The Gutsy Traveler

Nightlife in Berlin: clubs and entertainment

Then nightlife in Berlin is world famous with clubs that feature gardens, a swimming pools with a swing, a fake beach, beach, even a large tree house offering fluffy pillows and couches.  Be prepared to dance all night and ’til 10 am and to listen to top quality music. 

Berlin nightlife as seen in a street mural with two dancers and covered in glitter.
Photos of locals dancing in clubs are posted around the city covered in a layer of glitter. Guests are not permitted to take photos inside clubs.
PC : Annalyse Sheppard
Berlin nightlife. Watergate club deck and revelers watching the run rise after a night of dancing.
The Watergate is is one of Berlin’s longest-running electronic music clubs. It boasts the particular ‘Berlin sound’ of techno. The interior decor is slick, with its LED-light-filled ceiling, a high quality sound system and awesome wooden deck that juts out onto the Spree River. Here we’re watching the sun rise over the Spree River after a night of dancing. PC : Johnny Sandlund

Twenty-six friends from California, New York, and London joined my partner and me last summer in Berlin.  Below are a few of the shenanigans we got into while in Berlin during the wee hours of the night (more like morning).

    • Liquidrom: Nude spa with underwater music that is performed by live DJ’s and guitarists. Saunas, steam rooms, Himalayan salt rooms and warm/cold pools to recover from the night before or get ready for a long evening of dancing.
    • Klunkerkranich: Rooftop bar with DJ’s, comedy shows, live classes, anything you can think of with incredible views and drinks. On top of an abandoned mall.
    • Drinks (or stay) at Plus Hostel: The biggest, grandest hostel I’ve ever seen, dawned with a sauna, pool and live DJ’s. Oh ya, and a rooftop bar!
    • Watergate Club: Don’t forget the rules of clubbing in Berlin, you must wear all black, don’t look at your phone in line, don’t enter the club with more than 2 friends at a time, and above all else, DON’T speak English while in line! Oh, and make sure you know who is DJ’ing that night, for the bouncer may well ask you, “Why are you here” and an appropriate response is “I am here to see ______ DJ”. Besides that, Watergate is a riverside club with floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace, LED ceiling lighting and international DJ’s. Dancing at sunrise in front of the floor-to-ceiling wall over the Spree River was something I will never forget.
    • Sisyphos Club: All clubbing rules apply for this one, but be prepared to stand in line for a few hours, but it is SO worth it once you make it in! Set on an old factory setting, this club has nooks and crannies I never even found. With a fake beach, ponds, and even a large tree house with pillows and couches to sleep on, this was an incredible experience to dance until 10 am at. People showed up around 7am to dance before heading off to work. Berliner’s are serious about their clubbing, so so should you!
    • KitKat Fetish Club: A fetish club not for the faint of hearts, but an incredible way to expand your boundaries and horizons. This club boasts a sauna, swimming pool with swing over it, and multiple stages and DJ’s throughout the building. Guests were of all different ages and sizes. The vibe at KitKat is comfortable and safe. Be sure to have on a kinky outfit, or you will be turned away at the door. Everyone enters with the agreement that looking is ok, but touching is only by verbal consent.
       
      Berlin afternoon music and dancing in the park.
      Sunday afternoon at Mauerpark offers dancing and music from local musicians.
      PC : Talia Smith