Berlin snow is never virginal for long. Gathering coal dust on its decent it often boasts a yellowy hue long before hitting the ground. But adaptable as only city folk are, we have come to value the many shades of Berlin snow as white, bright white – with an afterglow. So when it falls and before it’s had time to dissolve into a slush of tyre tracks, dogs’ dinners and gravel, here is were to go and legally enjoy the fluffy, toboggany whiteness of winter:

http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/umwelt/stadtgruen/gruenanlagen/de/
nutzungsmoeglichkeiten/rodeln/index.shtml

Note: There’s a place in Berlin called Coca-cola hill!

regardless of how many gears it has…. how much it cost you to buy… it’s size or it’s colour…….. nobody cares!! Cycling is by far the best means of transport around Berlin. Get to one of the flea markets or second hand bike shops, or even haggling with a tramp on the streets (who had blatantly stole it 3 minutes earlier, my friend paid €9) and begin to explore the streets of Berlin.

However… let the tramp story be of lesson to you, also buy a lock!

Happy riding….

On September 28, 2008, taking place the 35th real,- BERLIN-MARATHON. The BERLIN MARATHON means a lot more than just running the same 42,195 kilometres together with the fastest athletes in the world, however. Over 40,000 athletes beat the city-course, on the fastest marathon course in the world. A million spectators cheered on the heros. The whole city celebrate this party with more than 70 live bands.
With Boston, London, Chicago and New York the BERLIN-MARATHON is a event of the World Marathon Majors.
… and I will run my 7th BERLIN-MARATHON.

real,- BERLIN-MARATHON
World Marathon Majors

The Badeschiff (in English, “bathing ship”) is an old barge or cargo container that has been converted into a public swimming pool. Designed by Berlin artist Susanne Lorenz, the Spree swimming pool was fashioned out of a shallow river cargo container. It’s a rectangle, 32.5 meters (yards) long by 8.2 meters (yards) wide and just over two meters (six feet) deep.

The ship’s filled with 400,000 liters (105,668 gallons) of fresh water that’s been slightly chlorinated. The water is heated to a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit). The pool has been filled so that its water level is almost even with the pool’s edge, which itself is 70 centimeters (28 inches) above the surface of the river.

Beached on the shoreline in the East Harbour section of the River Spree, the Badeschiff invites  people to swim in a safe and really extraordinary environment. It is open to the public daily from 8am to midnight. Disc jockeys commonly spin records outside the pool entrance where there is also a bar.

From November to March the Badeschiff will be converted as sauna with a wonderful view over the frozen river.

http://www.arena-berlin.de/badeschiff.aspx

arena Berlin / Eichenstraße 4 / 12435 Berlin / Tel: 030.533 20 30

If you have been to Berlin before I guess you have visited or heard of Dr Pong. You can find it in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg at Eberswalder Strasse 21. Grab yourself a bat from behind the bar and join in the killer ping pong. A great place to exercise your arm before painting the town red. Cheap beer, live DJs, and occasionally sports events are screened on a projector. Even if you haven’t made any arrangements for the nights antics ahead, its a good place to go and socialize to find out whats going on in Berlin.

opening times: mo-sa 20:00-open end, sun 14:00-open end

Look it up on google maps

Go for a lunch row in a red boat in spring and summer! Next to the Cafe am Neuen See these oldschool vessels can be hired. Punt along the meandering lakes in the central park after you got yourself a picnic at the packed out cafe/biegarten to take with you on your most relaxing lunch break. In late Autumn the hiring place shuts down, but the lakes are quite quickly safe to ice-skate on when the winter is harsh enough. With a flask of mould wine and some friends its a good start into a fun weekend.

If you are a swimmer, or a runner, or a cyclist, or all of it - let’s say a triathlet - then there is a perfect tour for you: bike to Wandlitz, run around the Liepnitzsee and at the end take a wonderful swim. (Ok, and then get back to Berlin). If you swim around the island in the middle it will be a good training distance of 3,5 km. You can as well stop at the island and take a sunbath, that’s one of the few hidden places at Liepnitzsee that is not totally covered by trees (and shade). If you want to get there by car, go up north (A11) to reach the lake.

When this photo was taken, we stood there soaking wet. A thunderstorm had just passed, that had made it far too dangerous to be in the water. The light and the haze made up an exotic Amazonas atmosphere while there was no sound except dripping rain from trees and a distant thunder.