The reasons behind tattoos are multiple. Today, getting a tattoo has become a common experience, a day-to-day thing almost. In other words, now we see tattoos in everyone’s body and everywhere around the world. Maybe, a lot of frontiers or ideas regarding the use of tattoos have been dissolved during the last thirty or forty years. By becoming a more common practice to decorate the skin, it’s not a totally ‘underground’ symbol anymore, or a synonym of marginality, the whole opposite: tattoos are style, a way of life and both artists and tattooed people are part of a vibrant international community.

The importance of tattoos is millenary. Otzi was probably the first human to use tattoos around about 3300 BC. Otzi is the oldest natural human mummy which has been found. It was in 1991 in the Italian Alps, and among all the different studies that have been made on this mummy, among them the discovery of food remains which could still be identified, are the oldest tattoos on his skin which is still preserved: these are slight lines which seem to become symbols placed strategically in some parts of the body, which lead to believe that these tattoos had a mystical-healing function, because they were placed on his articulations, where they found out that Otzi had arthritis. And so, tattoos have accompanied us since ancient times. In ancient Greece and Rome, for example, they used tattoos to mark criminals and, in Egypt, a tattoo had religious meanings and functions.

Today, the best tattoo artists are located, of course, in some of the most important cities around the globe: New York, London, Paris… Berlin of course isn’t an exception. The community involved in the use of tattoos in the German capital is widely spread, but if you choose to get a tattoo in Berlin, there’s nothing better than AKA. AKA is not only a tattoo and piercing shop but also a contemporary art gallery focused of course on painting and art on the body. Its tattoo artists are amongst the most famous, among them are Jessica Mach, Sarah B.Bolen, Guy, Raf, Madame Chän who has just been tattooing in New York, Jeffrey Luz, Lea Nohan, Peter Aurich and Belly Button.

Therefore, the best tattoos and contemporary art are combined at AKA in Berlin, a must-visit place where it’s really worth getting a tattoo. AKA isn’t a simple tattoo shop but a hybrid and experimental place where artists from all fields have the chance to meet. The previously mentioned tattoo artists have been chosen for their talent and personal and professional style, which not only comes from the tradition of tattoos but also from a background which combines visual artists, illustration, painting and street artists. For more information on AKA, booking appointments for tattoos and finding out about their different activities, visit the following website: http://akaberlin.com/

Alexa Ray

Nothing better than getting apartments in Berlin and being part of its important cultural and artistic lifestly. AKA is a place where you won’t just find the best tattoo artists in the city but also avant-garde art and culture.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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As in any big city, in Berlin you will find food from all backgrounds and places. Recent and experimental flavors offered in place where you will love having something to drink while getting to know the love of your life. However, the currywurst experience is a street experience, part of Berliners’ everyday. Currywurst has the ability to charm many tourists who photo in photo, from museum to museum, and going from one place to another, cannot stop enjoying this, “fast food” dish.

If you do not know it yet, a Currywurst is a grilled pork sausage, served cut into pieces and covered with a curry sauce. This sauce is made primarily of tomato sauce and obviously, a generous amount of curry. If you want to make it at home, you can also use ketchup. In some stands, Currywurst is served with chips or bread; you can accompany it with a very cold beer or Coca Cola. Perhaps a light red wine can also go with it, yet its character is more than “fast food”, it is a matter of your taste and style.

It is said that the currywurst was invented around the 40’s, as “fast food” result of the Second World War. The plate was slowly becoming the most favorite of the working class, which is why; its price remains relatively comfortable for all budgets. Here is a brief list of some famous places to eat the best currywursts in Berlin.

Konnopke’s Imbiß has its doors open since 1930. Besides the classic currywursts carefully prepared, you can try other varieties of sausages and the best quality meats served with fresh drinks. Curry 36 is another classic of currywurst. Similarly, they have various sauces and preparations of the legendary currywurst, giving contrast and diversity without losing the typical style of preparation. Other sausages, fries and fried fish are also at your disposal. Finally, another Currywurst classic is Currywurst Berlin & Friends, where people as Wim Wenders and Bruno Ganz have tasted quality food.

But before you continue with your meal tour, pay a visit to the Deutsches Currywurst Museum, where you can find photographs, artifacts, timelines, and audio and video about the history of this traditional snack in Berlin. Meet other travelers and locals in this place very near the famous Checkpoint Charlie. Believe it or not, currywurst as other meals all over the world is a portrait of a time and tells a lot. For more info, visit the following website: http://www.currywurstmuseum.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the fabulous currywursts and other international dishes in the German capital. Berlin is a fascinating city that is home to a rich and diverse community.

