holocaust and the treatment of Jews leading up to and during wartime but the exhibition covers the plight of the Jewish peoples historically from the earliest times and around the world. It is hugely informative and engaging. The main exhibition rooms are easy to navigate through and really well planned out.

Some of the most moving parts in the exhibition are provided by personal items, letters, pictures, clothing and possessions from those that suffered loss of friends, family members or their own life.

The personal stories told through possessions and documents or written texts were unbearably sad at times as the personalisation aspect invokes greater empathy. Daniel Libeskind´s interior design is also definitely worth trying to engage with even though interpretations may be difficult at times the structure of the building is an integral aspect to the exhibition.

A moving and fascinating insight into Jewish history.

Read our full review of the Jewish Museum Berlin at the Oh-Berlin Blog

Report abuse »

Posted in Culture | No comments »

Get on your Bike

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Sometimes it´s hard to really imagine that something could be true when your personal experience of it is contrary to what you have been told.

Take cycling in the city. Everyone says that Berlin is a relatively safe city to bike around. But say for instance you come from a city like London where you sometimes feel that you are just road-kill waiting to happen it´s hard to believe, surely all roads are full of maniac lunatics just seeing cyclists as inconvenient pesky obstacles. But along with having a great number of cycle lanes, less traffic congestion than a lot of other cities and dare we say it normal sane and not crazed drivers Berlin is actually a fun and enjoyable city to bike around. If you really are a novice you should check out our 10 tips for becoming an expert cyclist in Berlin.

This leads us to bike tours which are a fantastic way to see the city. We have taken a few tours with our friends at Fat Tire Bike Tours and we can thoroughly recommend them. You can check out recent reviews of Fat Tire Bike tours we took at following links:

The All-In-One Berlin Bike City Tour

The Berlin Wall Circuit

You can read lots more about Berlin at our Oh-Berlin blog.

Report abuse »

Posted in Berlin | No comments »

Shopping in Berlin

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

The days of Berlin being a “well-kept secret,” when it comes to true shopping pleasure and indulgence, are most definitely behind us. Berlin is now known as a shopper’s paradise, much-loved by young designers and trendsetters alike. The city is more or less an inexhaustible treasure chest, as long as you know where to look.

If you are looking for shopping centres and department stores we have a general overview of Berlin’s shopping opportunities, along with a few tips.

If you prefer seeking out vintage or second shops then you are going to enjoy seeking out what Berlin has to offer. To set you on your merry vintage shopping way we have a few suggestions of places you might want to check out. Vintage Berlin – Six of the best vintage shops

The regular Sunday Mauerpark flea market is very popular and a good place to pick up an unusual, original or just interesting item or two.

Finally, if you are looking for convenience and luxury all rolled into one handy emporium then look no further than the KaDeWe department store ´the Harrods of Berlin´.

So happy shopping in Berlin, don´t forget you can see more articles about Berlin at the Oh-Berlin blog and also catch us on Facebook and Twitter.

Report abuse »

Posted in Things to do | No comments »