Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • CULTURE
    • Architecture + Design
    • Art + Exhibitions
    • Beauty + Wellness
    • Fashion
  • EATS + DRINKS
    • Cocktails
    • Restaurants
    • Street Food
    • More Food
    • Wine
  • STAYS
    • B&Bs, Villas & more
    • Hotels
  • PLACES
    • Cities
      • Amalfi Coast
      • Florence
      • Milan
      • Naples
      • Rome
      • Torino
      • Venice
    • Regions
      • Campania
      • Emilia Romagna
      • Lazio
      • Lombardia
      • Piemonte
      • Puglia
      • Sardegna
      • Sicily
      • Tuscany
      • Veneto
    • Europe
      • France
      • Greece
      • Switzerland
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
Instagram
Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • CULTURE
    • Architecture + Design
    • Art + Exhibitions
    • Beauty + Wellness
    • Fashion
  • EATS + DRINKS
    • Cocktails
    • Restaurants
    • Street Food
    • More Food
    • Wine
  • STAYS
    • B&Bs, Villas & more
    • Hotels
  • PLACES
    • Cities
      • Amalfi Coast
      • Florence
      • Milan
      • Naples
      • Rome
      • Torino
      • Venice
    • Regions
      • Campania
      • Emilia Romagna
      • Lazio
      • Lombardia
      • Piemonte
      • Puglia
      • Sardegna
      • Sicily
      • Tuscany
      • Veneto
    • Europe
      • France
      • Greece
      • Switzerland
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • Culture

U-bahn stories, underground font in Berlin

exc-58f0e0633f4058d50f21c941
Berlin typography subway

Futura. Verdana. Blackletter. Humans. Helvetica. Copperplate.
Futura. Verdana. Blackletter. Humans. Helvetica. Copperplate.

All I see in Berlin are letters.

One ride on the U-Bahn turns into an afternoon of name-that-font on a timely transport of typeface. As I pass by each stop, I recite names of font I just saw. I am like letterpress Arya Stark.

Futura. Verdana. Blackletter. Humans. Helvetica. Copperplate.

There is something meditative about sitting in a yellow subway car, waiting for the doors to open to find an unexpected font long forgotten and preferably with umlauts and eszett.

I do this for a few hours.

Berlin typography subway

I know, I know. You are thinking “Gutenberg, girl. Get it?” while I’m crossing my fingers, hoping that my metro card hasn’t expired.  There can’t be more of this. But it keeps going.  And there is no logic. San Serif, serif.  All caps. Caps on first and the rest lower case.  Black on white. White on black. Stencil on tile. Metal on marble.

I run up for a breath of fresh air, some sun shine and a glimpse of the city.  Berlin is bright and blue. Construction cranes are looming over most of the city in a slow motion ballet of building.  Everything is neue.

Futura. Verdana. Blackletter. Humans. Helvetica. Copperplate.

Berlin typography subway
Berlin's modern and contemporary art scene

Dedicated to Brooks and Cary Ocon of Aardvark Letterpress, who will probably never read this.

Want more Berlin U-Bahn type? So do I. Check out UrbanSketcher’s lovely post and Kate Seabrook’s Endbanhof photography series where she documented the entire U-bahn.

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Culture

Let’s Go to Torino

Athens street scene by Erica Firpo
View Post
  • Culture

Explore Athens’ Contemporary Art Scene

White Lotus HBO haley lu richardson
View Post
  • Culture

Your White Lotus Guide to Palermo and Western Sicily

Ciao Bella in Your Inbox

Sign up for insider tips to experiencing Italy. No spam, just amore.

Ciao Bella Ciao Bella
  • Culture
  • Eats & Drinks
  • Stays
  • Travel
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
Insider Insight on Contemporary Italy

Input your search keywords and press Enter.