créol brothers short trip guide to berlin

TheCRÉOL BROTHERS SHORT TRIP GUIDE to BERLIN

in collaboration with Ford B-Max

B E R L N

CRÉOL BROTHERS SHORT TRIP guide to BELIN

ThereGetting


When heading to Berlin, the obvious way to travel is by plane or bus, and we must admit that we’ve done so on previous trips to Germany’s capital as well. So when one half of the Créol Brothers, Mads Emil and his girlfriend Sandra, got the chance to take the drive by car with the brand new Ford B-MAX we of course jumped on board.

The fastest route from Copenhagen is with ferry via Gedser/Rostock, and you should set aside 7 hours in total for the transport. The driving time of course de-pends on how much of a daredevil you are on the freeways, but we urge you to drive safe.

We had a great time driving down, blasting loud soul music, talking, laughing and eating snacks. The Ford B-MAX features the great SYNC system, which helps you keep your eyes on the road and stay connected to your world. We simply connected our smartphones to the car via Bluetooth and then all our music and phone calls could be handled completely wireless and safe.

So remember a good playlist on your smartphone, stock up on snacks and drinks and then strap in and take the drive for a new and surprisingly pleasant travel experience to Berlin.

cool hotelsThe Weinmeister (Weinmeisterstraße 2)The Weinmeister Berlin-Mitte, is one of the newer de-signer hotels in Berlin, which opened its doors in July 2010. The 84-room hotel is located in the Mitte dis-trict, one of Berlin’s most dynamic areas. The hotel has a cool vibe with a minimal and masculine feel to the design, and each room offers an Apple iMac instead of a TV. Very cool if you’re an Apple fan like us.

Casa Camper Hotel (Weinmeisterstraße 1)Located right next door to the Weinmeister, is the Casa Camper Berlin, which is a boutique design hotel also situated in the vibrant and historical heart of the city, Mitte. Creative design and attention to detail can be seen in Casa Camper Berlin hotel’s 51 rooms and suites.

Michelberger Hotel (Warschauer Straße 39/40)Born of a vision to create a hotel that is “as creative as an ad agency”, The Michelberger throws modern hotel convention to the wind. Blending the best of hostel and hotel, everywhere you look there is creativity, personal-ity, humour and radical individuality.

Ferry from Gedser to Rostock The Weinmeister HotelThe Weinmeister rooftop

Michelberger Hotel The Weinmeister

ThereGetting

CRÉOL BROTHERS SHORT TRIP guide to BERLIN

Mitte

M i tt eshopping


Mitte (‘Midtown’), is the vibrant and historical area be-tween Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz. It is the borough which includes the oldest sections of town and is known as Berlin’s cultural and administrative centre. If you want to experience the new feel of Ber-lin, have bars, restaurants, shopping and some nightlife nearby and at the same time all major sights within walking distance you should choose to stay in this area. Well-located places to stay in this neighbourhood in-clude 2 of the hotel recommendations on the previous page.

HIGHLIGHTSFirmament (Linienstraße 40)An old friend and one of the first shops in Europe to sell the US brand Supreme. Firmament offers a fine small selection of premium clothing from Europe, Japan and America as well as accessories, books & magazines.

Schwarzogerzeil (Mulacksstraße 28)This luxury women’s clothing store located on the ev-er-upscaling Mulackstrasse, serves up handpicked styl-ish wearable fashions. Much of the store’s stock hints at dreams of lost Parisian summer nights.

Soto (Torstraße 72)Mimicry of the London area name ‘Soho’ can be read as an indication of how hip this area (South of Torstraße) has become. Founded by Philip Gaedicke, Omer Ben-Michael and David Fischer (founder of Highsnobiety.com), all veterans in the menswear, fashion and media landscape, the goal for Soto is to present a modern take on menswear. It brings together an impressive range of brands, hard to find elsewhere in Berlin.

No. 74 (Torstraße 74)No74 features an exclusive selection of footwear, ap-parel and accessories of various adidas brands such as Y-3, adidas SLVR, adidas by Stella McCartney, Sports Performance as well as adidas Originals with its sub-brands ObyO in cooperation with David Beckham/James Bond and Jeremy Scott, adidas Ransom and various limited sneaker releases from adidas Originals.

