Author: gatrooms

Travel Smart in Berlin: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

The neighbourhoods of Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf merged in 2001 to form Berlin’s fourth borough. Located in the western part of the city, it is a peaceful and sophisticated corner during the day, but at night, the museums, emblematic buildings, magnificent parks and boutiques close their doors to make way for an endless offering of alternative entertainment.
You can embark on this itinerary directly from our hotel with one of our bicycles or by jumping on the metro to Zoologischer Garten, the stop nearest to Berlin Zoo.

Act 1, daytime.
After passing through the ruins of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche church, we find ourselves at the recently-opened Bikini Berlin, which is Germany’s first concept shopping mall and houses showrooms, boutiques and pop-up boxes instead of big brand stores. Take yourself up to the roof and enjoy great panoramic views over the city while you grab a bite at Neni or Monkey Bar.

@top10berlin
Art and history buffs will take a while to make it to Charlottenburg Palace, as you will pass the modern Deutsche Oper Berlin opera house, the Berggruen Museum with its modern art collection and the Bröhan-Museum of art and design along the way.
Get your camera ready at Teufelsberg. This former U.S. listening station is sat on the top of a man-made hill created using debris and offers spectacular views over the city.

@visitberlin
Following this slightly out-of-the-way, alternative itinerary, it is well worth making a stop at Berliner Waldbühne amphitheatre, which is one of the most spectacular open-air theatres in Europe.

Act II, night-time.
The Bar jeder Vernunft is a mirrored tent with a Modernist, intimate feel and is the stage for the crème de la crème of international small-stage entertainment.

@visitberlin
For those of you who prefer jazz, the A-Trane jazz club is where you need to be: the line-up here includes some of the biggest names in the jazz scene and they offer late-night jam sessions on Saturdays starting at midnight.

Travel Smart in Lisbon: Alfama

You will either love or hate Alfama–there’s no half measures! It will either seem an exhausting array of steep streets that slowly climb towards the Castelo de São Jorge or a charming hillside neighbourhood with quaint houses, traditional shops and businesses, lookout points, fado music houses and tiles, tiles and more tiles.

At the Gat Rossio hotel, which is located just a 20-minute walk away, we’re crazy about Alfama, and want to share our favourite things about this amazing area with you.

First, the views
Begin your tour in Martim Moníz Square, where the Tram 28 is ready to take you through the neighbourhoods of Rossio and Baixa to Portas do Sol in Alfama, the stop closest to the castle.

When you alight, head towards the Santa Lucía lookout point before visiting the impressive Castelo de São Jorge, which dates back to the time the city was under Moorish rule (Monday-Sunday, 09:00-21:00).
From the castle, look for Rua do Recolhimento to find the hidden-away lookout point, Miradouro del Jardim do Recolhimento.

Get ready for a thrilling descent!
Enjoy the treasures you discover along the way as you meander back down the hill to the hotel, such as the Miradouro das Portas do Sol, the steps down from Rua de São Miguel, Lisbon Cathedral (Monday-Sunday, 10:00-19:00), the Renaissance palace Casa dos Bicos or the Roman theatre (Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00-18:00).

@viamichelin

If the main attractions are the body of Alfama, you need the soul
From Tuesday to Sunday, between 19:00 – 23:00, head over to Tasca do Jaime to enjoy the most authentic fado music house experience in the city (see more fado music houses here).

Finally, if you’re in Lisbon on a Tuesday or a Saturday, you can’t leave without visiting the renowned flea market, Feira da Ladra (for more Lisbon markets, click here).

Saint Travel Lovers’ Day!

This month, Gatrooms wants to celebrate Travel Lovers’ Day! To mark our alternative event, we have a gift for all the intrepid explorers who long to discover the lesser-known delights of Lisbon and Berlin: the Gatrooms travel guide.

It is a bible for anyone who, like the travellers we welcome at the Gat Point Charlie or Gat Rossio hotels, is on the lookout for alternative adventures and out-of-the-way corners to explore; enjoys experiencing culture beyond museum walls; loves to read or eat in extraordinary venues and settings; and opts for the most sustainable form of transport wherever they go.

If this sounds like you, download your guide to Berlin or Lisbon here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/ebooks-smart-travel/

In this guide you’ll find…
A paradise for bibliophiles in our broad selection of alternative bookshops in Berlin, such as Shakespeare and Sons, where you can eat a delicious bagel while you read to your heart’s content.

@shakespeareandsons

Lisbon’s best-kept secrets, such as the smallest bookshop in the world, which is nestled in the Mouraria neighbourhood.

@fodorstravel

Unusual and sometimes bizarre venues in Berlin, some of which are enough to make your jaw drop, including Madame Claude, the bar in Kreuzberg that flips the world on its head.

@myguideberlin

The best places for enjoying a mind-blowing culinary experience, such as The Food Temple in Lisbon. In the summer, eating on the steps outside will make you feel as if you are at a street party!

