IT’S A MATCH: LEARN “TENNIS FROM SCRATCH” WITH THE BEYOND BERLIN

Love iconic sports halls? Always wanted to learn how to play tennis? With charming coaches, Misha and Ieva, from The Beyond Berlin, you’ll learn how to skillfully switch between forehand and backhand, play your first rally, and (almost) always hit the ball in Berlin’s oldest sports hall on Columbiadamm. And all without any elitist posturing. Never held a tennis racket before? Don’t worry! In the “Tennis from Scratch” class, you can learn the basics of tennis in a relaxed atmosphere, even if you don’t have a racket or suitable indoor shoes. For a small rental fee, the “Berliner Turngemeinde” will provide you with all the equipment you need for your tennis lessons. Give tennis a go with The Beyond’s open-minded and welcoming community and take on a new challenge — whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced player. Depending on your experience level, you can choose between different classes such as “Tennis from Scratch”, “Cardio Tennis” or “Let’s Rally”. You’ll learn the basics of movement, how to put your existing tennis knowledge into practice, how to control the court with confidence, how to improve your skills, and, above all, how to have fun playing. Every week, choose between various courses and put together your training plan. Being a beginner has never been so fun!

Text & Photos: Natascha Hamel

The Beyond Berlin, Columbiadamm 111, 10965 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Book a class here.

@thebeyond.berlin

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LIFE IS BETTER LIVE — VISIT HUNDREDS OF EVENTS WITH AN ABUNDO SUBSCRIPTION

What do Fritz Kalkbrenner, Angélique Kidjo and Reinhard Goebel all have in common? 1. They’ve all played in Berlin in the last month. 2. You probably missed their concerts. 3. You could have been front row if you’d had an Abundosubscription. Abundo is still considered an insider tip amongst Berliners, but we doubt it’ll stay that way for long. There’s no other way to experience so much culture for so little money. Not to mention, you’ll never miss out on a cultural event again. Whether it’s chamber music at the Philharmonie, Così van Tutte at the Komische Oper or Poor Things at the Hackesche Höfe cinema (that’s right, cinema is also included!), there are no limits to locations, genres and events. Concerts, dance, art, stand-up, film and theater, everything is included, sometimes in the city’s most renowned venues. So, how does it all work? Simply download the app, start your subscription (just 29€ a month) and you can attend one event each day. You can find the event program and book your tickets in the app. And since the cultural offerings in Berlin are limitless, new events are added every day. Best of all, the first month is free for all our readers. Not even a name on the guest list is this good.

Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Berliner Philharmonie, Ute Langkafel

Abundo
Here you can start your one month free trial.

@abundoberlin

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Guests, Miscellaneous

SHOW ME YOUR (BOOKIE) BOOKSHELF AND I’LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE

Allegedly, fewer and fewer people are reading these days. But Lukas and Marie Hoffmann tend to disagree. That’s why they started an Instagram account in 2021 and launched the first version of the Bookie app in August 2022. Bookie is an app that makes reading more social, facilitates book exchanges and offers an online alternative to traditional in-person book clubs. Bookie was established after Lukas and Marie asked themselves: what is the book market missing? Why do so many people believe literature isn’t for them? And, how can we change this way of thinking? The answer was Bookie — an accessible and inclusive reading community. It’s a virtual space where authors, creators, publishers and book lovers can come together. A space where it’s possible to exchange ideas, inspire each other to read (more) and discover excellent books that are impossible to put down. This is all thanks to the Bookie reading lists compiled from the recommendations of readers who are no strangers to the literary world. From Anne Sauer to Christoph Amend (a journalist), many share their favorite books on Bookie.

Coco Meurer opened her bookstore, literaturensohn, on Brunnenstraße in Berlin Mitte, in September 2023. The art director and marketing specialist designs CIs, communication strategies and campaigns for publishers and other companies.

