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ItalianoBerlin/East Central
East Central is a trendy, bohemian, artsy area that consists of Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg (sometimes called Prenzlberg), Wedding and Gesundbrunnen. The western district Kreuzberg was merged with the eastern district Friedrichshain in 2001. They skew towards a young and alternative, often politically left-oriented crowd. Both districts feature a very heterogeneous architecture, from whole quarters of 19th century apartment houses to functional and not very pleasant 1960s and 70s residential building blocks. You also notice the differences as the districts were separated by the wall. The remaining part of the wall between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg is the longest part still existing in Berlin. Prenzlauer Berg is to the northeast of Friedrichshain and has changed considerably since reunification. It has gentrified similarly to Brooklyn/Williamsburg from deserted apartment houses into a lively area for students, artists and young people – if they or their parents can afford it. Rents have risen sharply in the last few years, and many empty apartments in this area are no longer rented out but sold, refurbished into luxurious lofts or hostel rooms. Wedding and Gesundbrunnen formed the Bezirk of Wedding prior to 2001 when the boundaries were redrawn. Wedding has a long tradition of being home to the working class and accordingly voted "red" for most of the Kaiserreich and Weimar era. During partition it lay on the west side of the wall and attracted an above average number of immigrants, particularly of Turkish descent. Since reunification it has been gentrifying much like Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg albeit not at the same breakneck pace.
Understand
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The former districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain had few things in common (one thing is nowadays for sure the attraction to students, politically left and young creative people), due to their history on either side of the wall. Since the political decision to merge, these two districts work together politically. The name was made by flipping a coin to decide which name would appear first. The Oberbaumbrücke which was a border crossing point during the era of German partition now serves as the main connection between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg as well as a symbol of reunification. Once a year it is the site of a humorous "vegetable battle" (Gemüseschlacht) between the two former districts.
Kreuzberg is one of Berlin's most eclectic districts, home to an unusual mix of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creative artists and Turkish immigrants, the last of which make up a third of the population and have earned the area its occasional nickname Little Istanbul. The district has become gentrified, with dot-coms, marketing agencies, designers, German and international kids from wealthy backgrounds moving into renovated lofts and spacy apartments, but there are still plenty of kebab joints, funky nightclubs, and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan gazing down from Communist Party of Kurdistan propaganda posters.
Kreuzberg itself used to be covered by two post codes (back in the four digit era, post codes would contain two digits for the city and two for the city district, sometimes expressed as "1000 Berlin, Kreuzberg 36" or the likes, but shortened to "1036 Berlin") being 36 for the Southeastern part (hence "SO 36") and 61 for the Southwestern part (SW 61 or more commonly Kreuzberg 61). The two areas had and to some extent still have distinctive characters, in part because SO 36 was surrounded by the wall on three sides and was therefore much more of a center for Berlin's leftist scene than the more bourgeois 61. While the post codes were changed upon reunification, you will still find businesses and locals insisting on the part of Kreuzberg they're in being labeled correctly and caring a lot about the difference.
The areas of Wedding and Gesundbrunnen used to be contained in the Bezirk Wedding until 2001 when they were merged into the Bezirk Mitte but the names and boundaries were retained for the Ortsteile. Wedding used to be known in Weimar times as "der rote Wedding" due to its working class left wing population. In later times, many immigrants, particularly Turks moved to the area. Nowadays Wedding is also increasingly gentrifying.
Gesundbrunnen is named for a fountain that was ascribed beneficial properties for people's health. However said fountain is no longer extant.
Get in
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By urban rail
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The main entry point for Kreuzberg 36 is 1 Kottbusser Tor U1 U8 . The U-Bahn line U1 is the backbone crossing the borough from east to west.
The main entry point for Kreuzberg 61 is 2 Mehringdamm U6 U7 .
