For every film lover, there’s no better moment than when the lights go out in the cinema, the curtain opens, and the film starts. It’s especially beautiful if the cinema itself is as much a unique experiences as the film. And there are still some cinemas that fit this bill in Berlin: cinemas with historic charm, with elegant architecture. or individual character all worth a visit in their own right. But, of course, best paired with a great film. We’ve put together a selection here.
The Premium Cinemas
The Zoo Palast shines in new splendour, but still has the atmosphere of a traditional cinema. In addition to the large cinema equipped with the latest film technology (Dolby Atmos systems), there are also six smaller cinemas, too. The Astor Film Lounge has been transformed into an elegant premium cinema, too. The pastel-coloured hall and the elegant foyer are still in the old style, but have been upgraded with comfortable seats and new technology. And instead of nachos and popcorn, delicious finger food is served.
Cinemas with retro charm
Back to the 1950s: that’s at least the feeling you get at the Adria in Steglitz, decked out as it is with the typical style of that period. Already the curving yellow neon sign and the old-fashioned lobby promise a journey into the past. Time also seems to have stood still at Eva Lichtspiele in Wilmersdorf, a cinema now more than a century old that welcomes its visitors with a foyer and auditorium in the look of the 50s.
The most beautiful cinema room with fabric-covered walls and a foyer in the style of earlier times with original counter makes a visit Neuer Off a special experience, too. The International on Karl-Marx-Allee reflects the functional, yet elegant style of 1960s East Berlin. With its glass façade, a stylish bar, simple wood panelling, and a silver curtain, is the cinema certainly one of the most stylish in the whole of Berlin.
Meanwhile historic Babylon Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz offers a trip back to the roaring 1920s. It’s the only cinema in town with an organist to accompany silent film showings live on the cinema organ.
Cinemas with that certain something extra
The charming Cinema Paris is not unlike a box of chocolates. The cinema specialises in European, but especially French films (in original versions). The Delphi Filmpalast am Zoo, originally built as a dance hall, also boasts historic flair, whilst the Filmtheater am Friedrichshain (FaF) has five individually designed cinema rooms. Room 2, for example, is decorated with gilded walls and glittering crystals. Tilsiter Lichtspiele is a combination pub and cinema, serving its own brews, while b-ware Ladenkino offers three cinema rooms behind a plushly decorated bar and videotheque.
Then there’s the Sputnik, located in a Neukölln rear courtyard, up on the fifth storey, while Das Lichtblick has to be Berlin’s smallest cinema, offering just 32 seats in a cosy living room atmosphere. The oldest cinema in Berlin (and all of Germany), incidentally, is the Moviemento, opened in 1907 as “Topps Kino”.
And the most beautiful cinema in Berlin? You’ll have to decide that for yourself.
