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FTRC.BLOG / Unexpected Berlin: History, Street Art & Schnitzel

Unexpected Berlin: History, Street Art & Schnitzel

This page serves as your guide to Berlin, a city that is always reinventing itself. I have explored its intriguing history and vibrant neighborhoods and discovered some hidden gems that you won’t find in a typical guidebook.

We’ll explore beyond the iconic Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag Building to discover quirky museums, street art, and remnants of the Berlin Wall. Have you ever heard of the Stasi Museum? It’s a chilling reminder of Berlin’s divided past. We’ll also explore the Museum in der Kulturbrauerei, where you can learn about the surprisingly vibrant heavy metal scene in East Germany.

Of course, every trip to Berlin is complete with indulging in delicious food. I’ll share my favorite spots to find the biggest schnitzel in the city and, maybe, the best burgers Berlin has to offer.

So, come along with me and experience the unique energy of Berlin. Whether you’re a history buff, an art enthusiast, or just looking for an adventure, this page will inspire you to explore this captivating city.

It was August 21, 1988, and four people decided to risk their lives crossing the Spree River in an attempt of escaping East Germany in hope for freedom in West Berlin. Three men and a woman risked their lives and watching it today make everything look like a distant event in the past, but that was Berlin at the time.

Escaping East Germany: Swimming Across the Spree into West Berlin in Video

It was August 21, 1988, and four people decided to risk their lives crossing the Spree River in an attempt to escape East Germany in the hope of freedom in West Berlin. Three men and a woman risked their lives, and watching it today made everything look like a distant event in the past, but that was Berlin at the time.

Alex Soloviev has a way of capturing life in the streets of Berlin. He shows how Berlin can be loaded with energy at the same time that he shows the tension behind everything that happens here. And, in The Inner Layer, he does this so well that we had to do a short post about his work.

Berlin – The Inner Layer by Alex Soloviev

Alex Soloviev has a way of capturing life in the streets of Berlin. He shows how Berlin can be loaded with energy, and at the same time, he shows the tension behind everything that happens here.

Rüya has the best chicken döner that I ever had in Berlin. You can find them, free of a long queue, on Haupstrasse in Schöneberg. Go there with your friends and show them how good a chicken döner can be.

Rüyam Gemüse Kebab is the Best Chicken Döner in Berlin

Rüyam is one of many hidden secrets that Berlin keeps in plain sight. I have been in front of this diner kebab imbiss in Schöneberg too many times to count, but I finally visited the place in late September 2017, and now I know why so many people consider it to have the best chicken… Read More »Unexpe…

Konrad H. Jarausch explains the Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall on a TED-ED video animation

Konrad H. Jarausch explains the Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall on a TED-ED video animation

The Berlin Wall started being built on Sunday, August 13, 1961, to be more precise. Construction workers took their machines to the streets with cops and military forces on their side. This is how Berlin woke up on that summer Sunday many years ago.

Neukölln is a weird place in Berlin. At first glance, the neighborhood looks like a clash of cultures or, maybe, the future of Germany. But, in the back streets, you can find a glimpse of the past, and this is called Popraci, a hay roll race that has been happening for ten years yet most people don’t even know it exists. Fotostrasse got together with a few friends and put a team to race in this year Popraci Neukölln 2017, and here you can read everything about it.

Popraci Neukolln 2017: When we pushed rolls of Hay around Neukölln dressed with Black Metal war paint

Neukölln is a weird place in Berlin. At first glance, the neighborhood looks like a clash of cultures or, maybe, the future of Germany. But, in the back streets, you can find a glimpse of the past, and this is called Popraci, a hay roll race that has been happening for ten years, yet most… Read More »…

When you live in Berlin, you end up exploring the same neighborhoods all the time. It’s easier like that, but you might miss a lot of great spots. To fix this, I decided to explore a famous part of Berlin that I usually don’t visit often. Because of my lack of knowledge, I decided to spend 48 hours there just to see what could I see and do in one of the most famous areas of the German capital.

Exploring Berlin City West in 48 Hours of Art, Design and Great Food

In early 2017, I decided to get a room at the 25 Hours Hotel and explore Berlin City West, this is how I made this 48 hours guide to it.

If you are a walk along where the Berlin Wall used to be around Bernauer Strasse, you will see a meat mural that might be our favorite street art piece in Berlin. This enormous painting shows the side of buildings being cut by a large knife with the shape of the city being represented in some white tissue. For us, this shows how the Berlin Wall was a scar running along the city.

If Walls Could Talk… — A Meat Mural by Marcus Haas where the Berlin Wall used to be

If you walk along where the Berlin Wall used to be around Bernauer Strasse, you will see a meat mural that might be our favorite street art piece in Berlin. This enormous painting shows the side of buildings cut by a large knife, with the city's shape represented in some white tissue.

The Best Photo Spots in Berlin: Where to take pictures in the German Capital

The Best Photo Spots in Berlin: Where to take pictures in the German Capital

If you’re like us, you travel with a camera and carry it all the time. With smartphones becoming cheaper, everybody takes a camera, but we only see selfies everywhere. Because of all this, it became hard to surprise somebody with travel pictures since most people only go to the same places and take the same…&nbs…

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