Schmap Berlin Neighborhood Guide

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Berlin - Neighborhood Guide
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A city that defies simple definition, Berlin is many things to many people. For some it is Europe's political powerhouse, for others a hedonistic party paradise. Epitome of Cold War division yet epicentre of unification, capital of Germany yet the least 'German' of all German cities, Berlin is sophisticated yet down-to-earth, a city of colourful courtyards and grey high-rises, of Teutonic efficiency and wacky haphazardness, of rigidity and tolerance, home to artists, bohemians and tens of thousands of gays and lesbians, but also to politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen.

Berlin is a city of contrasts and contradictions, full of excitement and forever evolving. Perhaps the latter point is the most poignant. The old and new German capital is in a constant state of flux, always becoming something without having ever been. This phenomenon has accelerated since the fall of the Wall and efforts are now concentrated upon turning Berlin into an international metropolis, the new 'capital of Europe'. For the past decade, Berlin has been undergoing a major rebuilding process which is visible in the new cityscape around Potsdamer Platz and the eastern city centre. But there is also a rebuilding process taking place less visibly - in the hearts and minds of Berliners.

Berlin’s Districts

The city is made up of 23 different districts, each with its own unique character. The following summary will help to give you an overview of this fascinating city and provide you with a guide to what you can do in each particular district and what you can expect to find there.

Mitte

Let's begin in Mitte, Berlin's most central district which literally means 'the centre'. The site of the first settlement in the Middle Ages, Mitte contains some of the city's oldest buildings such as Marienkirche and Nikolaikirche in the Nikolaiviertel, as well as many of Berlin's grandest buildings, strung out like pearls along the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden. Stretching from Museum Island (with the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Pergamon Museum) past the imposing Berliner Dom and the lovely fountains and evergreens of the Lustgarten, past the splendid Crown Prince's Palace, Humboldt University and the State Opera House, the historic boulevard is crowned by the emblem of the old and new capital - the Brandenburg Gate.

Although it contains many of Berlin's architectural showpieces, Mitte is also an urban mishmash full of holes, imperfections and blemishes. The site of the former Royal Palace (pulled down in the 1950s) is now a rather bleak open space, dominated by one of Germany's most controversial buildings, the Palast der Republik. Along with the TV Tower on Alexanderplatz, the former East German parliament is one of the city centre's few remaining symbols of the GDR era. Just a decade ago, Mitte was scattered with drab socialist high-rises. Many of these have now been replaced by capitalist temples of consumerism, such as the postmodern Volkswagen Showroom on Unter den Linden or the futuristic glass department store Galeries Lafayette on Friedrichstraße. Other buildings, such as Hotel Adlon on Pariser Platz, have been rebuilt in the classic style of the early 1900s.

A stone's throw north of the River Spree, the face of Mitte changes once again. This is the Mitte of bars, restaurants, cafés and clubs - the heart of Berlin's buzzing nightlife scene. It is also the district of alternative galleries and artistic experimentation. In the years after the fall of the Wall, a unique subculture sprang up in the area around Hackescher Markt and Oranienburger Straße. Art collectives and squatters moved into the empty, run-down buildings and brought new, alternative impulses to the area, symbolised today by Tacheles cultural centre or the Acud theatre. A decade later, this spontaneous, makeshift charm is gradually disappearing, but that's another story.

Prenzlauer Berg

Let's stay east of the former border, although nowadays it's almost impossible to see where the Wall used to be, due to the major construction work taking place on both sides. The district to the north-east of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, used to be the centre of alternative culture and political resistance in the GDR. But it has since been flooded by wealthy West Germans, keen to settle in the charming turn-of-the-century houses around Kollwitzplatz. As in Mitte, alternative culture is now becoming more and more 'establishment' - in the Kulturbrauerei for example - which is now home to a multi-screen cinema complex. Prenzlauer Berg is no longer an insider tip, but still has some of Berlin's best bars, restaurants and clubs and is a great place to go out in the evening.

