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Tired of people telling you to go to Museum Island? Jessica Dorrance recommends 10 eccentric activities the guidebooks won’t tell you about. 1. Spreepark, an Amusement Park in Decay Toppled dinosaur statues that look like they’ve been lifted from the set of Jurassic Park. A 15-meter, multicolored Ferris wheel with nobody riding on it. Derailed go-carts painted to look like moustachioed men sitting among weeds and underbrush. This eerie yet poetic setting is all a part of the run-down, abandoned grounds of Spreepark – East Germany's only permanent amusement park. Formerly known as Kulturpark Plänterwald, the amusement park, hidden in the depths of Treptower Park, was opened in 1969. At the time, its main attraction was the famously tall Ferris wheel of Berlin. Legendary performers from all over the Eastern Bloc, such as rock singer Nina Hagen, performed there and the park attracted up to 1.7 million visitors per year. After reunification, however, the park’s fate became somewhat more troubled. Under the ownership of Norbert Witte, the park reopened as the Spreepark in 1991. Over the next decade, Witte’s company gradually accumulated millions of dollars of debt and, in 2001, the company declared itself insolvent. Witte was subsequently arrested for trying to smuggle millions of dollars of cocaine from Peru to Germany in the masts of one of his “flying carpet” rides. The fate of the park is currently up in the air, although recent increased security (fence-jumpers beware: there are dogs) has sparked speculation about the owner’s plans. Part of the problem is that prospective investors would have to assume about 15 million dollars of debt. Nevertheless, passersby can still enjoy the site’s plenitude of magical oddities – for free. Address: Public transport: Website:
2. The Bears of Köllnischer Park Lurking in the shadows of Knutmania are Schnute and Maxi: Berlin’s little known “official” city bears. These living mascots, to the dismay of many animal rights activists, are lodged in a small, open-air bear bit (Bärenzwinger) in the middle of Köllnischer Park, in the city’s historical center. Wedged between a kids’ playground and the Märkisches Museum, the shaggy pair wander around their green and rocky home, as captivated children and visitors snap pictures and try and get a better view of the furry inhabitants. This bizarre tradition began in 1937, on Germany’s 700th anniversary, when four bears were presented to the city to celebrate Berlin’s close connection with the animal: Bears have been on Berlin’s city seal since 1280. Throughout the years, Berlin’s living symbols had to endure a great deal. Allied bombing during World War II heavily damaged the bear pit, killing all but one of the bears. Later, one particularly fertile representative, Jette, bore 33 cubs before earning her retirement in the Tierpark. Now, however, the bears live a less threatened existence. There is even an official association, Bärenfreunde Berlin (Friends of the Bears in Berlin), that is dedicated to their history and well being. Address: Public transport: Website:
3. Badeschiff: One of Berlin’s most unusual swimming pools, the Badeschiff (bathing ship) is part art project, part contemporary solution to living in a polluted urban center. Originally conceived by local artist Susanne Lorenz and made out of an old river cargo container, the Badeschiff floats atop Berlin’s long-neglected and unswimmable River Spree. In the summer, the pool is completely uncovered, creating a mini-oasis of clean, cool water that puts swimmers almost eye-level with the Spree. DJs spin tunes as people frequent the open-air bar and hang out on the wooden boardwalks. The peak of Badeschiff’s bizarreness, however, is definitely in the winter. Thanks to the designs of architect Gil Wilk, the pool is turned into an indoor health complex covered by three translucent shells. Berliners can seek refuge from the cold in the Winter Badeschiff’s two saunas, lounging area with deck chairs and heated pool. Those especially brave souls (or Canadians) can even duck out under the pool’s hanging flaps and swim a little outside, catching a view of the Berlin skyline. Non-Germans be warned: German sauna culture demands full nudity and the staff are strict about it. Address: Public transport: Website:
4. UFOs in Berlin: The Futuro House Off-the-beaten path architectural buffs will delight in catching a glimpse of Berlin's only UFO, more accurately known as one of the world's 96 Futuro Houses. The brainchild of Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, the Futuro house was designed in 1968 – at a moment when the belief in the transformative power of technology combined with a fascination in outer space and an increase of leisure time. The result was the Futuro house: a prefabricated, mass-produced flying saucer living complex for the future, which could even be delivered right to your home via helicopter. The Futuro houses became a brief international phenomenon. Playboy magazine featured a Futuro as a bachelor pad in a photo layout. And The New York Times on the day of the first moon landing announced the Futuro’s arrival in America. However, the Futuro dream came to an end by the mid 1970s, when the Oil Crisis shot the price of the house, made out of polyester plastic and fiberglass, up too high for the average buyer. Berlin's Futuro, the 13th, is currently a private house. However, interested visitors can gaze at it from across the Spree or can hop on one of Berlin's few public ferries to get a closer look. Address: Public transport:
5. Squat movies According to American journalist Robert Neuwirth, there are one billion squatters across the globe, or roughly one in seven people. Some of them, evidently, are film buffs, and Berlin is home to quite a few squats that regularly host film screenings. While some are fairly underground, there are others that are more open to strangers. In Kreuzberg, the punk squat KØPI 137 hosts movies every Monday and Thursday night. New Yorck 59, in Bethanien Haus, hosts Latino Kino on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, as well as some other unannounced nights. In Friedrichshain, the old punk haunt Filmrisz hosts free screenings on Wednesdays and Sundays, although most of the films are dubbed into German. Whether you want to catch a film on the cheap or are interested in squat culture, these events are definitely worth checking out. A good place to start looking for listings is http://www.stressfaktor.squat.net/, a site that lists events for alternative and leftwing culture. Addresses and Public Transport: Websites:
