Berlin event weekends: what to do between sessions

History on every corner, from the Wall to Museum Island, plus lakes, beer gardens and a famous nightlife.

Events we cover in Berlin

Arriving

Berlin Brandenburg (BER) has FEX and regional trains to the Hauptbahnhof in 30 minutes; buy an ABC ticket.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Generator Berlin Mitte
• Mid-range: Motel One Berlin-Hauptbahnhof
• Splurge: Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Markthalle Neun Street Food Thursday in Kreuzberg
• Curry 36 Currywurst
• Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap Famous vegetable kebab; queue
• Katz Orange Slow-roasted pork in an old brewery
• Café Einstein Viennese coffee house

With kids

• Berlin Zoo and Aquarium.
• German Museum of Technology.
• Legoland Discovery Centre.

Rainy-day backups

• Pergamon complex and the museums on Museum Island.
• DDR Museum.
• Jewish Museum.

Free things to do

• East Side Gallery.
• Tiergarten and the Brandenburg Gate.
• Tempelhofer Feld, the old airport park.

Getting around

• U-Bahn and S-Bahn run all night on weekends. Buy AB tickets for the city, ABC for the airport and Potsdam.
• The Olympiastadion has its own S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations.
• Deutsche Bahn ICE trains link the big cities; the Deutschlandticket covers all local and regional transport for a monthly fee.
• Trade fair and event tickets often include free local transport: check yours.