@bestguide

We also reveal a large selection of fado music houses, with enough for you to visit a different one on every night of your stay in Lisbon: Mesa de Frades for Monday, Parreirinha de Alfama for Tuesday, Casa do Jaime for Wednesday…the list goes on!

 

@Eltenedor

Stories that shaped history, such as the invention of the bretzel by the Celts to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Wherever you decide to travel this Saint Valentine’s Day, make sure you travel SMART.

Relativity of distance – art exhibition

Santiago de Chile is 12,517 kilometres away from Berlin. Whether it’s far or close, depends on the point of view.

Gat Point Charlie presents the new art exhibition “Relativity of Distance”, a selection of photography series, collages, and texts made by the artists, father and daughter, Elías Lizama H. and Florencia Lizama Z. which altogether question the relativity of distance.

We are delighted to invite you to the exhibit’s opening on Saturday 23rd of February 2019 at 19 pm at Gat Point Charlie.

Please, confirm your attendance to sales.berlin@gatrooms.com no later than the 18th of February.

Facebook event
Opening day: 23rd of February 2019 at 19 pm
Venue: Hotel Gat Point Charlie (Mauerstraße 81-82, 10117 Berlin, Germany)

 

 

Travel Smart in Berlin: Friedichshain-Kreuzberg

@visitberlin

Friedichshain-Kreuzberg is one of the most artistic districts in Berlin, and some of its residents have opted for a refreshingly different way of life. As you stroll through its streets, you’ll spot artists’ workshops in gardens behind houses, allotments in Prinzessinnengärten park and buskers and street musicians on Oberbaumbrücke, the bridge that unites the Friedichshain neighbourhood with Kreuzberg.
Our itinerary begins at the Hotel Gat Point Charlie, where our Gat Bikes are waiting for us.

Friedrichstraße
Our hotel is named after Checkpoint Charlie, the former border crossing between East and West Berlin.

The Kreuzberg
Located in Viktoriapark, this hill rises 66 metres above the city and is near a roaring waterfall.

Curry 36
This place is a shrine to the currywurst! Make sure you stop here to try the best in the city.

Biergarten Golgatha
From April to October, this is the place to enjoy pre-lunch drinks in the beautiful outdoors.

Markthalle Neun


@visitberlin

This historical market is truly chameleonic. It transforms from “Thursday Market” to “Breakfast Market” or to “Naschmarkt” (Nibbles Market) depending on the day of the week.

English Theatre Berlin
The only theatre in Berlin with English as the working language.

Maybachufer
This market selling Turkish delicacies makes it impossible to cycle by without taking a look.

Oberbaumbrücke

@visitberlin
Jump off your bike and enjoy the greatest sunset and street art in the city.

Babylon Kino
A vintage art house cinema that screens independent flicks.

Prinzessinnengärten
This park is a creative space that has something for everyone.

Friedichshain-Kreuzberg is famous for its museums, such as the Berlinische Galerie, the Martin-Gropius-Bau and the Jewish Museum, along with its green spaces–such as Friedrichshain Volkspark and Park am Gleisdreieck, which are ideal for picnics–and also its fantastic night life.
To get a first-hand taste of what goes on after dark, head over to Warschauer Straße, Frankfurter Allee and Schlesische Tor. But first, come and leave your bike at the hotel just in case your evening is longer than planned…
Enjoy your Gat Tour!

Travel Smart in Lisbon: Bairro Alto

@culturetrip

Bairro Alto, along with Chiado, is one of Lisbon’s most bohemian neighbourhoods. Our itinerary begins in Praça Luis de Camões, one of the sites at which the iconic Tram 28 stops (make sure you don’t miss it!). This square, which marks the boundary between Chiado and Bairro Alto, was one of the sites that saw the Revolução dos Cravos, or Carnation Revolution, unfold in 1974 and put an end to Salazar’s dictatorship.

During the day
The history of Lisbon

@paradaconfonda
The Museu da Farmácia (Pharmacy Museum) in Santa Catarina, the MUHNAC (National Natural History and Science Museum) and the Museu de São Roque house original pieces that will take you back through the history of Portugal and other countries. Remember to check out the amazing replica of a 19th century Chinese apothecary.

Nossa Senhora do Vencimento do Monte do Carmo


@bertkauffman Flickr

The ruins of the Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are a dream for photography aficionados or history buffs. Make sure you explore this picturesque setting to take in the architecture and the incredible views over Bairro de Baixa.

At night
A drink with a view

@traveler

Head to Terrace BA for lunch under the sun or to enjoy your first drink of the evening with spectacular panoramic views. There is also another great rooftop bar in the Park bar–find out more in our post “Afterwork drinks with views in Lisbon”.

Don’t miss these emblematic streets!

@carloscosta

Visit the cool, alternative shops and boutiques on Rua do Norte, then discover the intriguing history of Rua do Diário de Noticias and take a break at No. 39 to enjoy the city’s most authentic fado music in Tasca do Chico.
When night falls, head towards Rua da Rosa, which is packed with bars and clubs, and let your intuition guide you on where to start and end your evening in Lisbon.