Text: Coco Meurer / Photos: Bookie, Cottonbro

Bookie

@bookie.theapp
@literaturensohn

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Activities

FINNISH SAUNA FOR ENTHUSIASTS: THE OLIVIN SAUNA SPA AT PFEFFERBERG

Take a plunge and escape the cold, your everyday routine, and gloomy headspace. Head over to Pfefferberg! Established in 2005, tucked away in an unsuspecting backyard, there’s a sauna crafted by enthusiasts for those looking to break a sweat: Olivin. The creators call it a “Wellness Lounge”, but you’d likely consider it more of a “Sauna Spa”. Details aside, what’s important is this: it’s a classic sauna that’s still a bit of a hidden gem. In Olivin, you’ll find all of the sauna essentials: a spacious Finnish sauna overlooking not an olive grove, but a bamboo garden. And an outdoor area with a fountain, shower, plunge pool, and heated lounge chairs. But what sets it apart is the team, who put genuine care into making your sauna experience special. Every full hour includes 10-15 minute infusion rituals with 100% pure essential oils, poured three times. Depending on the team member, a clean and simple single scent may be infused, or an aromatic journey that varies with the time of day and season. Here’s a teaser of a hopefully-not-feeling-under-the-weather-season (aka winter) infusion: from spruce (anti-inflammatory and respiratory) to fennel (relaxing and soothing) to lemon (immune-boosting). A sauna session isn’t just great for the body — it works wonders for frazzled nerves too, especially when guided by scents like patchouli (grounding), nutmeg (strengthening), and orange (invigorating). Olivin Pfefferberg lives up to its name: things get fiery! But Olivin is more than just a name, it comes from the type of stone used for infusions. Besides many other qualities, olivine stone is supposed to strengthen confidence — we could all do with some of that. And if all that isn’t enough to entice you, massages are also on the menu — after all, Olivin is a Wellness Lounge.

Text: Maria Mayer / Photos: Robyn Steffen

Olivin Wellness Lounge Sauna, Schönhauser Allee 177, 10119 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg; map

Mon–Sun 12–00h

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Culture

BUT THE ART REMAINS — THE GROUP EXHIBITION “MAN DISAPPEARS LIKE A FACE IN THE SAND ON THE SEASHORE” AT “DIE MÖGLICHKEIT EINER INSEL”

The title of this exhibition is a long one. Long and convoluted and a little bit wistful. It’s borrowed from the great postmodernist Michel Foucault. “Man disappears like a face in the sand on the seashore” is a group exhibition, which is on display until 28.01.2024 in Stephanie Kloss’ project space Die Möglichkeit einer Insel. Curated by participating artist Olivia Berckemeyer, there are so many artists on the list it’s a wonder how all of their work fits into the space. And what artists they are! From A for Anselm Reyle to Z for Thomas Zipp — it feels like everyone who has achieved recognition in Berlin’s wild art scene over the last twenty years is being exhibited. Alicja Kwade, Andrea Pichl, Hansa Wisskirchen, Saâdane Afif, Bernhard Martin, Christian Jankowski and Thomas Scheibitz are just some of the names on the list. But the exhibition doesn’t only boast quantity, it promises quality as well. Unlike the title “like faces in the sand”, none of the artists will be disappearing from Berlin’s thriving art scene any time soon.

Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Stephanie Kloss

Die Möglichkeit einer Insel, Inselstr.7, 10179 Berlin–Mitte; map
Fri–Sun 16–19h

“Der Mensch verschwindet wie am Meeresufer ein Gesicht im Sand” curated by Olivia Berckemeyer, until 28.01.2024.

@diemoeglichkeiteinerinsel
@olivia_berckemeyer

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Back Next

Language

IT’S A MATCH: LEARN “TENNIS FROM SCRATCH” WITH THE BEYOND BERLIN

LIFE IS BETTER LIVE — VISIT HUNDREDS OF EVENTS WITH AN ABUNDO SUBSCRIPTION

SHOW ME YOUR (BOOKIE) BOOKSHELF AND I’LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE

FINNISH SAUNA FOR ENTHUSIASTS: THE OLIVIN SAUNA SPA AT PFEFFERBERG

BUT THE ART REMAINS — THE GROUP EXHIBITION “MAN DISAPPEARS LIKE A FACE IN THE SAND ON THE SEASHORE” AT “DIE MÖGLICHKEIT EINER INSEL”