{"id":6620,"date":"2014-10-03T16:05:42","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T14:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/life-is-a-trip.com\/?p=6620"},"modified":"2022-03-10T09:53:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T08:53:43","slug":"unusual-things-to-do-in-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/life-is-a-trip.com\/en\/unusual-things-to-do-in-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Unusual things to do in Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berlin really is on everyone’s bucket list, Berlin attractions have\u00a0been popular among travellers for years. The neverending hype about Germany’s capital, however, mainly feeds on its exceptional art and party scene. So chances are that you have also come here to enjoy Berlin’s infamous bohemian lifestyle and it’s wild 24\/7 party. But while you are here, why not check out some of the unusual things to do in Berlin attractions?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Letting go: Base Flying<\/h2>\n

Right above Alexanderplatz you will find one of the usual things to do in Berlin! You have a chance to get a kick you can usually only experience while bungee jumping. You can jump head first off Berlin’s tallest building and get the thrill of a 50-meter free fall! Unlike a bungee jump, you are tight to a metal rope connected to a winch. This winch slowly brakes your fall after you have experienced an amazing adrenaline rush.<\/p>\n

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By the way, the view from up there is quite nice, too!<\/p>\n

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Where: Park Inn Hotel at Alexanderplatz, tickets\u00a0in the reception hall.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Looking good on the run: Parkour<\/h2>\n

Parkour is a sport that has become significantly bigger in recent years. The artistic overcoming of obstacles requires strength, stamina and concentration and is simply beautiful to watch. Berlin, due to its divided past, has lots of urban obstacles to offer.<\/p>\n

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Parkour: A big part of the training consists of strength and balancing exercises<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like every other thing these days, you can learn Parkour through Youtube-Tutorials. But a basic training course\u00a0can’t harm\u00a0and gives you a very good idea if this really is something for you or not.<\/p>\n

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First success: During my crash course I climb my first bigger wall!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where: Various teams at various locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Get in touch with your inner child: Mount Mitte<\/h2>\n

Around Nordbahnhof, there was still a spooky GDR watchtower all the way until 2005.\u00a0\u00a0Nowadays, the area looks completely different. The first thing catching the visitor’s attention is a surreal combination of wires, towers and wood with a somewhat awkward name: Mount Mitte. One of the unusual things to do in Berlin, this place is fun! Secured with a rope and helmet, you can climb over and around a multitude of obstacles on three levels here. Once you’ve managed all the challenges, you can have a drink at the bar on ground level. Or\u00a0go for\u00a0a round of beach volleyball next door. Definitely a strange parallel universe, this area!<\/p>\n

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Mount Mitte: You can even find some Trabis, East-German cars, inside the strange construction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where: Mount Mitte at Nordbahnhof.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Gone with the wind: Kitelandboarding<\/h2>\n

A huge abandoned airfield right in the city centre is something you can most likely only find in Berlin! While the vast stretch of green is great for relaxing walks, it is also a good place to go kiteboarding. Without water! The custom-built boards used here have wheels, so the activity is actually a hybrid of kiting and skating. Except that the wheels are big enough to also ride through the grassy parts of the airfield. It is recommended to know the basics of kiting. If you don’t, take a class with one of the local companies.\u00a0\"Things<\/p>\n

Where: Tempelhofer Feld.\u00a0‘Berliner Kiteschule’ is one of the companies offering classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Need for speed:\u00a0Germany’s longest digital carrera track<\/h2>\n

Want to race your car without the danger of getting hurt? Then this right here is your place! On this impressive track you can challenge up to five other drivers at a time. Unique here: You can overtake and change lanes! In order to give you the ‘real’ race experience, you are even required to take virtual gas stops. Once over the finish line, the track’s software lets you evaluate your driving skills. The perfect activity for a hung-over Sunday afternoon!\u00a0\"Things<\/p>\n

