Holzmarkt is a magical hipster wonderland located on the banks of the Spree River. It is an outdoor cooperative with many unique things to do all in one mesmerizing place. Holzmarkt features include a bar, extensive and imaginative seating landscapes (including an out of commission boat), one of Berlin’s telediskos (aka the smallest club on earth), a pirate themed play park for the kids, a tattoo shop, a restaurant, a whimsical shop, and probably a thousand other things we have yet to discover.
We saw people of all walks of life there as we sat on the outdoor sofa across from the tattoo shop. Holzmarkt’s guests included a school-age child playing the Atari or in the Kindergarten, a middle aged woman getting a tattoo in her bra, a group of German Golden Girls enjoying an Aperol Spritz, and everyone else in between.
Just a short bus ride from the East Side Gallery, Jeremy & I decided to go and explore what Holtzmarkt had to offer. We were thrilled to discover that there was a teledisko on site as we had just discussed wanting to find one. We threw a few euros in the machine & had our own exclusive dance party. (We had to dub over the original song due to copyright restrictions)
I grabbed an Aperol Spritze and Jeremy got a local beer at the bar as we looked for a neat place to sit down along the River. We found ourselves a spot aboard an old boat where we watched the sun set on Berlin.
We turned in our glasses, collected our glass deposit tokens, and received a euro back per drink. Naturally, I immediately turned my euros over to the temporary tattoo machine next to the bar and received a box containing a cat tattoo. This temporary tattoo machine was a refurbished cigarette machine, naturally.
We grabbed another round of drinks and made ourselves at home on a random yet cozy couch across from the tattoo shop. This is where we had the most fun people watching.
I considered an impulse tattoo, but the vibes just weren’t right for me despite the prices being fairly reasonable for such a hip spot. We watched a man continuously kick a cigarette vending machine attempting obtained the prize he purchased. A group of bystanders cheered boisterously for him until staff arrived to calm the situation.
Holzmarkt was unequivocally my favorite place in Berlin. I can’t explain it in words; the utter magic we experienced was incredible. Holzmarkt just has a whole vibe of its own. Everyone is welcome. Add it to your Berlin bucket list.
Holzmarkt is located in Berlin – Friedrichshain. You can get there easily by using Berlin’s transit system.
