Subject: [87attendees] Berlin (evening) outings

From: Konstantinos Pentikousis <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 17:02:39 +0000

Hi All,

After a couple of discussions with IETFers who are first-time visitors to Berlin, it appears to me that some folks may not be aware that Berlin is really a multi-* city :) Besides being the most multicultural city in the country, it is also primarily a multi-center city. That is, do not expect a single "downtown" area. Instead you can sample Berlin life by visiting 5 distinct areas to a get a better flavor of the city, at least for starters. 

The area around Savignyplatz (http://her.is/LnMMS) is one of these centers (Charlottenburg), close to the shopping area of Ku'damm. It is easily reached from the IETF hotel. It used to be the place to be back when West Berlin was an island, and still features some of the best bars and restaurants in town. Don't miss the originals, such as Schwarzes Cafe (http://www.schwarzescafe-berlin.de), a Berlin institution open 24 hours; Zwiebelfisch (http://www.zwiebelfisch-berlin.de) is nearby, as is Terzo Mondo (http://www.terzomondo.de) and Diener (http://www.diener-tattersall.de) as are dozens of places to eat and drink. The A-Trane is a block away (http://www.a-trane.de/); Quasimodo (http://www.quasimodo.de/) is also within walking distance, but it's closed for the summer. Next time ;) 

The area around Kastanienallee (Eberswalder Str., Oderberger Str., Mauerpark, Kulturbrauerei; http://her.is/TBTZS) offers a good first sample of life in Prenzlauer Berg (P'berg). Prater (favorite beer garden was already mentioned; http://www.pratergarten.de). The whole area is packed with restaurants with all kinds of cuisines from Asian to Middle East to Russian to Vegan, you name it. For the hamburger/steak addicts, The Bird (http://www.thebirdinberlin.com) is not far away either. 

Bergmannstrasse (and environs) in Kreuzberg (http://her.is/UZoUj) is also to be considered for a visit after a busy IETF day. Some really cool places include the Knofi delicatessen (http://www.knofi.de), best-of-class Berlin street food (http://mustafas.de and http://www.curry36.de), as well as the two Greek restaurants in the area: "Z" (http://www.restaurant-z.de) and Dimokritos (http://www.dimokritos.de). There're some good and alternative shopping opportunities while you're here, consider browsing around. If you have more time, the Viktoriapark has a nice memorial on top of a small hill with a great vista of all of Berlin.

In Kreuzberg, you can also find one of the most active evening scenes around Orannienstrasse next to Kottbusser Tor (http://her.is/VkwLS). This part of town is perhaps not as polished as one would imagine, but it does feature some of the best burritos (http://www.santaberlin.com) and burgers (Hasir Burger) in town. This is part of the alternative side of Berlin and home to the famous SO36 club (http://so36.de), among everything else. 

Finally, you simply cannot leave Berlin without visiting the Friedrichstrasse - Oranienburger Strasse - Hackescher Markt Triangle (includes the Museum Island area): http://her.is/TbXCj. This is a well-known tourist area in Berlin so I won't list any particular places, besides perhaps the area around Bode Museum where there is public dancing every day by the Spree and a free Sunday evening concert: http://www.sonntagskonzerte.de. You can find other open-air concerts/events at http://www.visitberlin.de/de/artikel/open-air-veranstaltungen-ohne-eintritt (and http://www.visitberlin.de/en/keyword/open-air-concerts-theatre in English)

There are several walking tours you can take (as soon as the temperature cools down a bit), but this one http://goo.gl/maps/6tgx2 will take you by some of the most prominent buildings and memorials, including having a look at the Spree, the German Chancellery, the Parliament (Reichstag, make sure you visit the dome before going home), the Brandenburg Gate, the Soviet War Memorial, Pariser Platz etc., the Holocaust memorial, the Science Center Medizintechnik Berlin (free; http://www.sciencecenterberlin.de) and you will end up in Potsdamer Platz and the Sony Center.

Last but not least, do take the 3-hour boat trip around the Spree and the Canal. There are several companies that offer different trips, but my favorite is http://www.reederei-riedel.de/index.php?Sub=SCFA&Target=Fahrten&Id=5#, esp. the one that starts at 7 pm. It can be the perfect alternative to the social event for those without a ticket ;)

I could go on, but, hey you only got a week :)

Herzlich Willkommen :)

Best regards,

Kostas