Think you know Berlin? Well there’s way more to the German capital than meets the eye. We all already know...
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So you’ve landed in Edinburgh, dropped your bag at the hostel, and you’re ready for a pr...
Think you know Berlin? Well there’s way more to the German capital than meets the eye. We all already know it’s one of Europe’s coolest party cities, but we bet you didn’t know about these quirky fun facts. Check them out – you’ll be itching for a trip to Berlin by the time you get to the end. If you need some budget accommodation in Berlin, look no further as our hostel is right in the heart of Berlin's Mitte District (the city's most central area), just a short walk from the iconic TV Tower.
Looking for somewhere fun and affordable to stay in Berlin? Check out our
in Mitte and Alexanderplatz
1. THERE ARE ENOUGH MUSEUMS TO ENTERTAIN EVERY RAINY DAY
Berlin is one of Europe’s cultural capitals, so it comes as no surprise that the city is filled to the brim with museums. There are 180 of them to be exact, and with an average of 106 rainy days per year in Berlin, that’s PLENTY of museums to fill every soggy day!
2. BERLIN IS HOME TO THE WORLD’S LONGEST BEER GARDEN
The first weekend of August marks Berlin’s International Beer Festival – a fact you probably could’ve guessed as beer, Berlin and festivals were pretty much made for each other. However, were you aware that this humongous German street fest is also known as the world’s longest beer garden? From 3rd to 5th August head over to the 2.2 kilometre stretch that runs along Karl-Marx-Allee, to drink from 340 beer-infused stalls and witness boozy locals partying to live music in traditional lederhosen.
3. YOU CAN BASE FLY OVER ALEXANDERPLATZ
Yup, base flying in the middle of built up Berlin. 125m above Alexanderplatz at the top of the Park Inn you can take in some awesome views of the German capital, or you can choose to free-fall your way down! Opt to do it in daylight or when the sun sets and Berlin’s skyline glows in the night.
4. BERLIN IS 9 TIMES THE SIZE OF PARIS
Berlin is nine times the size of Paris but with a waaaay smaller population which is why it seems so spacious and airy.
5. THE GRAFFITI IS AWESOME, BUT IT COSTS THE CITY €35 MILLION A YEAR
Over €35 million is spent every year on cleaning up Berlin’s crazy amount of graffiti (we like to call it street art). Yet as if by magic, it reappears without fail year on year… Mysterious.
6. THINK VENICE HAS A LOT OF WATERWAYS? BERLIN HAS MORE
People tend to assume Venice or Amsterdam would have the most in Europe but Berlin trumps them both with over 180 kilometres of navigable waterways. In fact, it’s said that the city has more of them than Amsterdam, Venice and Stockholm COMBINED!
7. THE WORLD BENEATH BERLIN IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK…
About 40% of Berlin lies beneath your battered shoes, making it almost twice the size it appears to be from the surface. The underground world of Berlin consists of a complex railway network, a vast network of bunkers and escape tunnels from World War II, sewers and brewery cellars (yup, there’s enough underground beer to be mentioned on this list).
There’s so much under there that they’ve now opened up a lot of the underground WWII bunkers to tourists including some of the Nazis secret tunnels and living areas.
Want to discover underground Paris? See our guide on
8. 70 MILLION CURRYWURST ARE EATEN EACH YEAR
Don’t get us wrong, we loooove currywurst as much as your average Berliner, but 70 million a year?! That’s a lot of curried sausage.
9. FEELING THE SUMMER HEAT? TAKE A DIP IN A LAKE
Berlin is surrounded by stunning lakes and unlike a lot of the time in Europe, you’re allowed to swim in them. Of course all the locals are in-the-know here, but visitors tend to miss out on this tip for a hot summer’s day.!
The city’s largest lake Muggelsee is a little out of the city centre but its pretty woodland walks down to the sandy edge make it worth the extra effort. Krumme Lake, just by Grunewald Forest, is another good one and definitely a contender for the most idyllic lake in Berlin.
10. THERE ARE 1,000 WAYS TO BUY CHEAP BEER AT ALL HOURS
Berlin is home to 1,000 Spätis (late night stores), so we all live safely in the knowledge that our saviour lies just around the next corner…
11. BERLIN IS HOME TO THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORE IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE
Calling all shopaholics… Kaufhaus des Westens, or KaDeWe as it is more often known, can satisfy all of your shopping needs and more! The store covers over 60,000 square meters of display space which is spread over 8 floors. Is this what dreams are made of?
