Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
Although technically part of West Berlin, Kreuzberg is culturally and spiritually more akin to the East, and traditionally an area of militant radicalism – Berlin’s May Day riots draw a strong following from this neighbourhood. In the ’70s and ’80s students famously rallied against city planners’ attemps to demolish large areas of housing. The left-wing punk scene, so synonymous with late ’80s Berlin, also found a breeding ground in Kreuzberg. Today social unrest has subsided, but the area is still popular with an alternative crowd.
Berlin has a massive Turkish community and is considered the fifth largest Turkish city in the world. Much of the population settled in Kreuzberg, where they were largely left to their own devices. Every Tuesday and Friday an open-air Turkish market takes place along the Landwehrkanal at Paul-Lincke-Ufer. Contrary to popular belief, the donar kebab was actually invented in Berlin and the legacy lives on in the rows of fantastic kebab stores that line the Mehringdam and Skalitzer Strasse. In contrast to other predominantly white suburbs, there’s something refreshingly international about Kreuzberg.
The district itself is so sprawling, it’s been split in two along the division of the old postal codes. ‘Kreuzberg 61’ covers the more affluent and conservative streets around the pretty Bergmannstraße. Fortunately, having survived the wartime bombing, many of the cobbled streets and Prussian façades remain. In a city not known for its beauty, this is a truly scenic place. Antique stores, cafés and boutique clothes shops attract visitors by day, but as daylight disappears so too does much of the action. The peaceful Viktoriapark can be found on the ‘cross-hill’ from which Kreuzberg derives its name. Schinkel’s 1821 monument to the Napoleonic Wars lies at the summit, and many nearby streets are named after battles and generals from that period.
An edgier neighbourhood around Schlesisches Tor is known as ‘Kreuzberg 36’. This is where most of the nightlife takes place. Lo-fi indie bars and rock venues line the Oranienstraße, while much of the original Kreuzberg community chooses to hang out along Wiener Straße and around Görlitzer Park. A further cycle ride east along the Spree is up-and-coming Treptow – particularly worth a visit in the summer when several riverside bars are open.
The Oberbaumbrücke links Kreuzberg to the neighbouring district of Friedrichshain, and was once a boundary between West and East. During the Cold War, the bridge was used as a border post and spy exchange point. Today, it’s the location for an annual water fight between residents of both areas, who share a friendly rivalry. Along with water, combatants have also been known to fire rotten vegetables across the river at the opposition.
The final bastions of squat-living reside in the bohemian and architecturally bleak area of Friedrichshain. To check out authentic squats, take a walk along Rigaer Straße. Hosting a massive student population, it’s also one of the cheapest places in Berlin and home to a grotty but vibrant bar scene. A great flea market also takes place every Sunday at Boxhagener Platz. The eerily atmospheric 90-metre wide Karl Marx Allee, meanwhile, provides some fine examples of GDR architecture. Originally built under Stalin’s orders as a showpiece between 1952 and 1965, it was known as Stalinallee until 1961. Amid the prefab building blocks, there are some fantastic buildings; both the Kino International and showcase Russian restaurant Café Moskau (see Party) are worth a look. Several bars and restaurants have opened along this stretch and it’s currently experiencing a regeneration.
