At first glance there’s not much to see here aside from the usual Berliner Tristesse. A gas station, a busy road and a massive construction site. But on closer inspection – the secret of the Chauseestraße unravels. A thin brick line crosses through the street […]

Spittelmarkt. East Berlin still feels like East Berlin here. The massive 6 Lane Leipziger Straße cuts through the city  while the “Komplex Leipziger Straße” – an Octuplet Set of Plattenbauten built in the late 1960s looms over Berlin. It’s not a pretty sight but one […]

This Island isn’t meant for visitors. 250.000 m² large, a few dozen villas and a single road that goes around in a circle.  There isn’t much to see here if it weren’t for a french column. More specifically a column from the Tuileries Palace in Paris, former home of […]

Winter is coming. As the temperatures slowly dip into the negative digits, a many Neu Berliner begins to regret living in this city. But Berlin comes into its own when the frost settles in. Christmas markets and Glühwein stalls pop up on every corner, the […]

Der Judengang. The word sounds a lot harsher than it most likely means to be. That might be because of the German Language or the German oversensitivity.  While I had heard and seen several streets been named Judengasse (the name for the Jewish Quarter) in […]

Ill be the first to admit it – Berlin isnt a beautiful city. At least not in a classical sense. Ive yet to hear someone describe Berlin in the same tone as Rome or Paris.  Now while the residents of this city might cry out […]

Totgesagte leben länger – literally translates into The condemned live longer. Nothing fits better to the “doomed” Airport Tegel than this saying. To think that Tegel Airport was mere days away from being closed when the city of Berlin realized that their prestige project in […]

“Das Paradies ist verriegelt und der Cherub hinter uns; wir müssen die Reise um die Welt machen und sehen, ob es vielleicht von hinten irgendwo wieder offen ist.” “But paradise is locked and bolted…. We must make a journey around the world to see if […]

Berlin has some stunningly beautiful bridges. In fact its got over 900 bridges on display (though not all of them so beautiful) – over twice as many as Venice. And while many people appreciate the constructions that span the rivers of Berlin – not so […]

The 1970s Architects weren’t kind to Berlin.  While the cityscape of the east was dominated by myriads of Plattenbauten – the western half was turned into an architects playground who tried to do the exact opposite of what the east was doing, but somehow ended […]

Anyone who has ever taken Public Transport in Berlin has seen the F Logo. But what does it mean? You see it almost every time you take a Bus, Tram, S or U-Bahn, but what is it? Well – few people are aware that the […]

I am claustrophobic. I hate enclosed spaces – especially elevators. Whenever I have the chance – I try to take the stairs just to avoid being stuck in a metal death trap. It is worth noting that most American Elevators have an escape hatch – […]

The Fotoautomat. Youre not a Berlin Hipster if you haven’t taken your picture in one of these machines. The Fotoautomat has always been a part of Berlin (and the rest of Germany), hanging around near S-Bahn /U-Bahn and Train Stations, waiting for someone to have […]

The Tadschikische Teestube  officialy closed on the 30th of April 2012 – but it seems like Berlin just got a reprieve. I “revied” the Tadschikische Teestube in early Febuary of this year – and while I wasnt keen on the service (read: it was shit) […]

In the US you can find Pizza Vending Machines. Dubai has a Gold Vending Machine. And Berlin? Berlin has Cigarette Vending Machines – and the “Madenautomat” – a vending machine which sells live bait. More specifically – small green plastic cases filled with live maggots. […]

The Ernst Thälmann Monument. One of the few remaining monuments of the former DDR in Berlin. Lonely and imposing, it dominates its surroundings – behind it a series of east german tower block flats, and to its front the dire Greifswalder Straße. Who was Ernst […]

**Update** Since this piece was written in 2012 – the Parkdeck in Neukölln has been transformed into the Hipster Hangout called “Klunkerkranich”. While the views remain the same – the atmosphere aint the same. Personally I find this quite a shame as the Parkdeck was […]

So im slowly continuing my quest to visit all the “111 Places in Berlin” and while I while I love Book, I think it misses out on several interesting places in Berlin (see Nr 112 – The Russian Orthodox Church) – so ive decided to […]

No, that 112 is not a mistake. While I love the 111 Places in Berlin Book, I think it misses out on some true hidden gems, so I decided to add on to the list and share some wonderful hidden spots in (and around Berlin) which […]

Good News Everybody! The Tadschikische Teestube is Opening its doors again in a New Location on the 24th of November 2012!  They are now located in the Oranienburger Str. 27  Check out my new revisited post about the Teestube -> Here ATTENTION! As with everything […]