Friedrichshain

Friedrichshain, the district to the south of Prenzlauer Berg, has now taken over the mantle as the last outpost of indigenous, alternative Berlin culture. A bit run down in places, this was the last area to be cleared of squatters and is still the focal point for Berlin's left-wing anarchist scene. Architecturally speaking, Friedrichshain is an intriguing mixture of concrete socialist high-rises, monumental Stalin-era mammoths (along Karl-Marx-Allee) and stylish, late-nineteenth century town houses. The area around Simon-Dach-Straße is heaving with alternative bars, cafés and clubs and is a popular spot with students.

Kreuzberg

Crossing the River Spree at Oberbaumbrücke bridge, we reach the legendary Kreuzberg district. Situated next to the Wall in former West Berlin, Kreuzberg became infamous during the 1960s and 1970s as the centre of West Germany's anarchist scene - a haven for squatters, hippies, punks and left-wing intellectuals. Although any remaining anarchists have long since fled to neighbouring Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg is still the venue for violent demonstrations every 1st May - inevitably accompanied by pitched battles with the police. A safer bet is to visit the annual Carnival of Cultures, Germany's biggest multicultural street festival which takes place here every summer. Kreuzberg is home to many immigrants, including some 200,000 Turks. Some of this oriental flair can be tasted in the area around Kottbusser Tor and Oranienstraße, which also has numerous alternative bars and cafés.

Tiergarten

Heading up Friedrichstraße, past the ruins of Anhalter Bahnhof station and the Martin Gropius Building, we leave Kreuzberg and enter the Tiergarten district at Potsdamer Platz. For many years a huge construction site, Potsdamer Platz is now almost complete. Boasting an enormous shopping centre - the Arkaden - and entertainment complexes such as the Cinemaxx and Imax cinemas, a casino and musical theatre, Potsdamer Platz is a magnet for tourists and locals alike. The real highlight of the district, however, is the sublime Tiergarten park, a refuge for nature-lovers, joggers and sunbathers. Full of ponds, grottos and dotted with sculptures, Tiergarten park is crowned in the middle by the golden Siegessäule victory monument. Once a year the peace is broken, as millions of young people descend on Tiergarten for the Love Parade, a hedonistic feast of music and dance for techno fans from all over the world.

The north side of the park is the nerve centre of political power. Lined up one after the other are the newly-constructed ministries, the monumental Reichstag parliamentary building and the equally monumental Chancellor's Office. Only the palatial Schloss Bellevue, seat of the German President, exudes some of the calm of the surrounding park.

Schöneberg

Schöneberg, a scenic nineteenth century bourgeois quarter, is a popular place to go for an afternoon coffee, an evening cocktail or a bit of night-time partying. The cafés and bars around Winterfeldtplatz are always full, particularly after the market on Saturday afternoons. On the other hand, the streets around Nollendorfplatz and Motzstraße - home to Berlin's gay scene - are at their busiest (and most colourful) in the early morning hours.

Charlottenburg

It's now high time to discover Berlin's 'second' city centre, the triangle between Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Wittenbergplatz and Adenauerplatz which makes up the centre of western Berlin. Most of this area, which celebrated its heyday back in the Golden Twenties, lies in the Charlottenburg district. It's main artery is Kurfürstendamm, affectionately known by Berliners as 'Ku'damm'. This used to be one of Europe's finest and most elegant boulevards until it was reduced to rubble during the Second World War. It regained some of its flair in the seventies and eighties and is still a good place to see and be seen, but it seems to be losing out in the popularity stakes to Unter den Linden and Friedrichstraße in eastern Berlin, which now attract more attention and more investment.

The Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz, however, is still brimming with camera-wielding tourists. Ku'damm's side-streets still bristle with theatres and hotels - such as the Kempinski, Savoy or Steigenberger - and with boutiques, sushi bars and art galleries. The area around Savignyplatz is a great place to go for a bite to eat or for a late-night cocktail and the food hall on the top floor of KaDeWe department store is a feast for the senses.

Charlottenburg's crowning glory is the palatial Schloss Charlottenburg, home to dozens of opulently decorated rooms and chambers, as well as the lush Royal Gardens, the perfect place for a relaxing Sunday afternoon stroll. Several world-class museums - the Egyptian Museum, Bröhan Museum and the Berggruen Collection - are located close to the palace. Further south, the Funkturm, a smaller copy of the Eiffel Tower, towers over the Exhibition Centre and the International Congress Centre, offering great views over western Berlin.

