Berlin Hidden Gems: 25 Unusual Things To Do In Berlin

Alternative things to do in Berlin

Indulge in the vegan food scene

While vegan food is hardly unusual these days, the vegan scene in Berlin started with quirky pop-up cafes that have now become popular with people of all ages, but particularly the younger generation. While exploring the quirky places in Berlin, you’ll stumble across plenty of vegan cuisine.

I visited Brammibal’s Donuts, a hidden Berlin gem in Kreuzberg beside the river, where I tucked into the most divine cherry cream glazed doughnut. Other vegan doughnut flavours include blackberry and matcha, raspberry pistachio and salted caramel hazelnut.

Suggested tour: Berlin vegan food tour

Markthalle Neun

If you’re looking for unusual things to do in Berlin, it doesn’t get better than a 120-year-old historic market full of hipster street food. Head down on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for a weekly market, and all other days (apart from Sundays) for general food stalls.

At Markthalle Neun there are German and Italian delicacies, craft beer, deli goods, pulled pork, vegan food and more. Seriously, come hungry! I wasn’t quite there after my Brammibals doughnut and that, my friends, was a crying shame. Don’t forget to snap some photos in the photoautomat booth.

Looking for foodspiration? Check out EatWith‘s immersive food experiences by locals. From supper clubs to food crawls and cooking classes, there are some fantastic options.

It’s not exactly alternative Berlin: in fact, the East Side Gallery is one of the most popular places to visit. Still, there’s street art which makes it a cool, quirky place in my book.

This open-air gallery on a 1,316m remaining section of the Berlin wall displays the work of artists from all around the world. Street art is renowned for telling stories, few of which are as important as the tale of the Berlin Wall.

Set your Google Maps to the East Side Gallery and spend an hour or so strolling while taking in the artwork.

Once you’ve had your fill of urban art at East Side Gallery, you’re really close to Holzmarkt 25. This awesome outdoor market, meeting spot and bar is slightly off the beaten track in Berlin since it’s mainly locals who know about it.

By the venue’s own admission, they’re fighting to save alternative venues in Berlin during an era of inflated rents and chain establishments invading the city.

So, to support the hidden places of Berlin and have a refreshing beer on the banks of the Spree, come down to Holzmarkt 25 from 2pm on weekdays and 1pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

To finish your day at one of the coolest hidden places in Berlin, you could consider visiting a rooftop bar for views over the city. If that sounds good to you, I’d suggest Klunkerkranich on the rooftop of Neukölln Arcaden shopping centre.

For a quirky place to stay in Berlin, you can’t do better than the cosy caravans at Huttenpalast. Not only did I have a comfy double bed, but there were quirky furnishings and hot showers. Not the caravan life I’m used to but no complaints here. Check availability here.

These next quirky places in Berlin were contributed by some of my favourite fellow travel bloggers…

With its beautiful open spaces, tree-lined paths and boating lake, Berlin’s Tiergarten Park is the perfect escape from the busy city streets. One of the most unique things to see in Berlin is the Stand By Me Tree, located in the heart of the park with the opening lyrics of Ben E King’s iconic Stand By Me etched in its bark. 

The tree grew in popularity after the death of Ben E King in 2015 and the chorus ‘Darling, darling, stand by me’ was etched on a second tree nearby.

It can be quite difficult to locate the Stand By Me Tree in the 520-acre tree-filled park. Luckily the pathways are named and it is close to the intersection of Großer Weg and Großer Sternallee. The tree is about a 10-minute wall from the park entrance just off the roundabout at Victory Column.

The pathways are named on Google Maps and the tree is located just off the side of the path.

Entry submitted by David from Your Ireland Vacation.

Explore Teufelsberg

Another of the most unusual things to do in Berlin is find Teufelsberg, a site layered with history and modern quirkiness on a massive hill in the outskirts of the city.

