Cool, alternative neighbourhoods in Berlin

There is plenty of contrast in our selection of alternative neighbourhoods in Berlin that are well worth discovering: some have a revolutionary punk past, while others are defined by their Art Nouveau architecture from the early 20th century. What makes them all interesting is the way they have capitalized on their history and adapted to become modern communities with plenty to offer.

 
Friedrichshain

@shellfish

Traditionally the epicentre of alternative culture in the German capital, this area is famous for the riots that took place here after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. The buildings that were once occupied by activist squatters have now been converted into elegant boutiques and coffee shops. However, the neighbourhood’s revolutionary vibe can still be found in places such as the RAW complex, a collection of artistic spaces and events venues with an industrial flair.

Kreuzberg

@artejulia

Kreuzberg was the heart of West Berlin punk with squats such as Kopi and SO36, which are still standing today. While the neighbourhood still has a slightly non-conformist feel, it is very much part of the hipster scene. The indoor Markthalle Neun offers food from around the world on Street Food Thursdays.

For more on Friedichshain and Kreuzberg, visit https://whereis.gatrooms.com/travel-smart-in-berlin-friedichshain-kreuzberg/

Graefekiez

@culturetrip

At first sight, this looks like a bohemian neighbourhood that has rigorously preserved its historic buildings. When you dig deeper, you learn that behind the Art Nouveau façade lies Berlin’s tech centre, packed with startups and bars that accept bitcoin as payment. The Admiral Bridge is the perfect spot for a picnic.

Treptow

@stewi

This neighbourhood is a green paradise thanks to its numerous parks, including Planterwald and Treptower Park. If you take a stroll down streets like Lohmühlenstraße, you are likely to come across new-age nomadic workers bent over their laptops in hipster coffee shops. At night, the indoor Treptow Arena hosts concerts and parties, making it the hottest venue in East Berlin. 

Don’t forget about other cool neighbourhoods such as Kreuzberg, Rixdorf, Schillerkiez and Neukolln. You can read all about them here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/kreuzberg-and-rixdorf-and-schillerkiez-in-neukolln/

Christmas at Gat Point Charlie

Spending time in Berlin over Christmas is, without doubt, a magical experience. Here are some of our favourite activities to make the most of the festive season and the cold, wintry weather. Don’t worry, though–you will soon warm up again when you make it back to the cosy comfort of your room at the Gat Point Charlie hotel!

@Klunkerkranich
The German capital offers a great variety of Christmas markets. Although it has been far from easy, we have selected four of them for you to discover: the Gendarmenmarkt is the best; Klunkerkranich is the highest; Eco Christmas Market is the greenest; and the coldest is the Lucia Christmas Market.
Get the full low-down on Berlin’s Christmas markets here: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/weihnachten-in-berlin-christmas-markets/

@visitberlin.de
A walk through the city parks is a fantastic idea at any time of the year, but there is nothing better than enjoying the sun on your face as you stroll through the snow on a beautiful winter’s day.
Apart from the well-known parks such as the Tiergarten or Volkspark Friedrichshain, check out our favourite itineraries for a fresh-air adventure on foot or a bicycle: https://whereis.gatrooms.com/easter-in-berlin-hop-on-a-bike/

@visitberlin
During the winter months, Berlin also offers a wealth of other outdoor activities, such as ice skating in Neukölln or tobogganing on Teufelsberf hill. This list by @visitberlin includes all the details for finding the cold weather hotspots for sporty fun with friends and family: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/wintersport-berlin

@visitberlin
Last but not least, we have the pleasure of introducing two very special activities to round off your Christmas stay in the city:
• Why not visit an art exhibition in Auguststraße before savouring a delicious cup of hot chocolate in one of the themed cafés in the Mitte neighbourhood?
• An open-air Christmas concert will be held at the traditional Alt-marzahn Advent market on 1 December. For more information, visit https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/advent-singing-village-green-alt-marzahn

Meanwhile, enjoy the fun winter activities Berlin has to offer and we’ll take care of the rest.

Book your Christmas in Berlin!

A visit to Berlin is a musical journey

Berlin was the final destination of the international Lollapalooza festival, an annual 2-day event packed with music and fun that took place over the weekend of 7-8 September. During the summer, it had already travelled through the United States, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, France and Germany.

Among the international singers and groups performing at the event were this year’s young revelation Billie Eilish and the Grammy-winning duo, Twenty One Pilots.

With one of the festival’s two European events being held in Paris, it is no coincidence that the Lollapalooza organizers decided to stage the second in Berlin. While the German capital’s history has ensured it is well-known around the globe, it is also a major political, artistic, cultural and leisure hub that hosts one of the most important cinema festivals in the world, the Berlinale, which makes it an unmissable tour destination for international music stars.

It is precisely this, great music, that plays an essential role in Berlin: my time there was underscored with rhythm, not only thanks to the great performances at the festival held in the Olympic Stadium, but because the city itself IS music. It is impossible to wander the city streets without coming across an artist singing or playing an instrument, or watching improvised performances by small street dance groups.

However, I also came across great music beyond the festival and the streets as it was easy to find at Gat Point Charlie: eating breakfast while I listened to smooth jazz, sipping a drink after dinner while I watched projections of concert recordings on the wall, or even the background music in the hotel’s common areas.

The fact that great music follows you around all day in Berlin makes the city an even more fantastic place to be.

Mar Jiménez
Hotel Gat Point Charlie guest.

