Berlin stands as a city of stark contrasts and resilience. You likely know it for the infamous Berlin Wall and its world-class techno clubs. However, the city offers far more than just history and parties. It effectively reinvented itself after World War II from a pile of rubble into a cultural powerhouse. Furthermore, it boasts more waterways than you might expect for an inland city. Artists, spies, and immigrants have all left their mark here. Let’s explore the city that never sleeps.
Berlin
Berlin has more bridges than Venice. Surprisingly, the German capital features around 1,700 bridges. They cross the Spree River and the Landwehr Canal to connect the city’s vast districts.
A Turkish immigrant invented the Döner Kebab in Berlin. Kadir Nurman created the popular street food in 1972. Consequently, Berliners now eat approximately 60 tons of Döner meat every single day.
The city is massive compared to other European capitals. Physically, Berlin is nine times larger than Paris. Therefore, you really need the public transport system to travel between neighborhoods.
Huge pink pipes snake through the city streets. These pipes pump groundwater away from construction sites. Builders use pink because psychologists suggested the color would be less annoying to drivers.
A simple parking lot covers Hitler’s infamous bunker. The government paved over the Führerbunker to prevent neo-Nazis from turning it into a shrine. Thus, tourists often walk over it without knowing.
The traffic light man has a cult following. The “Ampelmännchen” is a relic from East Germany. Uniquely, he wears a hat and survived reunification to become a beloved city symbol.
Berliners consume 70 million Currywurst sausages annually. Herta Heuwer invented the sauce by mixing ketchup and curry powder in 1949. Today, you can find stalls selling it on nearly every corner.
Teufelsberg is a hill built from WWII rubble. American spies used the top of this debris pile as a listening station during the Cold War. Now, graffiti artists cover the abandoned radar domes.
The Fernsehturm TV tower creates a “Pope’s Revenge.” When the sun shines, a cross shape appears on the metal sphere. Locals joked that this was divine revenge against the atheist communist government.
You can visit three different opera houses in one city. Berlin is the only city in the world with three active opera venues. This abundance stems from the division of the city during the Cold War.
The East Side Gallery is the longest open-air gallery in the world. Artists painted murals directly onto a 1.3-kilometer section of the Berlin Wall. It stands as a monument to freedom and creativity.
People used hot air balloons to escape East Berlin. Desperate citizens built homemade aircraft to fly over the Wall. Remarkably, families successfully floated to safety in West Germany using bedsheets.
Berlin has more museums than rainy days. The city boasts around 175 museums. This number exceeds the average amount of rainy days the city experiences in a year.
The local corner shops, known as “Spätis,” are cultural icons. These late-night stores sell beer and snacks. Moreover, locals often sit on benches outside them to socialize until the early morning.
Wild boars roam the city parks and suburbs. Thousands of these animals live within the city limits. Occasionally, they cause chaos by digging up gardens or stealing food from picnickers.