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Translated by: Hans
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It’s pleasant and cheaper to go to Berlin this time of year, although you have to take some precautions because the cold is a constant presence, not only when it snows but during the whole day, even if the sun is out. So, we’ll give you some recommendations on how to alleviate that impact and enjoy your stay.

The first thing to remember is that transport in Berlin is expensive, so you have to check out which type of pass is best suited to your budget. Otherwise, you’ll have to walk a lot and, remember, it’s winter.

Traditional German cuisine is ideal for these cold months. It’s abundant style, where we find a lot of meat, potatoes, sausages and sauerkraut, was created to live and work during long, winter days.

The restaurant Zur Letzten Instanz, located in the district of Mitte, is a great alternative to try this food, which will keep you away from the outside cold. This restaurant is one of the oldest in Berlin and it carries the tradition of being an obliged stop to avoid the cold. Also, the atmosphere is warm and cozy, so it’s good to warm up the soul. Napoleon, Maxim Gorky, Otto Nagel and many other famous men and women have eaten the restaurant’s specialities on its tables; specialities like Berliner Eisbein (pig feet), or the soup of the day, which is always abundant. It has good prices and it’s always busy, so you should book a table in advance so you’re not left out.

Clothes are another element that you should take into consideration to avoid the cold. The hat, the scarf, the gloves and, if you’re a girl, tights, are mandatory. But it’s not true that you have to walk like a bear to escape the cold. Today it is known that the best way to avoid it is with an appropriate thermal isolation of the body and, for that, the experts recommend putting on various thin layers of clothes (onion style) made of cotton or fleece, both on the legs and on the torso. Over them, wear a coat or something waterproof so that the cold stays out. Socks and shoes are very important because the feet are in contact with the floor and are very sensitive to the cold.

Another great way to beat the cold is to have hot drinks, such as coffee in all of its varieties, hot chocolate, or eat sweet food, since they’re part of German tradition. In any place in the city that you come across, there are original cafeterias, with china bought in the markets, so don’t worry if there are more than two or three cups or chairs that are the same, because that’s just how Berlin is.

Patisserie Albrechts is a 60s style bakery. It has four tables and the most delicious homemade cakes in the city, such as the Karamelläpfel auf Blätterteig, a pastry cake with caramelized apple that they serve with coffee or hot chocolate.

Nancy Guzman

Don’t let the cold ruin your trip and relaxing time in apartments in Berlin On the contrary! Let it be a stimulation towards your imagination and shared leisure.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Beer and Berlin are just one word, which is why there are the best places to drink this barley nectar in the world, especially in the Biergarten or beer gardens that are open all year. Remember that the Germans are serious about the ritual of drinking beer and therefore, you should know the types of beer and the ideal season to drink them, however, we will help you with this task by recommending some places to enjoy a beer with your travel companions.

Please note that in every part of Germany there are different kinds of local beers, they are identified by the name and emblem of the town, and there are many varieties: blonde, red and black. If you want to change a little or if you have a bad cold, because of the low temperatures, you can mix lager with lemon, what they call Radler. The Weisse mit Schuß is a Berlin preparation of lager with raspberry syrup.

Prater Gaststätte & Biergarten is one of the oldest places in Berlin to drink beer and eat local specialties. It was built in 1837 and in 1995 it opened as a Biergarten and restaurant. The service and the atmosphere are very good; it is a place that brings people from all around the world no matter race, class and nationality without problem. It is very nice to eat sausages and test a variety of beers that they have to accompany them. It is located on Kastanienallee 7-9.

Berliner Bürgerbräu Café is located on the south of the city, facing the lake Mülggelsee and its a beautiful landscape to drink a good home beer served with local food. This family-owned brewery, allows you to scroll through the outskirts of the city, where the aesthetics of the buildings of the former GDR remain almost intact. The cafe is divided into four rooms and can accommodate about 250 people. It also maintains the aesthetics of the post war, with painted walls and old floors, tables and chairs. While the food is too traditional, too much meat and spices, is a good alternative to the winter cold with a Bock beer in the house. Its exact address is Müggelseedamm 164-166.

Max und Moritz is a restaurant where you eat the best sausages, very good beer, and other delights of German cuisine. This place is ideal for eating well at good prices and very well attended. It also has high-quality beers from different regions of Germany. Its address is Oranienstrasse 162 and it is open at night. It is an ideal place to come in groups.

