CLUBBING: Berghain

Am Wriezener Bahnhof | Kreuzberg 10243 

U Warshauer Str.

Wed, Fri-Mon | opening hours vary

€14 standard

www.berghain.de

The Berghain is Europe's techno mecca, seeing tourists fly over on Friday afternoons and stay until Monday morning without the need to book in for hostels or anywhere to sleep. For the few hours it does close over the weekend, most clubbers just nap outside until it opens again. Inside, a lengthy exploration of the club will find you on the lofty concrete dance floors of the main room and Panorama bar, in sofa rooms, one of many bars and even an ice cream and sandwich cafe. The Panorama bar is renowned for it's more melodic techno and the routine raising of the blinds at sunrise - the imperative sign that you must keep on dancing.

  

There's nothing clean about the Berghain. Expect to sweat, to get dirty and to rub shoulders with E-dropping regulars of the club. The first Google suggestion for the Berghain is "dark rooms", and rightly so, as it is almost impossible to believe that a club would specifically designate rooms for fornicating with strangers. But this is what the Berghain is about: hedonism. Their Facebook page, "Berghain Universitat", runs with the extended metaphor that the DJs are your lecturers and you are merely the students of the club. It's probably harder to get into Berghain than it is to get into Uni too, as the entry policy is totally random and unapologetic. Sven, the famous-in-his-own-right bouncer, will just point you to the left if he doesn't like the look of you. It's best to arrive in a pair, dressed down and ready to tell them your age in German. Saturday and Sunday afternoons have better odds of getting in too, although always keep a back-up plan in mind when heading here for the weekend.  

Once you're in, the Berghain seems to run on an anything-goes ethos. There is no action too shocking, no dance move too erratic and no suggestion too far out in the Berghain. The steep price is justified by the reality that you won't be leaving until well into the next day and, let's face it, if ice-cream, sex and non-stop dancing isn't hedonism, then what on earth is?

CLUBBING: Katerholzig

Michaelkirchstrasse 22 | 10179 Mitte

U Jannowitzbrucke

Fridays and Saturdays: Opening Times Vary

www.katerholzig.de

There are two sorts of clubs in Berlin: the concrete, intimidating structures associated with the hardcore techno scene, and the ethereal, bohemian dance floors that edge the river Spree. After queueing for up to an hour you'll find that Katerholzig fits into the latter of these, existing as the club realisation of our childhood dreams. Surrounded by the graffitied remains of an old soap factory, this concrete playground is coloured by marquees, sofas, bonfires and fairy lights. Scraps of fabric and mobiles made from old kitchen utensils hang over the many platforms of the outdoor seating area, whilst a huge statue of a Chinese money-beckoning cat sits on the roof watching over the party. With three small dance floors and an array of bars (A beer will set you back around 3.00€), Katerholzig is an intimate clubbing experience, allowing to you to familiarise yourselves with those you're getting sweaty with.  The huge amount of seating, including the popular stalls with direct access to the river, arguably make this the most social club in Berlin.  As the vibe transforms from non-stop carnival to daytime drinks on the river bed, remember what Robert Montgomery's neon artwork beams at you from across the river: the city is kinder and wilder than you think.   

CLUBBING: Tresor

Köpenicker Straße 70  |  Mitte 10179  

U Heinrich-Heine-Str. 

Wed: 23:45 - 09:00  |  Fri - Sat: 23:45 - 11:00

11.00€ standard

www.tresorberlin.de

Renowned for being one of Berlin's techno meccas, this club will not disappoint. It is almost hard to believe anything is going on inside the concrete structure whilst you queue to get inside, as the main dance floor is tucked away in the basement of the building. This disguises the pounding techno as a gentle thud from outdoors. A long, bunker-like corridor leads you to the basement, building suspense as the occasional flash of light and smoke implies you're getting closer to the party. Appropriately named "The Dungeon" this floor utilises a red glow, relentless strobe light and plenty of steel bars to make it a suitably sinister setting for the music being played. In true Berlin fashion, everyone dances facing the DJ, although the bar and smaller dance floor upstairs provide a relatively more relaxed approach to some more melodic styles of techno. 

Unlike some of the other clubs in Berlin, Tresor happily welcome tourists, so don't worry about hiding your English as you approach the doors. Arrive between one and two in the morning to avoid queuing for a long time and be there for when "The Dungeon" kicks off .