The main gateways for Friedrichshain are the S-Bahn stations 3 Ostkreuz and 4 Warschauer Straße. There are frequent U- and S-Bahn to the main tourist central in Friedrichshain, e.g. the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery close to the "Warschauer Straße" station. Being a borough of the former East, several tram and metro - tram lines also serve Friedrichshain with some slowly but surely expanding westward in what can only be called tram - reconquista. Wedding is also served by tram lines, particularly M10 which also connects to Hauptbahnhof which are slowly but surely inching ever more westward.
The best and fastest way to get into Prenzlauer Berg is either through 5 Eberswalder Straße U2 or through 6 Schönhauser Allee S41 S42 S8 U2 .
By long distance train
[edit]- 1 Berlin-Gesundbrunnen (in the district Gesundbrunnen). The station would be "Nordkreuz" if it were named with the same logic as Ostkreuz, Westkreuz and Südkreuz. It is served by numerous long distance trains as well as regional trains.
- 2 Ostbahnhof. This station has a turbulent history and many name changes. From 1987 (750th "birthday" of Berlin) to 1998 it was even called "Hauptbahnhof" (main station). However, the opening of the new Hauptbahnhof in Moabit in 2006 has relegated this station to a somewhat less prominent role, though unlike its western cousin Bahnhof Zoo, it still sees some ICE service albeit less than Gesundbrunnen or Hauptbahnhof
See
[edit]There are several monuments and museums in this district as it is a result of merging across the former border of East and West Berlin, something that was done in Mitte, as well but in no other district.
Kreuzberg
[edit]
- 1 Checkpoint Charlie. It was the only border crossing between East and West Berlin that permitted foreigners passage. Residents of East and West Berlin were not allowed to use it. This contributed to Checkpoint Charlie's mythological status as a meeting place for spies and other shady individuals. Checkpoint Charlie gained its name from the phonetic alphabet; checkpoints "Alpha" and "Bravo" were at the autobahn checkpoints Helmstedt and Dreilinden respectively. Checkpoint Charlie's atmosphere was not improved at all on 27 Oct 1961 when the two Cold War superpowers chose to face each other down for a day. Soviet and American tanks stood approximately 200 m apart, making an already tense situation worse. Now the remains of the Berlin Wall have been moved to permit building, including construction of the American Business Center and other institutions.
At the intersection of Zimmerstraße and Friedrichstraße (U-Bahn Kochstraße U6) is the famous "You Are Leaving the American Sector" sign. The actual guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie is now housed at the Allied Museum on Clayallee. For a more interesting exhibit go to the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie. This is a private museum with kitschy memorabilia from the Wall and the devices GDR residents used to escape the East (including a tiny submarine!). There are also people who set up booths here offering to stamp your passport with souvenir stamps in exchange for a small fee. You are highly advised not to put these stamps in your passport, as these are not official stamps and could invalidate it. Instead, bring along an expired passport or a small booklet to put the stamps in. - 2 Oranienstraße (K36) (U1, U8 „Kottbusser Tor“ or U1 „Görlitzer Bahnhof“). A street full of shops, cafes and restaurants
- 3 Bergmannstraße (K61) (U6, U7 „Mehringdamm“). Like Oranienstraße a street full of shops, cafes and restaurants, but in the other, more middle-class part of Kreuzberg.
- 4 Görlitzer Park (K36). 150-200 m along the Wiener Straße (bypassing the fire house and the public swimming pool) from U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof, the park is famous for the Turkish families barbecuing on summer weekends, failed contemporary art and relaxed atmosphere of students. It does have a reputation of being full of pickpockets and drug dealers though and the police makes regular visits to this place to check on the situation.
- 5 Landwehrkanal. Take a stroll for a few kilometers along this canal which runs right through the heart of Kreuzberg. It's peaceful and mostly traffic-free, but full of life in summer. Some parts are lined with bars and restaurants with terraces. Sit on a bench or terrace and watch the world go by on a summer evening.
- 6 Viktoriapark. With the Kreuzberg, a hill in Kreuzberg 61, the Prussian National Monument by Schinkel and a waterfall. Superb panoramic views across south Berlin.
