Alternative Berlin: A Guide to the Unconventional Side of the City

It’s a city of many subcultures, one that’s rebellious, eccentric, creative and quirky. And it's a city that’s always been there. In the 1920s, it manifested itself in audacious cabaret performances and the convention-challenging work of writers and artists from Bertolt Brecht to George Grosz. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, West Berlin was a hotbed of political and artistic radicalism, an anything-goes enclave centred on the squatter scene, out of reach of the regulating hand of West Germany. Even in the eastern half of the city, courageous citizens quietly resisted the repressive communism that pervaded the capital of the German Democratic Republic. And when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, young creatives took over the derelict buildings of the east and built a potent DIY counterculture with techno as its soundtrack.

The German capital may no longer be “poor but sexy”, as former mayor Klaus Wowereit once put it, but let our alternative Berlin guide show you where and how you can experience the city's colourful, defiantly unconventional side.

Every traveller should visit the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building, Kurfürstendamm and Alexanderplatz during their stay in Berlin. But if you're looking to go off-mainstream we recommend you also venture away from the big-ticket sights into quirkier districts where the city's left-field side is alive and thriving.

When the city was divided by the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg was the epicentre of the punk and squatter scene, and anarchist hotspots like Köpi, now an alternative culture centre, and the SO36 music club are still going strong. Multicultural Kreuzberg embraces its anti-authoritarian past, even as it's gradually morphed into a hub for creative start-ups. Oranienstrasse encapsulates the Kiez in its buoyant mix of hipster cafés, all-night bars, edgy shops, community gardens and oddball attractions like the tiny Museum der Dinge. The area around Bergmannstrasse meanwhile has a more villagey vibe. 

Across the River Spree from Kreuzberg, the East Berlin neighbourhood became a hub of the squatter scene after the fall of the Wall and was home to many of the improvised techno clubs that repurposed decaying factories, warehouses and bunkers in the wild years of the early '90s. These have long since closed, but a direct descendant is the legendary Berghain (with its notoriously fickle bouncers), occupying a vast former power station. Another survivor of that adventurous era is the RAW Gelände, a street art-daubed complex of clubs, alternative arts spaces and beer gardens in a former rail yard. The area around Friedrichshain's heart, Boxhagener Platz ("Boxi"), is packed with edgy shops, vegan eateries and DIY arthouse cinemas.

The two East Berlin neighbourhoods were the first to attract young people from the west looking for creative, alternative ways of living by taking advantage of a surfeit of empty – if decrepit – space. Prenzlauer Berg is barely recognisable from those days, with its broad, leafy streets lined by beautifully restored turn-of-the-century buildings, but it's still more than worth a visit. Mitte has also been significantly gentrified, but the Scheunenviertel area is still packed with galleries, cool eateries, music venues and inventive clothing outlets. The courtyard of the Haus Schwarzenberg, known as "Street Art Alley" for its regularly changing murals, offers a flashback to Mitte in the roaring '90s.

Perhaps no neighbourhood has undergone such a rapid transformation in recent years as Neukölln, long a solidly working-class district with a large migrant community – Sonnenallee, the main drag, is still one of the best spots in Berlin for great Turkish food. As the cost of living has risen in Kreuzberg, hip bars and cafés, indie clothing boutiques and small galleries have spread to the bordering Reuterkiez area, earning it the affectionate nickname "Kreuzkölln".

We love to simply stroll, make our own discoveries and soak up the atmosphere. But Berlin is a sprawling city, and sometimes it's good to have someone to guide you to its most intriguing corners, reveal its secrets and share with you their insider tips. Here are a few of our favourite options for unconventional sightseeing.

Walks led by Alternative Berlin guides from the independent art and subcultural scenes take you through Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg, revealing the profound effects of rebellion, squatting and gentrification on the constantly changing face of the capital. Tours can take in iconic punk clubs, legendary techno venues, collectively run galleries and more. There are also specialised street art tours.

Bookings for all tours (in English or German) are essential. Private tours can also be arranged. 

The sheer number of cool, quirky clubs and bars in the city, coupled with the fact that many occupy idiosyncratic venues that are barely recognisable from outside, can make getting a foot in the door of Berlin's underground nightlife scene seem difficult. The Alternative Original Berlin Pub Crawl leads you to a changing selection of hip nightspots in Mitte and Friedrichshain.

Book your guided tour to start daily at 9pm at Generator Berlin Alexanderplatz, Otto-Braun-Straße 65, 10178 Berlin. The price includes entry to three venues and one club, as well as drinks specials.

As you enjoy the vibrant nightlife on the pub crawl, remember to plan your journey back responsibly to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening.

Hop onto the saddle for a guided ride with Berlin on Bike through Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg taking in backyard theatres, a street art-covered stretch of the Berlin Wall, the grandiose communist architecture of the Karl-Marx-Allee, community-driven cultural projects in former squats, and more.

Public tours take around 3.5 hours and cover 15 to 20 kilometres. The price includes bike and helmet rental. Private tours are also available.

Looking for an out-of-the-ordinary hotel in Berlin? 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin features edgy urban-jungle interior design in a heritage-listed building near Berlin Zoo, while eco-friendly greet Berlin Alexanderplatz is the perfectly located base for your search for alternative things to do in Berlin Mitte and Friedrichshain.