5 Reasons To Visit Berlin In 2017.

New concert halls, museum opening, urban garden show and ease of travel with new nonstop flights are just some more reasons put Berlin on your 2017 travel list. “Been there, done that” is no concept for Berlin. This year, the city again offers new attractions, highlights, and an ever-expanding cultural scene that adds to the must-do experiences and warrants another, deeper visit in 2017. Berlin in Bloom: International Garden Show (IGA)  April 13 – October 15, 2017  Three seasons of urban green, floral displays and international landscape design will be presented at Berlin’s Marzahn-Hellersdorf district during the city’s first International Garden Show (IGA). Designed by renowned landscape architects, the IGA’s horticultural art will embrace a host of styles ranging from garden classics to innovative landscape design, including Gardens of the World, tropical hot-house displays, acres of perennials and annuals, a rose garden, and regional classics. The natural landscape of the local Wuhle river valley is incorporated in the design.  To complement the horticultural experience, IGA will feature a cable car above the exhibitions grounds, a new visitors’ center as well as an arena seating 5000. The packed calendar of some 2500+ special events includes nine park festivals, sport- and music events as well as educational programs. Accessible by public transportation. General information at www.iga-berlin-2017.de.  Gehry/Toyota-designed Pierre Boulez Hall to open at new Barenboim-Said Academy  March 4, 2017  The heart and public face of the recently opened Barenboim-Said Academy, Berlin’s newest concert hall is housed in the former storage building of the Staatsoper. The Frank Gehry and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota-designed Pierre Boulez Saalprovides up to 682 spectators with extraordinary perspectives and an intimate music experience.  The brainchild of the general Music Director of the Berlin State Opera, Daniel Barenboim, and the Palestinian-American academic Edward W. Said, the fully accredited academy will serve as an intercultural space, where young musicians from Israel and Middle Eastern countries find common ground for making music and communication. The philosophy is a reflection of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which consists of young Israeli and Arab musicians, as well as the belief that musical education must be enriched by a deep knowledge of the humanities.  Leading international soloists and ensembles will regularly be guests at the Pierre Boulez Hall. It is also the home of the new Boulez Ensemble, recruited mostly from members of the Berlin Staatskapelle. Re-opening of the Staatsoper unter den Linden  October 3, 2017  Completing a seven-year, Euro 296 million renovation, Berlin’s famed Staatsoper unter den Linden concert hall is scheduled to reopen on October 3, 2017. A dedicated historic monument, the concert hall’s exterior appearance remains the same; however, structural, safety, and acoustic improvements throughout the building now elevate the venue to the ranks of internationally renowned opera houses. Built in 1743 in the Prussian classicist style, the Staatsoper has a long history of hosting significant musical premieres. General music director Daniel Barenboim and the Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra, renowned guest conductors and an ensemble of first-rate singers, promise performances of the highest musical quality.  The festive opening concert will be broadcast live on the adjacent Bebelplatz square.  Art Museum Barberini now open in Potsdam  January 23, 2017  Housed in a 1771 palace of Frederick the Great, Potsdam’s new Museum Barberini opens with two exhibitions that are distinguished by their connection to each other: Impressionism: The Art of Landscape, and Modern Art Classics: Liebermann, Munch, Nolde, Kandinsky.  Destroyed during the Second World War, the palace was reconstructed by the non-profit Museum Barberini groups with the support of the Hasso Plattner Foundation. In its 17 galleries, the Museum Barberini will feature changing collections ranging from Old Masters to works from the 21st century. The permanent collection’s focus will be on Impressionism, American modern art, art from the former East Germany, and painting after 1989. The building also houses a shop, a café & restaurant with outdoor seating, as well as an auditorium for readings, concerts and lectures. From Berlin, Potsdam can be reached by public transportation in 45 minutes.  Ease of Travel: Delta, airberlin, Air Canada Rouge offer new nonstop service to Berlin  It will get even easier and more convenient to get to Berlin from the USA and Canada with new nonstop service: In mid April, airberlin will increase its nonstop-service to Berlin to two flights daily from New York’s JFK, as well as increased service from Miami. Starting in May, the German airline will also be offering nonstop service from Los Angeles, as well as San Francisco.  Also in May, Delta will resume flights to Berlin with the launch of nonstop service between JFK and Tegel Airport.  Canadians can look forward to the new Air Canada Rouge nonstop flight from Toronto to Berlin, which will operate four times/week and launch on June 1, 2017. More information on travel to Berlin www.visitBerlin.com.