6. Soviet War Memorial The Soviet War Memorial, sometimes translated as the Soviet Cenotaph, is a spectacular sight for its size and scale. Nestled away in Treptower Park, the memorial envelops visitors in its sheer, stark grandiosity: an entrance flanked by two 15-meter high triangular forms in red granite; a square, 200 meters long and 100 meters wide, with 16 stone sarcophagi on either side that depict military scenes and quotes from Joseph Stalin; and finally, a 12-meter tall monument of a strapping Russian soldier holding a hulking blade in one hand and a child in the other, while standing over a broken swastika. The monument is at once a gift from Stalin to the fallen soldiers and their families and a reminder to East Germans who liberated them from the Nazis. Designed by Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky and built between 1946 and 1949, the Soviet War Memorial was the central war memorial of East Germany. It commemorates the 20,000 Soviet soldiers that died in the Battle of Berlin from April to May 1945. The memorial sill serves as a living memorial for Red Army veterans, who regularly hold ceremonies at the site. Address: Public Transport:
7. Guerrilla dining: The Shy Chef In a cheeky reversal of room service, the newest trend in foodie culture is the so-called “underground” restaurant: famous chefs serve up multiple-course gourmet meals to lucky diners in the comfort of the chef’s own home. David Tanis and Randal Breski, of acclaimed culinary haven Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, recently opened up an “occasional eating club” Aux Chiens Lunatiques in their Latin Quarter Paris apartment. Meanwhile, fellow Paris-based expats Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian attract such guests as influential food blogger Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate & Zucchini to their weekly dinners at The Hidden Kitchen. Joining this prestigious cadre is Berlin’s own secret supper club: The Shy Chef. With a reservation-only policy, the Shy Chef creates five-course meals shared by strangers in her Kreuzberg apartment. Staying true to her chosen moniker, the Shy Chef publicizes little of her own biography. However, with dishes such as seared scallops on Jerusalem artichoke purée with crispy bacon and mint-cured fillet of lamb with goat’s cheese and salad, it’s hard to care about anything but her food. Address: Website:
8. Underground tours For those interested in taking a peek under Berlin streets, the non-profit Berliner Unterwelten society will lead you on a fascinating tour of Berlin’s extensive networks of subterranean architecture. Since 1997, the society has been working to open up Berlin’s hidden spaces and structures to the public. Their main tour takes place around the Gesundbrunnen train station, which is a gateway to a myriad of civilian shelters and bunker complexes used during the bombing campaigns in Berlin. Left untouched since the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the bunkers hint at the psychological and physical reality of living in Berlin during World War II. The concrete rooms are dank and claustrophobic. Storage rooms contain bunk beds, polyester jogging suits for 3,500 and several stacks of body bags. Bunkers were a key part of civilian life during the war: From 1940 to 1944, there were over 1,000 of bunkers in Berlin, often connected by underground tunnels. These tours will leave you wondering just what other worlds are sitting quietly beneath your feet. Address: Public transport: Website:
9. Urban Farming It was a glint of light that first inspired Detlev Zastrow to found an urban farm 30 years ago. Camping in Bavaria with some children, Zastrow was about to slaughter a sheep for dinner when suddenly, the rays of the sun landed on his knife. The flicker of light alerted the children to the sheep’s impending death and they protested it, eventually causing Zastrow to let the sheep loose. Back in the city, Zastrow wanted to create a forum for city children to get to know animals and forge a better understanding of the natural world. The result is a working farm that sits unassumingly in the middle of Kreuzberg, right across from the Berlinische Galerie. The farm’s main program revolves around its three horses, Stella, Max and Cici, which children belonging to the cooperative can ride and help care for, whenever they want. However, the farm also has a veritable menagerie of animals that children and others visit, including goats, turkeys, hens, pheasants, rabbits and ducks. The farm also has sheep – the first three of which were donated to the farm from the now-defunct Tempelhof airport, where they were being used to "mow" the grass. For a glimpse of agriculture amid a city of high culture, this is the spot. Address: Public transport: Website:
10. Tropical Islands As rainforests around the world are increasingly threatened, Malaysian entrepreneur Colin Au set out to build one of his own in an unlikely spot: the inside of an old airship hangar. Located in the desolate fields between Berlin and Dresden, where the Nazi Luftwaffe once trained pilots, the massive hangar was first built for a project that hoped to bring back the blimp and give a boost to the flagging eastern German economy. After the project’s demise, Au bought the hangar and converted it into the Edenic theme park now known as Tropical Islands. The artificial paradise is essentially a cross between a botanical garden and a public bathhouse, except on a much larger scale; the hangar is so huge the Statue of Liberty could stand upright under the complex’s lofted roofs and the Eiffel Tower could lie on its side and fit within its walls. On top of its lush rainforest, Tropical Islands boasts the world’s largest indoor water park, a tropical sea, a beach, a lagoon, a gourmet restaurant, music and dance shows and a spa and wellness center. For 12 euros, you can even camp overnight in one of their tents! Whether you’re a grumpy Berliner looking to escape the grey winters or a curious visitor looking to catch some rays, Tropical Island is guaranteed to tan away your gloom. Address: Public Transport: The Regionalbahn RB14 also runs hourly to Brand from Berlin Ostbahnhof, via Karlshorst and Königs Wusterhausen, or from Senftenberg via Lübben. From the railway station at Brand, a free shuttle bus to Tropical Islands leaves shortly after trains arrive. Website: Jessica Dorrance/Expatica
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