Beyond the City Centre

Well, we've now covered the inner city - so what do the remaining districts have to offer?

Wilmersdorf and Zehlendorf

The south-west of the city is the place where wealthy Berliners live. Largely spared during the War, there are hundreds of beautiful villas in Grunewald, part of the Wilmersdorf district and around Dahlem in Zehlendorf, which is also home to Berlin's Free University. The area around Lake Wannsee is a particularly popular spot with Berlin's high-society - perfect for mooring the yacht at the bottom of the garden!

Steglitz

Steglitz is friendly, green and clean and has two major attractions: the spectacular Botanical Gardens and some wonderful shopping facilities around Schloßstraße.

Wedding and Neukölln

More down-to-earth are the working-class districts of Wedding in the north and Neukölln in the south, which is sometimes referred to as the "Berlin Bronx". Although they both have a reputation as being ghettos for the poor, unemployed and other down-and-outs, they are not as bad as they are made out to be. In fact, they are lively places with an earthy proletarian flair, a place to meet 'real' Berliners.

Eastern Districts

The eastern districts, on the other hand, can't escape from the shadow of Communist East Germany, even though much has changed here since the fall of the Wall. Most of the grey concrete towers in places like Lichtenberg, Weißensee, Treptow, Hohenschönhausen or Marzahn have been repainted in friendly pastel colours and now boast the largest entertainment complexes and the most modern shopping malls in the region. There's plenty to discover here, such as the world's second biggest Jewish Cemetery in Weißensee or the monumental Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park.

Parks

Talking of parks, Berlin is a city full of green oases, like Volkspark Friedrichshain and Volkspark Humboldthain, Hasenheide and Jungfernheide, Rehberge and Britzer Gardens. Many parks were built for West Berliners, who couldn't leave the city during the era of the wall and needed lakes and parks within city limits. Berlin's many rivers and canals - such as the beautiful Landwehrkanal - are flanked on both sides by broad, leafy parks and meander through the city like ribbons of green and blue.

The icing on the cake is the wonderful variety of lakes and forests in the suburbs. Joggers and horse-riders share places like Grunewald Forest, Lake Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke, Tegeler Forest, Lake Tegeler See and Lake Müggelsee with wild boar, foxes and deer. Indeed, you hardly ever need leave the city limits - if it weren't for even more idyllic lakes and forests in the surrounding region of Brandenburg ...

Voilà! That's Berlin - although of course just a brief overview of all the districts there are to see. Naturally, you can take a virtual tour of the website. Willkommen in Berlin!

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Central Berlin

Berlin
Germany

The innermost of Berlin's 23 districts is known as the Mitte, literally "the centre" in German. Once pockmarked with grey, socialist block architecture, the city centre is experiencing an awakening. Modern wonders such as Galeries Lafayette and the Volkswagen Showroom are changing the face of the German capital. The Mitte also contains sites of significant historic interest. While here, take in some of Berlin's oldest and grandest buildings. Unter den Linden is home to a string of impressive sites, such as the Berliner Dom and the Brandenburg Gate.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: holger doelle

Charlottenburg

Berlin
Germany
It's now high time to discover Berlin's 'second' city centre, the triangle between Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Wittenbergplatz and Adenauerplatz that comprises the centre of western Berlin. Most of this area, which celebrated its heyday back in the Golden Twenties, lies in the Charlottenburg district. Its main artery is Kurfürstendamm, affectionately known by Berliners as 'Ku'damm'. This used to be one of Europe's finest and most elegant boulevards until it was reduced to rubble during the Second World War. It regained some of its flair in the seventies and eighties and is still a good place to see and be seen, but it seems to be losing out in the popularity stakes to Unter den Linden and Friedrichstraße in eastern Berlin, which now attract more attention and more investment.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Friedrichshain

Berlin
Germany
Friedrichshain, the district to the south of Prenzlauer Berg, has now taken over the mantle as the last outpost of indigenous, alternative Berlin culture. A bit run down in places, this was the last area to be cleared of squatters and is still the focal point for Berlin's left-wing anarchist scene. Architecturally speaking, Friedrichshain is an intriguing mixture of concrete socialist high-rises, monumental Stalin-era mammoths (along Karl-Marx-Allee) and stylish, late-19th-century town houses. The area around Simon-Dach-Straße is heaving with alternative bars, cafés and clubs and is a popular spot with students.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Kreuzberg

