CAPITAL COOL
Words Lauren Moffatt
Berlin is consistent in its refusal to remain the same, offering all the benefits of a European metropolis while maintaining its reputation as one of the most laid-back continental cities – and the one with the latest bedtime.
Berliners love their freedom and it is impossible not to feel seduced by the individual, liberal spirit of the city’s inhabitants. As the U1 metro line rickets through Kreuzberg, acres of parkland open up before the eyes. Dogs with their often eccentric owners; bright young things playing frisbee, badminton and football; hordes of cyclists; old couples idling beside the canal; families in clusters around delicious-smelling barbecues: the panorama of Berlin’s park culture is spread across the soft grass with plenty of space to wander.
Vibrant and colourful streets punctuate the green expanses of Berlin. Inhabitants hailing from across the planet, speaking an array of languages and dialects, give the unshakeable impression that you could be wandering through any number of cities in the world from one moment to the next. Berlin is a truly international city, and its culinary scene is a triumph for lovers of diversity and adventure. From traditional German to Middle Eastern, Indian, South-East Asian, Mexican and New Orleans-style food, the options are only limited by your appetite and your willingness to take a break from unravelling Berlin’s countless layers.
Although many of the scars of the war-torn and divided city have now been cleared away or transformed into hyper-real tourist attractions, the awesome historical significance of Berlin remains palpable.
The mixtures of young and old, east and west, peaceful and wild, are largely due to the perpetual upheaval of the 20th century. Traces of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic as well as National Socialist, Capitalist and Soviet rule are visible within blocks – sometimes metres – of one another. The resulting sense of ongoing flux gives a notion of what is possible and what is important, and the spirit of adventure and transcendence is never far away.
Thanks to its long-standing dedication to the arts, Berlin’s cultural face, both underground and mainstream, is impossibly huge and complex. Countless galleries and artist-run initiatives, featuring work by international artists, account for its reputation as a European art capital. Likewise, the endless halls and corridors of the city’s state museums, packed with treasures from antiquity through to contemporary art, mean that the romantic trail through the annals of history is over only when you want it to be.
Meanwhile, operas, theatres, clubs and concert venues are packed virtually every night of the week with a full programme that’s out of the ordinary, and it is possible to experience all of it without breaking the bank. You can be carried away into bliss at the Deutsche Oper or dance until (and beyond) dawn at Berghain – or do both if you please.
Afterwards you can wander hand in hand back to your bed via a detour along the Spree, past the tenement buildings, serenaded by street musicians and whispering bicycle spokes. A part of Berlin’s continuing and extraordinary history, making your own.
Romantic things to do
- Take a walk by the canal or, better still, rent bikes for a slow, meandering cycle tour. Discovering the city by following its waterways will lead you to secluded nooks that even the locals don’t know about. Take a picnic rug and a bottle of wine.
- Get your picture taken together in one of the many old-style black and white photo machines on street corners of Mitte, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg.
- Go swimming at the Neukölln Stadtbad. Although a little out of Berlin’s centre, this beautiful pool dating back to 1914 is the perfect place to do a few laps of backstroke while admiring the friezes on the arched ceilings. Finish off with a visit to the sauna.
- Go for a walk to the top of the hill at Viktoria Park in Kreuzberg for a stunning view over the city, best enjoyed at sunrise or sunset.
- Spend a day at Müggelsee relaxing on a beach towel, soaking up rays and taking naps in the shade between dips. This beautiful lake is half an hour from the city by S-Bahn and is surrounded by hidden beaches.
- Wilder newlyweds, spend a night dancing on the banks of the Spree at Bar 25. The pride of Berlin’s summer party scene, this mostly outdoor venue features a tree swing, deckchairs and throngs of young Berliners partying into the daylight hours. For a more chilled-out version, try Kiki Blofeld across the river.
- Eat a traditional German meal at the Prater Garten in Prenzlauer Berg. This secluded beer garden serves traditional fare such as venison, potato dumplings and roast pork.
- Salsa, tango, swing and cha-cha at Clärchens Ballhaus in Auguststrasse. This historic ballroom (with a great restaurant upstairs) is best visited during the week. Whether you’re there to dance among the pros or watch from your seats, there is something undeniably romantic about the candlelit tables and the couples showing (or goofing) off on the dance floor to old-style music.
- Visit the Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum Potsdamer Platz. This museum’s impressive collection is absolutely packed with exquisite gems of German, Dutch, Italian and French paintings dating between the 13th and 18th centuries – but never full of tourists, unlike its siblings on the Museum Island. Entrance to most of the state museums is free during the final four opening hours on a Thursday.
GETTING THERE
Lufthansa flies to Berlin from Cape Town and Durban via Johannesburg and Frankfurt from about R7 400. Qatar flies from Cape Town and Johannesburg via Doha from about R6 600.
WHEN TO GO
May/June or September/October when the weather is relatively warm and there are fewer tourists.
STAY
Nest Apartments
Located in the centre of Prenzlauer Berg, Nest Apartments offers flats furnished in the preferred Berliner retro style.
+49 (0)30 44 31 86 28, info@nest-apartments.de, www.nest-apartments.de
Schlosshotel im Grunewald
A palace in the forest, once styled by Karl Lagerfeld.
+49 (0)30 895 840, nfo@schlosshotelberlin.com, www.schlosshotelberlin.com
