Yes, I have been to Berghain and it is a very, very impressive experience. It's a dome, dark, raw, cathederal-like, hypnotic place that is not for the average clubber who just wants to have some fun.
Due to the huge rise in popularity getting in is notoriously difficult. There are tens and tens of threads in various EDM forums about tips on how to get in but there are few ways that will guarantee you an entry. I think if you don't know the doormen there's only one 100% certain way of not waiting for several hours just to be turned down by a strict "Nein". There's a gay sex club called
Lab.Oratory in the same building as Berghain. If you go to Lab.Oratory (only men are let in, obviosly, and you have to be naked, but you don't have to engage in any sexual activity and no one is harassing you) and buy a few drinks and can bear the experience (my friend has done it, I'm not
that much into Techno that I would do it) for a few hours you can ask for a stamp when you leave the club. With this stamp you get pass the queue to Berghain and a 99,9% sure entry if you're not too intoxicated.
Berghain is the ultimate dome of Techno in this world. There is nothing that rivals it. It's not without reason it has been chosen as the best club in the world. It's not a "gay club", it's a gay friendly club with gays running the club. That's why gays usually have a better chance of getting in than others.
At the entry you may often see this doorman. Sven. Known as Germany's scariest doorman.
Here's a funny but quite accurate description of what people Sven lets in and not.
Anyway, some advice do apply in almost all cases:
- Don't be visibly drunk or high (once inside you can be as high as you want)
- Don't dress (too) fashionably - this is not a trendy fashion club with any dress code. Looking freaky, weird, avantgard, goth, cross-dressing etc is a plus.
- Don't speak loudly (especially not English, the people most likely to be rejected are Americans and Brits)
- Don't look nervous
- Don't pretend to be gay just because gays usually are let in
- Don't go in large groups. It's best to be max two, best to be alone. If you're a larger group, split up.
If you won't get in, don't start begging or yelling. You
won't get in if you're turned down. The local Berliners usually come sometimes in the morning or early afternoon. This is the best time to go anyway and the atmosphere at Berghain is best then. If you know a local Berliner, it's a huge plus to go with him/her. If you can speak German (even a few phases), even better. But don't count on anything - people who are there just for the music, behaving good, not speaking loudly etc can be turned down. Sometimes because the bouncer is in a bad mood. Sometimes because there are enough people like you let in already. The doormen try to maintain a mixture of different people inside. But remember Berlin is a huge city with probably the highest concentration of clubs in the world. Especially Techno clubs. If you're rejected, try Tresor. You won't be disappointed (although the old Tresor was better IMO, but the house it was in was demolished).
Some say the door policy is discriminatory, but remember Berghain was first and foremost established as a Techno club for the locals. The huge, even mythic popularity of the club means very many tourists want to go and check out the club. But you don't go to Berghain to "check it out", you go there because it's a cathedral of Techno, raw, uninhibited (yes, people fuck openly in the club), everything your average Trance club is not. There's no glitter or bling bling, no VIP rooms, no fancy decorations. Besides the main hall (where usually hard Techno is played) there's also the Panorama Bar where mostly house and tech-house is played. The huge wall in the Panorama Bar is covered by a male spreading his asshole - a bit like goatse. This is kind of the spirit of the place, as I said, raw and uninhibited. A bit like getting a punch in the face. Once you've recovered from the punch, you start getting sucked in by the atmosphere. You're not allowed to take any pictures inside the club either.
If you get in, you will be impressed. You damn sure will be impressed. Even I, mostly a psytrance freak, is mesmerized by this place. It is a state of mind. I've never experienced anything like it.
Regarding whether it's beyond the scope of understanding for an American I don't know. Maybe. Europeans and in particular Germans take their Techno very seriously. I mean
very seriously. Nowhere else is this reflected as good as in Berghain. The German mindset is a bit unique, and this may seem more strange to Americans than Europeans because after all, well, we are Europeans and do some things differently. It may seem rude that there's no overtly (and fake) politeness, no "oh how nice", "you're welcome", "lovely" (you get the point) - Germans are punctual and straight-forward (just like we Finns, we are often compared to Germans because we are perceived as serious, rude people with no humour. This is certainly not true of either one) and this straight-forward, no-fancy, no-nonsense mentality is reflected perfectly in Berghain. It's just a little different approach to social life. I'm not saying it's better or worse (than e.g. in the US), it's just different in certain aspects. For the better or worse - come and see for yourself and decide.
Edit: Oh, and remember to enjoy the city itself. It's a truly unique city with a very liberal atmosphere. Cannabis is legal there and you're allowed to have up to 15 grams with you. Especially in Eastern Berlin the smell of weed seems to be in the air just about everywhere (remember though Germany is a federal state like the US and Berlin is a city state, some states in Germany won't tolerate any cannabis at all).
Edit2: The last picture you posted of Berghain tells more than a thousand words. I have to repost it a little bigger.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
