Berlin Favorite Tips by miromi

Karneval der Kulturen (end of May - Pfingsten) Events Review

Favorite thing: during the German holiday of Pfingsten Berlin is seized by multicultural madness and Kreuzberg takes over the entire city and makes it its own!

Fondest memory: this is really the best parade in Berlin, much more pleasant and exciting than the now extinct Love Parade. Thousands of beautiful people from all over Germany converge to shake booty and celebrate coming of spring and the bootyliciousness of every kind of music and dance known to man. This is really the only parade i've seen soca at in Berlin, and it's a wild but much less chaotic West Indian Day (New York City) or Nottingham hill carnival (London). Be careful because those hippie mommies are pretty ruthless about pushing you to the side so their mohawked kids can get a better look at the dragon dance.

online maps of berlin Useful Information Review

Favorite thing: http://www.stadtplandienst.de/

this is a useful site for finding locations anywhere in Germany. PLZ means postleitzahl, or zip code, and under ORT you would type the city, then under Straße the street name and number.

It's also especially useful because the maps are so comprehensive that they include bus lines and train stations.

free museum times Useful Information Review

Favorite thing: generally, most museums are free during the last 4 hours every thursday. this is generally from 2pm to 6pm, although some museums like the ones on the museum island (the alte national galerie) have free hours from 4pm to 8pm. the guggenheim berlin is free the last few hours (i think its after 6pm) on Mondays.

wolf down a fresh currywurst... Personal Memories and Impressions Review

Favorite thing: wolf down a fresh currywurst in the cold; dance until 9am (or longer) and stagger home wasted as the sun rises over the city (if there's sunlight at all :) ); go to schlager karaoke night; run away from American tourists; hang out on the sidewalk watching the cute German teenage boys strutting their stuff; have a beer in Friedrichshain on Rigaer Strasse and hit on the Italian punks; take a day trip to Turkey in Neuköln or Kreuzberg; spend all day in Görlitzer Park reading a book

Fondest memory: running around the Berlin science museum--it was one of my favorite museum experiences ever! especially the outdoor exhibits such as the windmills.