An Unusual Vacation in Berlin

Germany is rich in history. For a Westerner, the former East German city of Berlin is virtually unknown. From 1949-1990 the country was in a sense closed off from the free world. It is just in the last 20 years we have been able to explore a city full of such history. Some of my favorite unusual attractions in Berlin are:

Absinth Depot Berlin

Weinmeister Strasse 4

10178 Berlin-Mitte

+49 (0) 30-28176789

absinth-berlin.de

An entire establishment dedicated to the authentic spirit known as absinth is available at the Berlin shop. With more than 100 varieties available and tastings available for EUR $15, you can sample that which has just again become legal in it's modified original form. Authentic absinth contains the ingredient thujone, which is found in wormwood. Thujone has similar properties as THC found in the cannabis plant. The newly legal modern variations contain less thujone than their original ancestors. Shop hours are Monday through Friday from 2pm-12am and Saturday from 1pm-12am.

Die Weinerei

3 Locations

www.weinerei.com

A wine bar and restaurant based upon an honor system is a strange concept for most of us in the United States. In Berlin it is a little strange as well but it is a new concept that trusts its patrons to do what is right. For EUR $1, a patron rents a wine glass and samples as much wine as he desires. At the end of the night he simply pays what he thinks is fair. The concept holds true downstairs where diners typically pay EUR $10-$15 for salad, entrée, and a couple of glasses of wine. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 11am-8pm for the café. The bar stays open daily until 12am.

Spree Park

Kiehnwerderallee 1-3

12437 Berlin

www.spreepark.de

This now defunct amusement park opened in 1969 as Kulturpark Pianterwald. It was the only amusement park in all of East Germany. From 1989 to 2001 it became Spree Park. Operations ceased in 2002. Nearly 10 years later visitors can view a slowly deteriorating environment of broken down rides and overgrown foliage. Attempts to re-open the park have been made but any new owners would have to take on a nearly EUR $15 million debt load.

Badeschiff

Eichenstrasse 4

12435 Berlin

www.arena-berlin.de

Badeschiff has to be one of the world's most unusual swimming pools. The complex is artistic and modern, made from materials including a used river cargo container. Swimmers are virtually eye level from the waters of the neglected River Spree. Even more interesting is in the winter when Badeschiff is turned into an indoor health complex. Two saunas, deck chairs, and a heated pool give Germans a place to retreat from the harsh cold. Be advised that German spa culture calls for full nudity.

Underground Tours

Berlin Underworlds' office in the southern exit of the U8 station Gesundbrunnen, Brunnenstrasse 105.

Underground tours in Berlin give you a chance to glimpse into the life of those living during the bombing campaigns of 1940-1944 during World War II. There were over 1000 bunkers in Berlin often connected by tunnels. Storage rooms are open containing thousands of polyester jogging suits, body bags, and various food and medicinal items. Bunkers are small and claustrophobic. What is most surprising are these bunkers are virtually untouched.