Tag: gatpointcharlie

After-work drinks in Berlin

@gatrooms
Here at Gatrooms, we think it’s really important to wind down after a long day at work to make sure that we’re revived and on our game the next day. Where better to relax than a place that has nothing to do with the stresses of our job, such as a bar with great music and an even better atmosphere?
That’s why we held the first After Work Gat Session at our Room Room Bar last Thursday 31st May, kicking off a series of soirées that aim to create a unique haven for the work-weary in the city, each with background music provided by different DJs.
If you can’t make it to our sessions at the Room Room Bar at Gat Point Charlie, here are four options that we think will help you recharge your batteries after a long, hard day.

 

Allan’s Breakfast Club & Wine Bar
Allan’s restaurant serves breakfast into late afternoon before transforming into a bistrot wine bar at 7.30 pm. Located on Rykestraße, one of the most beautiful streets in the city, it also offers breathtaking views of the Wasserturm water tower from its terrace.

@allans_breakfast_club_winebar

Hopfenreich Craft Beer Bar Berlin
This temple to craft beer, which some refer to as “hop heaven”, is nestled in a quiet corner of the bustling Kreuzberg street. Kick back, relax and enjoy a Pale Ale or one of the many local and old-school German beers on offer.

@eilatan_c

Monkey bar
Overlooking the Tiergarten, this bar on the top floor of a high-rise building has it all: incredible views over the city, live music, and drinks from the four corners of the globe.

@femmecurieuse

Newton bar
This classy cocktail bar is the go-to for any Mad Men fans out there. The walls are covered with photographer Helmut Newton’s life-size nudes above red leather chairs. Warning: if the walls make you feel a little uncomfortable, be careful with the menu, too! There is also a smoking room where you can order yourself a Cuban cigar to enjoy alongside a brandy or a glass of good wine.

@berlinluxus.de

Berlin from the heights

@ivobergphoto

Some say that a fear of heights is more about being scared you will throw yourself off than actually falling, and that vertigo is caused by being so strongly attracted to the depths before you that you feel an urge to jump.
That’s why people love going up to the highest point in any given city to enjoy a bird’s eye view from the very edge of a terrace above the abyss.
In Berlin, you would realize just how green the city is thanks to its extensive parks. You would also discover that it was built low to the ground, which makes the more modern skyscrapers stand out in stark contrast, and you would have the perfect panoramic view of the city’s most important buildings and monuments.
This post is about four places that are perfect for discovering Berlin from the heights. There is something for everyone, whether you love being perched on a ledge or prefer to sit at a more conservative table at a rooftop bar.

 

Zionskirche Tower

The Mitte district is home to a beautiful arched window through which you can enjoy a close-up view of the city without the city seeing you.

@loewe7

 

Klunkerkranich Rooftop Bar

Don’t miss watching the sun set over the rooftops of Berlin. Stay awhile afterwards – they serve food and fresh fruit juices and there is live music, too.

@klunkerkranich

 

Gasometer
Leave your fear of heights on terra firma and venture up 420 stairs. It is well worth the hike to take in the spectacular views of Berlin from 78 metres above ground.

@detleffoto

Apart from our selection of personal favourites, there are other places in Berlin that are renowned for their views over the city, such as the dome of Berlin Cathedral, the Berliner Fernsehturm TV tower, the Panoramapunkt viewpoint, the Siegessäule victory column and the Funkturm tower.
Oh, and don’t forget: there are great views of the city from Hotel Gat Point Charlie...

@Veradantas

Berlin’s alternative historical sites

At school, everyone learns about the events that shaped Germany, and particularly Berlin, during the last century: the Weimar Republic, the subsequent rise of National Socialism, and of course, Adolf Hitler. The rest, as they say, is history. Over time, the city of Berlin has grown and changed, but has always retained the essence of its most recent past.

In this post, we reveal four special, lesser-known spots in the German capital that have a great story to tell.

A haven for outspoken artists


@javier_hdez

Dead Chicken Alley is one of the city’s most colourful and alternative back streets, and is covered in lights, graffiti and bunting. However, behind the art, this bohemian street gallery is a reflection of the desire of a group of young artists called “The Dead Chickens” to express themselves freely shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. See if you can spot Banksy’s work!

An upside-down brothel

@rob1.me
As soon as you walk through the door at Madame Claude, you realise that this place literally turns the world on its head. The fact that the chairs, tables and lamps hang down from the ceiling is not the only striking feature of the bar: it used to be a brothel that was very popular with American soldiers after the Second World War.

A café with a history

@CafeEinsteinBerlin
Café Einstein is a Viennese-style coffee shop that serves the best Apfelstrudel in the city. This striking building, with its huge windows and elegant columns, has housed a sewing factory that survived both World Wars, a gambling den and even a Nazi agency.

A night in the roaring twenties

@Alberto Cabello / Flickr

Ballhaus Berlin is a dance hall that dates back to between the wars, and the glitz and glamour of the era are unmistakable in the music, décor and its Tischtelefonen, which were used at the time to ask whoever caught your eye for a spin around the dance floor. Are you ready for some retro-flirting?

