Catch ‘em all, in Berlin!
There are lots of hostels with free wifi – but a hostel with its own Pokéstop? Welcome to Industriepalast Hostel Berlin, your headquarter for all the Pokémon Go adventure in the German capital. Over the last three weeks, the smash hit app with the Japanese pocket monster has turned quite some couch potato into a happy hiker and produces surprising gatherings in parks and squares throughout Berlin.
In case it’s all Japanese to you: Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game for Android and Apple devices developed by American software firm Niantic. Users walk the streets of a town in real world with their smartphone or tablet in hands, while Pokémon – small, animated monsters – appear on their screens. Pokémon can then be caught, trained, and developed. Specific Pokéstops are found at places of special interest and help to stock up on the necessary digital equipment. Players can let their Pokémon fight against one another in special arenas. The free app, available on Play Store and Apple Store, has seen more than 75 million downloads within less than three weeks, making it one of the most successful smartphone games ever.
Sounds crazy? Well, to be honest, it kind of is. There have repeatedly been videos and accounts of outsiders, stunned by spontaneous and seemingly arbitrary gatherings of people with smartphones in their hands at public places. The game is more fun in big cities as there are more Pokéstops, arenas and rare Pokémon here. Berlin is a players’ favourite though: Thanks to the countless parks , landmarks, lakes, and rivers, you don’t have to hike far in order to catch many different monsters – since water Pokémon for instance can only be found next to areas of water.
Have you caught the Poké-Fever yet? Why not make it the maxim of your next visit here in the German capital then? Take a free walking tour along the sights, be part of a fabulous Pokémon night crawl, or simply go for a Poké-Hunt on your own – here in Berlin you can not only explore one of the world’s most fascinating cities, but also climb a few levels as a trainer. Handy: there’s an interactive Pokémon Map Berlin that offers Pokéstops, habitats of rare Pokémon, and arenas close to you. And now to the best part: Industriepalast Hostel not only is your comfy base in trendy Friedrichshain – our backyard even has its own Pokéstop, accessible from all rooms. That means you can stock up on Pokéballs and catch some rare ones right from your bed, our lobby, or the canopy swing in the yard. Thanks to our free wifi on all floors you can soon catch ‘em all.
Have some great digital adventures,
Simon
Blogger @IndustriepalastHostel