- 7 Meistersaal (Hansa-Studios by the wall), Köthener Str. 38 (near Potsdamer Platz). Though the area has changed a lot, the building with the Meistersaal, an old music hall from the 1900s, has persisted. Later converted into sound studios, music history was written here with David Bowie ("Heroes"), Iggy Pop, and U2 amongst the groups who recorded here at the "Studio by the wall". Guided tours available occasionally.
Museums and memorials
[edit]- 8 Topography of Terror (Topographie des Terrors), Niederkirchnerstraße 8 (Bus M41 „Abgeordnetenhaus“, Bus M29 „Wilhelmstr./Kochstr.“, S+U2 „Potsdamer Platz“ or U6 „Kochstraße“), ☏ +49 30 2545090, [email protected]. 10:00-20:00. This outdoor and indoor history museum documents the terror applied by the Nazi regime. It is on the site of buildings which during the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 were the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the principal instruments of repression during the Nazi era. Free.
- 9 Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin), Lindenstraße 9-14 (U-Bahn U1, U6 Hallesches Tor, U6 Kochstraße, Bus M29, M41, 248), ☏ +49 30 2599-3300. M 10:00-22:00, Tu-Su 10:00-20:00. Designed by Daniel Libeskind with an excellent exposition on the Jewish life in Berlin and the impact of the Holocaust. You can easily spend a day here. There is a metal scanner and other security features you'd rather expect at an airport than a museum. Adults €6, concessions €3. Reduced admission if you show a ticket from the nearby Berlinische Galerie.
- 10 Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7 (Bus M41 "Abgeordnetenhaus" or S1, S2, S25, U2 "Potsdamer Platz"), ☏ +49 30 254 86 0. W-M 10:00-21:00. It was a museum of applied arts and a listed historical monument since 1966, and it is now a well-known Berlin exhibition hall. Around €10, varies between exhibits. Free for ages 16 and under.
- 11 Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstraße 124-128, ☏ +49 30 78902600, [email protected]. W-M 10:00-18:00. A museum of modern art, photography and architecture. Its collection focuses on art created in Berlin. Adults €8, concessions €5, under 18 free. Every first Monday of the month €4. Reduced admission if you show a ticket from the nearby Jewish Museum.
- 12 German Museum of Technology (Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin), Trebbiner Straße 9, ☏ +49 30 90 2540, [email protected]. Tu-F 09:00-17:30; Sa Su 10:00-18:00. Huge technical museum, on a former railroad depot, featuring from ancient water and wind mills to computer pioneer Konrad Zuse's inventions, a collection of old to new vehicles of all types -bicycles, boats, trains, etc - and the interactive Spectrum science center with various hands-on experiments. There's an actual C-17 "Candy Bomber" airplane hanging on its façade. The railroad and aeronautical sections are hard to beat. €8, €4 Concession.
Friedrichshain
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| What's up with the Reichsbahn? The German Reich which is usually translated as "German Empire" but could just as well be rendered as "German Realm" last had an emperor in 1918 and collapsed upon the military defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Why then did the "Reichsbahn" not cease existing until 1994? Well as so often is the case tradition, convoluted legal reasons and German partition, particularly Berlin partition are to blame. When the Allies tried to sort out the post-war order of Germany, many ad hoc arrangements were made which were probably supposed to be replaced by better solutions later but by then circumstances had changed and the status quo stuck. One of those arrangements concerned the Berlin S-Bahn. The Allies agreed that the Berlin S-Bahn was to be run by the "Deutsche Reichsbahn" in all sectors of Berlin. To the western Allies this made sense as it was the most workable temporary arrangement while the Soviets had no objection as the Reichsbahn was incorporated in Berlin. West Germany renamed its railway "Bundesbahn" or federal railway, but the GDR insisted upon the traffic rights and considerable real estate all tied to the name "Reichsbahn". While the S-Bahn itself proved increasingly costly to maintain in the west and the GDR ultimately handed it over to the West Berlin authorities in 1984, by then easterners had grown to love their anachronistically named railway so the name stuck. Upon reunification it was decided to keep both railways under their old names and only merge them after a new corporate structure had been hashed out, which took until 1994 to fully implement with the formation of Deutsche Bahn AG. Thus the Reichsbahn survived the GDR by more than three years and the "Reich" by nearly five decades. |
- 13 East Side Gallery, Mühlenstraße 3-100 (The gallery is near the Ostbahnhof S-Bahn station on the west side and the Warschauer Straße S-Bahn station on the east side.), ☏ +49 30 251 71 59, [email protected]. 24/7. The longest stretch of the Berlin Wall still in existence, painted by artists in 1991 and restored in 2009, after years of decay. At Mühlenstraße, next to the river Spree. The murals are painted on the east side of the wall after the fall of Communism; so they are not from the Cold War, during which murals could only be painted on the west side. Make sure not to miss the famous mural of a car seemingly crashing through the wall with Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing above it. It is actually on the back side of the gallery (it is facing away from the street.) It is just inside the entrance of the Eastern Comfort Hostel, near the east end of the gallery. Free.
