Berlin is a lively city with a vibrant night life, along with lots of culture and great food. With more than 1,500 events this summer, from musum nights to parades and street fairs, Germany's capital city is an adventure, city style.
Carnival of Cultures, May 25-28, celebrates Berlin's own diversity, and the world's, too. It starts with a colorful parade of more than 4,000 dancers, singers and musicians from more than 80 nations. It's one of the city's most popular events, attracting one million on-lookers and participants.
Berlin's 15th Lesbian and Gay Street Festival is one of the largest in Europe. As in previous years, the area around Nollendorfplatz is the stage for a weekend of events, June 16 and 17. One event is Gay Night at the Berlin Zoo, whose most famous resident is Cute Knut, a four-month-old Polar Bear cub. Knut is on the cover of the May issue of Vanity Fair magazine, along with Leonardo di Caprio.
From June 17-29. Berlin is home to some of the most fanciful sculptures on earth. It's the International Sand Sculpture Festival, with gigantic sand statues created by artists from around the world.
Berlin's rich Jewish history is celebrated with Jewish Cultural Days, June 23-July 8. Artists from Germany, Israel and elsewhere participate in a diverse program of music, theater, movies and readings. Be sure to visit the city's Jewish Museum, which traces German-Jewish history from the Roman Age through today.
The new wing designed by architect Daniel Libeskind has not a single right angle. Floors and walls are off-kilter. It is totally disorienting, and a testament to the chaos and horror of the Holocaust.
For those looking for romantic evenings, the combination of historic settings and classical music is a must. From July 27 to August 5, there's a special schedule of concerts at Berlin's historic castles.
The Berlin International Beer Festival, August 3-5, turns the city into a gigantic outdoor beer garden, with Oompah bands and lots of wursts and pretzels. Be sure to sample a curry wurst, a favorite of Berliners rarely available in other German cities. As for the beer, in the summer Germans tend to drink weissbier, or wheat bear, a light beer served with a wedge of lemon.
The last two days of September are the Berlin Marathon. No, it doesn't take runners two days to run the course through the city. One day is for the race, the other is for the huge folk festival and street fair that celebrates both the city and the runners. Last year, there were more than 40,000 participating runners, plus 8,000 inline skaters, power walkers and wheelchair athletes, all representing nearly 100 nations.
For more information on Berlin and its summer of festivals and events, click here.
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