|
« Back to Berlin Guide |

Nightlife : Dance Clubs
The Berlin nightscape of the 1920s and ‘30s was legendary for its progressive – perhaps even subversive – attitude. Fortunately for today’s travelers, years of Nazi occupation and Cold War division did little to dull the city’s taste for round-the-clock revelry. Indeed, bars and clubs are generally open until the wee hours of the morning, and you’ll find plenty of choices to suit any palate. If it’s a cool, sleek, Euro-style bar you seek, the Mitte scene caters to both a conservative and sophisticated clientele, thanks to posh institutions like Lola and Newton. While boasting a handful of hotspots like Tiergarten’s Bar Am Lützowplatz, the western downtown area is also a haven for jazz aficionados, thanks to Charlottenburg’s swanky A-Trane. The southern districts of Schöneberg and Kreutzeberg, meanwhile, have done their part to solidify Berlin’s reputation as Europe’s gay and lesbian trendsetter, offering everything from ultra-chic dance clubs like 90° and Havanna to themed places that challenge patrons to be, shall we say, more adventurous during their twilight forays.
|
Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Berlin 10243
Description: The dangerously hip come here to see-and-be-seen. Installed in a renovated old power station, Berghain looks unassuming enough on the outside, but within you'll find an impressive venue packed with the beautiful people of Berlin sweating it out to hard techno and electro. Getting past the doorman here may be akin to customs in LA, so leave the attitude at home. With the beats continuing right through to Sunday afternoons, this is a club for punters with stamina. U-BAHN: Ostbahnhof
Kurfürstendamm 202, Berlin 10719 +49-(0)-30-5332-030
Description: CHARLOTTENBURG – WILMERSDORF. With a large dance floor and an international grooves list, this popular spot is paradise. Everyone from movie stars to punks comes to see the elaborate light show and dance. U-BAHN: Uhlandstrasse
Fuggerstrasse 33, Berlin 10777 +49-(0)-30-2181-432
Description: TEMPELHOF – SCHÖNEBERG. Attracting the gamut from baby boomers to teens, this two-story dance club offers casual ambience. With an alternative crowd of gay men, there are lots of jeans with leather, and mellow techno tunes. U-BAHN: Wittenberg
Hauptstrasse 30, Berlin 10827 +49-(0)-30-7848-565
Description: TEMPELHOF – SCHÖNEBERG. Berlin's colorful Latin community shares its rich dance and musical heritage at this popular nightclub, located near the post office on Hauptstrasse. Tropical decor, live salsa and merengue pulsating from the sound system, and a youthful clientele eager to show off their best footwork and most stylish duds all combine to make the club's three dance floors among Berlin's hottest spots once the sun goes down. An hour prior to opening, dance classes are offered to novices. U-BAHN: Rathaus Schöneberg or Eisenracher Strasse
Köpenicker Strasse 76, Berlin 10179 +49-(0)-30-278-983-0
Description: KREUZBERG. This progressive nightclub has it all. Residing at Berlin's hip Sage Nightclub, the Kit Kat runs the extremes – the dress code stresses no regular street clothes, only fetish, kinky, costumes and the like. U-BAHN: Heinrich-Heine-Str.
Greifswalder Strasse 224, Berlin 10405 +49-(0)-30-4427-060
Description: PANKOW. This nightspot in Mitte accommodates anyone wanting to dance all night or to catch musical acts that range from hard and aggressive to pop- or jazz-oriented. With four levels and myriad diversions, Knaack offers something to suit just about any night-owl's taste. If live or DJ-driven music isn't your favorite on the night you visit, your time's not wasted; the place also boasts the Dizzy Lounge, a swanky lounge and game area. On weekends, the club is energized by a younger clientele. Open during the week only when there is a show; check their website for specific schedules. S-BAHN: Alexanderplatz
Dennewitzstraße 37, Berlin 10785 +49-(0)-30-6005-0873
Description: Rising from the ashes of Berlin's famous celebrity-haunt – the 90 Degrees Club – is Reich und Schön (Rich and Beautiful). With a new owner and re-modeled interior, the club's door policy is a little more relaxed these days. The sound track spans soul classics, hip-hop favorites and house music, with DJs dropping vinyl in three different spaces. The interior motif is floral – the main room features stylized black-and-white hibiscus wallpaper; the semi-outdoor space is a tented rainforest and the smallest room is the visual incarnation of a lurid Hawaiian package-holiday. U-BAHN: Kürfurstenstrasse
Köpenicker Strasse 76, Berlin 10179 +49-(0)-30-278-983-0
Description: MITTE. This trendy, concrete-walled club, built into the side of Heinrich Heine Strasse Station, is a must for the devil-may-care traveler. Billed as one of Berlin's hottest upstart dance clubs and live music venues, Sage has built its rep on a posh interior and a state-of-the-art sound system that deadens the eardrums with pulsing funk and techno. Plus, the floor plan features a futuristic dance floor, an Eastern-inspired outdoor balcony, and a rooftop pool area. A word to the wise: If you want to get in, dress to the nines and act like you belong – even then, there's no guarantee. U-BAHN: Heinrich Heine Strasse
Falckensteinstrasse 49, Berlin 10997 +49-(0)-30-6128-0396
Description: The glass-fronted Watergate is worth checking out if only for the location. While the club boasts two floors of international DJs spinning sounds ranging from minimal electro to house music, it also overlooks the Spree river and Oberbaum bridge, which look beautiful by night. Dress sharp to fit in with the local hipsters. U-BAHN: Schlesisches Tor
Strasse der Pariser Kommune 3-10 beside Ostbahnhof, Berlin 10243 +49-(0)-30-6981-280
Description: FRIEDRICHSHAIN. This progressive music venue is housed in an old US military movie house. Musical figures like Ani DiFranco and Iggy Pop have made appearances. These days the club presents edgy independent acts such as Tegan and Sarah or Hot Chip. Saturday nights are host to the FritzClubDisco, featuring an eclectic mix of Indie Rock, Soul and Electro.