We were told by Berlin locals to check out Tacheles for a genuine Berlin experience. They mentioned a cafe where you could look down on a half-buried airplane in the back. They said it would be easy to spot since it was the only shabby, run-down building in an otherwise renovated neighborhood.

Update: Kunsthaus Tacheles is now closed, but I’ve kept this article for those interested in its history.

Originally, the building housed shops and businesses. After the Berlin Wall fell in the 1990s, artists occupied it to stop a planned demolition, turning it into an arts center.

When we walked through the archway, we found a large yard at the back that felt like a mix between a hippy commune and a sculpture park, with sand underfoot giving it a beach-like vibe in the city. People were scattered around, chatting, relaxing, and drinking beer. Were they artists on a break, residents of the old painted bus, or just folks like us hanging out to soak in the cool atmosphere?

My friend Wendy and I left the teenagers with ice cream in one of the cafes to write postcards while we explored the graffiti-covered stairway to the artists’ studios above. Despite the grungy and smelly stairwell, there were some interesting things on the upper floors, though not all were family-friendly. This isn’t a place to bring your grandma. We found a small upstairs cafe, but most of the relaxing seemed to be happening in the sunny backyard.

Further through a gateway, we discovered a patch of waste ground with an abandoned airplane carcass and other random street sculptures, with murals on the surrounding buildings. I’m sure this area is destined for a shiny new office building someday.

The same cafes that served beer and coffee during the day transformed into clubs and music venues at night, giving the place a “morning after the night before” feel. This spot is known for hosting legendary parties.

So, if you enjoy quirky art, want to hang with the cool crowd, or just need a place to nurse your hangover on a sunny afternoon, head over to Kunsthaus Tacheles on Oranienburger Strasse.