Discover Berlin in a weekend

We have challenged ourselves to create an exclusive 2-day Berlin itinerary for avid adventurers and culture seekers. Check out our suggestions for a fun-filled weekend that packs in the best sights and experiences the German capital has to offer.

Day 1

@Visitberlin

Start your Saturday under ground at the Berliner Unterwelten museum in the Mitte district as you explore a maze of bunkers and secret passageways that form part of the city’s rich history.


@waffly

Keep your energy up for the busy day ahead by making a pit stop at Waffly for one of the best waffles in the area!


@visitberlin

Head towards Prenzlauer Berg and visit the organic market on Kollwitzplatz. Make sure you pop into Kulturbraurei, Berlin’s “Culture Brewery”–their latest list of shows or screenings is bound to catch your eye.


@berlinfoodstories

Before leaving this district, which is one of the most bohemian parts of the city, we recommend a refreshing pre-lunch beer at the renowned Berliner Prater Garten.


@EricBieller

Curry 36 is perhaps the best place in Berlin for trying one of the city’s famous Currywurst sausage. Wander freely around the Friedichshain-Kreuzberg area in between visits to the Berlinische Galerie (Museum of Modern Art) and the Jüdisches (Jewish) Museum, or take a leisurely stroll around the Friedrichshain Volkspark public park.


@visitberlin
Make sure you time your adventures to allow you to watch the sun set over the double-deck Oberbaumbrücke bridge.

@cafeamneuensee

Enjoy dinner at the Café am Neuen See in the Tiergarten before an evening of old-school dancing at Ballhaus Berlin.


@jazzclubA-trane

If you are a jazz lover, make time to take in a jam session at A-Trane Jazz Club, held every Saturday starting at midnight.

Day 2


@visitberlin
Spend your morning exploring art galleries, enchanting bookstores or unusual bars in Berlin’s micro-neighbourhoods with an alternative vibe: Graefekiez, Rixdorf and Schillerkiez.


@visitberlin
In the afternoon, discover the delights of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. Begin at the uber-elegant Schloss Charlottenburg palace before making your way to the spectacular Deutsche Oper Berlin opera house


@visitberlin
The cherry on top of your trip lies in a visit to Teufelsberg, a former U.S. listening station set on a man-made hill. Get your camera ready!


@klunkerkranich
To round off your whirlwind weekend of discovery, raise a glass in farewell to the city at the magnificent Klunkerkranich bar.

Kreuzberg and Rixdorf and Schillerkiez in Neukölln

Graefekiez is Berlin’s tech centre, and some establishments in this neighbourhood even accept payment in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The shops here, such as House of Dotcity or Dunkelblau Fastschwarz, are mostly owned and run by local designers, and the area is jam-packed with fascinating, extravagant places that are well worth a visit–check out Galerie Mamoo, where they sell products designed with the “luminous vision of the ancient Indians”, or Umbras Kuriositätenkabinett, an intriguing bookstore.


@awesomeberlin

To enjoy a great cup of coffee and a pastry in pleasant, inviting surroundings–with vegan and gluten-free options available, too–head to Kaffebar, Frida Café or Dobedo. If it’s delicious Italian gelato you’re craving, they say that Anna Durkes is one of the best ice cream parlours in the city.

@kaffebar

Rixdorf is referred to as an inner-city village. This bohemian neighbourhood stands out for its quaint cobbled streets and Körnerpark, a green oasis with a Romantic design that transports visitors back to another time. We recommend spending a lovely afternoon admiring the 400-year old buildings before enjoying a refreshing pint at the famous Alter Roter Löwe Rein bar.

@visitberlin

The best months of the year to come to the park are September, for the Popráci straw bale-rolling contest, and December, for the fabulous Christmas markets. Schillerkiez is the ideal neighbourhood for devouring brunch or taking a leisurely stroll through Tempelhofer Feld, an abandoned airfield that was converted into an open-air recreational area and is a great venue for a barbecue or watching the sun set over Berlin.

@visitberlin

You will also find the Volkspark Hasenheide park here, at which a fun fair opens to the public every May and open-air cinema screenings are held during the summer.

Picatsso “art exhibition”

Gat Point Charlie hotel in Berlin will host on August 17 an art exhibition, which is the most appropriate of all since it consists of works where the protagonists are cats! And to make it even more interesting, they are inspired by the works of Pablo Picasso.
All this is done by the artist Sol Felpeto, who will be in the opening day and with whom you will be able to chat amidst drinks and snacks.



Sol Felpeto (1990) is a multicultural artist born in Venezuela. She spent her childhood and adolescence between Buenos Aires and Madrid and sporadically living in other countries with her family. In Argentina, she began her studies in the? veterinary medicine school but, after three years, she decided to follow her creative rush and, at the age of 21, she moved for good to Spain and studied Fashion and Creative Direction at European Institute of Design (IED). Those four years of creative studies led to developing herself as an illustrator and painter within her style called «Poop Arttoons», a mixture of art, humour, and animals. She graduated in June 2016 and immediately participated in her very first exhibition along with other artists of the new generation. This is when she takes the first step towards art as a profession.
We are very happy to invite you to the #Vernissage “Picatsso” 🐈⁠😹. Saturday 17 August. 7 Pm at Gat Rooms Hotels

Day: August 17
Time: 7 pm
Place: Hotel Gat Point Charlie, Mauerstraße 81-82, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Event: https://www.karnekunst.com/vernissage-picatsso-by-sol-felpeto/