iVienna

If you’re thinking of taking a short break in Berlin you’ll have no shortage of great things to do. This city is one that has an amazing vibe and energy and it is filled with the most awesome hotspots and cultural events you can imagine. I’ll talk about two, the Mauerpark Berlin and the Berlin Liquidrom.

Let’s start with talking about the Mauerpark first. The Mauerpark, which quite literally means “wall-park” in German, is a park that was built alongside the site of the old Cold War Berlin wall. On the one side of the wall was the “death strip”, which was a clear strip of land that people would be shot for entering. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany in 1990, this part of the death strip was turned into a park. It soon filled up with people running a flea-market at the weekend. You can buy the most amazing collection of junk from old records and second-hand bicycles to art deco furniture. It is a flea market that really has to be seen to be believed.

The best part of it though, is not just the flea market, but the musical events that have sprung up around the market. In the big grassy strip alongside the Mauerpark there are buskers and musicians, jugglers and entertainers and all manner of other diversions. There are few better ways of spending a sunday afternoon than hanging out in Mauerpark, browsing in the stalls at the flea market and then chilling out with a picnic and an ice cold beer on the grass listening to music and watching Berliners walk past.

The Liquidrom is a completely different experience. This is a spa with a collection of hot pools and various saunas. That may sound old hat. I promise that it is like nothing you have seen before. The liquidrom has DJs who play music in the main pool in the evening. Above the water is one tune, immerse yourself in the pool and as your ears go under the water you hear a different set of sounds.

You can also enjoy massages and steam rooms. Just remember that, this being Germany, you are expected to strip right down before you enter the sauna. 

Usually when we think of carnivals we think of New Orleans and the well known Mardi Gras, however this is not the only place where there is a famous carnival. A lesser known carnival, but one that certainly is spread through out the country, occurs in Germany each year. It is a bigger event than Halloween, and people dress up similarly with carnival costumes ranging from pirates, Jack Sparrow being a particular favourite, to cowboys and Indians. Children and adults alike will dress up and there are many parades around the country.

if you are thinking of going on holiday to Europe then this might be one of the places that you choose to go. There is a great atmosphere, and you will be welcome to share in the quaint traditions that the German people have. So if you like the whole Halloween dressing up, and also like to be in a party atmosphere then why not consider it.

You will have to arrange your trip early, if there is a particular place that you would like to go and stay as people will travel to certain larger towns to celebrate. This will mean that there will not be so much accommodation free for tourists.