Best Insider Tips for Berlin
If you are visiting the capital for the first time, you will simply be bowled over by all of the possibilities on offer. You could spend weeks just visiting all of the museums. It’s no different with the hundreds of excellent restaurants or all of the important sights. All of them have one thing in common: they get a lot of visitors. People wander around in droves, as ultimately, everybody wants to see the most important spots in the city. If that gets too much for you or if you’ve simply visited Berlin many times already and can’t be bothered with the classic sightseeing activities any more, we have just what you need: three non-touristy spots to truly discover Berlin.
Relaxation on the Pfaueninsel
This idyllic green island is a really special corner of the world. While Berlin is always full, loud, and jam-packed with traffic, this island is the complete opposite. An island without traffic. No cars are allowed here. If you wish to visit the Pfaueninse, your only option is by ferry. The ferry journey is so short that it may seem like a joke, but these few metres make a huge difference. Once you have arrived, you can wander the paths among the fields and gardens. The Pfaueninsel (English: Peacock Island) really lives up to its name. The island is home to peacocks who wander around freely and delight the visitors. If you spend a few hours on the Pfaueninsel, you will forget all of your worries – that’s a promise.
Authentic Turkish cuisine in Kreuzkölln
For our second tip to discover Berlin, you do not have to leave the cool neighborhoods. You simply have to visit a place that is unknown to tourists, and even to many Berlin locals. It is particularly popular among Germans of Turkish descent, because they know exactly where to get the best gözleme. A Turkish specialty that will delight your tastebuds. Before they’re folded, they look like huge crêpes, until they are filled with potato or spinach, for example, and then folded. You can sample this delicacy at Bir Tat in Kreuzkölln. We can guarantee there won’t be any long queues. And guaranteed they are real tasty.
Cycling along the former Berlin wall
If we were to tell you to rent a bike, you might ask what is so non-touristy about that. Groups of tourists on bikes do indeed tour the city en masse. They cycle from the Brandenburg Gate, along Unter den Linden, and up to Prenzlauer Berg. Don’t worry, that’s not the tour we’re recommending. Instead, we would recommend a bike ride along the old Berlin Wall.
Photo Wall route
Not just along the East Side Gallery, but also visiting the other sections of the wall along the route that spans a total of 160 kilometres. The more athletic Berlin locals like to do that of a weekend, and often do so undisturbed on the longer sections of the route.
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