Corduroy’s editorial assistant Daniel Barna recently had a chance to spend a week in Berlin — the heart of Germany’s vibrant arts and culture scene. We asked him to blog his trip for us and this is his report:
It’s hard to believe that just two decades ago Berlin was a city divided, a global symbol for a world at odds. Decades before that, it was home of the ruthless Third Reich, and the climax of the Second World War was fought in its streets. Today it’s a thriving metropolis that openly bares the scars of its past while embracing the future. We were lucky enough to spend a weekend in the German capital, fully aware of the hipsterati’s claims that Berlin is the new New York. And though it does share some glaring similarities with the self-proclaimed center of the universe, Berlin is a city like no other.
Despite it’s checkered history, Berlin has become one of the world’s leading centres for fashion, art, and technology. Because our stay was only limited to a weekend (and most of the city shuts down on Sunday) we chose to forgo the requisite gallery/museum hopping, and instead decided to rent a bike for the weekend and explore. Like most everything else in Berlin, renting a bike was absurdly cheap (8 Euro for the day), a glaring difference from New York, where a single weekend can be bank account-busting. The low cost of living and eating would explain the massive influx of young people, making Williamsburg look like a retirement community. It’s this youthful spirit that lends the city its charm, especially in bustling neighbourhoods like Prenzlauer Berg, and Kreuzberg. Biking through the tree-lined, cobblestone streets, we marvelled at the high concentration of cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and galleries. We stumbled on street sales, food festivals, book fairs, parks filled with young families and their kids, patios cluttered with friends and couples drinking espressos, reading, and smoking. Prenzlauer Berg in particular, felt like a mash-up of Montreal’s Plateau and Brooklyn’s Park Slope with a garnish of Parisian appeal.
When not soaking in Berlin’s cozy little culture hubs, we found ourselves exploring its many historical sites. The majesty of Museum island and Gendarmarkt, the grandeur of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, all lend Berlin the magnificence of a real European capital. And though many would point to the decades of idealistic and physical division as hurtful to the city’s overall morale, it’s that very division that makes Berlin so unique. Giant monolithic apartment complexes and the eerie television tower located in the heart of the historic Alexanderplatz watch over the city like unwanted reminders of the gloomy days of The Iron Curtain. Those days have passed however, and what’s left is a fascinating city on the mend.
- Daniel Barna
