If ever you have the time and find yourself in Berlin during the Festival of lights, DO NOT MISS!…read moreThis is a must-see event where you will find yourself immersed in lit up architecture around the whole city. Lit up you may say, yes lit up from top to bottom some with lighting that is so intricately detailed. It's a show second to none in one kick ass city, Berlin! We saw many of the famous monuments lit up from Brandenburg Gate to the TV Tower, but also enjoyed lit up architecture throughout the inner city too. I was very pleased we missed Oktoberfest and landed here during the Festival of Lights. One-of-a-kind show happening on one-of-a-kind structures that are as old as old can be.

In den vergangenen Jahren hat sich das Festival of Lights nicht nur sehr verkleinert, sondern ist…read moreauch regelrecht langweilig geworden. Vor wenigen Jahren waren die Tage des Festivals noch mit Touren durch die ganze Stadt verbunden, um die tollen beleuchteten Gebäude in den unterschiedlichen Bezirken bewundern zu können. Ich erinnere hier z.B. an den Spreebogen oder das Schloss Bellevue oder das Rathaus Schöneberg. Heute reduziert sich die Veranstaltung auf den Bereich vom Alexanderplatz bis zum Brandenburger Tor; noch nicht mal der Potsdamer Platz ist dieses Jahr einen Besuch wert. Schade, was nach vielen Jahren aus diesem ehemaligen Top-Event der Stadt geworden ist: eine Veranstaltung, die man krampfhaft am Leben erhalten möchte.

We heard about this festival from a friend who makes costumes for the dancers at this event. It's…read moreone big street party over the long weekend in May. It was jam packed with locals and tourist and there was also a huge tent area with shops and plenty of food options from basic bbq to exotic foods from around the world and vegan / vegetarian etc. Besides this there are tons of Street cafes and stalls open selling food and drink around the area. The main parade was on the Sunday starting at around 1pm and groups from around the world and from different cultures putting up floats. It's slow and goes on for a good few hours. The music was fabulous and people were on the streets enjoying themselves as the floats went by. Be careful as the streets are filled with bottles and cans within a couple of hours and you can slip on them quite easily. The only thing I did not like about the event was all the bottles left behind all over the place. We had a lovely day hanging around in Kreuzberg and as the day went on it was getting more and more crowded. I would definitely come back here again with friends for a weekend. It's an amazing event in Berlin.

This annual event is very popular with people who flock from all over Berlin and beyond. The main…read moreevent is of course the parade that makes it's way along Hasenheide, Gneisenaustr and Yorckstrasse on the Sunday afternoon. It is a noisy and colourful sight which is always very popular with young people who want to drink and dance , families and folk out to enjoy the lively atmosphere, you should be aware though, that because of the huge crowds, it is easy to get separated from friends and family, so keep hold of those kids! . It has groups representing many, or even most, of the diverse range of cultural groups in Berlin, one recent addition to this burgeoning group was Scotland in 2013 with its first appearance. This is not all however, the whole weekend from Friday evening through to Sunday evening they have stages playing live music representing different genres as well as food and souvenir stalls, this can all be found around Hallesches Tor and there are always African drummers playing and dancing in the small park next to the AGB Library. In addition to this many of the Inhabitants in the area take to the streets to enjoy the community events with neighbours. I'm giving the event 4 stars because, although I enjoyed it the first couple of times, I get to enjoy it every Year without choice so it no longer holds the same joy for me but I do really enjoy the time spent with neighbours!

You have to see this! All of the major landmarks in Berlin are lit up and have these magnificent…read morepics/videos projected on them. Incredible. I only wish I could've seen more.

I am amazed! You will be too if you know how to appreciate…read morethe small gifts of life!

An open minded and enjoyable street festival, that shows the spirit of kreuzberg.....if it weren't…read morefor the drunken hooligans at night, i would give 5 stars

This annual festival may contain the usual festival stalls and products but with it's 3 stages with…read moreloads of acts young and old, it offers the opportunity for the local community and people from around Berlin to come and enjoy a fun lively atmosphere suitable for everyone.

This street fair starts every year right before CSD (Christopher Street Day) in Berlin. One of big…read morething in the gay sense of Berlin. And it doesn't matter who you are or which sex orientations, as long as you a friendly, open-minded person, this place always welcome your visit. I have been there serval times now. It's one of my favourite street fair in Berlin. What is so special about it? Inside the street first, has many different kind of stand, such as food, cocktails, some local specials could be easily found here. At the other side, it got different stands of parties and clubs that help gay people or just get together. It is a great way to get to know the gay sense here. Beside all of these, it also offers some stands for clothing, accessories, movie sort of things. Some of them are really cool, the price seem to be quite cool as well. And of course some entertainment shows on the stage. It is free for the entrance. I really glad that it has such as street fair in Berlin. It really brought all kinds of different people together and celebrate it. It's also great to have some great event not just about sex or polity. People can simply just enjoy it.

