From beer gardens to abandoned airports and amusement parks, Tripbod Jeroen reveals 10 of the best alternative things to see and do in Berlin.

1. The Berlin Wall Memorial

The best place to learn more about the Berlin Wall and the division of Germany is the official Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, north of the centre. The border ran right along the façades of the houses here, and after the inhabitants were evacuated and the lower floors were bricked up, people still managed to flee the GDR by jumping out from the top floors. The information centre shows films of the construction of the wall, and there's a view tower overlooking a short stretch of wall that has been restored to the original, brutal look. Walk around the back for a peek at the 'death strip' through the gaps in the rear wall.

2. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is without doubt one of the best in the world. Directed by Englishman Sir Simon Rattle, it performs regularly in Berlin, and tours the world extensively as well. The orchestra's home is the striking yellow tent-shaped Philharmonie near Potsdamer Platz. Its interior with seating terraces all around the stage was revolutionary when it opened 50 years ago. Don't miss the free Tuesday lunchtime concerts by upcoming and renowned musicians; arrive 30-45 minutes early and bring something soft to sit on, as the audience sits on the lobby floor!

3. Three panoramic places

Berlin may be a relatively flat city with only a handful of high-rise buildings, but there are several places to get great panoramic views across town. The Panoramapunkt at the top of the brick Kollhoff tower on Potsdamer Platz is my favourite city centre viewpoint. Europe's fastest elevator it zips you 100 metres up for views of Berlin's new and old centre, and it also features a café and exhibition. Just south of the centre, the monument at the top of the Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark is Berlin's highest natural point; buy some beers at a Spaeti shop and walk up along the romantic waterfall at sunset. In the Neukoelln district, the new Klunkerkranich 'cultural rooftop garden' on top of a mall parking garage has a bar, DJs, live music and parties with fabulous views over Berlin.

4. Take a tour with a difference

There are dozens of tours around Berlin’s tourist sights, but I really enjoy joining small tours around the outlying districts. The history here is no less interesting, and you'll get insights into normal daily life in the city. Slow Travel Berlin, a website written by Berlin-lovers, organises district walking tours that really take the time for in-depth exploration of Prenzlauer Berg, western Kreuzberg or Wedding. Finding Berlin is another website by Berlin enthusiasts that spawned tours; join their 'Little Istanbul' walk that includes chats with Turkish bakers and shop owners in Neukoelln, or the 'Life & Styles' tour, exploring eastern Kreuzberg using vintage fixed-gear bicycles.

5. Markthalle 9

Only two of Berlin's 13 market halls survive, and the beautiful 'number 9' hall in Kreuzberg, dating back to 1891, was recently revived with a lively weekly farmers' market; I live nearby and it's a great place for fresh regional food. But there's more: the Kantine restaurant serves excellent organic lunches every day, there's a popular street food market every Thursday evening and there are often special markets on Sundays, dedicated to local crafts or sweets. If that isn't enough reason to drop by, the new Heidenpeters microbrewery sells its ales on market days. By the Puecklerstrasse exit, the famous Weltrestaurant Markthalle is a lovely place for a schnitzel, or a beer on the terrace.

6. Clärchens Ballhaus

Generations of Berliners have danced the nights away at Clärchens since it opened in September 1913. Here normal Berliners could have fun and perhaps dance with the man or woman of their dreams. The photos at the entrance show that very little has changed over the last 100 years, though the front of the building, now a terrace, was bombed in the war. Nowadays, Clärchens is Berlin's last real dance hall, with great pizza and German dishes, and themed dance nights (tango, salsa, foxtrot, etc - free admission) on weekdays. The legendary schwoof parties (€5) take place at weekends, when there's live music, and you're welcomed at the wardrobe by Günter who started working here in the mid-1960s.

7. Tempelhofer Freiheit Park

Visiting a former airfield may not sound very exciting, but every time I take visitors onto the runways of the former Tempelhof Airport and there's two kilometres of wide empty runway in front of them, their eyes always begin to sparkle. Tempelhof airport was built in the 1930s to be the world's most advanced airport and one of the world's largest buildings. Later, the Americans used it as a military airport, and it played a key role in saving West Berlin during the 1949 Soviet blockade. The 1200-metre-long terminal building is used for tours and events, while the airfield has been converted into a park for lying in the sun, kite boarding, jogging, cycling, roller-blading, dog-walking and barbecuing. I suggest you come by bike to make the most of it!

8. Have a beer in Berlin's new microbrewery scene

Bavaria may have Germany's most famous beer brands, but Berlin has a long tradition of brewing too. In recent years several exciting new brewers have set up shop. Hidden in a Wedding student housing complex, Eschenbraeu is well worth visiting for its home-brewed beers and flammekuchen pies. In the Friedrichshain district, the Hops & Barley bar attracts a young crowd. Closer to the centre, Brauhaus Lemke is a nice brewpub. But my favourite places for a beer are the Prater Garten, the oldest Biergarten in town, serving its own Prater Pils and the relaxing Cafe am Neuen See which serves Bavarian beers and overlooks a beautiful boating lake in Tiergarten Park.

Eschenbraeu
 

9. Go urban exploring

Photographers, graffiti-artists and the plain curious are all drawn to Berlin's many abandoned and ruined places, and several websites are dedicated to this 'urban exploration'. Southeast of the city centre in the Treptow district, the former Spreepark amusement park is one of the most spectacular examples; the Ferris wheel and many rides are slowly being swallowed by the forest, and can be visited on a tour or just by wandering in. On the western side of the city, there's the former CIA listening post on Teufelsberg hill. Further afield, explorers can look for the Olympic Village and the Beelitz Heilstätten hospital and several Nazi or Soviet military areas.

Spreepark
 

10. Party on at a festival

Berliners like to celebrate outside during the warm summer. But the festival season starts off each year in the midst of winter with the Berlinale Film Festival in February, which sees thousands of Berliners and foreigners retreat to warm cinema halls to watch the best new film releases. The outdoor season kicks off on May 1 with the MyFest street festival in the Kreuzberg district. Berlin's main street party is the multicultural Karnaval der Kulturen parade in late May. Listen to live music at stages all over town during Fete de la Musique, on 21 June, while late June sees the huge Christopher Street Day gay parade. Finally, the city's main landmarks and buildings are majestically lit up during the Festival of Lights in October.