At the end of the 1860ies, a new brewery including brewhouse was built in former worker district Friedrichshain in Berlin. The whole area was slowly extended until it has reached an imposing height. Meanwhile, one part of it is empty and the other one is filled with offices and apartment complexes. Let’s have a look at the empty part. This one is still big enough to be explored. There are several entries; one of them leads to the brewery and up to the roof while the other one leads to the basement floors.
Firstly, you should check out the brewery, which is still in good condition and definitely worth seeing. Using ladders and stairs you will get to the roof, where you have to be very careful, because you can quickly slide and tumble. However, you will receive an amazing view!
One of the rooftops will lead you to the bottom floors. Be careful, because you can get lost in this complex building! Bring some chalk with you to mark your path. Walk top down and pay attention to the oily and watery, slippery areas.
You can find ninepins alleys and gyms, which were built when they stopped brewing beer after WWII and premises were mostly used as storage places. At the very bottom, there is even an indoor swimming pool, but it smells pretty chemically there; so only enter it wearing breathing protections.
When you start discovering the basement, you should bring more than one flashlight with you, because it has two floors and is extremely big.
You will stray very easily if you don’t prepare a plan or draw chalk signs on the walls. And trust me, it’s not funny to look for stairs for 30 minutes in the darkness.
Aside from old architecture and mechanical systems, you will also find great and pretty creepy street art. Eyes, faces and animals stare at you from the walls and make you feel like being in a horror movie.
Don’t forget to bring: chalk to mark, flashlights with replacement batteries, breathing protection and a lot of time!
Copyright and source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6hmisches_Brauhaus
