If you are traveling on a budget, but want to enjoy live music, you come to the right city, Berlin gives you many options to visit a free concert or at least to visit a concert for little money. Here you can find my favorite concerts in Berlin.

Berliner Philharmonie

Another established city landmark is the bright Berlin Philharmonic concert hall. You can check for concert online. If you travel on a budget, I have a tip for you, every Tuesday at 1 pm they offer a Lunch concert for free, no registration needed.

The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film, marking the debut of filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The movie is about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, the GDR's secret police and won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Released 17 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall marking the end of the East German socialist state, it was the first notable drama film about the subject after a series of comedies such as Goodbye, Lenin! and Sonnenallee. As it plays in Berlin, you can recognize many locations of the German capital and as it is portraits German history you can also learn a lot.

But what would be a movie night without some food to hold on to? This week Nina from Törtchen - Made in Berlin made chickpeas. Not German but delicious.

Despite being landlocked, Berlin is a pretty watery city, with the river Spree and the Landwehrkanal winding their way through the capital. As I am searching for the Top 5 outdoor activities in Berlin, I decided to take advantage of this fact and went stand up paddling (SUP) with the StandUpClub Berlin. Stand up paddling is a mix between canoeing and surfing. In stand up paddle, you stand on a long board, like a surfer. But you propel it with a paddle, like a canoeist.

SUP originated in the 16th century in Polynesia. Polynesian fishermen would surf on canoes by Tahiti. In Hawaii it was used then in the 20th century by surf teachers to get quicker to the reefs.

With this debut of filmmaker Jan-Ole Gerster you can most definitely upgrade your movie night. A Coffee in Berlin was shot in black&white and paints a day in the life of Niko, a college student dropout going nowhere fast. He lives for the moment as he drifts through the streets of Berlin. Then on one day: his girlfriend rebuffs him, his father cuts off his allowance, and a strange psychiatrist dubiously confirms his 'emotional imbalance'.

Sometimes you feel lost in Berlin, as a Berliner I know what I am talking about. This movie manages to capture this feeling in an honest but humoristic way. Nina from Törtchen - Made in Berlin  and I recently watched it again, while eating some delicious snacks, like honey roasted cashews. Getting hungry? Don't worry, here is the recipe.

Until the 27th of August I highly recommend to visit the "Born in The Purple" in the Kunstquartier Bethanien in Kreuzberg. The admission is free and they are open daily from 11-20h.

"Born in The Purple" is an interdisciplinary exhibition project by Berlin–Istanbul– based artist Viron Erol Vert that revolves around global urgencies including cultural supremacy, identitarian abuse and basic human rights. Vert shows 12 newly produced artistic positions in the exhibition.

OPEN SKY YOGA

Every Sunday at 9 am and Wednesday at 10 am Anna and Sünne give Open Sky Yoga classes by the pool of the Haubentaucher, before it’s open the doors to the public. So don't forget the bikini and bathers.

Looking into the sky while holding a pose and breathing mindful while listening to the water - 75 min of Vinyasa Yoga will give you the perfect start in the day. Yoga is a powerful path to freedom of mind and body. At Open Sky Yoga you will be guided along this way.

While all of our favorite TV shows have a break in the summer, Nina from Törtchen - Made in Berlin and I are watching our favorite movies. And what’s better than a movie? A movie night with friends, of course!

Last Sunday Nina and I started the series of Top 5 movies and snacks for the perfect movie night. If you miss Berlin and are located somewhere else, I have good news, all the movies I recommend were shot in Berlin and Nina will give you a delicious German snack recipe for your perfect movie night.

Alan Watts once described a wonderful analogy for life. People often think of life by analogy of a journey, which has a serious purpose at the end. As when you travel you want to get somewhere. But maybe life is more a musical thing and we are supposed to sing and dance, while the music is being played. The aim of music is not to make the end of a composition. The point is the composition. Because if so, the winner would be who played fastest. Same way with dancing. You don’t aim at a particular spot in the room, because that`s where you will arrive. The whole point of the dancing is the dance.

