Experience sexy Berlin — on a budget

Entertainment

When you tire of tourist-packed venues, the Landwehrkanal in southeast Kreuzberg is a soothing place to stroll. On a Tuesday or Friday afternoon, you can hit the Turkish Market for scarves and olives at bargain prices, then nap under weeping willows on the opposite bank (U-Bahn Kottbusser Tor). Treptower Park, Tiergarten's eastern sister, is ideal for an afternoon bike ride, particularly if you're staying in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain, offering views of the Spree on one side and a spooky defunct amusement park on the other (S-Bahn Treptower Park).

Berlin is renowned for its nightlife, but you don't have to wait for three hours and pay a euro20 ($25.50) entrance fee to have a good time.

Art openings: Skulking around Mitte's galleries on a Thursday or Friday night you're guaranteed to spot openings with mediocre to mesmerizing art, and free, free-flowing red wine. Follow the sound of silvery laughter and the smell of cigarette smoke until you find a clump of artist-types slouching outside of a gallery like high schoolers in the school yard sneaking a smoke. Assume a look of pained condescension and elbow your way to the door. For a list of galleries, (in German) click here or here in English.

Spaetkauf crawl: Take advantage of liberal liquor laws and sip as you stroll. Buy your poison of choice at a spaetkauf (convenience store), and don't forget to turn in your bottle at the next stop to reap your 15 euro cent (19 cent) refund.

Monarch Bar: Located above the large Kaiser's grocery store at Kottbusser Tor, Monarch charges a mere euro1 ($1.25) entry fee, and is a great place to get your dance on. Enter through a dingy office door at 134 Skalitzerstrasse. Open weekend nights; things get started around 11 p.m. (U-Bahn Kottbusser Tor).

Claerchen's Ballhaus: Part wedding party, part "Strictly Ballroom," part hipster hangout, it all takes place under arched ceilings, ornate chandeliers, and gently crumbling wallpaper. A Berlin institution since 1913; euro3 ($3.80) entrance fee on Friday and Saturdays; open daily, 24 August Strasse (U/S-Bahn Hallesches Tor).

Berliner Philharmoniker: With a student card you can score half-price tickets on unsold seats the day of the concert at the box office; with some luck you can purchase scalped tickets outside the building shortly before show time (S/U-Bahn Potsdamer Platz).

Food: Vokue (Volks Kuechen), serves hot meals in former squats, for a literal taste of Berlin's surviving punk scene. Check here for addresses and serving hours.

Weinerei: Four cozy locations in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin's equivalent to Greenwich Village, offer a pay-as-you-please schema that, on top of the euro1($1.25) cover charge, lets your conscience decide how much poorer you leave the place. German cuisine, made with organic ingredients, and a wide selection of wines. Open from 8 p.m. Veteranenstrasse 14, Griebenowstrasse 5, Kollwitzsstrasse 41 and Zionkirschessrasse 40 (U-Bahn Senefelder Platz).

Slide show   European escapes There’s endless adventure around every corner — food, wine, shopping, art and more. more photos

Doener: The real Turkish delight. Little known fact: the shavings of roasted skewered meat, salad, and garlic sauce between bread was actually invented in Berlin. Since doener shops are open at all hours, one could eat doener for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and still spend less than euro10 ($12.70) — although the hospital bill might mitigate this. If you're vegetarian, just ask for "vegetarisch."

Currywurst: Berliners love their sliced sausage smothered in a curried ketchup sauce, preferably with fries. Available anywhere in town, although the classic Konnopke's Imbiss has been famous for serving it since 1930 at Schoenhauser Allee 44A (U-Bahn Eberswalderstrasse).

Fleischerei: If the odor of freshly slaughtered pig doesn't turn your stomach, butcher shops offer cheap, sturdy German meals like sauerkraut, potatoes, and sausage for under euro4 ($5).

Deal of the Day Newfoundland and Labrador Explore World Heritage sites, glimpse into the life of the Vikings, more, from $1,635.

Museums: On Thursday nights, from 6 to 10 p.m. you can get in scot-free to the following state museums' permanent exhibitions: The New National Gallery, Picture Gallery, Museum of Photography, Pergamonmuseum, Altes Museum, Egyptian Museum, Old National Gallery, and Bode-Museum. Click here for details. On Mondays, the tiny Guggenheim Museum, located on the ground floor of the Deutsche Bank in Mitte, is free (S/U-Bahn Friedrichstrasse).

Accommodation: Rent an apartment, with rates starting around euro20 ($25.50) a night, here. The Circus Hostel, in Mitte, offers free Wi-Fi in all of its rooms, with dorm beds starting at euro19 ($24).

For German speakers, more tips and daily free activities can be found here (search under "eintritt frei").

Don't miss these Travel stories from msnbc.com   The unofficial guide to traveling in 2010   Woman sues Northwest over knee injury   Icy hot spots: Hotels made of ice and more   10 travel essentials you can find in the trash   Generate miles while shopping for the holidays

MORE FROM EUROPE TRAVEL

Europe Travel Section Front

Rome taxis seek to wipe out tourist scams Rick Steves: Take the long way home The nature of Norway Charlie Chaplin’s Swiss retreat to become museum Explore Tuscan treats, Pisa and Lucca Land of bridges, bandits and bullfights Tips for healthy, happy travels ‘The Third Man’ lives on in Vienna tours Steves: Frankfurt bucks its stodgy image Soviet past lives in tiny Trans-Dniester Europe Travel Section Front   Add Europe Travel headlines to your news reader: