Berlin on a Budget
Berlin
is freezing in winter, but that doesn't mean that there is
nothing to do, or that you have to spend your week's budget on one
trip out just because it is no longer the weather to take a free trip
to the lakes or visit festivals in the parks. We've compiled a list
of 20 more or less off the beaten track activities which you can do
around the city in the coming months – for a total of under 20
euros. They are split into categories so everyone can find something right up your street....enjoy!
Classic sightseeing:
1.
Take
the bus line 100 all the way around Berlin.
As
a regular bus, you won‘t automatically receive
an
audio guide for this;
however, you can download one online before you start from here:
https://soundcloud.com/100er-bus-tour
! This 60 minute journey from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz
will show you many of the cities main attractions. You can check out
the
route it takes here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCN6JWiwNeQ
Location:
Zoologischer Garten bus station
Cost:
free, assuming you have a travel ticket (0€ total)
2.
Visit
the Reichstag for free
You‘ll
need to book it in advance - and don‘t forget to bring ID with you-
but the German Parliament building is free to visit and from the top
of the Reichstag dome you have a brilliant view over
the city. Most people I've spoken too don't realise that this is
completely free, it just requires a little advance planning!
Location:
Platz der Republik 1
Cost:
free (0€
total)
Culture:
3.
Lunch
concert at the Philharmonie
Every
Tuesday 1pm the philharmonie puts on a completely free concert. Get
there with plenty of time to guarantee a seat, but as long as you do,
it really is a great start
to the afternoon and very relaxing. Find out more info here:
https://www.berliner- philharmoniker.de/konzerte/lunchkonzerte/
Location:
Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1
Price:
0€ (0€
total)
4.
Visit ‚Wir waren Nachbarn‘
Wir
waren Nachbarn, or 'We were neighbours' is a highly underated, moving
exhibition in Schöneberg. It has detailled files on the fate of
individuals and Jewish families in the Schöneberg area during and
following the second world war. You could spend a whole afternoon
reading through the folders here, even if museums aren't typically
your thing.
Location:
John F. Kennedy Platz 1
Cost:
0€ (0€ total)
5.Urban
Nation: Museum for Urban Contemporary Art
Tuesdays
through to Sundays between 10am and 6pm you can take a trip to the
Museum for Urban Contemporary Art in Schöneberg, which only just
opened in September '17. Watch the video below of an interview with the artists
behind the work on display there to gain a better understanding of
what the museum offers.
Location:
Bülowstraße 7, Schöneberg
Price:
0€ (0€ total)
Sports:
6. Sledging at Teufelsberg
Get
your sledge out (ok ok, I‘m not sure everyone has a sledge lying
around, but
Location:
Teufelsberg
Cost:
o€ (0€ total!)
Have
you tried bouldering yet? It is just so Berlin.
A variation of climbing but with lower walls and an option for people
of all abilities, have a go at Der Kegel (close to Warschauerstraße
station) and you won‘t break the bank or any bones, but you may
find a sport you really enjoy!
Location:
Revaler Str. 99
Price:
go before 3pm and it costs only 4€! (4€
total)
8. Go IceskatingIce-skating is one of the most conventional and compulsory winter time activities I can think of, and it is pretty easy to do in Berlin. At Eisbahn Lankwitz, on Saturdays between 19:30 and 21:30 in the evening entry is only 2€, with an additional 2€ charge for shoes, making only a 2€ total if you have your own skates – not bad for an evening‘s activities.
Location:
Leonorenstraße 37
Price:
2€ (6€
total)
City views:
9.
Take
a trip up Park Inn
Everyone
is aware that you can take a trip up the TV tower; however, a cheaper
and far less known option with a beautiful view is to
go up the Park Inn, just a few metres away in Alexanderplatz.
Location:
Alexanderplatz 7
Cost:
4€ (10€ total)
10.
Viktoriapark:
the waterfall and the view.
One
of the best views for free in the city comes at the top of
Viktoriapark‘s stunning waterfall.
Location:
Viktoriapark!
Price:
0€ (Total 10€)
Christmas:
11.
Get
a winter club mate from a Späti
The
popular Berlin drink comes in a Winter
edition,
spiced with cinnammon, star anise and cardamom. Put simply, it tastes
like Berlin and Christmas, but you don‘t need us to tell you that –
try it out yourself!
Location:
your local späti!
Price:
1.50€ (Total 11.50€)
12.