Where: Slot-House,\u00a0Dominicusstr. 43,\u00a010827 Berlin.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Unusual things to do in Berlin: SUP<\/h2>\n

SUP or Stand Up Paddling has become quite a thing in recent years. We’re talking a wide surfboard that you mainly ride standing up, using a long paddle to move along. As boring as this may sound, it is actually quite some fun and a good training at the same time!<\/p>\n

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Stand Up Paddling –\u00a0I have to admit that this picture was taken in Hamburg…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Berlin’s gigantic net of waterways\u00a0makes it the perfect\u00a0city for this kind of sport. You are not allowed to go everywhere with these boards, but the city still offers a lot of possibilities. My suggestion: Ride the stretch between Oberbaumbr\u00fccke and the two big buildings called ‘Treptowers’ and you won’t be disappointed. If all that still sounds boring to you, why not try Yoga on a SUP?!<\/p>\n

Where: Everywhere in the city.\u00a0Various places offer equipment, e.g.\u00a0Standup Club.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Vertical Limit:\u00a0Climbing a\u00a0bunker<\/h2>\n

There’s plenty of climbing halls in Berlin, but these can be quite generic.\u00a0People looking for unusual things to do in Berlin should head towards Humboldthain park in the area of Wedding where you can find a bunker from WW 2. On some of the information boards you can see how big this bunker actually used to be when it was the only thing sticking out there. After the war, the piling up of rubble has resulted in quite a hill around it, so that the bunker can nowadays only be recognized as such from one side. And this is exactly the side that you can climb!<\/p>\n

Caution: Due to the slippery nature of the concrete, this wall is only suitable for climbers grade VI or better.<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0bunker im Humboldthain:\u00a0Very green from far away, very grey from up close.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where: Bunker in Humboldthain park,\u00a0access from the bridge near\u00a0Gesundbrunnencenter.<\/span><\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Take a safari:\u00a0Wildlife in the urban jungle<\/h2>\n

Believe it or not: Berlin is full of wild animals! Foxes checking the traffic before they cross roads, smart crows letting cars crack walnuts for them, yes, even wild boars hanging out in the capital’s many parks. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. If you want to see more of the wildlife, join a wilderness tour. These tours mostly leave early in the morning or in the middle of the night and they bring you up close with Berlin’s four-legged inhabitans. Trust me: After the tour, you will never see the city with the same eyes again!<\/p>\n

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Behind these trees, there could be almost anything!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where: In many of the parks in Berlin.\u00a0Wildnisschule Berlin<\/a>\u00a0offers\u00a0various\u00a0different tours.<\/span><\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Dive deep into history<\/h2>\n

Berlin is a lot more than what you can see above ground – mostly due to its turbulent history. The city is undermined by countless train tunnels, pipes and underground storage rooms. Add all the WWII bunkers and you get the picture. Some of these places have not been accessible for a long time, others are still buried today. But you can also visit many of these underground spots nowadays, and doing so is a real adventure! For example, check out the mother-child-bunker you would never expect underneath Kreuzberg which once provided room for 3000 people.<\/p>\n

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Where:\u00a0‘Berliner Unterwelten’ offers more than 10 different underground tours<\/span><\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Back to basics:\u00a0With a raft on Berlin’s waterways<\/h2>\n

You’ve probably seen pictures of these\u00a0New York Hippies<\/strong>, who have built huge rafts out of garbage. Now you have the opportunity to get a glimpse of that lifestyle in Berlin, too. A little more regulated, yes. But still quite a laugh! You can rent rafts of all kinds and sizes. Most of them are motorized, so you can just take them all across Berlin’s waterways, chill out and even have a barbecue on some of them!<\/p>\n

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Rafts in Berlin – there are various options<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where: Almost everywhere where you find water. Rental companies, among others: ‘Floss und los’ or ‘Hauptstadtfloss’.<\/span><\/p>\n

You like Berlin? Check out my other articles about Germany’s capital!<\/p>\n