So, how are your New Year's resolutions coming along? If you need a little extra motivation: every day is a fresh start. And we've got the perfect tips to help you turn your good intentions into action all year round. Whether you're looking to focus on health and wellness, try something new, live more sustainably, or spend quality time with your family, you deserve to do something good for yourself. Get inspired!
Tip 1: Commit to democracy
Democracy is something we all share. Every opinion is important, which is why democracy also protects the free exchange of opinions through freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Because only through an open exchange and free flow of information does everyone have the opportunity to form their own opinion. In Berlin, there are a whole range of opportunities to experience democracy live on site and to try it out. Get active yourself, find out where you can get information and how you can get involved. Here are 11 places to experience democracy on the ground in Berlin.
Tip: The Berlin CSD is taking part in the nationwide campaign "Wähl Liebe - solange du noch kannst" ("Vote for love - while you still can") and is calling on 15 February for the Winter-CSD in Berlin. Set an example for democracy yourself and take part in the parade. It starts on 15 February at 11.55 at the Bundestag.
Tip 2: Get smarter
You can visit 200 museums and collections in Berlin, immersing yourself in the incredible diversity they offer. Travel back in time on Museum Island or step into the future at Futurium. With the Museum Pass, you’ll enjoy free admission to over 30 Berlin museums. This includes all the venues on Museum Island, the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Gemäldegalerie, and the Bode Museum, as well as the Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology), the Deutsche Historische Museum German Historical Museum, and the Spy Museum Berlin. The free admission is valid for three consecutive days. Learning has never been this much fun!
Tip 3: Spend quality time with your family
Berlin is the perfect city for a fun and exciting family vacation. There’s a playground waiting around every corner, and tons of indoors activities when the weather turns bad. From selfie museums and children’s theaters to exciting family activities and workshops in the many museums and exhibition centers: the city is an adventure playground filled with countless opportunities for unforgettable experiences.
Tip 4: Upcycling instead of throwing away
Do you also have favourite items that are now a little worn out but that you just can't part with? You don't have to. In Berlin, there are plenty of opportunities to repair your used clothes or broken appliances or, with a few upcycling tips, turn them into unique pieces. Some Berlin fashion labels offer sewing workshops in their workshops, repair cafés can be found in almost all neighbourhoods and the House of Materialisation on Alexanderplatz is dedicated to the topic of the circular economy. After all, raw materials are valuable and it's fun to create something new from something old. Why not give it a try?
Tip 5: Let yourself be pampered & relax
There’s always something happening in Berlin, around the clock. It’s exciting, but it also takes a lot of energy. Especially in a big city like Berlin, it’s important to recharge and find moments of peace. A magical setting for this can be found in the city's beautiful saunas. Or you can opt for a stay at one of Berlin’s wellness hotels. The most important thing about good resolutions is that they should also do you good. So, take the time to simply relax. Here are the best wellness spots in Berlin!
Tip 6: Do more sports
Whether it’s stormy and rainy outside or the sun is shining, Berlin offers plenty of opportunities to get active and train. With 2,500 parks and green spaces, beautiful swimming pools, crystal-clear lakes, countless small sports and yoga studios, bouldering gyms, and beach volleyball courts, there’s no shortage of places to let off steam. Or why not try something new? How about plogging? This Swedish trend combines jogging with picking up trash along the way. It’s such a simple way to do something good for yourself and the environment at the same time.
Tip 7: Sustainable shopping
There are few cities where it’s easier to avoid the big fashion chains. Berlin is famous for its many flea markets and second-hand shops. NumerousBerlin-based designers focus on upcycling, as well as sustainable and fair production in their collections. So why buy what everyone else is already wearing? Show off your own unique style! Here, you’re sure to find some truly extraordinary one-of-a-kind pieces.
Shop second Hand
Tip 8: Go Vegan
Berlin is a paradise for vegans: From vegan supermarkets and a wide range of vegan and sustainable restaurants to numerous urban gardening projects, it’s easier here than almost anywhere else to live a healthy, vegan lifestyle. There are also plenty of exciting new initiatives to discover, such as Café Botanio, where you can even participate in planting within their permaculture garden.
Tip 9: Practice Mindfulness
It's hard to believe, but in Berlin it can also be very quiet and idyllic. Enchanted gardens and parks invite you to pause for a moment. Visit the oldest tree in Berlin near Tegeler See. The 900 year old oak tree was named by the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander Humboldt after their cook: "Dicke Marie". Or you can meditate in Europe's oldest Buddhist temple. The entrance is free. The mediation courses here are a real insider tip.
Tip 10: Read more
From Berthold Brecht and Nora Bossong to Kurt Tucholsky and Helene Weigel: they all lived and wrote in Berlin. And this is just a tiny selection of the writers who put their thoughts and ideas down on paper here in the capital. Immerse yourself in the world of literature, browse through the bookstores or attend a reading. Berlin tells many stories. Let yourself be inspired.
Tip 11: Drink more water
The human body needs about 30 to 40 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight—that’s roughly 2 to 3 liters a day. But sometimes, that’s easier said than done. Especially when traveling or under stress, we’re more likely to grab a coffee or a mate instead. Good to know: In Berlin, you’ll find free drinking fountains from Berliner Wasserbetriebe at many public locations. Plus, through Refill Berlin, numerous cafés, restaurants, and shops are connected, offering to refill your water bottle for free.
Tip: Water conservation is becoming an increasingly important issue, and you, too, can make a difference. Check out our 11 tips for more sustainable travel to find out how!