Berlin
Germany
Crossing the River Spree at Oberbaumbrücke bridge, we reach the legendary Kreuzberg district. Situated next to the Wall in former West Berlin, Kreuzberg became infamous during the 1960s and 1970s as the centre of West Germany's anarchist scene--a haven for squatters, hippies, punks, and left-wing intellectuals. Although any remaining anarchists have long since fled to neighbouring Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg is still the venue for violent demonstrations every May 1st--inevitably accompanied by pitched battles with the police. A safer bet is to visit the annual Carnival of Cultures, Germany's biggest multicultural street festival which takes place here every summer. Kreuzberg is also home to many immigrants, including some 200,000 Turks.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Mitte

Berlin
Germany
The site of the first settlement in the Middle Ages, Mitte contains some of the city's oldest buildings such as Marienkirche and Nikolaikirche in the Nikolaiviertel, as well as many of Berlin's grandest buildings, strung out like pearls along the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden. Stretching from Museum Island (with the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Pergamon Museum) past the imposing Berliner Dom and the lovely fountains and evergreens of the Lustgarten, past the splendid Crown Prince's Palace, Humboldt University and the State Opera House, the historic boulevard is crowned by the emblem of the old and new capital--the Brandenburg Gate.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Moabit

Berlin
Germany
With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Moabit's location has changed from a border district of West Berlin to a central district in the reunited city. Due to its proximity to the new Government District, many new buildings are being built there, such as, for example, the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The new central station, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, on Invalidenstraße, is where the east-west railway axis and the north-south axis (under construction) meet. It is Europe's largest railway station. The origin of the name Moabit is disputed. Arguably it can be traced back to the first inhabitants of the area, the Huguenots, in the time of Frederick William I of Prussia. These French refugees may have named their new residence by analogy to the Biblical description of the Israelites in the country of Moab, where they stayed before being allowed to enter Canaan.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Neukolln

Berlin
Germany
Neukölln is a borough of Berlin. It has one of the highest percentages of foreigners in Berlin. When it was first mentioned in 1360, the village was called Richardsdorf and owned by the Order of St. John. Hence, the coat of arms of the current city borough bears the Maltese cross. In 1737 Frederick William I of Prussia let Moravians from Bohemia settle in the area, then called Rixdorf. They built their own church and houses off the village centre along the road to Berlin, today called Richardstrasse. On May 1, 1899, he area, then the largest village of Prussia, became an independent city, and in 1912 it acquired its current name. Its independence ended in 1920 when it was made part of Greater Berlin. From 1966 to 1975 the "Gropiusstadt", a city-within-a-city, designed by architect Walter Gropius, was built. Comparable in concept to La Defense in Paris, it has over 60,000 habitants.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Prenzlauer Berg

Berlin
Germany
The district to the northeast of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, used to be the centre of alternative culture and political resistance in the GDR. But it has since been flooded by wealthy West Germans, keen to settle in the charming turn-of-the-century houses around Kollwitzplatz. As in Mitte, alternative culture is now becoming more and more 'establishment'--in the Kulturbrauerei for example--which is now home to a multi-screen cinema complex. Prenzlauer Berg is no longer an insider tip, but it still has some of Berlin's best bars, restaurants and clubs and is a great place to go out in the evening.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Schöneberg

Berlin
Germany
Schöneberg, a scenic 19th-century bourgeois quarter, is a popular place to go for an afternoon coffee, an evening cocktail, or a bit of night-time partying. The cafés and bars around Winterfeldtplatz are always full, particularly after the market on Saturday afternoons. On the other hand, the streets around Nollendorfplatz and Motzstrasse--home to Berlin's gay scene--are at their busiest (and most colorful) in the early-morning hours. The area around Nollendorfplatz was a main centre of gay life in Berlin during the 1920s and 1930s (Weimar Republic). The Eldorado Night Club on Motzstraße was closed down by the Nazis on coming to power in 1933. Christopher Isherwood lived just around the corner on Nollendorfstraße. This apartment was the basis for his book "Goodbye to Berlin" and later the film Cabaret, which is commemorated by a plaque on the building.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Steglitz

