The days between Christmas and New Year's Eve are probably the most tranquil of the year. The hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, New Year's Eve preparations have not yet begun and time seems to stand still for a few days. But despite all the inner reflection, Berlin is not sleeping! Look forward to Christmas concerts by candlelight and curling at the New Café's winter market - or spend the night at the club.
Tip 1: Get in the mood for the new year with Vivaldi
Whether it's the gentle awakening of spring, the oppressive summer heat, autumnal thunderstorms or the biting cold of winter: Vivaldi immortalised the peculiarities of the four seasons in his collection of violin concertos of the same name. In terms of both sound and programme, the Four Seasons are the perfect way to set the mood for the coming year.
The Dresden Residence Orchestra under the direction of Igor Malinovsky will present Vivaldi's masterpiece to you on Sunday in the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonie. Mozart and Beethoven are also on the programme and promise you a festive evening full of virtuosity.
When: Sunday at 8pm
Where: Philharmonie Berlin - Chamber Music Hall, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, Tiergarten
Tip 2: Celebrate Christmas with Bibi and Tina
If you are looking for Christmas entertainment for the whole family, the Stage Theater des Westens is the right place for you. Over the Christmas holidays and the days after, the two most famous friends in German children's entertainment take to the stage: Bibi and Tina, the enchanting horse girls from Martinshof.
In the family musical Christmas with Bibi and Tina by Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer, the pair's favourite Christmas hits are brought to the stage. The result: a merry celebration for music fans of all ages!
When: Thursday and Friday at 12.30pm and 3.30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 11am
Where: Stage Theater des Westens, Kantstraße 12, Charlottenburg
Tip 3: Take a winter walk through the zoo
Fortunately, not all of the animal inhabitants of Berlin's Tierpark are in hibernation at Christmas time, so you'll still get to see plenty on the Advent and winter tours. Animals from all over the world have found a home on the 160 hectares of Berlin Zoo , and they all deal with the cold differently.
The inhabitants of Otter Island, for example, are particularly active in winter, while the tropical animals in the Alfred Brehm House don't even notice the inhospitable weather thanks to the cosy warm temperatures. Together with a guide, you will go on an extended walk through the park landscape and listen to the colourful anecdotes.
When: Thursday to Sunday at 11am and 1pm
Where: Tierpark - entrance bear showcase, Am Tierpark 125, Friedrichsfelde
Tip 4: Give yourself a Hertha BSC tour for Christmas
Want to stand where the professionals normally fight for victory? This is exactly the experience you can give yourself and your loved ones for Christmas with the Hertha BSC tour of the Olympic Stadium. For 90 minutes, you will experience pure Hertha feeling: from entering the legendary East Curve to walking through the players' tunnel and taking a look inside the dressing room.
Then it's on to the club grounds, where you can explore the U23 training pitches. The tour ends at Hanns-Braun-Straße and leaves you with the feeling of having been right up close. A must for all those who have Hertha-BSC in their hearts - and want to experience and understand their idols' stadium in a new way.
When: Thursday to Sunday at 12pm and 2pm
Where: Olympiastadion Berlin Visitor Centre, Olympischer Platz 3, Westend
Tickets for the HErtha BSC tour
Tip 5: Be enchanted by Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is not the only ballet that seems to have been made for the Christmas season. His first ballet Swan Lake has also been bringing Christmas magic to the stage since 1877 with its heart-rending melodies, enchanting costumes and unique choreography.
Between the years, you can experience the ballet at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in a production by French ballet master Patrice Bart. In the longing love drama between Prince Siegfried and the enchanted Princess Odette, heartache, beauty and the luxury of the Russian Tsarist era merge into a wonderful evening of ballet.
When: Thursday at 4 pm and Sunday at 6 pm
Where: Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Unter den Linden 7, Mitte
Tip 6: Meet the Daube at the Café am neuen See for a game of curling
Curling is one of the most popular winter sports in the Alps and attracts friends, families and colleagues to the ice rinks during the cold months. Two teams face each other and try to slide their curling sticks as close as possible to the opposing team's stave.