Schleusenkrug is considered a good place to have beers with style. The place is nice and has occasional live music, with good local DJs in the scene, at reasonable prices. Its address is Müller-Breslau-Strasse and in winter it is open from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm.

Nancy Guzman

Rent apartments in Berlin and enjoy in all these recommended places to drink beer and make new friends.

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Translated by: Hans
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On January 28, 2012  Berlin will celebrate the 30th edition of The Long Night of Museums, an activity that starts at 18:00 and ends at 2:00 am of the next day. On this occasion, 70 Berlin museums open their doors and bring the public to culture in a different way. This year there will be a diverse and entertaining program for those who enjoy culture and for this purpose, a special bus service will run all night long between museums.

As usual, there will be poetry readings, dance activities, theater performances and concerts that complement this night where culture is the center of all activity. On this occasion, the celebrations will also take place in Brandenburg to commemorate the birth of Frederick the Great. Following this line of activities , on January 30  several collections that revolve around the figure of Frederick the Great will be presented.

Frederick the Great was born on January 24, 1712 in Berlin. Son of Frederick William I and Sophia Dorothea of ​​Hanover of the House of Hohenzollern, he became king of Prussia in 1740 and directed its destinies during 46 years.

In his youth, encouraged by his mother, he became interested and became an avid reader of French literature, maintaining  correspondence with the philosophers of the Enlightenment. This relationship with the intellectuals of his time in contrasted with the rejection of the discipline imposed by the Court and military traditions.

His homosexuality and the rejection to the brutality of his father, who ordered the beheading of his lover, Lt Hermann von Kate. and who forced him to witness the execution, and was then sent to jail during two years losing his nobility as as prince. Three years later, in 1730, he was obliged to marry Isabel Cristina of Brunswick, regaining his status as a prince.

In 1739 he published the book The Anti. Machiavelli, which bitterly criticized Machiavelli’s vision on the grounds that his thinking about moral lacked power and advocated that greater demands that are made on the ethics of the rulers. His disruptive view took him to keep in a  constant process of exchange of ideas with the philosophers of his day, among whom was Voltaire, who wrote an interesting poem about the orgasm to make him believe that passion and emotion of a Prussian could be as intense than that of  those of southern Europe.

His ruling framed by the enlightened despotism had him order several reforms such as the codification of Prussian law that indicated that the obligation to protect the weak in society, he abolished torture and established the independence of the judiciary. He was a great reformer, a lover of the arts and science by opening the Sanssouci Palace to philosophers, musicians and writers of his time.

For more information http://www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de/

Nancy Guzman

In order to have a great time visiting museums in January, rent apartments in Berlin and learn through art the transformations the world has experienced.

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Translated by: Marc
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Berlin is a friendly city to live in at any time of the year, it also has a healthy amount of street markets that lend it a charming touch and moves you to find a flavor to remember the past. We will tell you which are the best markets and what you can find in them.

First we will tell you that the markets are differentiated by what they sell, in Flohmarkt they sell shoes, clothing, tools, furniture, electronics, books and unused records and CD’s. In Trödelmarkt they sell the same things, but they add interesting objects of the former GDR. In Antikmarkt, furniture, weaponry and antiques are sold. Finally, there are Kunstmarkt or markets selling arts and crafts manufactured by its creators. You should consider that the markets that are located in West Berlin are the most expensive and of the highest quality, which means that their prices are higher.

Mauerpark is the most famous flea market in Berlin, because it is located in the park by the Berlin Wall that separates Wedding, Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. It has the largest variety of objects, vintage clothes, furniture and second hand bicycles  which is mixed with karaoke music and jugglers, giving it a unique, almost surreal feel when you look at it  from the Wall and watch the excitement of the place. There you can eat very good vegetarian menus, or tea or coffee at affordable prices.

If you have time you can go to the Arkonaplatz market, which is very close to Mauerpark, there you can find great vinyls and an amazing variety of books. The market opens at 10:00 A.M. every Sunday and is on Bernauer Strasse, close to good cafes.

Friedrichshain market has that happy and relaxed atmosphere and specializes in high quality antiques. You can find furniture, decorative objects, books, and more. Remember that in this as in other markets, bargaining is a sport practiced by everyone. Located in Boxhagener Platz.

Kottim is another of these markets with tradition, there is  a festive atmosphere with live music. You can also find great bargains on clothes and good quality accessories of  there are also food stalls, drinks and everything is at reasonable prices. Its location is in Kottbusser Platz U-Bahn and is open every Sunday from 12 noon.

