The sun is shining brighter and brighter in the Northern Hemisphere and traditionally cold cities are beginning to heat up. Berlin is one of them, although luckily for its inhabitants it does not reach the oven temperatures that Madrid or Rome do.
Berlin is a city with little summer or with elusive summers. But yes, if you have the fortune to be there when it is hot then you can enjoy a different, open, fun city. So behold some things you can see and do in summer in Berlin.
Enjoy the water
Although Berlin is a city that does not face the sea, you can choose attend a public swimming pool or move to a nearby lake. One of the most recommended public pools is columbiabad, in Neukölln, as it has a lot of green space around it and trampolines from 1 to 3 meters high, a platform to jump from ten meters high and a slide.
It has several pools, some very shallow for children to enjoy, a children's area, another to eat and of course, showers and changing rooms. If you can go during school hours, better because there will be no children. This site also has a sauna and everything the complex opens from 8 am to 8 pm.
You can enter up to an hour before closing but the pool closes half an hour before that same time. The rate is 5, 5 euros from Monday to Friday for an hour and a half of use of the pools.
As well there are private pools, some cooler than others like the one on the terrace of the SoHo house (and which not everyone accesses ...), and the one in Badeschiff, although here it is imperative that you go very, very early in the morning to avoid the crowds and make sure of a spot and some morning peace.
Another option, more natural, is approach a lake but if you don't have a car it becomes difficult. Also, if you think that a public swimming pool is full of people, wait to see the lakes. Sometimes they explode! And of course, the waters are not those of the Caribbean. Still you can know Schlahtensee or Weifensee or, a little further, Liepnitzsee. Ideally, find out first how many people there are ...
Lastly, Berlin has many canals and you can stroll through them aboard a cheap and simple schauchboot or sign up for a tour. A recommended tour company is the BerlinBotsTouren, with a small boat only for 11 people. You can stroll along the River Spree, the scene of many fighting during World War II, or through the calm waters of the Landwehrkanal.
Summer festivals
If you are one of the active travelers who like to participate in the life of the city then you must attend a festival. European cities have festivals for every season and Berlin is no exception, even more so if the sun is shining!
El May 1 paradeAlthough it has already passed, it is one of the busiest parties, although the word party does not fully fit it, does it? There are parades, marches and a lot of history. The same goes for MotzstraBenfest, Saint Christopher's Street Day, the Fète de la Musique and the Karneval der Culturen. This latest festival is a multicultural event taking place in Neukölln and Kreuzberg since 1996.
A kind of Love Parede, techno music, family and friends of all colors, genres and sexual orientations. The truth is that if it's multiculturalism it's great, the best you'll find in Germany. It has not been exempt from disputes, who came up with the idea, who organizes it, if it is commercialized or not, but hey ... it continues to be celebrated and you should not miss it.
El Christopher Street Day It is the version of the Berlin Pride Parade made in Kreuzberg. All the "rare" or excluded from the city come together here and the opposite of the other, very similar, their leit motive is solidarity so immigrants and refugees are the center of attention. Continuing with the gay or sexual minority theme, there is also the motzstrabenfest, in Schöneberg.
It is an annual event and it is not just a parade as it lasts a whole weekend. Young people, old people, gay people or heterosexual people, they are all gathered here in a single attitude of enjoyment and tolerance for difference. A lot of color, a lot of shine ... Is it the Fète de la Musica similar? Not so much, after all it is a world holiday, which is celebrated in various cities around the world.
If it rains it is uncomfortable so it depends on the year and its climate to be able or not to enjoy this festival of nationalities and diversity that is always celebrated on June 21. The parties last more than two hours or even a couple of days. It involves walking, laughing, singing and dancing a lot. More festivals? The most commercial are the Pop-Kultur, the Down by The Lake, in Weibensee, the Down By The River or Sacred Grounds Festival, two hours from the city.
Enjoy outdoor food
If you can eat something, have a barbecue and drink a few beers much better, right? In the parks of Körnerpark, Görli, Hasenheide, Tiergarten or Tempholf you can have barbecue. And if you don't have a grill, then you go to the supermarket and buy the barbecue already made to eat. Super practical! The Thai Park It is also a nice destination, to take some sandwiches, for example, as there are fewer people and the street vendors obviously sell finger-licking Thai food.
The spatis they are famous and popular in Berlin. They know how to sell food and drink of all kinds, day and night, and when the warm days arrive they put some chairs around to enjoy talking. The city is full of this kind of gastronomic kiosks which, luckily, are cheap.
The food cart craze has also reached here so summer is a season with food festivals: the Vegan Summer Festival, For example, him Berlin Gastronomic Festival, Street Food Berlin or the Markthalle 9, are some examples.
I would not leave off my list of visits the old postwar airport that has become a Tempelhofer Park. You will see Nazi architecture, an old track with its control tower and many people enjoying a picnic. If you rent a bike or a moped / scooter you can move around Berlin as you please. Keep that in mind!
Berlin Getaways
Last but not least, you can always get away from Berlin a bit and get to know its surroundings. Buses and trains are very well connected and allow for good programs. You can travel to Teufelsberg, to the beautiful Pfauueninsel or Spreewald.