Berlin is a city that is teeming with history, and the Hotel Gat Point Charlie has had its fair share of past adventures, too: during the Cold War, the building housed the Ministry for National Security, which employed more than 60,000 secret agents.

Photo exhibition: Berlin according to Latin American artists

This group exhibition, composed by 10 Latin American artists, is organised by the art production company Karne Kunst and hosted by GatRooms hotel. The event will take place this Saturday 24th of March at 18:30h at Gat Point Charlie, Mauerstraße 81-82, 10117 (Berlin).

This exhibition of pictures of Berlin, taken by different artists from Latin America, explores their rich and different outlook on this city, regarding their diverse backgrounds and understandings of the world.

The artists Belén Majdalani, Bethania Medina, Briseida Corzo Rivera, Clo Catalán, Kümei Kirschmann, Lucas Dima, Mora Kirchner, Tiare Maldonado Hucke , Yamila De Pico and Unpublished historical photographs by José Giribás, suggest and expose different visions of the city we walk through every day.

Facebook event

 

 

In Easter, enjoy Ostern in Berlin

Photo: @AndreuPoison

The Easter holidays are just around the corner, and our city is looking better than ever!

We think so, anyway – and when you read about Berlin’s Easter customs and traditions, festivals and markets, we think you’ll agree with us! We have a sneaky feeling that you are going to want to make your way here soon to see it all yourself…

Ostern in Berlin

In the German capital, tradition dictates kicking off Easter week on Gründonnerstag (Maundy Thursday) with a green seven herb soup followed by Osterlamm for dessert, a sweet Easter cake baked in the shape of a lamb and dusted with icing sugar. A delicious start to the Holy Week!

Photo: @_nudels_kitchen

Don’t miss the incredible events held to commemorate the changing seasons. Celebrate the arrival of spring at the Frühlingsfest in Kurt-Schumacher-Damm, the Britzer Baumblüte in the southern part of the city, and the Kirschblütenfest cherry blossom festival held in the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World), or bid farewell to winter on Easter Saturday around the huge bonfires held in Britzer Garten, Spandau and Frohnau, among others.

Photo: @berlimama

The world-famous German markets liven up the squares at Breitscheidplatz, with “Mr. Bunny” and twelve huge eggs, and Alexanderplatz, which will be decorated with nearly six thousand crochet eggs.


Photo: www.tagesspiegel.de

If you prefer to take a step back in time and visit a medieval market, head for the Museumsdorf Düppel, an open-air reconstruction of a typical 13th century German village that offers traditional Easter activities such as egg painting or storytelling. You will also have the chance to savour some typical German food – the smell of freshly-baked bread is irresistible!

@kulturreise-ideen.de

Ladies and gents, we invite you to enjoy a fun-packed Holy Week by devouring a traditional green soup on Maundy Thursday, admiring the incredible colours of spring blooms at the Kirschblütenfest, bid farewell to winter with the bonfire at Britzer Garten and find the crochet eggs at Alexanderplatz.

While you are on your adventures discovering our local traditions, GatRooms Hotels will take care of the rest to ensure you have an unforgettable stay.

How to feel like a local in Berlin

Photo: @berlin.live

In a city as open and multicultural as Berlin, it is well worth diving into the local customs to make sure your stay in this unique city is unforgettable.
Take a look at our tips for authentic experiences that will make you feel like a true Berliner.

Hop on the U-Bahn

Short for Untergrundbahn (underground railway in German), a ride on the U-Bahn will provide you with an unbeatable snapshot of the local population and a better understanding of why the word “diversity” is etched into Berlin’s DNA. The U2 is one of the longest and most popular lines and it passes through a total of 29 stops on its 20-kilometre route, making it a budget-friendly way of seeing plenty of the city landscape.
Photo: @go.all.in

Grab a beer in a Späti and go for a stroll

Drinking alcohol in public is allowed in Berlin, which is why you can buy beer anywhere and everywhere and at almost any time of day and night here. You’ll find convenience stores or kiosks called Spätkauf or Späti – meaning “late purchase” – on almost every street in the city. They sell food and drinks, and are popular with locals and tourists alike.
Photo: @benjaminruhe

 

Head to the iconic Tiergarten

The Tiergarten is one of the biggest urban parks in Germany. In addition to the spectacular landscape, which is particularly breathtaking in spring and autumn, the park also houses restaurants, a zoo, a lake, canals and monuments such as the shrine to Michael Jackson or the memorial to the homosexuals who were persecuted under the Nazi regime. In the summer, it is packed with sunbathers and keen grillers making the most of the barbecue area.
Photo: @max10557

 

Wait in line for “the best kebab in the world”

Legend has it that the best kebab in the world is served at Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood. If you consider yourself a connoisseur of street food, you will probably regret not joining the queue (for up to 45 minutes, they say!) for this delicacy. The fresh ingredients, seasoning and care with which they are prepared have given these hugely popular Döner cult status.
Photo: @faimfatale

 

Hit the clubs and knock back a Club Mate

For any local, drinking Club Mate on a heavy night out is just as common as drinking beer. This caffeine-laden energy drink is wildly popular with the locals as it helps you to keep partying all night long. Some even say that it makes your hangover easier to cope with the next day…

Photo: @ge_offri