Teufelsberg was the construction site of a planned Nazi military and technology college. The occupying forces attempted to demolish the building but were unable. Instead, they filled the building with rubble from war-torn Berlin and formed a man-made hill. It was covered with fill and trees were planted on the site that became one of the highest points in the American sector of West Berlin.

In 1961, the hill’s strategic importance stood out to American and British military figures. They built a secret spy tower and listening station on the site. It was constructed under the guise of a weather station and the East Germans and Russians were spied on until the end of the Cold War in 1989.

Once the Berlin Wall fell, the site was abandoned and changed hands several times. Today it is privately owned, but you can visit this Berlin off the beaten path attraction and check out the grounds and tower. It features several floors of street art as you ascend the spy tower.

Entry submitted by Derek and Mike from Robe Trotting.

Take a small group tour to Teufelsberg.

Dive into the dark past of Berlin and descend into its labyrinth of underground tunnels with Berliner Unterwelten. During a Berlin bunker tour, you’ll see how West Berlin prepared itself for the Cold War. With Russia threatening to use nuclear weapons, special bunkers were built throughout the continent.

Often using vast empty spaces in the Berlin subway system, these bunkers were fitted with the most basic amenities. Only able to hold a limited number of people, the locations of these shelters weren’t even always disclosed to civilians.

While the guide leads you through inconspicuous-looking doors of the fully operating metro stations, you’ll discover there’s a whole different world hiding behind them. Covered in cobwebs, the Cold War bunkers are intriguing relics of a slightly mythical event in European history. Situated underground, the Cold War bunker tour is quite literally a hidden gem in Berlin!

Entry submitted by Zarina from Miss Travel Clogs.

Browse Cold War Berlin tours.

After exploring the East Side, a fun option is to take a tour which includes the chance to create your own mural.

You’ll be able to pick a stencil, trace it and then spray paint your design. Your guide will show you all of the various techniques. The street art workshop provides a wonderful way to not only visit unusual places in Berlin, but learn a new skill, too.

Entry submitted by Kim from My Global Ways.

Book a Berlin street art walking tour.

The Parliament Of Trees

Located on the shore of Spree river in Berlin, across the Reichstag building, the Parliament of Trees is easily included in your Berlin itinerary. It’s often mistaken as a garden, but this Berlin hidden gem is actually a work of art created by Ben Wagin as a memorial for the victims of the Berlin Wall. Sixteen trees (for each federal state) were planted inside symbolising the unification of Germany.

The garden is bordered by a granite wall formed of authentic parts of the Berlin Wall. The blocks are painted with scenes from the Wall’s history and with the number of victims who died before the wall was demolished. Visitors can sit down on the bench and discover the different elements of the garden. 

The Parliament Of Trees may be off the beaten path in Berlin, but it’s an important landmark for those who want to know more about Berlin’s history and especially for those who are interested in Berlin Wall.

Entry submitted by Corina from Another Milestone.

As if quirky Berlin wasn’t cool enough already, there’s a swimming pool in the river and a city beach!

Badeschiff means ‘bathing ship’ and refers to the mechanism of the floating swimming pool in the river. The Spree is not clean enough to swim in so the inventive Berliners found a way to get around that: swimming in a beautiful and clean pool with views of the river.

The whole area around the pool works as a beach bar. There’s sand on the ground, a bar with plenty of drink options and sunbeds to relax anytime. The actual swimming pool is 2.1m deep and only for swimmers.

Since the capacity of the Badeschiff is limited, it’s best to buy a ticket online. As of 2021, time-slots of two hours are available for purchase for €6.50. The Badeschiff can be found on the river Spree in the East of Berlin, in front of Arena Berlin. The closest S-Bahn stop is Treptower Park.

Entry submitted by Veronika from Travel Geekery.

Another unusual way to experience Berlin is by going on a Trabi safari. The Trabant, affectionately known as the Trabi, was the car of the former DDR (East Germany). These vehicles were highly coveted with a waiting period of up to 15 years, and while they weren’t known for their reliability, there is a sense of nostalgia about them.