Charlottenburg, Tiergarten Market is one of the most interesting of the city, since it has very good marquetry furniture and antiques, although their prices are not cheap and there is no possibility of bargaining because they are restored by manufacturers. It is a serious place, suitable for collectors, interior designers and specialists in antique furniture. Located in the area of ​​the old West Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni.

Nancy Guzman

Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Rent apartments in Berlin and explore these markets and have fun, for sure you will find an object to fill that empty space in your house.

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Translated by: Marc
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Techno music has become inevitable for those who like having a lot of fun, some people even travel just to enjoy those places, where the leading techno parties take place. This type of music was born in the U.S. with strong European influence and has many fans in Berlin, which is called the world capital of techno, so I’ll tell you where you can dance techno and have fun in this city.

Bar Berghain is the most famous techno club in Berlin and its name comes from the word game on the names of the neighborhoods in the intersection the bar is located, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. The site was a former Thermal power station near the Ostbahnhof train station. The structure belongs to the socialist neoclassicism and has been preserved and restored inside, where there is capacity for 1500 people. Here the best DJs are concentrated in the techno and minimal techno worlds. Its address is Am Bahnhof 1 Wriezener and it is open every Saturday at 12 pm, to finish the next day. There are also art shows.

Watergate Club is considered one of the top 100 places in the world to dance techno music. Located in the heart of Kreuzberg, on the banks of the Spree River, it has two floors and two rooms with good lighting, and an adorable floating terrace. It’s a great place to dance, because of its spacious dance floor and it is ideal for seeing the sun rise in the morning through its glass ceiling. The music is excellent, since it has best DJs in the world and every Saturday there is a great music agenda. Its address is Falckensteinstrasse 49.

Matrix Club Berlin is one of the greatest spaces to dance and listen to live techno music. Every Saturday, it has DJs that heat the atmosphere and do not stop until the next day, because each party lasts 22 hours. The place has three floors, where you can listen to different music depending on the floor you are. It was designed to adapt to the tastes of every visitor, the music heard in this club is, electro pop, rock and techno. Its address is Warschauer Strasse 18.

The Club Cassiopeia is one of the biggest clubs in Berlin that specializes in making live music techno parties and concerts, its building is a renewed old factory, which retains its post-industrial minimalist interior. The dance floors are on two levels, where the music changes with night, according to the DJs that appear on the scene. While the Club is a place for adults who love techno, it also engages in skateboarding during the day and enabled the courtyard as a bohemian meeting area for beers.

Nancy Guzman

A great outlook for 2012 is starting to rent apartments in Berlin and throw all the weight of the past while vibrating with dance techno music and the best DJs in Europe. Book your apartment and prepare your feet for this day.

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Translated by: Hans
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Berlin continues to be the port of arrival for many artists, both from Europe and other parts of the world. What makes Berlin today a city so attractive for new artists? Multiple reasons; the tradition of producing art from Berlin, in Berlin, for Berlin and between Berlin, is almost endless. Indeed, the city has experienced many of the twentieth century avant-garde, conceptual art, and experimental music underground. Consider also the division of Berlin as a result of wars, creating two sides of art spanning the entire city, and so creating more powerful political resonance proposals. After the fall of the wall, the open free market, and after the re-occupation of Berlin by the Berliners, things have changed a bit.

For this tradition of breaking barriers, moral, aesthetic and creative, Berlin is both a city or place of art in every sense of the word. The proportions of a work done “in Berlin,” are different from those made “in Valencia”, so to speak. The artist stands in a central and symbolic market, where his presence in a particular environment and is influencing the approach to his work, the degree of his-life experience as an artist in a metropolis, note that this is part of the profile current contemporary artist, the merit of where you live power on your creative potential. And predisposes you do better business, having doors open galleries and museums, etc..

CTM.12 focuses on the most important experimental trends of the moment in Berlin. This festival has a long program of concerts, an exhibition hall and conference presentations related to contemporary art. The importance of an international festival of this magnitude should be highlighted, as it conglomerates a new audience, which is always alert to new ways of producing knowledge about young people and from all backgrounds. It is really recommended, if you work in the field of art and curating. The world of business and the arts always go hand by hand and, in this time of economic crisis, institutions and collectors are constantly looking to invest in new contemporary art. It is certainly an investment with great future potential.