- 14 Simon-Dach-Straße (Simon-Dach-Kiez) (S-Bahn: S3,S5,S7,S75 Warschauer Straß3, U-Bahn: U5 Frankfurter Tor, Tram: M10 Grünberger Str./Warschauer Str., M13 Simplonstr.). The heart of Friedrichshain and its nightlife with numerous cafés, bars and restaurants along its entire extent and also in the side streets.
- 15 Boxhagener Platz and surroundings (Boxhagener Kiez). The area around Boxhagener Platz is filled with bars, cafes and small shops. Boxhagener Platz itself is a small park with a playground and a cafe, and the nearby Simon Dach Straße is filled with cheap bars and restaurants. At the weekend you can find many places that serve the famous, cheap Berliner brunch. On Sundays there is a small flea market worth strolling around
- 16 Computerspielemuseum, Karl-Marx-Allee 93a (Near the underground station Weberwiese), ☏ +49 30 60988577. W-M 10:00-20:00. Exhibition of digital interactive entertainment culture. You can actually play almost all of the exhibits making it a more "hands on" museum than most. €8, reduced €5.
- 17 Oberbaum Bridge (Oberbaumbrücke). Arguably the most beautiful bridge in Berlin and the only connection between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. As signage on the bridge indicates, it was built twice - once in the 1890s and once in the 1990s. Before reunification the border ran where the bridge now is.
- 18 Karl-Marx-Allee. The main street of former East Berlin. It is a big avenue, featuring neoclassical East German buildings, fountains and lakes.
- 19 Märchenbrunnen (Fountain of fairy tales). In 1893 the authorities of Berlin issued the artistic entrance to the National Park Friedrichshain. The fountain of fairy tales was commissioned by the National Park and later designed by Ludwig Hoffmann.
- 20 RAW Gelände (Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk), Revaler Str. 99 (S-Bahn: S3,S5,S7,S75 Warschauer Straße, U-Bahn: U1, Tram: M10, M13 S Warschauer Straße). The RAW Gelände is one of Berlin's best known and wildest culture and party areas. It is on the old railway repair premises of the former (East) German State Railway (Reichsbahn) and includes several clubs (Lokschuppen Berlin, Cassiopeia, Haubentaucher, Der weiße Hase), concert venues (e.g. Astra Kulturhaus), Bars (e.g. Badehaus), the outdoor climbing park Kegel at a former cone-shaped WWII high-rise bunker, the indoor skate park Skatehalle Berlin, art galleries (RAW Art, Urban Spree), flea markets at the weekend and the open-air cinema Inselkino.
Prenzlauer Berg
[edit]There aren't many museums and only a few minor sights to explore in Prenzlauer Berg, although the (free) Kulturbrauerei Museum is well worth a detour for those interested in everyday life in East Germany. Of some interest is the historicist Gründerzeit-style architecture of the district, the atmosphere in the streets, sitting down in a nice café and watching the crowds go by.