I stumbled upon this festival quite randomly while venturing out in search of a bite to eat. The…read morefestival stretches for about a mile along Karl-Marx-Allee in Friedrichshain. The crowds were well-behaved in the early afternoon, and the festival was clean and well-organized. There were tons of trash cans but not enough recycling bins, which was a problem because it took a bit of hunting around to find a place to deposit an empty bottle. There was ample seating, a few stages with reasonably entertaining musical acts, and ample available portapotties. I tried small samples of three beers (about .2L of each) and didn't end up finding any I liked, which is strange because I really enjoy beer. I also noticed that many of the beers here were brands that you could find anywhere in Berlin at any time, like Weihenstephaner, Köstritzer (which is delicious, but still), and so on. However there were a few more unusual options like Ghanaian beers brewed with mango or banana, Guinness bottled for the African market, and, available from a Scottish vendor, beer brewed with seaweed. So you can get a bit more adventurous if you like. I did not wish to drink very much but if you want to sample a lot of beers, you can buy the festival "Probierkrug" which is a .2L mug, and the folks at the beer stands will pour out small tasting portions into that mug. But what I was mostly looking for was something tasty to eat that I didn't have to prepare myself. I tried some Dutch poffertjes for the first time--they are like silver dollar pancakes, and they were served with powdered sugar and orange liqueur poured over top. I also had a venison bratwurst, which was quite good although not very distinct in flavor from its porcine counterpart. For my husband, I procured a ham sandwich (the ham was moist, delicately smoked, and not overly salty) and a burger (125g of well-done beef with ham, sundried tomatoes, red onions, dill pickles, and lettuce on a rye bun). He enjoyed both of the sandwiches very much. So oddly enough, I would sooner recommend this festival for the food options than for the liquid ones. The festival is definitely not worth making a special trip to Berlin for, but that being said I could think of far worse ways to spend an afternoon if you are here in the city and I do think it was well done.

Can't wait for the Berlin Beer Festival this August. Was there last year and had a great time on…read morethe Friday and Saturday. The beer selection is unlike anything I've seen before, I think I only managed about halfway down before my beer goggles were out of focus. There are so many different beers to choose from, it's difficult to know where to begin. It has just about every beer you know available on draught, key areas being, Germany, Belgian, Czech, British, Asian. You can buy a small glass at either end of the festival which you can use for the beer or you can just be served the glass which was made for that particular beer. You pay a deposit to do this though but get your money back when the glasses are returned. There are also lots of good stalls to eat and bands playing music. If you enjoy drinking beer and a party atmosphere then you should definitely schedule the berlin beer festival in your diary.

When the weather is gloomy, the days get shorter, and the sun keeps hiding, you know it's the…read moreunavoidable winter time in Berlin. My best advice is to stay indoors, turn on the heating, and be prepared for an enormous energy bill at the end of the month. And keep on drinking. Well, let me rephrase that. You might as well drag all the money you'd spend on heating your dark apartment to a mall and get yourself a thick winter jacket that will make you look like an eskimo. Then, make your way to one of the zillion Christmas markets in Berlin, maybe to Weihnachtsmarkt Lucia. Dig the remaining Euros out of your pockets and get drunk on Gluehwein. Repeat this every night until spring arrives. I still like that idea, even after giving it a second thought. One decent place to do so is the Weihnachtsmarkt Lucia at the Kulturbrauerei, a reconstructed brewery from back in the day. This one's a little bit off the beaten path. The crowd is mostly Prenzlauer Berg local, and you're certain to avoid the regular tourist, as well as the ghetto kids of the neighboring Wedding district. Lots of Bratwurst, Gluehwein, and Christmas sweets, as well as activities for kids. It's Prenzlauer Berg, after all. And now excuse me, I need to get a Gluehwein refill.

This market is not to be missed, full of character and in a great location. Being surrounded by…read morebuildings makes it attractive and cuts down on the wind a bit. There are many interesting craft and food stalls including many Scandinavian types. They have a yurt you can drink in and the open air coat heating was great; I've never seen anything like it. The decorations are beautiful and there some old rides for the kids.