Wood Wood (Rochstraße 4)Most Danes should be well-known with Wood Wood and their concept shops. After the success of their pri-vate line and shops in Denmark, the homies expanded to Berlin back in 2006, opening their unique boutique in the heart of Mitte. The shop has quickly become one of Berlin’s most beloved stores.

Sunset watching Soto

No. 74

Wood Wood

Schwarzogerzeil

M i tt eshopping


More ShoppinG in mitteThe list of great shops to swing by in Mitte is neverend-ing. Here are af few more good ones.

HIGHLIGHTSIsobel Gowdie (Alte Schönhauser Straße 39)A cool little shop, which carries vintage designer cloth-ing. The shop is hidden in the backyard, so you’ll need to ring the bell to get in. Great finds for especially women.

14 oz. (Schönhauser Straße 13)14 oz. offers a one-of-a-kind brand portfolio. An hon-est dedication to high-quality manufacturing. Icon piec-es for your wardrobe that will stay with you for a long time. Brought to you with a down-to-earth attitude.

Do you read me! (Auguststrasse 28)This place has magazines and books from all over the world covering topics from art, fashion, photography, design and architecture, to culture, music and society.

Gestalten (Sophienstraße 21)Gestalten is best known for their more than 400 books that document vital movements in design, illustration, architecture and typography as well as urban and con-temporary art. They carry new as well as hard-to-find archive titles, and also a striking selection of handpicked and thematically-arranged designer products.

Civilist (Brunnenstraße 13)Civilist is a brilliant all-in-one store, gallery and show-room. The brainchild of Alex Flach (senior photo editor for Lodown Magazine) and Andreas Hess (editor of “untitled” and Lodown). Civilist stocks popular street wear brands, all distinctive of the store’s background in skateboarding.

Burg & Schild (Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 3)This a place for men, catering to what men love.The store is named for the owners, which represents their personal involvement in its management and their pas-sion for quality men’s wear. The selection includes clas-sics and new interpretations, featuring many styles that have their roots in the army and work wear realm.

Other shops to check out include Stussy, Stab and Lala Berlin.

Do You Read MeGestalten

Civilist Burg & Schild



Els ew h er eshopping

The Corner

Mitte is a great area when it comes to shopping, but Berlin has so much more to offer when it comes to clothes, shoes, accessories, products, design.. you name it. Here are a few good ones.

HIGHLIGHTSThe Corner Women (Franzoesische Straße 40)High-end boutique offering unique brands such as Balenciaga, Céline, Isabel Marant, Christian Louboutin Stella McCartney, Balmain, For a women who likes lux-ury and high fashion this is the place to go. It even has a perfume area where you can create your own scent.

The Corner Men (Markgrafenstraße 45)Located few meters from the women’s shop is The Corner for men. This store is a high-end luxury shop as well and it carries Tom Browne, Martin Margiela, Acne, Balmain and others. The style is minimalistic and sharp.

Solebox (Nürnberger Straße 16)This is a tiny sneaker shop but it has the dopest sneaks of them all. From floor to sealing you will find the new-est editions from Nike, Asics, Adidas and others. Be-sides that you will find a cool selection of t-shirts.

KaDeWe (Tauentzienstraße 21)This amazing department store has absolutely every-thing you can think of. Period. On the ground floor you will find brands such as Chanel, Chloé, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. On the top floor you will find the biggest food market with foods from all over the world. and little cafés serving everything from tapas to cheesecakes. In between the bottom and top floor you will find womenswear, menswear, kidswear, underwear...

Nike Town (Tauentzienstraße 7b)Every major city should have a Nike Town. Here you’ll find every thing Nike has to offer, displayed in the most well-thought way. The items are neatly placed in sec-tions: Running, Fitness, Basket, Footbald, Yoga, Chill and so on. This specific Nike Town has an area entirely dedi-cated to their Gyakusou line which is a series of high performance running clothes from Nikes Undercover Lab. You should definitely check it out.

Overkill (Köpenicker Straße 195a)Overkill, originally founded in 1992 as a graffiti maga-zine, is the authority on all things hip hop, street and sneakers. Here you’ll find one of Berlin’s greatest se-lections of limited sneakers. They also have a unique selection of caps and streetwear.