Visit a Christmas market
You
don't need to buy anything necessarily, although
a Glühwein is always a good idea, but
they are very pretty to walk around - particularly at Gendarmenmarkt,
although this will set you back a whole euro. Most of them however,
like at Alexanderplatz, are free and are sure to get you in a
christmassy mood.
Location:
all around Berlin!
Price:
0€ (11.50€ total)
13.
Visit Käthe Wohlfahrt!
There
is no way to get into the Christmas mood better than this. Seriously.
Käthe Wohlfahrt is a beautiful christmas shop with 450 square meters
of traditional Christmas products of all kinds – even if you don‘t
buy a thing, it is quite spectacular to see.
Location:
Kurfürstendamm 225-226
Cost:
0€ (11.50€ total)
Evening
activities:
14. Get your Karaoke game on at Monster Ronson’s Ichiban Karaoke
I
think Karaoke doesn‘t need too much explaining! If you‘d rather
have a private room for karaoke than to sing and dance in a public
group, this is the way to go. Turn up early to ensure your group gets
a room and sing away for only 2€ per person if you‘re in a group
of six.
Location:
Warschauer Straße 34.
Price:
2€ per person per hour. (13.50€ total)
15.
Dance
away at Clärchen‘s Ballhaus
Opened
over a 100 years ago, Clärchen‘s Ballhaus in Mitte is still a
popular venue, with dance
evenings taking place almost every evening- they even offer dance
classes. Take a look online to see what‘s going on and pop in:
http://www.ballhaus.de/de/startseite.html
Location:
Auguststraße 2
Cost:
free (13.50€ total)
16. Silents at Midnight
At
Babylon Kino, Saturday night screenings of classic silent movies are
accompanied by live organ recitals, for free. Even if you‘re not
generally a fan of silent films, this is a great thing to experience
at least once during your stay- so relaxing! Book online to guarantee
your free entry. (Silent films may not be the best for practicing
your German though!)
Location:
Rosa-Luxemburg Straße 30.
Price:
Free! (13.50€ total)
Other:
17.
Leila – All Sharing Shop
Okay,
so this
doesn‘t really sound like a thing ‚to do‘, but it can enable
you to do things, so it counts! The
membership
costs
only 1
to 3 euros for an entire month, and
then if
you donate items to be borrowed,
you
can also
borrow
any items
as long as you bring them back in the same condition they were in
when you were lent them. Find more info here:
www.leila-berlin.de
Location:
Fehrbelliner Straße 92 / 10119 Berlin
Cost:
0€ (13.50€ total)
18.
Head to the Ritter
Sport shop
Actually
the Ritter Sport
‚museum‘ but,
well, it is
not exactly a museum. It is very
small,
but that‘s okay, because it is the shop
and cafe
I‘d
really recommend.
You can buy
all kinds of flavours here which are not sold anywhere else. You
can also
design your own bar of chocolate here.
Unlike most of these tourist
friendly places,
it is not overpriced – bars cost 1€ in general. Lets say you pick
up a couple of bars for a 2€ total.
Location:
Französische Straße 24
Cost:
2€ (15.50€
total)
This
is probably one you haven‘t heard of before. In the Radisson hotel
there is a large Aquadom which you can view from the bar for free.
You have to pay to take the lift which goes through the center of the
tank, but if you just want to sit and observe from the bar- lets say
spending 3€ on a drink - there is a relaxed atmosphere and it‘s
interesting to observe. The AquaDom is the largest of its kind in the
world, so it is worth viewing!
Location:
Spandauer Str. 3, 10178 Berlin
Price:
3€ (18.50€ total)
20.
Snap
some photos inside a Photoautomat
You
might have noticed that dotted around the city are retro
photomachines. If you‘re travelling around with a friend,
they provide the perfect momento of your travels at 2€ for a strip!
You can split the photo strip in two so you each have a little
souvenir.
Location:
All around Berlin!
Cost:
1€ per person
(19.50€
total)
TOTAL: 19.50€
Just a note regarding #6 Teufelsberg.
ReplyDeleteWhile sledging is free, the photo you have is of the former NSA facility, which is not free. Last time I walked past (Spring 2017), the entry price was €8. The hill there is probably great for sledging. But, wrap up a warm!
Hi acutia, thanks a lot for the comment. The listening post at the peak of "Teufelsberg" isn't free to visit. Sadly we didn't have any photo of the slopes to go on with the article.
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