Berlin
Germany
Steglitz is a neighborhood as well as a former borough. Steglitz witnessed the construction of the first paved Prussian country road, in 1792. The borough profited largely from its location on the Imperial Highway No. 1, famous "Reichsstrasse 1", today "Bundesstraße", which follows a trading route that dates back to the Middle Ages. Lichterfelde West and East were developed as so called "Villen Kolonien", settlements entirely made up of mansion houses or villas. Lichterfelde became part of Steglitz around 1900, and Dahlem became part of Zehlendorf, both were included into the city of Greater Berlin in 1920 and are today united in the new borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf. Thanks to these and other expensive residential developments, Steglitz-Zehlendorf is today the wealthiest of all Berlin boroughs.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Tiergarten

Berlin
Germany
Heading up Friedrichstraße, past the ruins of Anhalter Bahnhof station and the Martin Gropius Building, we leave Kreuzberg and enter the Tiergarten district at Potsdamer Platz. For many years a huge construction site, Potsdamer Platz is now almost complete. Boasting an enormous shopping centre--the Arkaden--and entertainment complexes such as the Cinemaxx and Imax cinemas, a casino and musical theatre, Potsdamer Platz is a magnet for tourists and locals alike. The real highlight of the district, however, is the sublime Tiergarten park, a refuge for nature-lovers, joggers and sunbathers. Once a year the peace is broken, as millions of young people descend on Tiergarten for the Love Parade, a hedonistic feast of music and dance for techno fans from all over the world.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Treptow

Berlin
Germany
The area features a large shopping and fitness complex at Treptow Park, complete with a solarium, sauna, fitness centre and classes for children and adults. Also in the park is the Soviet Monument, an astronomical observatory and the "island of youth" that attracts concerts, films, and exhibitions. The neighborhood includes the Hotel Estrel, Berlin's own version of Las Vegas. Impersonators of Madonna, Michael Jackson and others, perform there nightly. Visit the Treptowers on the river for modern art and views of the city.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Wedding

Berlin
Germany
Today, Wedding is one of the poorest areas of Berlin. Low rents accompany the poverty in Wedding so, like many inexpensive areas in large cities, it is home to a vibrant artists' community. More than other 19th-century working-class districts, the original character of Wedding has been preserved. It is said to be a place to find the Schnauze mit Herz (big mouth and big heart) of the working class. However, the spirit is not exclusively German. The multicultural atmosphere is visible in the bilingual shop signs. The buildings of Wedding are relics of European post-war Modernism. Some old buildings survived the war and urban renewal and still have coal heating. There are also the remains of a large World War II bunker on the northern edge. It provides an impressive view, especially to the north. Plötzensee is a popular summer hang-out offering lovely sandy beaches and long lawns on which to relax.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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West End

Berlin
Germany
The Hertha BSC, Berlin's premier soccer team, calls the West End home. The team plays at the nearby Olympic Stadium, built by the Nazis in 1936. The stadium also hosts major events like the World Cup Finals and concerts by groups such as the Rolling Stones and U2. Also in the neighborhood are the George Kolbe Museum, dedicated to arguably one of the 20th century's greatest sculptors, and the Berliner Kabarett Theatre, where many famous cabaret artists and satirists have performed over the years.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Wilmersdorf

Berlin
Germany
The southwest of the city is home to Berlin's wealthy. Largely spared during the War, there are hundreds of beautiful villas in Grunewald, part of the Wilmersdorf district and around Dahlem in Zehlendorf, which is also home to Berlin's Free University. The area around Lake Wannsee is a particularly popular spot with Berlin's high-society--perfect for mooring the yacht at the bottom of the garden! Wilmersdorf was a village near Berlin (Deutsch-Wilmersdorf) and was made a part of "Greater Berlin" in 1920.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Berlin - Neighborhood Guide"
Berlin
Berlin - Historical Background
Berlin - Where to Stay
Berlin - Dining & Drinking
Berlin - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
Hamburg (258 miles)
Prague (279 miles)
Copenhagen (361 miles)
Frankfurt (422 miles)
Cologne (476 miles)
Dusseldorf (477 miles)
Bonn (477 miles)
Munich (508 miles)
Salzburg (524 miles)
Vienna (532 miles)

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