Tuesday, December 3Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Discovering Berlin

The abundance of flea markets in Berlin is unbelievable. Not only can you find fantastic and dazzlingly cheap gems, but you can also experience live music and have the pleasure of eating food that has been cooked right in front of you.

The trendy place to visit is Mauer Park, a hipsters dream situated in Prenzlauer Berg, a district known for its quirky style. However, due to it’s popularity, it is sadly quite overpriced. The ultimate place to visit is the flea market in Neukolne which seems to be something of a hidden gold mine. Not only can one indulge oneself in countless cheap goodies, but it also happened to be very close by to the apartment where I was staying! I managed to find a cute vintage scarf for one euro which has already been the source of many compliments. Another great thing about my time there was the paella I had. Made for me by a Spanish couple, it was as colourful as it was flavoursome.

Whilst strolling through the stalls there was nothing I could think of that you couldn’t stumble across; from vinyls to polaroid cameras, old leather jackets to new fair-trade handmade bags. There were hats that reminded me of ‘Only Fools and Horses’, and eccentric shirts that could only be described as having belonged in the ’80s. The hustle and bustle of those trying to find a good bargain set against the calm backdrop of vendors chatting with fellow regular goers make Sunday markets one of Berlin’s best traits.