It seems as though Berliners love a market. Art, design, craft, flea, farmer, slow food, Turkish, book, sweet food, ‘voodoo’.. every weekend offers the prospect of a different market to explore. Being in Berlin for months at a time has allowed us to sample all the different markets usually held on each weekend, so here is a sampling of some we have visited.
Mauer Park Flea Market
We started our marketeering at the famous Mauer Park flea market in Prenzlauer Berg. To be honest, it’s overrun with tourists and it’s extremely hard to navigate through the stalls. We went in August, so the whole market space was heaving with people. Instead of stopping and sorting through all that was on offer, we had no choice but to go along with the flow of people traffic moving through the narrow walkways.
Boxhagener Platz Weekend Markets
Boxhangener Platz in Friedrichshain offers a much more pleasant market experience, as the market stalls are formed around one square rather than sprawling across a large area. On Saturdays you can experience the farmers market, which offers high quality fresh produce, flowers, good coffee from the mobile Passenger Espresso, fresh juice, turkish food, bruschetta… you get the idea! The perfect way to spend some of your Saturday. The flea market operates on Sunday, with the goods on offer being a lot more “curated” than Mauer Park (ie. instead of mountains of crap, only mounds of crap that are easier to sift through). There are a lot of restaurants and cafes that proclaim they are famous for Sunday brunch, so you’re bound to have a pleasant day in Friedrichshain.
The Turkish Market in Kreuzberg
The Turkish Market along Maybachufer cannot come more recommended from friends and other bloggers and when we finally managed to explore what was on offer, we can see why. Fresh produce at cheap prices, piles of Aladdin shoes and materials, fresh pita wraps, cheeses, and most importantly, 1kg bags of olives for 3 euros!
Markthalle Neun
The lovely old Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg usually caters for specialty markets that are less frequent. On separate occasions we went there for a Handmade Market and a Sweets Market. Both promoted ethical and sustainable ways of local business, although I must admit that we dropped a lot more euros supporting the cause for chocolate, cakes and brownies than crafty goods. Keep an eye on their website for what market is coming up new right here.
Voodoo Market
The list of markets could go on and on so I’ll just mention one more: the Voodoo market. They don’t operate often, but they try to break the traditional mould of what you have come to expect at a market. When we went in October, it was held in a nightclub with trippy neon lights and wall/ceiling decorations. What you’ll find in the stalls is a mixture of second hand and handmade clothing/jewellery, art, design, food, interior decorating stalls, art workshops, music workshops, djs and so on.
