Berlin City
It's often hard to imagine Berlin as the capital of Germany. A city of constant uprising, endless innovation and unpredictable change hardly fits the bill as head of a traditionally conservative and straight-laced nation. But Berlin is an island, a glitch in the system, an anomaly on an otherwise meticulously structured landscape.Much of this peculiarity can be explained by the city's troubled and tumultuous history. A former capital of Prussia, the Weimar Republic and The Third Reich, Berlin was historically divided into four sectors after World War II. Within a few years it became two halves: The East (known as the GDR) was governed by the Soviets, while the West came under Western Allied rule. The two halves co-existed uncomfortably until 1961 when Erich Honecker authorized the building of a reinforced border almost overnight. This Wall would stand for 29 years, during which time 80 people died trying to cross it.
During this period, Berlin's history became a tale of two cities. And while a decision to reunite the city was met with unanimous praise, the two satellite states would only ever collide awkwardly. Even today, 15 years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin remains fractured and decentralized. Despite the opening of Berlin's central Hauptbahnhof and the hosting of the 2006 World Cup Final, the old divisions seem to stubbornly remain. There are two main shopping drags, two key cultural areas and even two different sets of traffic lights. Locals prefer to stick within their own kiez (area), with its own distinctive identity and character.
Much of the city's focus has still shifted eastwards, with Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg a hub of social activity. As dissatisfied Ostis fled their homes in 1989, a disaffected western youth moved in to fill the vacuum. A property free-for-all ensued and Berliners partied hard. Although things have calmed down since, a hedonistic legacy remains. A creative community thrives on low rents and relaxed licensing laws and a sense of independent innovation prevails. No other city boasts so many clubs, bars, cafés and restaurants in such concentration. Anyone with enough motivation can embark on an enterprise and there's always room for experiment. While other European capitals have bowed down to the corporate world, chains such as Starbucks have struggled in Berlin. Notably absent elsewhere, this city has possibility.
Constantly in flux, Berlin never stands still. Venues open and close at the bat of an eyelid, and many prefer to remain hidden from public view. All of this can be frustrating for the visitor. Equally, there's ample opportunity for exploration and discovery. Peer into a quiet courtyard and you'll find a fashion boutique; wander past a disused power station at the right time of night and you'll be dragged into a full-blown party.
In truth, nothing about Berlin really seems to fit. Who'd have thought, for instance, that a landlocked city would have so many man-made beaches? Look beyond the austere architecture and you'll find a city of unquantifiable beauty. Historically, Berlin has defied law and conformity. Today, it defies expectation.
Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf
In contrast to the transient bar and café scene of the east, Charlotten-burg and Wilmersdorf are far more established. Indeed, stepping into West Berlin is for some like entering another city entirely. Following reunification, the city's demographic shifted as Berlin's younger generations migrated east. Initially the change was quite dramatic, but in recent years the flux has stabilized. Club and bar openings 'out west' are on the increase and the one time disaffected youth are starting to trickle back home. That said, you'd still be hard pushed to find an East Berliner who'd consider crossing west on a permanent basis.This area is home to Berlin's busiest shopping district, the legendary Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm for short). The road takes its name from the Prussian Kurfürst ('Elector') and was originally just a track leading from the Elector's residence to the Grunewald. In 1886 it was remodelled by Bismark on the grand boulevards of Paris. Today it hosts some of the biggest names in fashion design. The fractured spire of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, located at one end of Ku'damm in the Zoologischer Garten area, is the area's most notable landmark. A onetime hangout for junkies and unsavoury characters, the Zoologischer Garten itself forms a major gateway to the west. It's since been cleaned up, but the neon lights and tourist-trap eateries are a reminder of a seedy past.
Far more charming is the area around Savignyplatz, with its myriad of chic boutiques, restaurants and cafés. During the day, it's the reserve of ladies who lunch and at night an affluent restaurant crowd descend. Pretty 19th-century buildings line the tranquil streets of Bleibtreustraße, while Berlin's major jazz clubs, concert halls and theatres can also be found nearby; the Golden 1920's of cabaret and excess had their roots here.
Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
Although technically part of West Berlin, Kreuzberg is culturally and spiritually more akin to the East. Traditionally an area of militant radicalism, Berlin's May Day riots draw a strong following from this neighbourhood. In the 1970s and 1980s students famously rallied against city planners' attempts to demolish large areas of housing. The left-wing punk scene, so synonymous with late 1980s Berlin, also found a breeding crowd 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 Linke Ufer. Contrary to popular belief, the doner 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 sprawling, and is split along the division of the old postal codes. 'Kreuzberg 61' covers the more affluent and conservative streets around charming Bergmannstraße. Having survived the wartime bombing, many of the cobbled streets and Prussian facades luckily 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 choose 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 – 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 are worth a look. Several bars and restaurants have opened along this stretch and it's currently experiencing a regeneration.
Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg
In the past 19 years, Mitte has come to represent the emerging face of modern Berlin. When the Wall fell in 1989, the city’s social focus quickly shifted toward the East, and Mitte – along with neighbouring Prenzlauerberg – became a nucleus for political regeneration and post-reunification celebrations.As an embittered GDR population fled to greener grass on the other side of the fence, a disaffected West Berlin youth moved in. Houses were left empty with sheets on beds and water still hot in the kettles. Squatters claimed space and the parties started. A legacy for hedonism continues and Berlin’s biggest concentration of bars and clubs can be found in both Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Admittedly many are short lived, but there’s a sense of youthful vibrancy that seems determined never to die.
Geographically ‘Mitte’ (translated as middle) lies in the centre of the city and it was the sand islands on this particular stretch of the Spree that initially gave birth to Berlin. The meeting point between east and west, government buildings, theatres, the opera house and many major museums are all based here. The bourgeois avenues of Friedrichstraße and Unter den Linden (named after the Linden, or lime trees which line the grand street) feature elements of Berlin’s chequered history, from the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie to the Jewish quarter of Scheunenviertel. The Museuminsel (built in the late 18th century) contains five of the city’s most important museums. Dominated by the Fernsehturm (known to locals affectionately as The Alex), Alexanderplatz is a hub of activity and has become a symbol for the capital’s new eastward-leaning identity.
In 2001, during a general reshuffle of Berlin's districts, Mitte was combined with the boroughs of Wedding and Tiergarten – both former West Berlin areas, though for most the term ‘Mitte’ still refers to its old geographical demarcations. The area around Hackescher Markt and Scheunenviertel is still very much characterized by housing with special courtyards known as ‘Hinterhöfe’ and the pedestrian passageways that run through these courtyards are home to a myriad of cafés, galleries and clothes stores – many hidden from the street. Auguststraße is also well known for its string of contemporary galleries and artistic milieu.
Once an area of squats and anarchic activity, gentrification has steadily been taking root in Mitte, especially around streets such as Oranienburger Straße, which has become a haven for tourist bars and prostitutes. While high street stores have slowly been replacing the more adventurous boutiques (which in turn have been moving out to Prenzlauer Berg and Charlottenburg), and despite former residents bemoaning the influx of tourists and a corresponding loss of character, Mitte still remains at the cutting edge of an increasingly dynamic city scene.
Schonenberg and Tiergarten
The vast green expanse of Tiergarten separates Mitte and Charlotten-burg and, physically at least, explains why these two areas are worlds apart. Stretching west from the Brandenburg Gate, the park has had an interesting history. Initially a 16th-century hunting ground, wealthy Berliners chose to reside here and their dwellings were later to become the city's embassy buildings. It was bombed in the war and denuded during the bad winter of 1945–6 when many of the trees were cut down for firewood; since then towns from all over Germany have donated trees to assist in the recovery. All roads entering Tiergarten lead to a 19th-century Prussian Victory Column – which was transferred here from the Reichstag.The futuristic Potsdamer Platz complex was originally intended as a commercial showpiece to mark Berlin's reunification. After being utterly destroyed during the war, the area was left as a ghostly no-man’s land. A mass of corporate high-rise buildings, this metallic jungle still feels alien and isolated. However, Helmut Jahn's steel and glass Sony Centre is an architectural draw and host to one of the city's largest entertainment complexes. Many of Berlin's major five-star hotels are also located close by. Just west of the development is the Kulturforum, home to the State Library and Berlin's Philharmonic Orchestra. In its distorted form, this sparkling gold edifice was based on the designs of Hans Scharoun.
Largely a residential area with no conventional sights worthy of mention, Schöneberg is one of the more tranquil quarters of Berlin. Serving as a sedate buffer to Kreuzberg and a hip alternative to Wilmersdorf, it attracts a crowd of affluent intellectuals and chic thirty-somethings. Schöneberg translates as 'beautiful hill' – bizarre, considering the area is completely flat. Much of the area's architecture dates back to the 19th century and an Altbauen style of building prevails – characterized by ornamental facades and balconies. It's a welcome antidote to the sterile concrete blocks of East Berlin. A farmers' market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday in the Winterfeld-platz. Cafés, bookshops and boutiques can also be found nestling among the surrounding streets. Since the 1920s, Schöneberg has been home to an active gay community (mainly focused around Motzstraße) so it's not uncommon to see the symbolic rainbow flag displayed in many of the bar windows.
