EUROPE’S party capital, Berlin, is seeking to attract visitors to the city over the winter – and a slew of events has been planned to fill their dance card.
The German capital certainly does not go into hibernation over the winter. Quite to the contrary, when the thermometer falls and the end of the year approaches, the nightlife steps up a gear and cultural events come into their own. You will find a whole series of concerts, top-class revues and variety shows and glittering balls at any one of the four hundred publicly open events in the last weeks of the year.”
Among the events being promoted by Berlin Tourism is Wintermagic Berlin. “It is a campaign we have been running for the past three years,” says the authority’s Ralf Ostendorf. “From October 28 to January 7, guests and residents alike can look forward to a Christmastime blaze of lights and winter events in the German capital.”
A Festival of Lights will transform the streets and squares of the metropolis into a sea of light as early as October. And on October 28, the City West district will be open for the Extended Shopping Night, with more than 30,000 businesses, stores, boutiques, and designer outlets open longer hours. These include the glamorous Kurfürstendamm with its countless fashion shops and exclusive international designer boutiques and the Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe), the largest department store on the European continent.
With the Culinary WinterMagic, Berlin’s dining establishments will be offering special pre-Christmas dishes at especially attractive prices.
“During the season, around fifty Christmas markets will be held in the city – from Spandau to Prenzlauer Berg, the scent of candied almonds, mulled wine, and fritters will fill the air. A Christmas Market Pass will be introduced for the first time this year,” says Ostendorf. “And coach rides or a walk through the festively decorated and glitteringly illuminated city are also not to be missed.”
A special spectacle is without a doubt the gigantic New Year’s Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate with its impressive fireworks. What may well be the biggest open-air party in the world, two kilometres of the legendary World Cup Fan Mile will be the site for numerous show stages, DJ towers, dance floors, a 40-meter tall Ferris wheel, and delicacies from all over the world.
Over the winter visitors to Berlin can charter a ship for a cruise through Berlin. The route taken can be chosen individually depending on weather conditions. On deck it may be as cold as it can sometimes be in Berlin in the winter, however, hot nights below deck are guaranteed as the city's most popular DJs lay down their beats in the clubs and lounges.
More than 1,500 events can be experienced in Berlin every day, and during the holiday season through the new year, there are also many additional festive concerts that take place in the major concert halls (such as the Philharmonie or the Konzerthaus) and above all in numerous churches.