HOW TO DO IT
British Airways Holidays has city breaks
from London to Berlin from £128, including
return lights and two nights’ room-only
hotel accommodation. ba.com/holidaysBerlin Music Tours offers several itineraries
including the East-Berlin Music Walk, a
multi-media bus tour and artist-dedicated
walking tours including Bowie, Depeche
Mode and U2. From around €20 (£18) for
2-3hrs. musictours-berlin.comAlternative Berlin offers free daily street
art walking tours, meeting at the
Television Tower, Alexanderplatz.
alternativeberlin.comMORE INFO
Berlin: Imagine a City, by Rory MacLean
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson). RRP: £14.99.
Berlin, by Joseph Pearson (Reaktion Books).
RRP: £14.95.
visitberlin.de/en germany.travel/enSPLASHDOWN
Berlin’s winters are notoriously inclement but
its long, hot summers don’t get anywhere near
as much press. There are plenty of provisions
in place for coping with the heat, however,
and while the lakes outside the city may be
tempting, there are also a number of public
pools dotted around the centre. The most
famous is the Sommerbad Olympiastadion
(situated in the stadium that hosted the
1936 Olympic Games), which counts a
50m pool, children’s pool, diving boards and
waterslides among its facilities. Alternatively,
head to the banks of the Spree — but rather
than jumping into the somewhat polluted
waters, make your way to the Badeschif, a
loating pool set within a barge on the river.
arena.berlin/veranstaltungsort/badeschif
HAVING A BALL
Another of Berlin’s renovated institutions,
Clärchens Ballhaus ballroom has been around
since 1913. However, unlike many of the
surviving historic buildings in the city, this one
still delivers a version of its original function:
providing people with a space to dance.
While you’ll certainly ind some old-timers
two-stepping, new waves of dancers have
also started attending classes, helping the
old ballroom stay relevant. Concerts are held
here throughout the year, and there’s also a
restaurant — perfect for those who want to
come and have a look around without actually
dancing. ballhaus.de/en/startseite.htmlCREATIVE COMPLEX
Aesthetic plays a massive part in Berlin’s
standing as Europe’s trendiest city, and the
obeat compound RAW Gelände feels like
a culmination of all its coolest credentials.
Here, in a former train repair station, you’ll
ind a jumble of independent bars, day-and-
night clubs and galleries vying for attention,
all surrounded by a kaleidoscope of murals,
paintings and posters. There’s also an old
hangar that’s been converted into a skate park,
a bunker repurposed as a climbing wall and a
selection of outdoor photobooths. JLPhotobooth at RAW Gelände
BELOW: Dance teacher at
Clärchens Ballhaus
98 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
BERLIN