Aaaand Action!

The next five blog post will be revealing, how you can upgrade your movie night. First of all, Törtchen - Made in Berlin will give you recipes for 5 snacks and I additionally will give you my Top 5 films for the perfect movie night.

As I am blogging about Berlin and publishing travel guides named BertaBerlin, I will only select movies which were filmed in Berlin. To create a arc of suspense, I will start from the very end of my Top 5.

Berlin is always one of the best gay travelers’ destination, but it’s not always easy to find the queer pulse in the German capital. Luckily travel writer Berta Heide (me) and Adam Groffman from TravelsofAdam.com did publish a very effective and easy-to-use QueerBerlin map. And here I give you 11 queer lovely spots in Berlin.

Other Nature

Self-described as a “feminist, queer-oriented, eco-friendly, vegan sex shop” Other Nature is a friendly and approachable sex shop with a variety of products. Stop in to browse their LGBT library (they also sell the QueerBerlin map) and take advantage of their free tea.

BERLIN, GERMANY — In advance of Berlin’s annual gay pride march (Christopher Street Day), award-winning gay travel writer Adam Groffman from TravelsofAdam.com and travel guide publisher Berta Luise Heide from walk-this-way.net published a QueerBerlin map. The travel guide (retail price: 5€) features recommended LGBT-friendly museums, shops, sights, restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs and more.

One of the best things about studying in the Full Stack Web Development program at SPICED Academy is its location, Berlin. There’s something for everyone in this big, beautiful city and to tell us all about it, SPICED recently invited Berta to conduct an interactive Intro to Berlin workshop for their brand new cohort of international students!

The workshop started with an interactive exercise on "what is a popular stereotype of Germany or your own country?". It was fun to listen to different perspectives from students and also learn a something about where they’re from.

When you read my blog you might assume that I studied gastronomy rather than philosophy. I know. But recently I visited the exhibition of Bernd Kolb, which made me think about philosophy again, especially the question: Who and what am I? This is the central theme of the BRAHMAN exhibition.

Bernd Kolb published special snapshots in his illustrated books ATMAN and BRAHMAN. The exhibition ATMAN 2016 in Berlin has already inspired many visitors and since June 2017 the Malzfabrik hosts another BRAHMAN exhibition.

You think city maps are outdated? You must be kidding: completely offline tourists and Berliners are lead to (secret) spots in Neukölln and soon in Kreuzberg with BertaBerlin treasure map in their hand.

When you think you have seen it all you should give BertaBerlin a try. With love for detail, Berta Heide has explored the Neukölln district and created a beautifully designed city map. 

Let us guide you
through Berlin

As an artist and a passionate explorer Leen fell in love with Berlin the first time she visited in 2003. She finally moved here from England in 2009, and has made it her home. Her first job here was as a tourguide of the city, which she have been doing since. It keeps her exploring and discovering - Berlin doesn’t let you get bored.

However her main focus has been the Arts, mainly working as an Artistic Director and Curator with various projects and spaces. A project that she started up and co-directed for a few years was US, a performative project exploring the diversity in gender and sexuality.

Still a hidden gem of Neukölln

I have walked along May am Ufer many times, but since entering this restaurant I have become a regular.

The restaurant, which Conny tenderly calls MAY, always has a relaxed atmosphere. Most of the guests live around the corner in Neukölln and stop by May am Ufer because they love the food and, of course, the wine and beer on tap. My favorite red wine is Nero d’Avola. Besides the food the restaurant is really nice to sit down and get a sense of Neukölln, as the audience is a cultural mix of international guests and established Berliners. Thomas and Conny cook everything fresh, offering vegetables mostly from local farmers and, as mentioned before, grandiose wine.

