Hey Berliners!

Spring is here, the Ringbahn is not, and the cherry blossoms are worth the detour.

In today's edition:

The S-Bahn Ringbahn is still suspended; a new Edomae sushi restaurant in Friedrichshain is worth booking a table at; Nureyev is at the Deutsche Oper from €59; Britzer Baumblüte's 70th edition, this week's deal; there are four job listings; and your Friedrichshain guide.

Easter Monday is tomorrow. Happy Easter! 🥚🥚🥚

— Dr Yassir A Shuaib

⚠️ UK ETA rises to £20 from Tuesday 8 April

The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) rises to £20. All visa‑free travellers (including EU passport holders and children) need an ETA. More info →

🛂 EU Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April

Non-EU travellers need fingerprints and photos at Schengen borders. EU citizens and German residents are exempt. Expect longer queues at the BER airport. More info →

🍺 Longer terrace hours coming to Berlin

A new law could let outdoor seating in nightlife areas (Kreuzberg, Mitte, and Prenzlauer Berg) stay open until 11pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends (currently 10pm). More info →

🚇 S-Bahn Ringbahn — still suspended until 13 April

S41, S42, S46, S47: no service between Treptower Park and Tempelhof. Replacement buses run but add 20+ minutes in Neukölln, Treptow, and Tempelhof. Back to normal on 14 April. More info →

💰 Apple AirTag 1st Gen 4-pack

Apple launched AirTag 2 this year for €99, so retailers are clearing first‑gen stock.

✅ No subscription. No contract. iPhone only.

🔍 Compare prices and deals at geizhals.de

🌸 Cherry blossom walk — Prenzlauer Berg (Free, all week)

Walk along 215 trees on the former border strip by the old Berlin Wall. Start at Schwedter Str./Gleimstr. and walk north toward Norwegerstr.

Tip: Go early. On weekends it gets crowded by 10 am.

📍 Schwedter Str./Gleimstr., 10437 Berlin
🚉 S-Bahn Bornholmer Straße

More info →

🌸 Cherry Blossom Festival — Gärten der Welt, Marzahn (Paid, 11 – 12 April)

Celebrate the arrival of spring at this traditional Japanese flower-viewing festival. Enjoy the Japanese garden, K-Pop, cosplay, and Asian street food.

Tickets. More info →

🎵 Free lunchtime concert — Berliner Philharmonie (Free, Wed 8 April)

On Wednesday, members of the Berliner Philharmoniker play a free 40–50-minute concert in the foyer. No booking — collect a chip at the door. Capacity is limited to 1,500. Time: 13:00 | Address: Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1, 10785 Berlin — S1/S25/U2 Potsdamer Platz. This week's programme. More info →

🚲 Velo Berlin — Tempelhof Airport (Paid, Sat 11 – Sun 12 April)

Europe's biggest cycling festival inside Tempelhof Airport. Test ride 200+ bikes on proper tracks. Races, brands, e-bikes, cargo bikes, children's bikes.

Under 14 free. Saturday only: paid entry until 17:00, then free for the evening finale, including outdoor cinema, karaoke, and dancing until close at 18:00.

€12 advance / €15 door | 10:00–18:00 | Tempelhofer Damm 45 — U6 Paradestraße.

Tickets. More info →

🕺 Berghain — Oster Klubnacht (Paid, Easter weekend)

Berlin's biggest Easter party. Panorama Bar (the upper floor) opens Saturday night. The Berghain floor (the main ground floor) opens Sunday at 16:00 and runs through to Tuesday. Berghain has a strict door policy; not everyone gets in. Address: Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin — S-Ostbahnhof. More info →

🛍️ Flohmarkt Mauerpark (Free, Sundays)

This is Berlin’s most famous flea market. You can find clothes, old records, furniture, and many other things. It happens every Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Address: Bernauer Str. 63‑64, Berlin. Take the U8 to Bernauer Str. More info →

🏃 Parkrun Hasenheide (Free, every Saturday)

