Wall you could wish for on a city break

Patrick Lawlor packs a lot in to a long weekend in Berlin

Joxer went to Stuttgart, but in Berlin, black is the colour. And while Christy Moore has little to do with the German capital, Barbie is somewhat relevant. Back to black. Along with the “leder” aprons donned in schnitzelhauser like the affordable Schnitzelei Mitte, I see many a pair of Dr Martens worn on the old runway of Tempelhof Field, a park also populated with dark parkas, raincoats, skirts, you name it – black is the colour when it comes to Berlin fashion.

It’s said you’re more likely to get past super-club Berghain’s notoriously fickle bouncers if you wear black as they might confuse you for a Berliner.

To me, the obsidian sartorial choice alludes to the darkness that lingers from the city’s tumultuous history, perhaps chosen as a symbol of a nation forever in mourning.

Paradoxically, Berlin is also bursting with colour, a melting pot of cultures, and citizens appreciate their freedom.

“F**k Putin” is sprayed on walls across the city, testament to their disdain for tyranny.

Berliners seem to have an acute awareness of division and upheaval, given their city was where East met West during the Cold War.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a walking tour that explores the run-up to its collapse is highly recommended.

Our guide, Alex, supplies computer tablets that illustrate just how dangerous it was for citizens living in the Soviet-controlled East to try to escape to the free West.

My travelling companion and I are led to an area beside the Reichstag, where many dared and failed to swim across the Spree.

Alex shows us video of a patrol boat from the East as it tries to get to them before they reach the bank.

Tourists and locals scream in the footage, urging the escapers to swim faster and save their lives. Thankfully, they make it, but many people were shot as they tried to cross the wall.

“Some were killed by people close to them,” says Alex as we pass several crosses put up in memory of those killed here.

There’s a palpable solemnity at many locations on the tour, as there is at city landmarks old and new.

The Holocaust Memorial, which was created by Peter Eisenman and opened in 2005, is one such sight that needs to be experienced to be understood.

The immediate sense of disorientation and uncertainty in that wavy labyrinth of 2,711 grey concrete blocks tells its own story.

But there’s a brightness to match the darkness of the city, and it comes from the people.

Two East Berliner guides were children when the wall came down, and both give a humorous child’s-eye perspective of that momentous day on November 9, 1989.

Joyce, a metal music fan in a black dress and boots, laughs as she recalls that getting her hands on a vibrant pink Barbie doll was what she looked forward to most.

For Alex, “trying Nutella was all I thought about”.

Joyce also tells the story of her parents saving up and joining a waiting list to buy a Soviet-built Trabant car.

They finally got their tiny, plastic-fantastic model in May 1989. A few months later it was worthless.

“They ended up selling it for just one deutschmark,” says Joyce.

You can do tours in a “Trabi” around the city, and at the DDR Museum (ddr-museum. de) there’s one that has an interactive windscreen simulator that lets you see what it was like to drive through East Berlin.

At the museum, guide Gustav regales us with tales of East v West life and culture.

This top visitor attraction has several displays including a fully furnished apartment with austere communist decor from the pre-1989 era and offers a fascinating taste of what it was like in the East.

My previous visit to Berlin was with a life-long friend 10 years ago, in the summer of 2014, when Germany won the World Cup.

The carnival atmosphere on the streets, with pop-up bars and temporary beaches dotted along the Spree, was unforgettable, even if the many steins of Franziskaner did cloud the senses at times.

While the Boys in Green didn’t make it to Euro 2024, I may be back again this summer to soak up the football fever, because Berlin is among the 10 cities in Germany that will this year’s tournament, which begins on June 14.

If you opt to visit for the football and to enjoy a few refreshing Radlers in the baking heat that is a Berlin summer, be sure to immerse yourself in the cultural sights, sounds and tastes of the capital too.

One recently opened trendy restaurant and cocktail joint is Veronika (veronikaberlin.com). Located on the fourth floor of the Fotografiska gallery’s historical building, it has the feel of Gatsby while also being thoroughly modern.

The preserved interior graf

fiti, created by the Tacheles artists who squatted there in the 1990s, adds to the coolness of this former warehouse.

The staff, including friendly waitress Amy from Kilkenny, ooze a cool and professional sensibility. The food is impressive too, with lobster omelette with salmon roe the standout dish.

If photography is your thing, Fotografiska is well worth a look.

If visiting for cultural and historical enlightenment, buy a Berlin Museum Pass (from €32, visitberlin.de).

Over three days, it gives you access to around 30 museums, most of which are on Berlin’s Museum Island .

This is very handy for families, as most of the museums offer free admission to children and many are interactive.

Also worth seeing in this quarter is the recently completed Humboldt Forum (humboldtforum.org), an impressive palatial building which has free and entryfee exhibitions year round. A highlight is the Video Panorama, a stunning montage of Germany’s past 800 years. The immersive and interactive Berlin Global exhibition (€7) is also worth experiencing. Free concerts are held occasionally in the forum’s courtyard throughout the year.

If you’re looking for a guaranteed songanddance winner that runs year round, the Jean Paul Gaultiercurated Falling in Love show at the FriedrichstadtPalast (palast. berlin) is a treat. It offers the glamour and quality of a West End production, but tickets are on the pricey side.

A familyfriendly landmark that won’t break the bank is Berlin Zoo. Allow at least three hours to get around and check for opening times as it closes earlier in the colder months.

To get a feel for how Berliners unwind at the weekend, head to Tempelhof Field, a former airport runway turned into a park. It’s free and great fun for couples, families, skaters, midlifecrisis kiteboarders, barbecue enthusiasts, Lycraclad cyclists and peoplewatchers.

Ahead of our runway ramble, we ate at Schoneberg’s Fruhstuck 3000, which serves a variety of unusual breakfast and brunch options, before a stroll down the LGBTQ+friendly Motzstrasse, where the pints are way cheaper than in Dublin.

If it’s bargains you’re after, a weekend wander through some of Berlin’s flea markets is another enjoyable pursuit.

We managed to find a decent one in Marheinekeplatz, but those at Mauerpark and John F Kennedy Square in Schoneberg are top recommendations.

If you’re on a budget, Mustafa’s Gemuse Kebap shack in Mehringdamm is the place to go. Here you’ll get Berlin’s tastiest kebab, stuffed full of fresh ingredients for just over €7.

That there were around 100 people in the queue early on a Sunday evening spoke volumes.

Determined not to miss out, I tried later on, closer to midnight, and the black of Berlin had truly set in. I counted about 20 people ahead of me and took my chance. It was well worth the wait.

Nightlife, history, even kebabs – sometimes it takes darkness for the real treasures of Berlin to show themselves.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly from Dublin to Berlin.

Hotel Amo by Amano on Friedrichstrasse has a cosy boutique vibe and its breakfasts provide hearty sustenance for a day of museum-hopping. Room rates vary, but are very affordable. See amanogroup.com Hilton Berlin (hilton.com), also in the Mitte district, is a bit pricier, but still good value for money, and has a sauna, pool and cocktail bar – perfect for some rest and relaxation. Berlin Welcome Card (visitberlin.de) offers free public transport across the city as well as discounts at more than 180 visitor attractions. At €41 for 72 hours, the basic version is a steal.