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!

Swabians do alright in Berlin, what with Tannenzäpfle beer and Maultaschen raviolis flooding bars and eateries everywhere. But what to do if you grew up in Hessen, have no regrets about leaving home but still fancy a good old Ahle Wurscht or a Stracke and a nice big glass of Apfelwein every once in a while. A wish easily fulfilled in Frankfurt, Kassel or Marburg, proves hard to come by in the capital of Germany. Apfelwein is not the same as cider; it tastes a bit stale, like apple juice mixed with mineral water and left in the sun for a day. Anyway, to get this fantastic drink in Berlin, you have to follow other Hessians’ word-of-mouth propaganda and so sometimes find yourself in the kind of bar you’d rather not be seen dead in. However, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up in Hubis where the proprietor will willingly mix you Apfelwein-colas all night long. The word is out and now that the Fichtekranz-Company is busy trying to turn “happy apples” Apfelwein into the new scene-drink it’ll soon be served in a bar near you! I’ve already lit a candle for their success. Meanwhile Strongbow is an okay alternative, rapidly growing popular in F’hain under the exotic banner of Irish Apple Beer (Zees Krazy Irlanders).

And moving swiftly from alcohol to its counterpart stodge: …a satisfactory Irish or English fry-up is even harder to find than a good Ahle Wurscht. There is a place on Grimmstraße which usually serves all the right ingredients with a little continental garnish of fresh red capsicum on the side. Apart from that I hear the Irish Pub on Erkelenzdamm is at last making a comeback under the name of Murray’s Bar. As for that nice supper of Grau Brot and Ahle Wurscht you can order it anywhere in Berlin – albeit by post, phone or online. But your best bet is to “befriend” some commuters from north Hessen and infiltrate the sausage trafficking scene. Incidentally, Ahle Wurscht translates as Alte Wurst which simply means old sausage. And Stracke means straight. So what you are waiting for during those long wintery homesick hours, is a loaf of grey bread and an old, straight sausage. 

www.nordhessische-ahle-wurscht.de
www.fichtekranz.de
www.murraysbar.de

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….

Southwest of Berlin’s city boarders, close to the town Groß Glienicke exists a place called „Waldsiedlung“. Despite the peaceful name and the romantic landscape, the 700.000 sqm area was once a military barrack in the Weimar Republic. During the Third Reich the barrack was expanded, and after 1945 was occupied by the soviet army. Even until 1989 it was used as a frontier-defence of the GDR. After the reunification the area was sold to a private property company and most of the buildings were demolished. Fortunately the so called Panzerhalle remained, and has been used for 10 years as an atelier and an exhibition place. The hall is huge, cold and drafty, but has a very special atmosphere especially in combination with the environmental forest, which is just beautiful; a stimulating contrast was created.
I visited the Panzerhalle for the first time in 2003 to see the exhibition „Blue Hall – market place Europe“. Artists from different european countries were invited to realise their idea of Europe, each one using a box of bananas. It was an amazing exhibition with funny as also sometimes provocative ideas. The Panzerhalle offered the ideal surroundings.

exhibit from „Blue Hall – Marktplatz Europa“

Last year the Panzerhalle was destroyed, but the people and the spirit, which created the Atelierhaus Panzerhalle still exist. The artists moved to another building belonging to the barrack Waldsiedlung, called now „Neues Atelierhaus Panzerhalle“. The artistic production continues and projects such as a sculpture garden are in preparation. It is a great advantage for Berlin and Brandenburg to have this place for cultural purposes, as so many different historical changes have taken place.

Lothar Seruset, Die Turnstunde

As a parent you always look for good alternatives towards noisy-crowed playgrounds - and I still discover places where you find some peace and quiet. Nature-Park Schöneberger Südgelände is a places like that.

Berlin itself is a green city, but the hinterland quite 30 min from the downtown is nature pure. Wide woods, lakes, meadows and heaths impress this country. This is the best place fror outdoor sports. A example is the great skate-region “Fläming-Skate”:
Fläming-Skate
You can find in the hinterland not only nature, also outstanding culture. The best example is Potsdam. This city was the culture centre of Prussia with many castle and parks.
Potsdam

Prior to the world of Playstations and the WWW, there were other means to entertain the children of Berlin. Set in the grounds of Treptow Park you can find the remains of Plänterwald Theme Park which closed in 2001. Travelling on the S Bahn in between Ostkreuz and Treptow Park looking down the river in the opposite direction to Alexanderplatz you can see the large Ferris Wheel. From the walkway close to the river you can inspect what is left of the dinosaurs and rollercoasters. Worth a visit any time of year by bicycle or foot, you can venture the whole perimeter fence and see the old entrance kiosks.

For further history about the park please click here: Spreepark - Wikipedia: After ‘02 story is quite entertaining!

Look it up on google maps

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.