- 21 Museum in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstraße 97, Building 6.2 (U2 Eberswalder Straße). Tu–Su 10:00–18:00, Th until 20:00. Find out how it felt to live in East Germany in this modern and well-presented exhibition. The museum is a good starting point if you only have a few minutes to sneak a quick peek inside an East German family's living room, but you can spend hours diving further into the stories behind each exhibit by flicking through the documents on display or listening to contemporary witnesses' accounts (English translations available). The museum opened in November 2013 and is housed inside a beautifully restored former brewery; make sure to take a stroll through the courtyards! Free.
- 22 Kollwitzplatz. The Kollwitzplatz, with a small nice park, is one of Berlin's most beautiful Gründerzeit city squares. Together with the Kollwitzstraße which is crossing it, it offers many cafés and restaurants, but is also a well-known symbol in Germany for gentrification since the late 1990s. Its flea market which takes place every Sunday in one of Berlin's best known and focuses on international delicatessen foods.
- 23 Kastanienallee. Kastanienallee is well known for its numerous cafés and fashion stores, as well as its many cultural venues in the backyards such as alternative cinemas, theaters and beergardens.
- 24 Oderberger Straße. Oderberger Straße is known for its beautiful and generous Gründerzeit architecture, as well as its cafés and restaurants. Since before Germany's reunification the street has been the desired place for alternative folks and avant-gardists, but the area has seen continual gentrification since the early 2000s.
- 25 Wasserturm (at Rykestraße, corner Knaackstraße.). The first (and one of the biggest) water tower of Berlin (built 1877).
- 26 Synagoge Rykestraße, Rykestraße 53. The synagogue in the backyard of an apartment house is one of the biggest in Germany.
- 27 Jüdischer Friedhof Schönhauser Allee, Schönhauser Allee 23-25. Jewish cemetery and lapidarium with old tombstones.
- 28 Gethsemanekirche. The meeting point of one of the leading oppositions against the GDR regime and is a great Neogothic church. Also the only ecumenical Lord's supper with Protestants and Catholics together took place in the Gethsemanekirche (2003).
- 29 Museum for Architectural Drawing (Tchoban Foundation), Christinenstraße 18 (former Pfefferberg factory area), ☏ +49 30 437 39 0 90. M–F 14:00-19:00, Sa 13:00-17:00. The museum is in an iconic building opened in June 2013, showcases privately owned collection of architectural drawings from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.. €5, €3 (discounted).
- 30 Zeiss-Großplanetarium, Prenzlauer Allee 80, ☏ +49 30 4218 450.
Gesundbrunnen
[edit]- 31 Berlin from below (Berliner Unterwelten), Brunnenstraße 105 (at Gesundbrunnen station). Several daily tours 10:00-16:00 in different languages. Go on guided tours below Berlin to the World War II bunkers, flak towers, Cold War defence shelters, etc.
- 32 Humboldthain (Humboldthain S-Bahnhof). A pleasant park, featuring an anti-aircraft gun emplacement ("Flakturm") which offers sweeping views over Berlin
Wedding
[edit]- 33 SAVVY Contemporary, Plantagenstraße 31. A space for art exhibitions, events and discussion in the silent green Kulturquartier, a former crematorium.
Do
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Kreuzberg
[edit]- 1 English Theatre Berlin, Fidicinstraße 40 (U Platz der Luftbrücke or U Gneißenaustraße), ☏ +49 30 6911211 (box office). Theatre that features all plays/music theatre in English.
- 2 Kino Moviemento, Kottbusser Damm 22 (between Kreuzberg and Neukölln), ☏ +49 30 6924785. Cinema showing independent and older movies, some in English. It is the oldest cinema in Germany (1907).
- 3 Babylon Kreuzberg, Dresdener Straße 126 (U Kottbusser Tor), ☏ +49 30 61609693. Also non-mainstream movies in this small cinema built in the 1950s.