Berlin - Art Events, Openings Summer/Fall 2016.

Berlin - Art Events, Openings Summer/Fall 2016. A major force in Berlin’s cultural calendar, end-of-summer art showings underscore city’s significanc A major force in Berlin’s cultural calendar, end-of-summer art showings underscore city’s significance as a major player in the art world.  Since the fall of the Berlin wall, Berlin has found its place as a leading art destination. The city is known as a place where art is created and where world-class works are on display in the city’s museums and galleries. Some of summer/fall 2016 highlights are listed below ►9th Berlin biennale for Contemporary Art  until September 18, 2016 at various locations  Since its inception in 1998, the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art has become one of the art world’s premier cultural events. It brings together some of the most influential artists, thinkers, and personalities and presents a cross section of artworks by internationally renowned as well as emerging artists. Each edition of the Biennale features around 50 Berlin-based artists with the majority of them producing new works for the exhibition. The events explore artistic developments to present, the unseen and the unfamiliar at the core of Berlin’s inspiring atmosphere. The New York based collective DIS are the curatorial team of this year’s Biennale edition. The upcoming events will function as a platform for collaboration of different kinds, embracing contradiction, blurriness, and confusion. ►Dada Africa: Dialogue with the Foreign  August 5 – November 7, 2016  2016 marks the 100th anniversary of Dadaism and the Berlinische Galerie will throw a big party to celebrate the occasion. About 120 works from collections in Germany and abroad will be presented in five sections. Dadaist works engage in a direct dialogue with artifacts from Africa, Asia and Oceania. The show reveals how much the Dadaists looked to art beyond Europe in formulating their new aesthetic departures. DADA’s revolutionary attack on traditional notions of art and culture in the early 20th century laid the groundwork even then for new ways of seeing the Other. ►Long Night of Museums  August 27, 2016  Berlin’s popular Long Night of Museums is poised to again become an inspiring and fun late night event, when some 100 large and small museums, presenting established and new collections, open their doors from 6 pm Saturday evening until 2 am Sunday morning. Music, theater, and culinary events will enhance the permanent and temporary exhibitions and promise to make the nighttime museum visit a unique experience. Buy just one ticket and you get unlimited access to a special shuttle bus service and admission to all participating venues and events. ►5th Berlin Art Week  September 13-18, 2016, various locations  A key fall event, the Berlin Art Week is dedicated to contemporary art and combines exhibitions, art fairs, art awards, and an auxiliary program featuring talks, films, and tours. The Berlin Art Week provides new, surprising insights into private collections, project spaces, and the city’s sites of artistic production. Center pieces this year will again be the art fairs abc art berlin contemporary and Positions Berlin – Art Fair. ►European Month of Photography  October 1 – 31, 2016, various locations  Since 2004, the European Month of Photography has been taking place every two years in Berlin, presenting a wide range of exhibitions and events on historic and contemporary photography. The largest German festival for photography presents a collaboration of museums, cultural institutions, galleries, embassies, project spaces, as well as local photography schools. On the occasion of its 10th anniversary 2014, the EMOP Berlin had an impressive record to its name: 2 million visitors, 500 exhibitions by as many partner institutions, 30,000 photographic works shown, and 2,000 participating photographers. ►Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Hieroglyphics  September 23 – February 12, 2017 at Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Art  Referring to his cityscape paintings, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the German expressionist painter and one of the founders of the artists group “Die Brücke“, spoke of "hieroglyphs as signs of expression." Immediate ecstasy, Kirchner wrote, leads already in the preliminary sketch to "complete hieroglyphs." The variety of visual experience, "ecstasy," is reduced to abbreviations, to eloquent details such as hats, shoe tips, window frames, or bridge arches. With this focus, the upcoming exhibition directs attention toward 18 works by the artist in the museum's own collection, ranging from the early Seated Nude of the Dresden Brücke period, to Bathers on the Beach and dense works Meadow Flowers and Cat from the artist's late works. ►Feuerle Collection opens in former WWII bunker  October 2016  Collector Désiré Feuerle is planning to open a private museum in late 2016, to house his collection of international contemporary and Southeast Asian art, as well as Chinese design. Just like the well-known Boros Collection, the Feuerle Collection will be permanently be displayed in a former World War II telecommunications bunker, which has been refurbished by British architect John Pawson. The museum aims to provoke a dialogue between works of different cultures and eras. After a sneak preview during the 9th Berlin Biennale, the official grand opening of the Feuerle Collection will be celebrated in October 2016. More information on travel to Berlin www.visitBerlin.com.

