Nightlife

In Berlin, nightlife runs round-the-clock, and there's plenty to do at any time. Berlin has a monthly English-language newspaper, The Ex-Berliner, providing a witty, informative guide to the city's culture and entertainment. This magazine is available at newsstands and tourist offices. Tourist offices also distribute a free magazine called New Berlin providing tips and recommendations to visitors. The German-language Berlin Programm is available at newsstands. The most detailed listings are found in zitty, a biweekly publication in German.

Having a Pint at a Knepie -- A Kneipe is a cozy rendezvous place, the equivalent of a Londoner's local pub. The typical Berliner has a favorite Kneipe for relaxing after work and visiting with friends, and there are hundreds in Berlin.

Cafe Life -- At its mid-19th-century zenith, Berlin was famous for its cafes. Max Krell, an editor, once wrote: "Cafes were our homeland. They were the stock exchange of ideas, site of intellectual transactions, futures' market of poetic and artistic glory and defeat." They've changed with the times, but cafes are still going strong in Berlin -- particularly, these days, in what used to be East Berlin. In the heart of the old East German capital is a complex of about 100 bars, shops, and restaurants, called Die Hackenschen Höfe (S-Bahn: Hackescher Markt). This stylish minimall attracts hip counterculture denizens who wander between galleries, boutiques, and fashionable cafes. It has become one of the most prominent places in the city to go drinking.

Gay & Lesbian Berlin -- Traditionally, lesbian and gay life centered on the Nollendorfplatz (U-Bahn: Nollendorfplatz), the so-called "Pink Village." There is a history of homosexuality here at the Schwules Museum, Mehringdamm 61 (tel. 030/69599050; www.schwulesmuseum.de), open Wednesday to Monday from 2 to 6pm (to 7pm Sat). Admission is 5€ adults, 3€ students. The state-supported Spinnboden Lesbenarchiv & Bibliothek, Anklamerstrasse 38 (tel. 030/4485848; www.spinnboden.de), caters to all sorts of lesbian cultural events. Mann-o-Meter, Bülowstrasse 106 (tel. 030/2168008; www.mann-o-meter.de), is a gay information center.

Today, Motzstrasse is the location of many gay and lesbian bars, including Tom's and Prinzknecht.

In the latter half of June, the Lesbisch-Schwules Stadtfest (Lesbian and Gay Men's Street Fair) takes place at Nollendorfplatz. This is topped in size, though not in exuberance, the last week in June by the Christopher Street Day parade, when 200,000 people congregate to have fun and drop inhibitions.

Performing Arts

Theatre -- Berlin has long been known for its theater. Even if you don't understand German, you may enjoy a production of a familiar play or musical.

Perhaps the most famous theater is the Berliner Ensemble, Am Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1 (tel. 030/28408155; www.berliner-ensemble.de; U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Friedrichstrasse), founded by the late playwright Bertolt Brecht. His wife, Helene Weigel, played an important role in the theater's founding and was the ensemble's longtime director. Works by Brecht and other playwrights are presented here. Seats are reasonably priced, ranging from 6€ to 40€.

The most important German-language theater in the country is Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Kurfürstendamm 153 (tel. 030/890023; www.schaubuehne.de; U-Bahn: Adenauerplatz), at the east end of the Ku'Damm, near Lehniner Platz. There are three different stages here. Tickets range from 10€ to 38€.

Theater des Westens, located between the Berlin Zoo and the Ku'Damm at Kantstrasse 12 (tel. 030/319030; U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Zoologischer Garten), specializes in plays, musical comedies, and the German equivalent of Broadway extravaganzas. The theater was built in 1896. Performances are held Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm. Saturday matinees are occasionally available. Ticket prices range from 20€ to 110€.

Cabaret -- Very popular among visitors to Berlin is the kind of nightspot depicted in the musical Cabaret, with floor-show patter and acts that make fun of the political and social scene. Cabaret life in between-the-wars Berlin inspired writers such as Christopher Isherwood, among many others. These emporiums of schmaltz have been reborn in the former East Berlin -- though the satire may be a bit less biting than it was during the Weimar Republic. Today's cabaret shows may remind you of Broadway blockbusters, without much of the intimacy of the smoky and trenchant cellar revues of the 1930s.