By Marriette Rough
Sundays were basically made for flea-markets. Here is what Prenzlauer Berg has to offer.
Arkonaplatz Flea-Market
This is one of the cutest flea markets in the city. It is pretty small so won’t take you too long to stroll through. It specializes in fifties and sixties design pieces. If you are looking for something from the GDR or any kind of retro, vintage home ware this is a good place to come. Some stands are taken up by locals though just want to make space in their wardrobes. If you take in the local population and their combined styles, then you are sure to find some vintage/designer clothes going pretty cheap. If you feel like sprucing up your home (remember you can always post stuff back home) then grab an oversized neon letter light.
One Sunday I sold clothes at this market and I was thoroughly surprised at how many things were stolen from our stand. With all the flea markets be aware of your bag, if you are trying something on, keep hold of your bag, in case it gets picked up either by someone wanting to buy it, or by someone with less friendly intentions.
Arkonaplatz and Mauerpark are just about 10 minutes walk from one another, so once you are finished here you can head over to the bustling super sized Mauerpark market.
Mauerpark Flea-Market
Probably one of the most written about flea markets in the northern hemisphere. The market really does encapsulate Berlin’s ever changing nature. When the city turned up its gentrification valve, Mauerpark and the surrounding area was the first to feel it. To set the scene we would need some yummy mummy’s, strolling around looking for the perfect organic handmade locally sourced vegan baby grows, whilst sipping on a soy latte purchased from the ethically sound bio-dynamic vintage cafe. As you can probably tell from that sentence, life in this environment involves a lot of buzzwords.
There is literally everything you can imagine here; a plantation of kitchenware, handmade jewellery/art/clothes/everything, a liquorice stall, leather galore. Not to mention all the food stalls. We have a huge Turkish population in Berlin so you will find Gozleme and other such Turkish treats. There is also a bar in the middle of the market called Schönwetter Club, which offers refuge vibes if you starting to struggle with the relentless droves of humans.
An Irish man called Joe Hatchiban has been bringing joy to Mauerpark since 2009 with his Bearpit Karaoke, set in the amphitheatre of the park. It is open air and attracts thousands of people. Anyone can sign up to sing and although some incredible voices inevitably step up, the rougher singers tend to get more support from the crowds. So if your singing skills are lacking, fear not – they will cheer you on nevertheless! Make sure you check out his website to see if he is playing on the particular Sunday you are visiting on.