This year, CTM.12 point of focus is music, and from music, many other forms of expression are related. This year’s theme approach will be “the spectral”, understood as the phenomenon of statements or lines of representation, approached in a spooky or dark condition. The festival also runs in parallel the renowned festival Transmediale art and digital culture, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. It should be also noted that the fabulous band Mouse on Mars will present its new album within the CTM.12 program. For more information on CTM.12, as well as its complete schedule of concerts and lectures, visit the following website: http://www.ctm-festival.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and get to know more about its hectic cultural life. Berlin still offers the best of art and experimental sounds.

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Translated by: Hans
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In 1923, due to the increasing dissonance between the expressionist style of the painter Lothar Schreyer, member of the Berliner group ‘Sturm’, and the aesthetic foundations of the Bauhaus, which aspired to achieved a synthesis of all arts through pure forms, he was substituted as the director of the scenic workshops of the school, an essential part of the interdisciplinary plan of studies of the project of Walter Gropius, who aspired both to the elimination of barriers between artists and artisans as well as the acknowledgement of the possibility that art could influence in industrial production.

The successor to Schreyer was Oskar Schlemmer, who during the period between 1923 and 1929 transformed the Bauhaus scenic workshops into a pioneer multidisciplinary centre of experimental work that reflected, through dynamic ways, the artistic and technological sensitivities of the school.

The most representative result of this work was his seminal Triadic Ballet, that contained all the spectrum of Schlemmer’s theory on performance and which is, today, probably still the most interesting and complete fusion of dance, music and costume (that extended in space the contours of the body, a true driving force behind performance, through the use of metal, fabric and wires that transformed the actors into abstract figures) that had never been staged before.

Schlemmer’s works are a double witness on one hand of the tight and live existing relation between art and fashion in contemporary times and on the other of an era, the period between the wars in which Germany was one of the great capitals, not only of artistic avant-garde but also of fashion, able to compete in its own way with countries such as France or Italy in this field.

After having great success for many years in Barcelona, the international urban fashion festival Bread & Butter, possibly the most important one in the world in its field, has been hosted in Berlin since 2010, and will host its next edition from the 18th to the 20th of January in the centric and emblematic Tempelhof airport, which has been closed to air traffic for many years (http://www.breadandbutter.com/winter2012/). This is an event which is like a way of travelling to those unique times on board of no lesser special aeroplane able to dig out past, present and future, a legitimate sphere of relativity where art adapted to fashion seems to be moving in its own sphere, full of possibly, as Marshall McLuhan said, a certain infallibility that fills in some way the sensorial emptiness created by the different misplacements caused by technology.

It seems that a lot of time has gone by since Schlimmer’s experiments, although we still can’t say, like Chesterton, if the world is young or old, but the German capital is today like it used to be before, one of the most avant-gardist and vibrant cities in the West.

Paul Oilzum

If you rent apartments in Berlin around these dates, submerge yourself in the fascinating world of Bread & Butter, a festival that in barely ten years has become the most important in Europe.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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The Charlottenburg Palace is one of the most famous buildings in the city of Berlin, because since it was built in the late seventeenth century, it occupied a prominent place in the cultural world of Germany and also of Europe.

The kings of Prussia ordered the construction of this palace, which is majestic no matter how you look at it. Visiting it is not only a good plan for tourists, but for the Berlin public who appreciate good art either in a restaurant or in an opera house.

On January 20, 2012, all the tourists who are in magical Berlin, will be able enjoy in a special way the Charlottenburg Palace . The plan proposed by the organizers of the event is that visitors tour the Palace in the morning (from 10 to 16 hours) and then get ready for dinner to be held in the Orangerie Restaurant, a ballroom gala, which also belongs the Palace. Dinner time is from 18 to 20 hours, because at 20.30 am the beginning of the concert is programmed. The menu is exquisite and offers variants for all tastes. Appetizers, main course and dessert, so all the guests will leave the restaurant satisfied to the concert hall to enjoy the music

The Berlin Palace Orchestra will be playing for almost two hours the most beautiful musicals of all time. Taking a journey from baroque to classicism. Viewers are immersed in the musical stream and are carried away by the warm sounds of wind and string instruments. This Orchestra is known worldwide and organizes tours to give everyone a chance to hear them, but to be performing in the Charlottenburg Palace is a privilege for all of those who are in Berlin.

For more information visit: http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=134 or http://www.concerts-berlin.com

Photo: (c) SPSG

d.b

Spending a full day in the Charlottenburg Palace is a treat that tourists can enjoy , especially if they rent apartments in Berlin and thus you will be near the best attractions in the city.

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Translated by: Marc
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