Regent Berlin and Rolls-Royce Partner For Ultimate Luxury Package

It’s the ultimate luxury, a perfect combination of style, tradition and culture: The 5 star superior hotel Regent Berlin and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Berlin have teamed up to offer a package which leaves no wish unfulfilled.

Visionary engineering meets innovative technology with the launch of a superb new convertible: the Rolls-Royce Dawn by the traditional British luxury brand. The combination of technological freedom, extravagance and design guarantees breathtaking exuberant driving pleasure under the open skies. It only takes 20 seconds to open and close the roof which is activated with the press of a button, even whilst driving up to 50km/h.

For two days, guests of the Regent Berlin can get up close and personal with the Rolls-Royce Dawn. A choice of a sightseeing tour of the capital by day or a drive through the buzzing metropolis by night are available, driven either by a personal chauffeur or by yourself. The best place to start any excursion is from the Gendarmenmarkt, so hop in and indulge in a world of nobility and tradition.

And the pampering continues: Guests stay in one of the deluxe suites of the 5 star superior hotel Regent Berlin overlooking the Gendarmenmarkt and enjoy a romantic four-course candle-lit dinner at the two Michelin starred restaurant Fischers Fritz. Strengthened by the delicious à la carte breakfast the next morning, guests can embark on another unforgettable tour with the Rolls-Royce. In the afternoon, guests can retreat to Regent Berlin to enjoy the hotel‘s quintessentially English afternoon tea. Regent Berlin’s TeaMaster Gold invites guests to choose from 40 different kinds of tea as well as home-made ice tea. Also served are delicate sandwiches with classic fillings such as egg, cucumber and smoked salmon, freshly baked scones with Devon clotted cream and strawberry jam as well, and an assortment of fresh pastries.

The package includes: Two overnight stays in one of the elegant deluxe suites, the sumptuous à la carte breakfast at the restaurant, a four-course candle-lit dinner at the awarded gourmet restaurant Fischers Fritz, the use of the Rolls-Royce Dawn to drive yourself for two days or with a personal driver on request and including 300km, English afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge or terrace of the hotel, a bottle of champagne upon arrival, complimentary access to the Regent Health Club and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

Prices start from EUR 3,500.00 based on double occupancy, bookable preferably four weeks before arrival and up until 29th December 2016. Complimentary early check-in and late check-out on request and availability at point of booking. To book, please call reservations on +49 (0)30 2033 6666 or via e-mail to reservation.berlin@regenthotels.com.

The Regent Berlin is situated at the Gendarmenmarkt with a beautiful view of the Französischen Dom (French Cathedral) and the concert house. The boulevard Unter den Linden, the Brandenburg Gate and the popular Friedrichstraße with its exclusive boutiques are all just a stone's throw away. The very personalised service and luxurious design of the 195 rooms and suites make the 5 star superior hotel one of the most sought-after hotels with stars, leisure and business guests. With its modern meeting and conference facilities as well as its awarded gourmet restaurant Fischers Fritz, the Regent Berlin offers the right ambience for every occasion.

For further information, please visit www.regenthotels.com/berlin

Source: www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

Berlin Budget Vegan: 10 Places To Get Vegan Meals In Berlin for Less Than €10

In 2013, when we were last in Berlin, there were a couple of good places for a Berlin budget vegan food. Since then, the Berlin budget vegan scene has gone totally insane, in a good way.

