The Traveller's Magazine
Germany’s capital is had a tough summer tourist season. There were just too many of them for the locals to deal with. Tough being popular, isn’t it? They’ve just taken tourist bashing to the next level, and isn’t pretty.
Berlin has never really that popular, not in comparison to western Europe’s other capitals but this year, it seems word has gotten around the Berlin is a pretty happening place, very hip, very cool and a considerable bargain for backpackers. Tourism in Berlin is booming, money is pouring into this city, but it seems not all Berliners are pleased about the “intruders”.
Like a local: BerlinTake a stol down Friedrichshain way and you might see signs sticking out of windows that read, “Noisy tourists go home!” No doubt they’re referring to the twenty-somethings that arrive on EasyJet flights to the weekend, only to party all day and night and catch a plane back home 48 hours later. Stickers plastered all around Kreuzberg read, “Berlin doesn’t love you.”
What’s a well-meaning American visitor interested in seeing some independent German art when a gallery sign in the window reads, “Sorry, no entry for hipsters from the U.S.?”
The anti-tourist feeling has gotten so bad there is a city-wide “tourist-friendly awareness drive” going on. Berlin is currently the third most-visited European city after London and Paris and a few signs certainly won’t keep the drives of people from visiting. Tourism generated an estimated 10.3 billion Euros for the city in 2011, which is about 10% of the city’s budget.
Flights to BerlinWhile most Berliners are genuinely proud that their city has regained its glitz, glamour and appeal to the masses there are still those who wish they’d all go home. Sorry Berliners, you live in a world city so get used to all the visitors, they’re not going to die down anytime soon. After all, the more the merrier, right?
I agree with the 2 comments above, it’s silly and they shouldn’t live on a busy street if they don’t like noise, but at the same time I am really worried about going now- I’m going on 25th Sept for a week, I’ve had it booked for ages and I’ve wanted to go to Berlin for such a long time!
A sad state of affairs 🙁
Lauren, I’m sure you are going to have an amazing time in Berlin. These signs are from the few sour cherries and Berliners are generally really friendly and open, learning a few phrases in German certainly to get a smile out of them too! 🙂
I definitely know what you mean – even yesterday I saw a poster in Friedrichshain telling people to be quite. I don’t get it though – why live in the busiest bar street (Simon Dach Str.) then complain that it’s too loud? Crazy!
It is a really silly situation and I wonder if those residents with signs in their windows realise that the rest of the world is laughing at them. If they’re real Berliners, they should be proud their city is so popular and if not, maybe they should move to Potsdam. I’ve heard not much goes on there… Thanks for the comment Will!