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The Best Party Spots in Europe: Berlin

Europe is never short of a party if you know where to go. There are brilliant party cities and towns littered throughout the continent, but perhaps the most famous and popular is a city with some of the most complex culture and history in the world: Berlin, the nation’s capital.

Travelers head to Berlin for nothing more than week-long benders and blowing the last of their Euros on the big, late night clubs for which the city is famous. Many of the hostels are designed to suit this type of trip so be on the look out for the use of words like party, bar and no curfew in descriptions and advertisements. Of course, some of of you will want to stay up late and be loud and some of you won’t – it is important to pick the type of accommodation that suits the type of Berlin experience you want to have.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 brought on a new age of youth and excitement with many neighboring countries traveling to the now huge city and pumping up the nightlife. Many buildings in East Berlin were taken over by a younger crowd and this lead to the emergence of a unique counter-culture and a lot of great nightspots.

Huge techno and DJ festivals such as Love Parade occur throughout the year and bring the clubbing culture of Berlin out into the streets, drawing together likeminded individuals from around the globe to create some of the biggest high-octane dancing congregations the world has ever seen. Other music genres are not forgotten, with the likes of JazzFest Berlin showing off some of Europe’s great instrumental talent.

But you don’t have to plan your stay around festivals - Berlin parties all night, all year round. You can ask reception at your accommodation, consult tourist information offices and guidebooks or better yet just politely ask any younger German individual who is out and about and you may just stumble upon some of the more secretive and exclusive underground clubs.

The younger generations that frequent the venues are more likely to speak a bit of English than some of the middle aged Berliners, as many are students or at least have had a lot of exposure to international music, television, art and people. You will rarely have a problem ordering drinks in English or conversing with doormen and security as you enter and exit the club. Just be sure to bring proper identification with you and to dress appropriately, many clubs frown upon shorts, sleeveless tops on men and open shoes (some even refusing sneakers altogether).

Unfortunately, as a prominent capital in Western Europe, Berlin is not cheap. You can expect to pay a few Euros to get into virtually any club, especially over a weekend or during holidays and special events. Furthermore, drinks are not at all cheap once you make it inside the club and security is very strict in regards to sneaking alcohol in, many even performing pat down searches on top of bag checks. Still, experiencing this magnificent party scene is well worth throwing out a few extra coins.