Berlin’s Mayor Klaus Wowereit once famously declared that “Berlin ist arm, aber sexy” (poor but sexy), which makes it the perfect place to enjoy without breaking the bank. Here is BIMM Berlin’s “Guide To Berlin On A Budget”.
1.See the city by bike – Berlin has cycle lanes everywhere and there is little better than riding through Berlin in the sunshine. Tempelhofer Feld (former airport, now public park) is a great place to cycle because of it’s flat runways. You will also spot people rollerblading, skateboarding and even unicycling here. So hop on your wheels and get going.
2. Spook yourself – the hauntingly gorgeous St. Matthäus churchyard in Schöneberg (David Bowie’s old stomping ground) makes for an interesting afternoon. Buried here are fairytale inventors the Brothers Grimm, whose graves you can visit, plus you’ll see a wealth of beautiful tombstones. Alternatively, take a peek at the eerie abandoned theme park Spreepark and see time stand still, or creep through Beelitz Sanatorium, the deserted wartime hospital.
3. Experience Berlin’s vibrant art scene – arguably the street art capital of Europe, Berlin presents countless opportunities to see works by some of the finest graffiti artists of our time. Head over to the Raw Area which is covered entirely by some seriously impressive street art. While you are in the area, call in to Urban Spree Galerie an independent contemporary urban art space which happens to be free entry too.
4. Free music – there’s an infinite number of opportunities to enjoy free music in Berlin. It’d be impossible to list them all, but some of our favourites are:
- Enjoy a zero-cost chamber music concert at the Berliner Philharmonie every Tuesday at 1pm.
- Come along to our very own Lamplight Session to see BIMM’s singer-songwriters perform at Noize Fabrik.
- Jazz stomping grounds A-Trane, b-Flat, Quasimodo and Kunstfabrik Schlot host jam sessions on different nights.
- Mauerpark’s Sunday flohmarkt features the unmissable Bearpit Karaoke, bringing together Berlin’s finest amateur musicians and drunkards.
- For a more mellow outing, take a minute to listen to the tinkling of the ivories at Piano Salon Christophori.
5. Get some fresh air – take advantage of the huge number of green spaces Berlin has to offer. Why not have a picnic at Grunewald or a swim Müggelsee. There are some great parks too, we love Treptower Park, Volkspark Friedrichshain and Hasenheide. Most of the parks in Berlin have ping-pong tables which are free to use, here is a map where you can scout out all of the locations.
Don’t forget – if you want to know more about money management, our Student Support Team are here to help! You can get hold of them at [email protected] or on 0049 (0) 30 3119 9186.
Decided that Berlin is the place for you? Apply now and a member of our Admissions Team will be in touch to guide you through the process.
