Advent - Berlin style

Advent in Germany is a special time. 

It's the time of the year for lighting candles on the Adventskranz (advent wreath), for baking Plätzchen (cookies), for drinking Glühwein (mulled wine) and heading to the Weihnachstmarkt (Christmas market).

If you're looking for traditional-style Christmas markets in Berlin, the ones at Gendarmenmarkt and Schloss Charlottenburg are worth seeing.

However, if you're looking for a more "Berlin" experience then head to one of the alternative Christmas markets. Always hosted in amazing locations, with tasty quality street food (pulled pork anyone?) and DJs, you'll find lots of original gifts: pictures, clothes, jewellery, handbags, lampshades, works of art (and much more) made by local designers and often sold at bargain prices. Don't expect pretty candles, traditional Christmas decorations, felt hats, Christmas carols, Bratwurst, Kartoffelpuffer (fried potato cakes) and the Christmas traditional market fare. 

Holy Shit Shopping - for one weekend only (3rd-4th December), but if you missed the one in Berlin you could still try Stuttgart or Hamburg. The location for this well-established indoor designer market this year was the former power station Kraftwerk Berlin.  

Weihnachtsrodeo - on the weekends of 10th-11th & 17th-18th December. The location this year is Postbahnhof am Ostbahnhof. Expect plenty of designer stalls, yummy street food, hip music and of course hipsters.

Holy Heimat - open from Thursday to Sunday during the entire advent season, this alternative Christmas market offers both indoor and outdoor attractions. 
The location is Haubentaucher (RAW Gelände) in Friedrichshain. As well as street food and designer pieces, there is also an ice skating rink, kid's wonderland and live music.  

For a non-shopping experience, head to the Christmas Garden Berlin at the Botanical Garden in Steglitz between 5 pm and 10 pm for a magical after-dark walk in a beautifully lit park. There is also an ice-skating rink.

Whatever you do, avoid Alexanderplatz at all costs. It's a tourist trap and possibly the ugliest place in Berlin.

Where do hipsters do their Christmas shopping?

Christmas markets are a well known German tradition and you will find a Weihnachtsmarkt in practically every German city, town or village. 

In Berlin there are Christmas markets for all tastes.

If you're a tourist, chances are you'll end up at the market at Alexander Platz. Avoid!!!

If you're looking for an atmospheric Christmas market, the one at Gendarmenmarkt (€1 entrance fee) or the one by Schloß Charlottenburg are your best bets.

If you live in Prenzlauer Berg a Glühwein at the Lucia Weinachtsmarkt in the Kulturbrauerei is a must.

If you're a hipster you have a choice. 

There's the Holy.Shit.Shopping market for one weekend in December or the Weihnachstrodeo X-mas market with two floors of stalls selling jewellery, clothes, handbags, calendars (and much more) made by local designers at reasonable prices. 

But for the true hipster-in-Berlin-at-Christmas experience, head to Neue Heimat for an afternoon and evening of designer shopping, street food, ice skating and live music.

The Christmas season is now over so sadly the markets have all closed, but there will be plenty more opportunities for shopping and chilling in the new year.

Neue Heimat next Sunday anyone?

Where do hipsters go on Sundays?

A colleague recently asked where he could find hipsters in London. My other colleague and I answered in unison: "Hackney".
If you're wondering where the Berlin hipsters hang out on Sundays the answer is Neue Heimat.
NH is on Revaler Strasse in Friedrichshain, on the RAW grounds (or Gelände in German).
It calls itself a village market, which appears to be the latest Berlin trend. (Unfortunately these days I'm probably the last Berliner to spot a new trend given my almost non-existent social life, but I did briefly visit another street food market in the summer: Bite Club Mitte). 
NH consists of several large and spacious halls filled with stalls offering a variety of gourmet street food: from Korean tacos with kimchi to gourmet burgers, South American arepas and vegan cheesecake. There is plenty of choice when it comes to food and of course drink. The portions are rather small and the food is not cheap, but then again hipsters are not know for stuffing their faces.
So if you want to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon savouring exotic snacks from around the world with Berlin's hippest crowd make sure to head to NH. They also have live music in the evenings.
P.S. Sadly there was no currywurst or sushi in sight.