There's nothing more revigorating during the dark winter days than spending a couple of hours in a sauna. Germans have mastered the art of sauna and you can find amazing pieces of architecture in the public swimming pools (Stadtbad). I find Stadtbad Neukölln very peculiar in its neoclassic architecture and it's definitely a wallet-friendly option to enjoy some sauna time there. Be prepared to be naked in front of man and woman!

The typical Berlin winter is biting cold and grey. In combination with the hardness of the city and the angry natives, it feels like a hostile area. Why it's worth experiencing it? Because that's the way this city is.

A very nice little second-hand bookstore, including a shelve with international books in French, English, and Spanish too. Always nice people to meet and a great selection of art and cook books, for affordable prices.

This museum of photography is really great, and the highlight for me after the inspiring exhibitions is the good coffee and great cakes at their coffee place. I find myself there almost every second week for a drink and a slice of cake. The food is perfect, the ambiance is nice and it's really alive as a lot of people are coming directly from the running exhibition. At the entrance you can find an interesting bookstore and the best photoautomat of the city right outside. Last but not least, it's only some meters from the Helmut Newton Fondation ( which doesn't have a nice coffee place itself yet ).

I never heard about Havel until some friends and me checked out the google earth for a trip at the weekend. We went there in the german winter, oh yes...in the winter. I loved this place because is a small city island with a lake (which was frozen at that time) and with lovely houses and an old mill. I have never been there in the summer but i can imagine how wonderful would be.