Discovering BERLIN

A public shelter, a Soviet prison, a textile warehouse, a techno club and a banana warehouse –these are just some of the functions previously performed by the Boros Bunker, one of the most interesting private art galleries in Berlin today. The owner of the banana bunker is Christian Boros, a collector of contemporary art. Together with his wife, they decided to modernize the building and organize exhibitions there. Meanwhile, the Boros decided to live on the roof of the shelter, in a specially designed penthouse.

The bunker was redesign to become an art gallery, which was not an easy task as the building is subject to preservation maintenance. Some say that this is the place best adopted to exhibiting modern art pieces. Some walls are painted white, while others still bear traces of tags (i.e. graffiti signatures) that are the remnants of a former techno club. The most popular art piece of the first edition of the exhibition was… a popcorn machine (that turned on after entering and turned off after leaving the room by the visitor). Currently, the third edition of the exhibition takes place. Applications are accepted online: sammlung-boros.de.

Multiculturalism is especially visible in the cuisine. Without too much effort, it is possible to find restaurants serving Italian, Asian, African or Middle Eastern dishes. Berliners are crazy about street food. One of the popular events is ThaiPark – a regular Thai picnic in the Preussenpark (Wilmersdorf district). For only a few euros, you will try such specialties as papaya salad, banana fritters, green curry or rice with mango and coconut milk (mango sticky rice).

Berlin is proudly called the capital of techno, as it host many legendary clubs that are visited both by great numbers of residents and tourists. Berlin’s club scene is so well-known that some visitors skip other attractions and stand in line-ups to the most popular venues where events start on Friday afternoon and end on Monday morning. The most popular is Bernhain – an iconic, dark club that provides the best musical and visual experience. If you have not visited it, you will never understand the Berlin club scene. The club is famous for its casual atmosphere, quirks and a few-hour queue, which is an attraction itself not only for techno tourists. Moreover, you will never understand the popular bouncer’s logic behind their selection to the club. However, prepare yourself to be asked questions about Bernhain’s programme. Other clubs worth visiting are Sisyphos with an open-air space (great on hot days), and less touristic, hippie Mensch Meier, Griessmühle or Kater Blau.

The capital of Germany also has much to offer nature lovers who like to relax by the water. It is worth going to the Schlachtensee and Krumme lakes, both located close to each other. They are easily reachable by S-Bahne and U-Bahne, which means that usually you will find crowds of people there. You can jog or rent a small boat at those lakes. Other lakes worthy of your attention are Muggelsee (the biggest in Berlin), Seddinsee, Tegeler See and Wannsee.

The cycling season lasts here all year. Tourists can rent a city bike and explore the city from the perspective of a two-wheeler. The cost is usually a dozen or so euro per day (private rentals may also require a deposit). An excellent spot for such a trip is the area of the former Tempelhof airport, which in 2010 was transformed into a city park. The best place to start is the Museum Island, where you will be able to visit interesting landmarks during a day-long trip covering the distance of about 10 km one way. Tempelhof is a meeting place for, among others, city gardening, barbecue, yoga and mini golf enthusiasts.