19 Locations
Sometimes the plan is simply chilling, and Berlin is a fine city for doing very little. In a park, a cafe or on a sunny terrace, chilling here is practically a local art form. This overview gathers Berlin locations built for taking it easy.
Sprawling green spaces like Tempelhofer Feld and the Tiergarten invite lazy afternoons, while canal side spots in Kreuzberg and Neukoelln draw crowds to sit, talk and watch the world go by. Relaxed cafes with sofas, beach bars along the Spree and quiet beer gardens all reward slowing down. Few cities make idleness feel so natural.
Browse the venues below to find your spot for chilling across Berlin, from riverside benches to cosy cafes.
Right next to the Oberbaumbrücke in Kreuzberg, this small, charming houseboat adventure on the Spree begins. Wasserkutsche stands for handcrafted wooden boats with electric motors, personal service, and the most authentic way to discover Berlin from the water.
The Pampa beach bar at Holzmarkt 25 in Friedrichshain is probably Berlin's most relaxed answer to a beach vacation: right on the Spree, freely accessible, and with the uncomplicated charm of a place that has brought creativity, community, and cool Holzmarkt beer together for years.
The northern outskirts of Berlin are the home of Strandbad Wandlitz.
Sage Beach in Kreuzberg is Berlin's beach bar with authentic Spree riverbank feeling: sand, palm trees, sun loungers, and beats from the club scene, directly on Köpenicker Straße between Zalando Outlet and Sage Restaurant.
On the Rummelsburg Bay in Lichtenberg, where the Spree flows languidly past, Hafenküche Berlin has achieved the feat of combining beach bar flair with upscale gastronomy. Once you've found the location, nestled between a climbing gym and industrial scenery, you won't want to leave quickly.
On New Year's Eve the Puro Sky Lounge on the 20th floor of Kurfürstendamm's Europacenter offers a spectacular view of the various fireworks over Berlin.
A bike tour through Tempelhof and Schöneberg starts at the town hall of Berlin-Schöneberg where Kennedy held his famous speech back in 1963.
IPSE is the open air club of the Berlin-Kreuzbergs's well-known Freischwimmer Restaurant, the club's direct neighbour.
YAAM at Ostbahnhof in Berlin-Friedrichshain combines an open air club with a beach bar and art gallery.
In the middle of Alt-Treptow, on the Island of Youth in the Spree, lies Berlin's most romantic beach bar. Inselgarten combines beer garden coziness with a view of the Spree, regional dishes, and a cultural program ranging from concerts to poetry slams.
In the heart of Prenzlauer Berg, where the Berlin Wall once separated East and West, Schönwetter am Mauerpark invites you to chill out in the sand. Cocktails, the smell of barbecue, and electro sounds under the open sky — this beach bar is one of the city's most atmospheric summer spots.
Probably Berlin's most famous beach bar isn't on the shore, but right in the middle of the Spree: The Badeschiff in Alt-Treptow combines a floating pool, sandy beach, and beach bar atmosphere with a spectacular panoramic view of the Oberbaumbrücke and the TV Tower.
The historical Kino International on Alexanderplatz celebrates New Year's on 5 floors. Highlight: a view through the big glass window front and HipHop in the Honecker Lounge.
Beach chairs, cocktails, and Spree views overlooking the Chancellery: Capital Beach on Ludwig-Erhard-Ufer in Berlin-Tiergarten is the city center's beach bar. No sand, but well-kept lawn directly by the water and one of the most central locations a beach bar can offer in this city.
The Fox Bar in the Charlottenburg design hotel Q! ushers in the weekend with its after-work series "Fancy Friday": Thai food from the hotel kitchen, handcrafted cocktails, and DJ sets in a red-and-white lounge setting, just a few steps from the Ku'damm.
Sand, palm trees, and cocktails, less than 50 meters from Checkpoint Charlie: Charlie's Beach in Berlin-Mitte is the beach bar that brings history and summer vibes together on 1,500 square meters. Where once the Wall stood, today tourists and Berliners dip their toes in the sand.
Germany's first beach bar has been located directly on the Spree in Berlin-Mitte since 2002, opposite the Bode Museum: sand underfoot, real palm trees, fairy lights, and free open-air salsa and tango evenings. No other place in the city combines a museum backdrop with a summer feeling so effortlessly.
The 40seconds is closed!