- 4 Badeschiff, Eichenstraße 4. An old cargo ship hull converted to a fresh-water swimming pool, anchored permanently on the river Spree. Provides a nice opportunity to swim on the Spree, without actually swimming in the river itself, which is far too polluted. A bar with disco DJ music is situated just next to the pool. In winter time, the pool is covered against the weather. entrance €8, requires pre-booked time slot, charges for drinks.
Friedrichshain
[edit]- 5 East Side Gallery (The Wall) (Warschauer Straße U-/S-Bahn). The longest stretch of the Berlin Wall that is still standing. It has been painted by street artists and has several famous art pieces. (If you want to see the wall in its original condition, see the Gedenkstatte Berliner Mauer in Wedding.) Free.
- 6 Der Kegel, Revaler Str. 99 (S-Bahn: S3,S5,S7,S75 Warschauer Straße, U-Bahn: U1, Tram: M10, M13 S Warschauer Straße), ☏ +49 30 66766837, [email protected]. M–F 09:00–23:00, Sa Su 10:00–23:00. At this outdoor climbing area which is on the RAW Gelände you can do rope climbing at a cone-shaped high-rise bunker from World War II, called the Kegel (cone). The venue also offers an indoor and outdoor bouldering area. In the Kegel shop you can rent or buy climbing gear and book rope climbing or bouldering courses. In summer, there is also an open-air cinema and a beergarden right next to the Kegel. Day ticket €7, rope climbing after 15:00 €5, kids €4.
- 7 Spielwiese, Kopernikusstraße 24, ☏ +49 30 28034088. M 16:00-24:00, Th 19:00-24:00, F 16:00-24:00, Sa Su 14:00-24:00. Café with over 1200 high-quality board, card, and dice games, both European and American, available to play. Many have rules in English. Perfect for a rainy day. Food and drinks for sale. €1 per person, per hour; €3 to rent games overnight.
- 8 Paint Your Style, Simplonstraße 8, ☏ +49 30 69548726. Paint your own piece of ceramic and have it glazed and burned. Pick it up after 1-3 days. From €6.
- 9 Mercedes Benz Arena (known as "O2 world" until 2015). A modern indoor sports and concert venue, it is among other things the permanent home of Alba Berlin, Berlin's premier Basketball team and Eisbären Berlin, the professional Ice Hockey club of Berlin.
Prenzlauer Berg
[edit]Nearly everywhere the clubs and bars are open till at least 17:00 (on weekends).
- 10 Mauerpark. At the end of the Eberswalder Straße, it was once a piece of the Berlin wall. Today in the summer it is a nice place to be, especially for young people. There's an interesting flea market going on every weekend. In the summer weekend afternoons, you can witness - or participate in - the Bearpit Karaoke.
- 11 Bearpit Karaoke (Karaoke Sundays). Open-air karaoke at the amphitheater in Mauerpark where the bravest can show off to the incidental audience.
- 12 KulturBrauerei (Culture Brewery), Schönhauser Allee 36 (U2 Eberswalder Straße). A complex that was once a brewery. There you can find the Jazz Cafe, the SODA restaurant where you can enjoy a fine meal of insects, and some clubs: Club 23, nbi and frannz. The KulturBrauerei also has several cinemas showing alternative movies, the Kesselhaus concert house, and one of the best shops for instruments in Berlin, the "Sound and Drumland".
- 13 Kastanienallee and Oderberger Straße. Nice streets with lots of little shops and cafes to sit outside in the summer and watch people pass by.
- 14 Helmholtzplatz. Little park with cafes and restaurants surrounding it.
- 15 Kopfgeldjäger, Stargarder Straße 76. Get your hair cut for €20.
- 16 Max Schmeling Halle. Named after the 1930s boxing great and home of the Berlin Füchse (originally from Reinickendorf) the premier Handball team of Berlin
- 17 Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark, Cantianstraße 24 (U-Bahn stop Eberswalder Straße). A soccer and American Football stadium with track and field facilities which has been host to several important competitions in the past, including German Bowls (finals of the German American Football League) from 2012 to 2018.