OverkillThe Corner

KaDeWe Solebox

Dudu

CRÉOL BROTHERS SHORT TRIP guide to Berlin

o u tdining


Berlin is a vibrant city with a great dining scene, and people enjoy to go out to eat - something that we really love as well. Dining out is fairly priced on almost every level of dining, in fact you’ll find that most restau-rants are almost 40 procent cheaper than Denmark and other parts of Europe. So you can easily sit back and enjoy a delicious meal without too many concerns. The taste level and quality of food is very high, and besides a massive selection of fine restaurants, Berlin is also a contender for best kebab in the world - so there is something for every taste. What’s great about Berlin is that: No matter where you are in the city you will be able to find a great place to eat.

HIGHLIGHTSMonsieur Vuong (Alte Schönhauser Straße 46)Constantly abuzz, this trendy Mitte restaurant serves simple, fresh Vietnamese cuisine. The print menu is supplemented with changing specials written on black-boards, which come highly recommended. You should also try their mango lassi - Yum! You’ll have to wait for a seat with other hungry diners, but the tables turn fairly quickly though. For us it is a must-go place when visiting Berlin.

Dudu (Torstraße 134)Dudu is among the best places in the city to dig into sashimi, maki rolls or a steaming bowl of delicious miso soup. In addition to sushi, the restaurant offers a variety of delicious Japanese food. Long wooden tables and benches surround an open kitchen where diners can sit at the bar and watch the hypnotic process of sushi preparation. Try their grilled spicy white tuna - it melts in your mouth like butter.

Lokal (Linienstraße 160)Lokal serves classy homemade dishes from organic and locally sourced ingredients are prepared in delightful combinations that manage to modernize without cor-rupting staunch German culinary traditions. If you want to experience german food in a classy way you should definitely check this place out.

Barcomi’s Deli (Sophienstraße 21)Since opening Barcomi’s Deli, American owner Cyn-thia Barcomi has been dubbed ‘Berlin’s Coffee Queen’ and ‘Miss American Pie’ by the local media. New York-meets-Berlin in this great deli where you can get bagels, sandwhiches, salads and some of the best brownies and cheesecakes. The place is a hang out spot for the young as well as the old.

Monsieur Vuong Dudu

Barcomi’s Deli

o u tdining


More DININGBerlin has so many good places to eat that it would be a sin only to dedicate one page to Berlin dining. Here’s one more.

HIGHLIGHTSKatz Orange (Bergstrasse 22)Almost as much about the ambience as its regionally-produced menu, Katz Orange has a rustic charm that mixes effortlessly with the conceptual art on display. The first thing to notice about this restaurant is its loca-tion - housed within a former church-like building and featuring an uncomplicated woody interior, the restau-rant present delicious, ever-changing seasonal menus. Their bar boasts nifty takes on a variety of classic cock-tails that will nourish your spirits just like the interior inspires your soul.

Kebab (Everywhere)Berlin is known for its good kebab places and they are all over the city. Kebab is a must-eat-at-some-point food when you visit Germany’s capital.

Paris Bar (Kantstraße 152)This legendary restaurant still stands strong on historic Kantstrasse in Charlottenburg. A classic, colorful French eatery with loads of history and a remarkable autencity to it. Take a trip to Paris when you’re in Berlin and stop by this place to grab a Steak-Frites and a good bottle of wine. Notice their art collection on the walls - besides the great food that is what they are known for.

Yam Yam (Alte Schönhauser Straße 6)Serving traditional Korean comfort food in an open canteen-style setting, Yam Yam has become one of Mitte’s premier dining spots. All dishes are authentic, with no dulling down of the intense flavors. Our tip is to take a generous bowl of the popular bibimbab with tender beef, seasonal vegetables and fried egg on steaming white rice—best accompanied, of course, with lashings of hot korean paprika paste.

Oliv (Münzstraße 8)A hip café that has great dishes for lunch and good coffee to go. It’s the perfect place to take a break from shopping. Or to sit and observe people on the street.

For lunch/coffee some good places to check out are Kaffeemitte and Berlin TV Tower (great view).

