Hotel BIG MAMA in Berlin-Mitte
Holiday in style by the banks of the River Panke
The north of Berlin Mitte was once at the forefront of technology. Now former industrial buildings and other sites have become creative spaces for young artists in this area off the beaten track. Discover the fascinating blend of old and new, urban and tranquil, on a city break at the warm and welcoming BIG MAMA hotel.
Riverside lifestyle in Berlin Mitte at Hotel BIG MAMA
Hotel BIG MAMA offers you a warm welcome to Berlin Mitte, a quirky Berlin district with a whole lot to offer. The hotel itself is stylish and modern, the perfect fit for an area that is home to students, young families and people from all over the world. BIG MAMA is located in a slightly secluded spot away from the hustle and bustle of Berlin Mitte itself, right on the Panke, a little river that wends its way from the north to meet the Spree. It makes a fantastic base to discover the city’s hidden gems or hop on a bike and discover the history of industrialisation and the division of Berlin.
There are many advantages to the hotel’s stunning riverside location. The idyllic Panke is a beautiful backdrop for the BIG MAMA bar and its terrace, which is popular with locals and visitors alike. It’s also a fantastic starting point for a range of interesting walks across the city. You can head south towards Chausseestraße and discover the quirky neighbourhood around Oranienburger Tor. Heading north, you can stroll along the Franzosenbecken and check out the Huguenot church before heading to Bürgerpark Pankow with its lovely rose garden.
The modern rooms and apartments on offer at Hotel BIG MAMA – some of which are wheelchair accessible – are the perfect place to relax between expeditions exploring the city. The rooms feature vast king-size beds that guarantee a comfortable night’s sleep. In the morning, you can enjoy breakfast with honey made by busy bees on the hotel rooftop and jams and marmalades made by the team in the hotel kitchen. Once you’re fuelled up and ready for a great day ahead, ask at reception for tips – the team are available 24 hours a day and happy to help with recommendations for hidden gems.
Music and movement in Berlin Mitte
Image gallery
15-Min-Stadt-Hotel Big Mama exterior view
15-Min-Stadt-Hotel BIG MAMA Berlin Bar
15-Min-Stadt-Hotel Big Mama
Culture vultures will find plenty to amuse them in the area around the hotel. The silent green Cultural Quarter, around 2 km from the hotel, has breathed new life into the site of a former crematorium. Dedicated to interdisciplinary art, it’s a haven for musicians, artists and makers. On tours of the site, you can learn more about its incredible history and the work that goes on there.
Following the musical theme, Das Klingende Museum (the Museum of Sound) is a great place for families with kids to visit. It stages family-friendly concerts and gives young people the opportunity to try out various instruments in workshops under the tutelage of music teachers. Just 950 m from the hotel, on the banks of the Panke, there’s another musical treat in store: the Uferstudios, a contemporary dance studio and hotspot for Berlin’s modern dance scene in a listed building.
If all this music and dance has got you in the mood for movement, the Magic Mountain climbing centre north of Humboldthain is a great place to get active. Here, you can try out all kinds of climbing routes on over 2,000 m2 of climbing walls. Or you and your family explore the nearby Labyrinth Children's Museum!
Discover Berlin history around Hotel BIG MAMA
Plenty of Berlin sights are within walking distance of the hotel – but two wheels are an even faster option. Hire a bike from the hotel reception and head 2.5 km south to Humboldthain, where you’ll find the imposing former site of electronics company AEG – a visual testament to Berlin’s time as a so-called ‘electropolis’ and the engine of Germany’s technological development.
At Humboldthain you’ll also find the Berliner Unterwelten-Museum, or ‘underground museum’, an unconventional attraction where you can discover historic World War II bunkers under the city. Another historic part of town worth checking out is Bornholmer Straße, about 1.5 km from the hotel. The border crossing on this street saw the beginning of the end of the Berlin Wall and decades of division within the city. This very spot is where citizens of East Germany were first permitted to cross over to West Berlin. Today, a remnant of the Berlin Wall still stands here as a monument to the moment. Another beautiful way of commemorating the divided city is the street’s stunning avenue of cherry blossom trees on the site of the former border, which starts right at the S-Bahn railway station and looks particularly magnificent in spring.
Take your tastebuds on a culinary tour at Hotel BIG MAMA
Exploring the city is thirsty – and hungry – work. The neighbourhood around Hotel BIG MAMA has plenty of places to stop off for a cup of coffee and a tasty sweet treat. At KAWA Kaffeemanufaktur, just 400 m from the hotel, you can buy freshly roasted coffee from Berlin to take home, so you can enjoy a taste of the city wherever you are. Near the Uferstudios you’ll also find Café Dujardin and Café Pförtner, where you can enjoy coffee, tea, tasty cakes and hot dishes in bright, friendly surroundings.
In the evening, you don’t have to venture far past the hotel for tasty dinner and drinks. Delicious pizza is available from the hotel bar, with its
vintage decor and sociable terrace. Treat yourself to one of 15 varieties of gin or the alcohol-free Big Mama Special with your meal. You can also order Asian dishes straight to the hotel via a delivery service. If you fancy heading further afield, you can try a Berlin snack food classic at Curry & Chili, just half a kilometre from the hotel: the infamous currywurst sausage. It’s worth noting that this spot offers 12 different levels of spice – and calls itself Berlin’s spiciest currywurst place.
If it’s riverside dining you’re after, the restaurant Uferlos, about a kilometre from the hotel, is the perfect place to dine – you can even walk along the banks of the Panke on your journey to get there. This place is known far and wide for its fresh, carefully selected menu and changing weekly specials. Another unique option in the area is O-slow, a restaurant serving a one-of-a-kind fusion of Japanese and Lebanese cuisine.
