Mauerparkmarkt

• Review
• Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bargain hunting in flea markets is often a great way to find bits of memorabilia. After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure and a tacky old statue from a local is far more authentic, and has a more interesting story, than a tacky new statue from a tourist trap.

The best Berlin flea market is at Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg. Every Sunday this fills with stalls and shoppers, the atmosphere is relaxed and fun and the offerings embrace even the tiniest travel budget.

Towards the front are the covered stands, usually taken by small independent designers. Here you'll find hand-printed t-shirts with original designs, skirts from rescued retro fabrics and bags, both handmade and second-hand. Music stalls overflow with CDs and LPs, even a few cassette tapes, children's toys and clothing can be found both new and used. My favourite (and most recent purchase) is the guy who does fridge magnets of giant robots or octopi where you can rearrange the limbs on whim.

Further into the market are the open areas. Usually filled with the real junk - old DDR furniture, piles of questionable eighties clothes. Photo albums of forgotten people and knick-knacks of someones grandmother, all these line the tables towards the back. Some are even just on sheets on the ground.

Several spaces throughout the market belong to bars and cafes where you can chill in a deck chair and sip a latte. Or even lie in the sand and down a beer, depending on the temperature. Entry is free and the place is always jammed, so hurry down for there's an East German original keepsake with your name on it.