There are signs for vegan food wherever you look and it would be a year’s work to try all the options available. As with any food scene that goes trenderiffic (curry wurst, I’m looking at you), bad apples are popping up everywhere, threatening to spoil the bunch.

We made it our mission to find the best vegan cheap eats in Berlin and taste them for you. We also scoured the streets for nearby alternatives, in case your chosen Berlin budget vegan restaurant is mysteriously closed when you get there.

(This happens all the time in Berlin! Plan ahead.)

From least expensive to most, here’s all the Berlin budget vegan food we tried, with honest opinions about each option.

Momos, Mitte

Vegan & Vegetarian
Fehrbelliner Str. 5, U Senefelderplatz

Photo via Momo.

This tiny lunch spot is hidden away on a residential street. It’s popular with office workers on their lunch break, so expect the tables to be busy if you go between noon and 1:30pm. Inspired by a trip they took to Nepal, Marc and Martin serve plates of small dumplings called momos. Veggie-friendly adventurers, our favourite kind of people!

The dumplings come in six flavours (2 veg, 4 vegan) with a choice of three dips and three plate sizes. The piping hot little pockets were tasty and filling; a medium plate of 14 momos made a terrific lunch.

Price for a vegan meal:
Plate of 14 fried momos with dip: €6.90

Did you know? If you like tall, fit German men with friendly smiles, you will want to visit Momo. Trust me.

Nearby: Cold-pressed juices, healthy shakes, and vegan salads are on offer at Daluma, Weinbergsweg 3.

Il Casolare, Kreuzberg

Vegan Options (if you ask), Serves Meat
Grimmstr. 30, Berlin, Kottbusser Brücke

If you have a hankering for a traditional Italian pizza, but the closest you can get to Italy is Berlin, then Il Casolare has your back. Il Casolare is staffed by exceptionally grumpy waitresses, who give the impression that speaking to customers is way below their pay grade. Fortunately, the food makes up for the unpleasantries. It’s not a vegan pizza place and you won’t find anything vegan on the menu, but just order one of their selection of veggie pizzas ohne käseand you’ll be transported straight to Italia with the first bite.

Il Casolare has two sister branches in Berlin. Il Ritrovo in Friedrichshain (Gabriel-Max-Str. 2) and I Due Forni in Prenzlauer Berg (Schönhauser Allee 12).

Price for a vegan meal:
Generous personal pizza: about €7

Did you know? Rumour has it that Quentin Tarantino eats at Il Casolare when he is in Berlin.

Nearby: Just across the river at Erkelenzdamm 49 is Viasko, which will break your budget, but will also fill your belly with vegan delights.

Sushi Cube, Kreuzberg

Vegan Options, Serves Fish
Zossener Str. 18, U Gneisenaustr.

Packed out pretty much every time I’ve been there, Sushi Cube won’t win any awards for swift service or relaxed dining. But, it does have an amazing selection of veggie and vegan sushis on the menu at a terrific price. We found it impossible to ask our busy waitress for a glass of water, let alone to find out if the tempura batter has eggs in it, so ask before you order. If it does, there are lots of options that don’t involve any batter at all.

Did you know? In summer, you can enjoy your sushi out on the sidewalk tables – oh so European.

Price for a vegan meal:
Two filling sushi rolls: around €8

Nearby: Planet Veganus is a small vegan bistro just around the corner on Schenkendorfstrasse 1.

Pêle-Mêle, Neukölln

Vegan
Innstr. 26, Geygerstr.

After failing to eat at Sfizy (randomly closed until some day in February) and Let it Be (doesn’t open until 4pm), I found myself at Pêle-Mêle, a homey little restaurant on a side street in Neukölln. What was going to be just a back-up plan turned into one of the best budget vegan meals I had in Berlin.

The veggie-burger is a homemade green spelt patty topped with fresh, crisp veggies on a sesame bun. And it was damn tasty. After lunch, I treated myself to a slice of hazelnut chocolate cake for dessert, which was iced with a caramel-like peanut butter topping. Yum.

Did you know?
Pêle-Mêle does an organic vegan gourmet brunch every Sunday from 10am to 3pm. This is a must-eat on my list for next time we’re in Berlin.

