Berlin is one of the most lovely cities in Europe. As a cosmopolitan metropolis, you can feel the whole world around you even in the inner city. Get to know more about a few markets that you can visit and enjoy a full ride around the world just by being in Berlin.
1. Dong Xuan Center
Berlin has one of the largest population of Vietnamese outside Vietnam. Their culture is all around the town, in the streets with a lot of restaurants serving their delicious food and plates.
So, if you are in Berlin, you can dive into this universe by visiting the Dong Xuan Center in Lichtenberg, a suburb of Berlin, outside the common tourist routes. You might feel like a true Berliner by doing this.
The Dong Xuan Center have 6 pavilions full of small shops that sell everything that you can imagine. Mobile phones, clothes, shoes, fabrics, electronic cigarettes and a lot of Asiatic food that came from a lot of different countries like China, Thailand or Cambodia. What you think, you will find there. If you a true lover of Asian cuisine, this market is the right place for you. And if you want, you can cut your hair in Vietnamese style in one of the hair salons that you can find there.
Going to Dong Xuan Center is to know one side of Berlin that most of the tourists have no clue. You will need at least half of the day to enjoy everything in there. But don’t worry, you can eat some delicious Vietnamese food in one of the three restaurants that you can find in there. They are really awesome and you will pay at least 3 times less than in any other tourist part of the city.
2. Flohmarkt im Mauerpark
The Mauerpark is one of the most traditional parks in Berlin and its name means “Park of the Wall” since the Berlin Wall passed through the park during the Cold War. Now it is the stage of one of the most famous flea markets in the city. Every Sunday, the Mauerpark turns into a great fair, where in addition to the numerous gastronomic options, you will find literally everything from vinyl to glasses used by the old East Germans, to furniture and bicycles, and much art.
But fame has its price. Try to arrive very early or choose to go more towards the end of the fair – around 4:00 p.m. That’s because of all day, the market is really very crowded, with people eating and drinking traditional beers – in a few days you can find local beers manufacturers selling their products. And always at the end of the day, sellers make promotions of up to 50% on products, so you will save a lot of money.
The Flohmark im Mauerpark deserves a visit with time to spare since for being in the park you find a lot of musical attractions and even a karaoke with an audience where you can risk losing your voice. In the summer, you can even organize a picnic in the park soon after enjoying the shopping.
Tip: try the grilled fish that is sold there as it is prepared in a typically northern German way.
3. Turkish Market
The Turkish Market is the second largest street fair in Berlin. It is accessible every Tuesday and Friday from 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The incredible landscape formed by the Landwehr canal, the cobbled street and the richly designed houses of different periods of history, help to make the fair something very special.
In addition to conventional products, you may find fresh vegetables and fruits of all kinds and, of course, bioproduct (a high trend in the city). It is cheaper to buy there. Most of the merchants and also the customers are of Turkish descent, which gave the name to the market in the Maybachufer of “Turkish market” – certainly because of its special charm.
Besides vegetables, there are also Turkish and Greek specialties: marinated olives, dried tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, shrimp, peppers, aubergine in all types and flavors; Sheep’s and goat’s cheese, and the traditional cow cheeses and pastes. Ayvar, hummus, tapenade, vine leaves; Conventional and Asian, Ottoman or Oriental spices; Couscous, bulgur, red rice, green, yellow lentils, chickpeas, beans, pasta and homemade pasta.
Fresh fish stalls catch the attention of patrons. The market also offers a variety that is constantly changing and reasonably priced like various appetizers of African, Portuguese and Arab specialties. In addition to everything, there is a delicious freshly prepared coffee.
In addition to all food, there are also tents that sell from clothes, fabrics (in rolls to be cut there), lines and everything else for the production of clothes. A really cool ride that makes the experience of Berlin even more intense.
4. Markthalle Neun
Do you like to try different foods? So the Markthalle Neun is a place you have to go. Every Thursday the Street Food Thursday is on, where the traditional market in the district of Kreuzberg receives the most varied food trucks of the city for a special fair.
There it is possible to face a typical American hamburger or a homemade Berlin currywurst. You can also venture to the cuisine of Thailand and Brazil, as well as sample some of the main beers produced in the city. And if you want to go beyond, there are curious dishes typical of African countries, such as Ethiopia, which are extremely tasty and spicy.
But it’s not just about food that the place deserves a visit. The architecture of the Markthalle Neun is beautiful, with a large entrance hall and typical details of the German buildings. You can also enjoy, after having enough to eat, to walk around the region, typically residential, where you can learn a little more how the Berliners enjoy life.
5. Thai Park in Preußenpark
Thailand in Berlin. Generations of thai families, sometimes grandmothers, mothers, and daughters start arriving around noon on sunny days and in good weather. They sit and open their bags with a lot of food!
So you can find authentic Thai food, snacks, noodles, fish and desserts, simple and delicious dishes cooked in front of you. And you do not even have to worry about carrying blankets to sit on the grass, they even lend some treadmills to relax and enjoy a beautiful day in the park with good food. That is a true Berliner experience where you may find the loveliness of the city.
And if you go on a Sunday, you will also find a flea market that happens in the park and you will have a double experience of being almost a local resident. The best? You will find the food delicious and you will pay less than 10 euros for eating it!
Updated: March 9, 2017