What is Berlin's main attraction? Some might say history or culture. But others would say the nightlife, and they wouldn't necessarily be wrong.
Germany's capital has been teaching the world how to have a good time for ages now. It's a favorite destination for anyone who wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
Here's a short roundup of nightlife spots worth checking out when you travel here, from the shamelessly hedonistic to the proudly traditional. Be sure to look into each club's rules on dress code and the like before you waste time standing in line. Some can be very picky about who they let in.
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SO36
Located in the trendy Kreuzberg district, long a home for alternative lifestyles, SO36 takes its name from the postal codes used back when the Berlin Wall still stood.
The club is known for live music and hosts special themed nights, such as 80s dance parties or roller disco lessons. Its roots reach back to the punk movement, but it has since moved on to showcase other genres: techno, hip hop, crossover and much more. While it isn't specifically a gay or lesbian club, it's hugely popular with those communities and won't tolerate any sexist, racist or homophobic remarks or behavior.
Some of the bands that have played there: Life of Agony, The Cramps and Church of Confidence.
SO36: Oranienstrasse 190, 10999 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 61401306
Tresor
Tresor got its start in a shack on Potsdamer Platz in 1991, with a three-month license to operate as an art gallery.
More than 25 years later and in a new location, it's now a true institution. Down in its basement, one of the dance floors sits among old bank vaults, where people are wrapped in thick fog and a wall of sound inside a strongroom, inspired by DJs and artists from Detroit, Michigan.
This legend of the techno scene also runs its own record label. Berlin nightclubs can be notoriously fussy about who gets in, but Tresor has a more welcoming reputation with visitors.
Tresor: Köpenicker Str. 70, 10179 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 6953770
A-Trane
This is the place to go if you love jazz. This small venue has been running since 1992, yet it has had a big influence on Berlin's jazz scene, drawing talent from all over the world.
Renowned musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter Till Brönner, American pianist Uri Caine and Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava have all performed here, which gives you a sense of the jazz styles you might catch during the regular evening concerts.
A-Trane is also known for its after-midnight jam sessions on Saturdays, once the usual show wraps up. It sits in the Charlottenburg district.
A-Trane: Pestalozzistrasse 105, 10625 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 3132550
Kit Kat Club
Don't count on getting into the Kit Kat in ordinary jeans and a T-shirt. This club openly celebrates fetish wear and minimal clothing. The bolder and more extravagant your look, the more the Kit Kat will love it, and the better your chances of getting in.
The vibe here is a mix of beach sex party and S&M club. The club's Saturday night party, "CarneBall Bizarre," promises a rowdy time with techno, trance and other styles of music that fuel a sexually charged atmosphere. The Kit Kat also suggests dropping by on Friday evenings for something calmer and more intimate.
Just be very careful about where you're heading: the club's website has a forum with topics like the role a person plays in a threesome.
Kit Kat Club: Köpenicker Str. 76, 10179 Berlin, Germany
Clärchens Ballhaus
Berlin nightlife is nothing especially new. If you want to go old school with your night out and travel back in time a little, try Clärchens Ballhaus, which has been around for more than a century.
You can relive the glamour of 1920s Berlin at this restaurant and dance hall. The menu features traditional dishes such as Wiener schnitzel and pickled herring. And Clärchens offers lessons if you need to brush up on your more classic dance moves.
If you're not up for a night out, you can book a tour of the stunning building it calls home.
Clärchens Ballhaus: Auguststrasse 24, 10117 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 2829295
Monkey Bar Berlin
If you want to sample Berlin's social scene but you're not the sort who "only gets started at 2 a.m.," the Monkey Bar might be for you.
It sits on the top floor of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin and has a spectacular view. In fact, sunset is a very popular time here.
It has an extensive cocktail menu with drinks like the Monkey Monk (gin, yellow Chartreuse, fresh mint, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, soda water). And unlike many Berlin clubs with their dress codes, the Monkey Bar says "come as you are."
Monkey Bar Berlin: Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 4000590
Chameleon Theater Berlin
The Chameleon Theater blends an ordinary evening out of dinner and drinks with a circus performance, so you get acrobatics with your appetizers and jaw-dropping dance numbers with your dinner.
Add a bit of comedy and music to that, and you've got a night unlike any other in the city.
The bistro-style menu covers a wide range, from nuts and popcorn to coq au vin.
Chameleon Theater Berlin: Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin, Germany; +49 30 4000590
Berghain
Widely considered "the best nightclub in the world," the publicity-shy Berghain draws a uniquely eclectic crowd: partygoers, outcasts, muscular gay men in bondage gear, rich kids, lesbians with Skrillex haircuts, DJs, drag queens, tourists, the old, the young, you name it.
The line can take hours to get through, and even then you might not make it past the bouncer. But if you do get in, don't be surprised if you end up staying until Monday morning.
Berghain is something of a rite of passage for visitors looking for things to do in Berlin. This sybaritic techno temple sits inside a massive former power plant in an industrial area near Ostbahnhof station in Friedrichshain.
Berghain: Rudersdorfer Str. 7, 10243 Berlin Germany; +49 30 2936 0210
