nuBerlin

the official party at Brandenburg Gate

Also this year Berlin will host one of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve parties. The event will take place downtown Berlin on an area over two kilometers long, between two renowned  landmarks: the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) and the Victory Column (Siegessäule).

With over a million visitors, dozends of artists, bands and DJs the New Year’s Eve Party downtown Berlin is one of the world’s largest events at the turn of the year in Europe – if not in the world.

This year’s programme features mostly german, but also some international live acts, such as Kim Wilde, Hot Chocolate, Jimi Jamison, Johnny Logan, Udo Jürgens, Andreas Bourani, Cassandra Steen, Culture Beat, DJ BoBo, Frida Gold, Marianne Rosenberg, Berlins Country/Western band The Boss Hoss and many more. Around midnight the Scorpions are expected to perform one of their very last gigs playing “Wind of Change” around midnight. Later DJ Ötzi and other DJs will spin records until early morning hours.

As this is Berlin you are of course alowed to drink alcohol – although you are not allowed to bring glas bottles. So you better be prepared and either bring that champaign in a plastic bottle, or buy your drinks at one of the many “bar booths” that will be located along the party corridor.

And additionally you should also not bring any fire works – there will be light and laser performances as well as spectacular midnight fireworks provided.

Admission is free – further information can be found on the party’s website in english:
www.silvester-in-berlin.de/EN

Kulturbrauerei Prenzlauer Berg

If you prefer to go clubbing on New Year’s Eve without having to travel a lot, you might want to concider an easy option: going to the former brewery “Kulturbrauerei” (“Culture Brewery”) in Prenzlauer Berg – which you might also call “the walled garden option”: some 15 Dancefloors, more than 30 DJs – and you just have to pay for one ticket. The huge court yard connects all the venues and around midnigh you can hang outside and watch the fireworks.

Admission is Euro 25,-
Further information can be found from the New Year’s Eve Party page of Kulturbrauerei:
www.silvester-kulturbrauerei.de

other party options

Of course there is other party options than going to the largest New Year’s Eve party in town or to the walled garden Kulturbrauerei – basically you can go where ever and be pretty sure, that there’ll be a party. But on the other hand this may also mean, that there’s probably more ‘party’ in the streets than you might expect — like youngsters shooting at each other with fireworks…

Or let’s put it this way: you may want to know in advance where you want to go (A) and where you have to go (B) and how to get from A to B and back – without getting too much oth other people’s fun in your way.. Walking down Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg around midnight might not be such a good idea, meeting at some friends’ appartment way before midnight might be a good one..=)

Party the Berlin way

Get started early, get going early – visit some good friends – eat some Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) and Würstchen (sausages). Some minutes before midnight you should grab a glas, a bottle of champagne and go into the street. But beware: around midnight there might be lots and lots of firecrackers and fireworks going off all around you – especially in certain areas..

Then you’re free to go party hopping – or clubbing – or both – or just stay a little longer wherever you are.

Conclusion

What ever you do, where ever you go – whatch you step and mind the gap!

Have blast! And a Happy New Year!

Today the 38th Berlin-Marathon is taking place – or actually it took place. For some runners the Marathon is already over, some others still have to rund a couple of kilometers before they can relax..

Patrick Makau from Kenia was first – again – and with just about two hours (2:03:38) he broke the world record. It seems the Berlin Marathon is becoming more and more one of the fastest Marathons. For Patrick Makau it is already the second time he wins in Berlin – also last year he came in first.

If you want to – or if you have to go through downtown Berlin today you’ll probably have to be a bit patient – vast areas of the city centre are closed. And the streets that are open might be packed. You should probably try to avoid the Marathon area – a map showing the route can be found on the event’s homepage:

www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/veranstaltung/start-ziel-strecke.html

And if you just want to see some photos of the even you may want to have a look at this photo page over at Tagesspiegel..:)

www.tagesspiegel.de/mediacenter/fotostrecken/sport/berlin-marathon-2011/…

As you might know: today 50 years ago, on August 13th, 1961 East German soldiers and workers began to build the Berlin Wall. For the Western World this came as a complete surprise. Not only had Walter Ulbricht, head of East Germany’s government in those days, only weeks before said “Nobody would intend to build any kind of wall or whatsoever.” Additionally it was almost a miracle how such a huge project could be kept so secret – and how it could actually then also get realized without much technical difficulties.

If you want to visit remains of the Berlin Wall and get to know more about the hole story, you may consider visiting the freshly expanded and re-opened Berlin Wall Memorial in Bernauer Strasse. There you’ll find not only some original Wall remains, but also an exhibition (free of admission) and a elevated platform that ofers a great view over the Berlin Wall memorial.

If the weather is fine you may also want to take a walk up the area, where the Berlin Wall used to be. Easiest would probably be to arrive at Nordbahnhof (by S-Bahn or Tram or Bus) and then walk up Bernauer Strasse towards Brunnen Strasse. On the way you’ll find many information poins, images, remains — and nowadays quite a number of other people..:)

If you have enough power left you may continue your walk all the way up to the park called Mauer Park — and if it’s Sunday, you’ll find a vast flea market area packed with all kinds of more or less typical Berlin thingies – and more or less typical Berlin people…:]