There is a free 5 km run every Saturday at 9 am in Hasenheide Park. You can run, jog, or walk. Register once for free online and bring your barcode. Your time will be recorded, and you can use the same barcode at any parkrun event. Address: Columbiadamm 160, 10965 Berlin — U8 Hermannplatz. Registration and more information →

🎡 Britzer Baumblüte — 70th edition (Free entry, until 19 April)

Family fun with rides, food, cherry trees, and the Easter Bunny. Free entry, 70th edition. Location: Parchimer Allee/Fulhamer Allee, 12359 Berlin. Take U7 to Parchimer Allee or bus M46. More info →

🎡 Berliner Frühlingsfest – free entry (until 3 May)

Berlin's big spring fair has more than 85 rides, games, food stalls, and a Ferris wheel.
Free to enter.

Hours: Wed–Thu 13:00–22:00 | Fri–Sat 14:00–23:00 | Sun 13:00–22:00
Fireworks: 10 April at 22:00
Address: Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 207, 13405 Berlin
How to get there: U6 Kurt-Schumacher-Platz + bus M21/X21

More info →

🍣 Nichi Getsu — New Opening, Friedrichshain

A new sushi spot from the team behind Berlin’s top Japanese restaurant. Counter-style, small, very popular. There is no website – walk in or check Instagram.

📍 Rotherstraße 16, 10245 Berlin – U1/U3 Warschauer Straße

🍜 Musashi — Old Favourite, Kreuzberg

Small, simple, cash-only. Sushi sets are around €10. Lunch is best; evenings get busy. No bookings.

📍 Kottbusser Damm 102, 10967 Berlin – U8 Schönleinstraße

🕒 Mon–Sat 12:00–22:30, Sun 14:00–22:00

🛒 Hard Wax

Opened in 1989, Hard Wax is a world-famous record store that helped build Berlin's electronic music scene. It specialises in techno, house, electro, reggae and experimental music.

You can listen to records before you decide to buy them. The staff know every record in the shop.

Even if you are not a big techno fan, visiting Hard Wax is a wonderful way to understand Berlin's music culture.

Address: Köpenicker Str. 70, Berlin
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 3 pm to 8 pm, closed on Sunday

More info →

🏛️ Bureaucracy Hack — Anmeldung: Register Your Berlin Address

In Germany, you must register your address within 14 days of moving in. Without it, you cannot open a bank account, get a tax ID, or use most official services.

What to bring: your passport, a letter from your landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), and the filled registration form.

How to do it: book an appointment at a Bürgeramt. If you see no slots online, call 115 (Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00); they can find hidden appointments. The appointment takes 10–15 minutes, and you get your registration certificate on the spot. Keep it safe.

Download registration form → More info →

📍 Neighbourhood Spotlight — Friedrichshain

Friedrichshain is a lively area with famous spots like the East Side Gallery, RAW-Gelände nightlife, and the grand Karl‑Marx‑Allee.

Who lives here: Young professionals, artists, and families

Rent: Around €13–17 per square metre (warm), cheaper than Prenzlauer Berg and more than Neukölln.

Best streets: Wühlischstraße and Grünberger Straße for cafés and markets. Revaler Straße for nightlife. Karl‑Marx‑Allee for architecture.

Getting around: U5, U1/U3, S‑Bahn (Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof), plus trams

Three excellent places:

Insider tip: Streets north of Frankfurter Allee (toward Lichtenberg) are quieter and cheaper for flat hunting.

Pfand (Pronounced: puh-FANT)

It means deposit. In Germany, you pay 25 cents extra on most plastic bottles and aluminium cans. You receive your twenty-five cents back when you put the empty bottle back into the grocery machine.

“Ist da Pfand drauf?” “Ist da Pfand drauf?” = “Is there a deposit on the bottle?” This is a common question to ask before throwing something away.

Look for the Pfandring (small metal ring on public bins). Leave your empty bottle there instead of throwing it away – someone will collect it

Make Berlin yours

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See you next time. Same time. Same Kiez.

— Yassir 🥚