Mauerpark Flea Market - Landmark Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Let’s start big picture. Located along a former part of the Berlin Wall that was a militarized no-man’s land known as the “Death Strip,” the area that is now Mauerpark (“Wall Park”) was where guards stationed in watch towers would shoot would-be escapees trying to flee from East Berlin to West. Today, the attack dogs and soldiers are gone, and in their place, the city’s largest and best outdoor market is held every Sunday. Surrounding the bustling market in the trendy green space is something of an anything-goes circus, filled with karaoke concerts, jugglers, picnickers, and spray painters tagging a stretch of the Berlin Wall that still stands. In fact, nowhere is Berlin's legendary climate of openness, experimentation, and expression born from historical turmoil more evident than Sundays at Mauerpark. Any standout features or must-sees? After checking out the various stalls selling everything from vintage clothes, East German kitsch, vinyl records, and food truck fare, follow your ears to the 3,000-person concrete amphitheater in the center of Mauerpark known as “the pit.” Nine years ago, an affable Irish bike messenger named Gareth Lennon peddled his homemade speakers into the park to see if strangers wanted to sing. Today, he hosts the world’s largest weekly karaoke party, known as Bearpit Karaoke. On any given Sunday, you may hear a hard-nosed Berliner belting out opera, a Syrian migrant singing in Arabic, and a group of giggling teens shimmying to Shakira. It’s free, it’s wonderful, and it’s a must-see in Mauerpark. Was it easy to get around? The actual flea market (known as the “Flohmarkt”) takes place on the western side of the park. When you need a break from browsing, an open-air biergarten offers a shady spot to sit and have a drink. Mauerpark’s scraggly-looking lawn is also BYOB-friendly, and anyone packing a picnic or purchasing lunch from the dozen or so food trucks parked by the market can lay down, relax, and nibble. Any other tips? Even if you don’t happen to be in Berlin on a Sunday, you should still check out one of its many neighborhood markets. Among the other standouts are Neukölln’s wonderful Turkish market, which takes place along the Landwehr canal on Maybachuferstrasse on Tuesdays and Fridays; the Saturday and Sunday flea market in Kreuzberg’s Marheinekeplatz square; and the city’s oldest market, on Saturdays and Sundays at Strasse des 17. Juni at the Tiergarten S-Bahn station." - Eliot Stein