The Café am Neuen See is now bringing the winter fun to Berlin as part of its winter market. Try your luck on one of the six real ice rinks and enjoy hot crêpes, cinnamon buns and mulled wine.
When: Thursday to Sunday from 12 noon
Where: Café am Neuen See, Lichtensteinallee 2, Tiergarten
Curling at the Café am Neuen See
Tip 7: Browse through all the exhibitions at the Museum of Photography
The Museum für Fotografie am Zoo is home to the Helmut Newton Foundation and the Art Library's photography collection. This makes it one of the most important photography archives in Europe. The doors here are also wide open between the years and invite you to exciting exhibitions.
With a day ticket for all exhibitions, you won't be spoilt for choice: the double exhibition Newton's Riviera & Dialogues / Collection Fotografis x Helmut Newton as well as Rico Puhlmann - Berlin/New York - Fashion - Beauty - Portraits and finally the permanent exhibition on Helmut Newton's Property promise a picture-book (festive) day.
When: Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm
Where: Museum of Photography, Jebensstraße 2, Charlottenburg
Tickets for the Museum of Photography
Tip 8: Cruise across the wintry Spree
Even in winter, a cruise on the Spree is particularly special when the Christmas lights glitter on the banks. The historic boat tour takes you past the Reichstag and government district, Berlin Cathedral and the oldest residential area in Berlin, the Nikolai neighbourhood, for an hour.
On board, the team will not only provide you with hot drinks and Christmas delicacies, but also with exciting anecdotes about the city's history. Here you can bring the year to a leisurely close!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various departure times
Where: Stern & Kreis landing stage Friedrichstraße, Am Weidendamm 1, Mitte
Ticket for the winter Spree cruise
Tip 9: Get to know Konrad or the child from the tin can
Whatever you found under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, it probably wasn't a human-sized tin can. But you can't be completely sure - Mrs Berti Bartolotti didn't order one and still got one. Seven-year-old Konrad suddenly jumps out of the tin and the two soon become one heart and one soul.
On Boxing Day, you can experience the heart-warming children's opera Konrad oder Das Kind aus der Konservenbüchse at the Schillertheater of the Komische Oper Berlin. The production by Ruth Brauer-Kvam promises a colourful fairy tale that tells of family, charity and compassion in the spirit of Christmas.
When: Friday at 11am
Where: Komische Oper Berlin: Schillertheater - Großer Saal, Bismarckstraße 110, Charlottenburg
Konrad or Getting to know the child from the tin can
Tip 10: Round off Christmas with a candlelight concert
Since the beginning of Advent, the Candlelight Christmas Concerts have been transforming Berlin venues into a contemplative sea of candles. This weekend it's the turn of the Delphi theatre. In the glimmer of countless candles, musicians will perform the most popular Christmas film soundtracks. The most beautiful melodies from films such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Kevin - Alone at Home and Love Actually... are just the beginning of the extensive programme.
embark on a journey through the fabulous world of Christmas film soundtracks - just because the festive season is officially behind us doesn't mean the Christmas spirit is over!
When: Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 8.30pm
Where: Theatre im Delphi, Gustav-Adolf-Straße 2, Prenzlauer Berg
Tip 11: Dance the night away in three Berlin clubs
Party organiser Bartour Berlin has been celebrating great success for a long time with its Berlin Club Culture series. Every Friday and Saturday, night owls from all over the world experience a carefully compiled panopticon of Berlin's nightlife.
The programme includes three shots, three clubs and a total of eight dance floors. This offer is also valid on the weekend after Christmas. So if you've had enough of peace and cosiness and are longing for booming bass and raucous nights out again, this is the place for you!
When: Friday and Saturday from 9.30 pm
Where: B-Bar - outdoor terrace, Simon-Dach-Straße 32
