As the city’s unofficial motto puts it, “Berlin is always becoming.” The 25th anniversary of the fall of the Wall in 2014 was accompanied by citywide celebrations and global media coverage as Berliners from around the world converged on the city to celebrate freedom.
Nine times as large as Paris, with 10% more area than New York City, Berlin is a vast city of 3.5 million people spread across 344 square miles. Nearly half a million residents of Berlin hold foreign passports from over 180 nations, making the city one of the most polyglot cities in Europe.
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With 175 museums and 960 bridges (more than Venice and Stockholm combined), and a third of the city given over to green spaces and bodies of water, Berlin is a smorgasbord of urban pleasures. It’s no wonder that Berlin has become the third most visited city in Europe.
Each year, the city offers an ever-expanding list of festivals, parades, celebrations, and cultural highlights. With 14 Michelin-starred restaurants for a total of 19 stars, Berlin is a culinary haven, complemented by a surfeit of 5-star hotels.
Here are five good reasons – out of hundreds – why you should get to Berlin in 2015.
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65th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) February 5-15, 2015: February in Berlin is synonymous with film. More than 400 films (many of them premieres) are shown at the annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which is the city’s largest cultural event with more than 325,000 tickets sold in 2014 and nearly 20,000 visitors from 124 countries, including more than 3,000 journalists. Concurrent events like “Culinary Cinema” combine screenings with high-end dining.
eat! Berlin Festival February 21 – March 1, 2015: Following the success of eat! Berlin Festival in 2014, some of Berlin’s best chefs, many of them decorated with Michelin stars, will be returning to create special gourmet menus in restaurants and other unique locations throughout the city. Co-hosted by some of Germany’s most celebrated actors, musicians, and politicians, the culinary events are also showcases for music, literature, and film. The festival also hosts workshops, cooking and baking classes, wine tastings, as well as parties – because, after all, this is Berlin.
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Lesbian and Gay Street Festival June 20 – 21, 2015: In June, Berlin’s Rainbow Fund will welcome more than 50,000 visitors to the 23rd annual Lesbian and Gay Street Festival, which is the largest event of its kind in Europe. The neighborhood around Nollendorf Platz in Schöneberg, one of Berlin’s most historic LGBT districts, will host the two-day event, which features live performances, music, gourmet food, and parties – lots of parties.
Christopher Street Day June 27, 2015: One of the biggest Pride celebrations in the world, Berlin’s Christopher Street Day will be celebrating its 37th anniversary in 2015. More than half a million people party in the streets between Kurfürstendamm and the Brandenburg Gate in a celebration of LGBTQ equality with a parade that features more than 50 floats and massive amounts of glitter, glamour, and glitz.
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Berlin Fashion Week January 19-23, 2015 + July 7-10, 2015: Inaugurated in July 2007, Berlin Fashion Week has grown into an international fashion event that occurs in both January and July during which the city of Berlin becomes a massive catwalk inhabited by stylists, designers, buyers, media, and the global fashion elite. The Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week features designers in shows on “Straße des 17. Juni” at the Siegessäule and Brandenburg Gate. Off-site events and trade shows are complemented by fashion shows and awards ceremonies – and everyone looks stunning.
For all the latest information on Berlin’s expansive calendar of events (with over 1,500 events daily), tap into visitBerlin.
