Once again this year, Berlin’s midsummer is more like a monsoon season, limiting our freedom of movement in the city. Sometimes even literally! So that you don’t get bored when it rains, we have ten suggestions for what you can do in Berlin when the weather is grim.
Experience Rain-aissance
Whether for first-time visitors or repeat offenders, the Museum Island is and remains one of the best places to visit in Berlin’s art and culture scene. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located directly on the River Spree and offers a unique ensemble of five world-famous museums, including the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum and the Alte Nationalgalerie. Architecturally, these five museums are quite impressive, but that’s secondary for us, because it’s raining! The museums display a wide range of art, artifacts and historical treasures, from ancient civilizations to modern art, making it a perfect destination to spend an entire weekend!
Rain-ten from yesterday
There is another museum just around the corner, albeit a somewhat smaller one: The DDR Museum. It is located directly opposite the Berlin Cathedral, quite inconspicuously on a promenade along the Spree. While the Museum Island offers more classic, intellectual museum visits, the DDR Museum promises more of a counter program: Here you can learn hands-on, for example by driving a Trabant through a simulated East Berlin or by macabre test lying on original GDR prison beds. All in all, the large number of varied exhibits promises at least a rainy day with a beautiful view of the Spree or the replica of Erich Honecker’s office.
Make it rain money
While the weather outside is gloomy and gray, malls with rather extroverted lighting invite you to spend a whole day enjoying the embrace of cozy, warm temples of consumption! Of course, the larger malls in Berlin, such as the East Side Mall, the Alexa or – if you want something more refined – the KaDeWe are perfect for this. Due to their sheer size and the range on offer, you can easily spend a whole day in all of them, including breakfast, lunch, cake and dinner.
From the frying pan into the fire
True to the motto “We’re not made of sugar”, a kayak tour is also ideal when the weather is rainy but still mild! You’re going to get wet anyway, so whether there’s a little more rain from above really makes no difference! You’ll find great spots for this at the Großer Müggelsee or around the Wannsee, as both of these lakes are very beautiful and winding waterways that are worth exploring! An absolute must, of course: Swimwear, towels and a warm change of clothes for afterwards. Incidentally, you can simply lock them up at most rental shops to make sure they don’t get wet. Even if it sounds quite counter-intuitive at first, it was a great experience!
Rain-erate!
The last tip is much more relaxed: Try it with coziness! In Berlin’s spas you can easily spend a rainy weekend away from the outside world. The Vabali or the Liquidrom in Kreuzberg are particularly suitable for this. The former is a tranquil oasis with saunas, pools and relaxation areas surrounded by lush gardens, while the Liquidrom offers a contrasting futuristic ambience with its saltwater pool and underwater music experience.
Rainforest ambience
Want to go green despite the bad weather? If so, there are some great places in Berlin that you can visit teleport to the tropics. How about a trip to Tropical Island or a visit to the tropical houses in the Botanical Gardens in Dahlem?