Price for a vegan meal:
Veggie burger: €6.50
Side of potato wedges: €2.50

Nearby:
The pizza at all-vegan Sfizy is supposed to be great. Next time we’re in Berlin, maybe I’ll have an update for you.

Tianfuzius, Schöneberg

Vegan & Vegetarian
10777 Berlin, U Viktoria-Luise-Platz

There was a time, about three months into our cycling trip through China, that I thought I would never be able to eat Chinese food again. That time has passed, so I was excited to find out about Tianfuzius, a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in upmarket Schöneberg. Tianfuzius is decked out to impress the well-to-do locals, with a modern, chic take on an ancient Chinese villa. You could easily spend €50 per person on a splash-out meal here.

But, just like the upscale vegetarian restaurants in China, the dim sum section of the menu offers affordable filling options on a budget. They have a range of dumplings including Xiao Long Bao, Bao Zi, and Jiao Zi for less than €5 a plate. While my order of Bao didn’t compare to the fluffy cloud-like buns of perfection that came from street vendors in remote villages in China, they were pretty good. At least I could be sure I wasn’t going to bite into a bun full of pig!

If you want to splurge, come and try the Mapo Tofu and Green Beans with Mountains of Chilis (my name for them) that we so fondly remember from our time in China.

Did you know? Tianfuzius also offers a lunch box special (Japanese Bento style) for less than €10.

Price for a vegan meal:
Soup plus an order of dumplings: €9

Nearby:
It’s a bit of a trek, but Chay Village on Eisenacher Str. 40 does veggie and vegan Vietnamese food and is the closest good option in the area.

Cat Tuong, Prenzlauerberg

Vegan
Kastanienallee 89, Schwedter Str.

Our meal at Cat Tuong was easily the best we had in Berlin. We were excited to have the chance to sample some Vietnamese delights without having to pick through our food for random bits of pork or tiny dried shrimp! The menu made us want to come back multiple times, because there was so much we wanted to try.

The crispy Banh Xeo pancake was as tasty as we remember from the market in Ha Noi and our main courses were rich and flavourful, while being completely different from each other. The best part about Cat Tuong’s meals is how they use thin slices of seitan and mushroom to recreate the delicate pieces of pork (or chicken or dog) so prevalent in Vietnamese cooking.

Price for a vegan meal:
One main dish: €9

Did you know?
Cat Tuong is a famous Vietnamese actress (but the word also means something like “Fortune”).

Nearby:
Fill up on vegan salads, wraps, and scrumptious fries at Fast Rabbit on Eberswalder Str. 1.

Bonus Listing: Vegan Grocery Store Veganz

Vegan
Locations in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, and Prenzlauer Berg

As proof that Berlin has been possessed by vegan insanity (hooray), there is a chain of vegan grocery stores in the city. Yes, you heard that right. A CHAIN of VEGAN grocery stores. Anyway, they sell every vegan product you’ve ever heard of but can’t get in your town back home.

Gardein? Yup, with more varieties than we could ever find in Canada, where the stuff is made! Beyond Meat? You betcha? Veganaise? Yes, again with more different kinds than I knew existed. Plus, there are oodles of types of Europeanvegan cheese slices and yogurts which are actually good!

While there is a minor snobbery among Berlin’s vegan populace about vegan

 “products” (yes, yes, we should all eat raw beans and kale the whole time) for travellers with access to a kitchen, Veganz is tha bomb! Combine some of their non-meat products with a plate full of veggies from the Turkish market and you have a tasty, nutritious vegan meal for well under €10.

Want even more budget vegan

 Berlin?

There are about 476 (give or take) budget vegan places we didn’t get to try in

 Berlin, not to mention all the high-end vegan restaurants in Berlin.

Check out these blogs for even more Berlin budget vegan restaurants (plus some fancier ones for splurge nights):

13 FANTASTISCH Vegan Restaurants in Berlin Not To Miss
The 10 Best Places to Eat in Berlin for Vegetarians & Vegans
Berlin Vegan Guide

♥  Happy adventures (in vegan eating), Stephen & Jane

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