From the climbing hall up to the climbing tower, Berlin climbing fans do not have to go travel to the Alps to get their fix. Rain or shine, you can always find a climbing or bouldering spot in Berlin. Today I will give away the best climbing and bouldering spots of Berlin.

1. Bunker in Mitte

The bunker in Humboldthain was not completely destroyed due to its proximity to the city railway, so the northwest side was preserved and meanwhile became a mecca for climbers. All routes are technically demanding, finger-heavy and will keep the interest of ambitious climbers. Off it goes with 6 + UIAA grade.

Der Bunker

Volkspark Humboldthain

Brunnenstraße

13357 Berlin

U8, S1, S2, S25, S41, S42 Gesundbrunnen

In Berlin, you often find skateparks and skate spots where you least expect them.

For skateboarders, the city is not just a place to live, but a sprawling playground to skate all kinds of different, seemingly random spots. Of course, skateparks are also a social hub: a welcome place to skate, meet friends and let the good times roll.

For people without a home - things we take for granted - become a struggle. With the homeless, the perspective changes: Streets, parks and places become everyday living space. As a privileged person who can travel the world and live in Berlin, I am very grateful for my life and do not take everything for granted. Uwe, Klaus and Dieter guide you through Berlin, and let you discover new details about the city.

The three querstadtein tours focus on another perception of Berlin. Former homeless guide you through their neighborhood and inform you about homelessness to impart delicate subjects in a light way. I absolutely recommend you to visit one of their monthly tours. Here is an overview:

I would especially recommend a trip to Potsdam this Saturday since it seems the sun may make a grand return. Here you find some suggestions.

Potsdam is best known for its impressive palaces, castles and parks, which were the residence of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser, until 1918.

You will find great architect out of pomp and splendour. As Potsdam offers a breathtaking panorama of history, I would like to invite and show you a unique way of getting to know one of Europe's most splendid royal cities, close by Berlin.

If you play once,
you always play

Escape Berlin is the biggest live Escape Game of Europe. True to the motto Think BIG their scenarios are played well-spaced and faithfully. To look behind the scenes, I asked Christoph, the cofounder of Escape Berlin, a few questions.

For even more infos about Escape Berlin you can check their website: www.Escape-Game.org.

Finally the 67th Berlinale is coming: 9th of February until the 19th of February Berlin will be topsy-turvy, as bystanders and movie stars from all over the world are visiting the city.

But the Berlinale is not only about movie stars, it’s about small stories on big screens. The best thing to do is, to check out the films in Competition. Blockbusters you can always catch in regular rotation during the year.

Now here are some tips, how you can score tickets for the Berlinale with the least amount of frustration.

There are as many city guides and folding maps for Berlin as there are drug dealers in Görlitzer Park. Not only will you often find the same information, but as a tourist or even Berlin newbie you are overwhelmed by the quantity of options, distances in between and, in general, left wondering: How can I find out what I will like if all the reviews on Google and Yelp are similar?

Berta Luise Heide has elegantly solved all these problems with her Pocket Guides BertaBerlin: As a Berliner and "Auskennerin" she takes visitors by the hand and guides them, with her folding map, to the places she herself likes to go – hidden jewels included. Therefore, she suggests three different city walks through Berlin, which combine sightseeing, restaurants, cafes and shopping options. Perfect for anybody who is in town only briefly or recently arrived.

Berliner

Celebrating New Year, or Silvester, as its known in Germany, means to eat a lot of jelly donuts a.k.a. Berliner. If you want to bring some German flair into your house, you have to watch a British comedy sketch called Dinner for One, while eating the jelly donuts.

Feuerzangenbowle

Among the many drinks which I might consume on New Year, Feuerzangenbowle is my favorite. For Feuerzangenbowle you have to heat up wine with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Then put a conical piece of sugar soaked in rum above the wine and lit it. The sugar caramelizes and melts into the hot wine, creating a drink which is not only delicious but exciting to watch in the making. Nevertheless, midnight is celebrated with a glass of sparkling wine in Berlin.