Is it not your first time in Berlin and you’d like to do non-touristy things? Are you looking for something different from the traditional attractions? Below 3 non-touristy things to do in the Germany capital. These are some suggestions of personal experiences (rather than places) that my friend Brenda found not so “touristic”, even though close to the center. Brenda did an incredible Erasmus experience in Berlin. During those months she could explore Berlin and she wrote this article for me! Therefore enjoy the reading 🙂
3 NON TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN
1.MAUERPARK
In Berlin, the impression of the city divided into two parts by a wall is still vivid. There are lots of places in which the wall is still standing. Those places are full of memories and give powerful sensations. An example is the East Side Gallery, especially the museum at the end of it, which tells the wall’s history and collects witnesses from people who experienced Berlin’s division.
Another example is the piece of wall in front of the Topographie des Terrors museum. This wall’s part is gray, conveying a sensation of anguish. As you can imagine this wall’s part is much different than the graffiti’s colors at the East Side Gallery.
Mauerpark: an alternative Sunday.
But a different “kind” of standing wall is definitely in the Mauerpark. It is located in Prenzlauer Berg district, in which there are no tourist attractions at all. It has though a big park with a piece of 30 meters of the still-standing wall with graffiti on it. Not as big and popular as the ones at the East Side Gallery though. Every Sunday, the Mauerpark becomes a real festival under the open sky.
There is everything, satisfying the tastes of everyone: flea markets, karaoke, street-food stalls, street artists. You can take a drink or a portion of finger food and enjoy the artists. For the more daring, you can perform with the karaoke in front of hundreds of people singing and dancing with you! Or you can explore the various stalls and find the piece of antiques which you were looking for!
It is incredible how this area becomes a party and it seems to celebrate every Sunday the reunification of the city, through that part of the standing wall which reminds the division. So, if you are looking for an authentic piece of the vivid life in Berlin, you should spend an alternative Sunday at the Mauerpark!
2.TAG DER OFFENEN TÜR – Bundesregierung
I know that these German words could seem quite scaring but it is an important initiative held every year in German. The translation is “Day of the open door”. Normal citizens and tourists can visit the offices of the Government, the Parliament, and the Federal Defence Forces. Therefore, together with a colleague of mine, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and visit the Government’s offices. In other words, I visited Angela Merkel’s offices.
The entrance was free, but the queue was very long. I waited for more or less two hours. Once at the check-in, the staff control people as in an airport. For example ID card checking, emptying pockets, no water bottles and so on.
The entrance was totally free, but the queue was very long. I waited more or less two hours. Once at the check-in, the staff control people as in an airport. For example ID card checking, emptying pockets, no water bottles and so on.
Inside of Bundesregierung
Inside there were not a pre-established tour to follow and no explanations panels or guides. Instead, lots of brochures were available. You could see Merkel’s car, offices and press conference’s spot. The prettiest part was the garden, with the official helicopter at the beginning. The huge garden was designated as a rest stop with stalls of every kind. For example street food and drinks or free gadgets’ distribution.
If you are interested in politics or you are simply curious to see with your own eyes some offices that you usually see on TV, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity!
3.ALONG THE SPREE RIVER
Let’s suppose that it is your second time in Berlin. So, you would like to visit the touristic places but from a different perspective. The perfect solution could be a tour along the Spree, the river which crosses the city. You can do it by bike or by kick scooter (there are lots of cycle lanes in Berlin). You can do it even on foot, it depends on how sporty you are!
There are different routes you can follow. If you want a brief one, you can start from the Bodemuseum. Here the river is divided into two branches and shapes a circle, therefore it doesn’t matter which branch you choose. Let’s suppose you start from Museum Island and you follow the Alte Nationalgalerie’s side. By walking along the river, you can see the Berliner Dom (the cathedral).
Tour along the Spree river
By continuing on the same path, you can reach the Nikolaiviertel, the oldest part of the city in which there are lots of restaurants. The way round starts after Jannowitzbrücke, a bridge in the area of the Marckisches Museum until the starting point. Another tour that I recommend starts from Schloss Bellevue, which is the official residence of the President of Germany. From there, in case you haven’t seen it before, you can stop quickly at the Victory Column, placed at the center of Tiergarten.
After that, by going to Berlin’s center, you can enjoy the calm and the few tourists walking along the river. During your walk, you can see the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and the Reichstag (the Parliament). In this last area, there are lots of bars just in front of the river. You can enjoy a fresh drink as a prize for the walk!
I hope you enjoy this alternative perspective on Berlin! Especially I hope you won’t forget them during your next trip to Berlin!