Paris BarKatz Orange

Yam Yam Kebab



p lac esberlin

Bauhaus Archiv

Berlin has so much to offer, and so much worth see-ing. Having a car during your stay makes it easier to get around to more locations during the day, but the public transportation is also easy to use and one of the best in Europe. The city is well known for its festi-vals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts, high quality of living and eventful history. Be sure to plan some trips out of Berlin’s Mitte to see what else the city has to offer.

HIGHLIGHTSBauhaus Archiv (Klingelhöferstraße 14)Interested in learning about Bauhaus? Look no further, Berlin’s Bauhaus archive offers an enormous collection of work from the Bauhaus School (1919-1933), treat-ing architecture, design, art and photography, The build-ing tself is an example of Bauhaus aesthetics.

Museum für Fotografie (Jebensstraße 2)The Museum of Photography has been a magnet for photography enthusiasts from all over the world since its opening in 2004. In the last few years alone, over 700, 000 visitors have flocked to see exhibitions organ-ised by the Helmut Newton Foundation.

Liquidrome (Möckernstraße 10)Definitely one of our Berlin favorites. Whoever thinks spas are only for old, fat naked people obviously needs to check out some other spas. Liquidrom is a public bath that anyone interested in lounging in warm salt water under psychedelic projections and relaxing musi-cal rhythms, definitely needs to check out. Enjoy the relaxation and the hot suana gus treatments (a good idea is to plan your arrival just before one of the sauna gus treatments so you have the time for two sessions). Make sure to take a chill in the hot tub on the terrasse, preferebly with a smoothie in hand.

Berlin TV tower (Panoramastraße 1a)Berlin’s TV Tower (The Fernsehturm) is probably one of the most photographed sights in the city, but visitors often forget to take the trip up there. The tower is the symbol of Berlin and it is easily visible throughout the central parts of the city. There is a visitor platform and a revolving restaurant in the middle of the sphere, which is worth visiting let alone for the remarkable view - at a height of about 203 metres (666 ft) above the ground, visibility can reach 42 kilometres (26 mi) on a clear day.

Other places to check out are Berlin Zoo and the Jewish Museum.



Driving Ford B-Max Museum für Fotografie

Bauhaus Archiv Liquidrome


ST R EETSberlin

Sometimes when you rush from one attraction/shop to another, you don’t notice that you’re actually crossing a famous square or driving along a historical street. While in Berlin, keep your eyes open because Berlin’s streets and squares are some of the city’s greatest landmarks. During the summer the streets are filled with life, and the local residents hang out at their favorite cafés. One of the most popular shopping streets is the long and diverse Kurfuerstendamm or Ku’damm, offering many shops and cultural venues.

HIGHLIGHTSBerlin cultureBerlin is noted for its numerous cultural institutions, many of which enjoy international reputations. The city has a very diverse art scene and is home to over 700 art galleries. Many young people and international art-ists continue to settle in the city, and Berlin has estab-lished itself as a center of youth and popular culture in Europe. The expanding cultural role of Berlin was further strengthened in 2003, when it was announced that the Popkomm - Europe’s largest annual music in-dustry convention—previously hosted for 15 years by Cologne—would move to Berlin.

Street artBerlin is filled with great Street Art - on almost every street you can discover some of the latest and great-est examples of street art, graffiti and mural art. Berlin houses many local talents, and almost every interna-tional artist has visited the city and blessed the streets with some great street art pieces.

Cruising with Ford B-MaxWe had a great time visiting Berlin by car, and we must say that it does make getting around comfier and easier. Berlin is easy to drive around in, and it’s fairly easy to find a parking spot. Some places you’ll have to enter a parking house, but they are well represented when needed. A cool thing about the Ford B-Max is the roominess. The seats can be folded down in 7 different ways, and there is a lot of luggage room, which comes in handy if you’ve been shopping a lot, or if you find an oddly sized object that you want to bring back home.

We say a BIG thank you to Ford Denmark for letting us experience Berlin through your windshield, and enjoy-ing the streets and roads in the B-Max. We hope you enjoyed our Short trip Guide to Berlin.

#Spreadthelove -Créol Brothers



Street art

Street art

Ford B-Max in front of the hotel

TheCRÉOL BROTHERS Short TRIP GUIDE TO BERLIN

in collaboration with Ford B-Maxcreolbrothers.com

ford.dk

créol brothers short trip guide to berlin

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