Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
seatingcanbeabitcramped,southofKu'dammatSchaperstrasse24—seemapon
here
,U-3
or U-9: Spichernstrasse, tel. 030/883-1582,
www.bar-jeder-vernunft.de
).
German Variety Show
To spend an evening enjoying Europe's largest revue theater, consider “YMA—Too Beauti-
ful to Be True” at the
FriedrichstadtPalast.
It's a passionate visual spectacle, a weird ballet
that pulsates like a visual poem (€17-105, Tue at 18:30, Thu-Sat at 19:30, Sat also at 15:30,
Sun at 15:30, no shows Mon or Wed, Friedrichstrasse 107—see map on
here
, U6: Oranien-
burger Tor, tel. 030/2326-2326,
www.show-palace.eu
)
. The Friedrichstrasse area around the
Palast and to the south has been synonymous with Berliner entertainment for at least 200
years. The East German government built the current Palast in 1984 on the ruins of an older
theater,which itself was a horse barn forthe Prussian Army.The current exterior is meant to
mimic the interior design of the older theater.
Nightclubs and Pubs
(farther east). To the north, you'll find the hip Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, packed with
everything from smoky pubs to small art bars and dance clubs (best scene is around Helm-
Dancing
Cut a rug at
Clärchens Ballhaus,
an old ballroom that's been a Berlin institution since
1913. At some point everyone in Berlin comes through here, as the dance hall attracts an
eclectic Berlin-in-a-nutshell crowd of grannies, elegant women in evening dresses, yuppies,
scenesters, and hippies. The music (swing, waltz, tango, or cha-cha) changes every day,
with live music on Friday and Saturday (from 23:15, €4 cover; dance hall open daily from
10:00—12:00 in winter—until the last person goes home, in the heart of the Auguststrasse
030/282-9295,
www.ballhaus.de
)
.Dancinglessonsarealsoavailable(€8,Mon-Tueat19:00,
Thu at 19:30, 1.5 hours). The “Gypsy” restaurant, which fills a huge courtyard out front,
serves decent food and good pizza.
Art Galleries
Berlin, a magnet for new artists, is a great city for gallery visits. Galleries—many of which
stay open late—welcome visitors who are “just looking.” The most famous gallery district
is in eastern Berlin's Mitte neighborhood, along
Auguststrasse
(branches off from Oranien-
burgerStrasseattheruinedTachelesbuilding).CheckouttheBerlinoutpostoftheedgy-yet-
accessible art of the New Leipzig movement at
Galerie Eigen+Art
(Tue-Sat 11:00-18:00,