Wedding
[edit]- 18 Freibad Plötzensee, Nordufer 26, ☏ +49 30 89644787. May-Sep (opening period varies according to the weather): daily from 09:00. A public beach at the small natural lake Plötzensee. Adults €5, reduced (also 2h before closing) €3.
Buy
[edit]Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
[edit]Department stores
[edit]- 1 Karstadt Hermannplatz (U-Bahn Hermannplatz). Built in 1929; large shopping center including clothing, book, and beauty products shops, a post office, and its own high-end supermarket, (probably only second to KaDeWe in the area). The grocery section of Karstadt has fresh meat, seafood, and cheese sections.
Markets
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- 2 Flea market at Boxhagener Platz, Boxhagener Platz 1. Su 10:00-late afternoon.
- 3 Marheineke Markthalle, Marheinekeplatz 15 (along Bergmannstraße). M-F 08:00-20:00, Sa 08:00-18:00, Su closed. A market hall with different vendors (mostly food and drinks) including butchers, bakeries, delicatessen, fruits and vegetables etc.
- 4 Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstraße 42/43. M-Sa 08:00-20:00, Su closed. A market hall.
- 5 Historischer Weichnatsmarkt Friedrichshain, Revaler Straße 99. M-F 15:00-20:00. An atmospheric Christmas market with a charming medieval theme.
Record stores
[edit]- 6 Hardwax, Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44a, ☏ +49 30 61130111, [email protected]. M-Sa 12:00-20:00. The techno record shop in Berlin; huge back catalogue and weekly news from around the world; also reggae 7" and drum&bass.
- 7 Heisse Scheiben, Ohlauer Str. 44. M-F 12:00-19:00, Sa 11:00-15:00. Big second-hand record store.
- 8 SpaceHall, Zossener Straße 33, ☏ +49 30 6947463. M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-16:00. A large selection of electronic music, from the latest releases to older vinyl.
Clothing
[edit]- 9 Flaming Squeegee, Gabriel-Max Str. 9, ☏ +49 3027589725, [email protected]. Funny, creative selection of rockabilly and punk t-shirts, bar, and band merchandise.
- 10 Nüx Siebdruckwaren, Gärtnerstraße 29a, Friedrichshain. M-Sa 12:00-19:00. Friedrichshain is full of screenprinted t-shirt stores, but Nüx stands out with their high-quality natural-history-museum designs such as owls, fish, and foxes.
Gifts and home decor
[edit]- 11 boxoffberlin, Zimmerstraße 11 (U6 Kochstr.). Open daily 11:00-18:00. Only 100 m from Checkpoint Charlie you will find a small but very interesting place for extraordinary souvenirs and gifts made by local designers. The gallery shows changing exhibitions of contemporary art, films and more from Berlin artists and the little Café offers the best Espresso – fairly traded and organically grown, refreshing lemonades without artificial additives, »Berliner Weisse with a shot« ... in summer also outside in the deck chair
- 12 Modulor, Prinzenstraße 85, Kreuzberg (U Moritzplatz). M-F 09:00-20:00, Sa 10:00-18:00. Berlin's biggest and best art, craft, and design supply store. A must-visit if you are at all artistically inclined.
- 13 Aufschnitt, Boxhagenerstraße 32, Friedrichshain. Berlin's only 'textile butchery' sells pillows shaped like meat, made 'fresh' on the premises by Silvia – a unique and whimsical Berlin souvenir.
- 14 Schwesterherz / Küchenliebe, Gärtnerstraße 28, Friedrichshain. M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 10:30-19:00. Two 'sister' stores next to each other – one is a well-curated papeterie, the other focuses on kitchenwares.
Prenzlauer Berg
[edit]Flea markets
[edit]- 15 Mauerpark Flea Market (Flohmarkt im Mauerpark), Bernauer Straße 63-64 (next to Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark in Prenzlauer Berg; tram-station M10 or bus 247 "Wolliner Straße" or U-Bahn: Eberswalder Straße). Su 07:00-17:00. Great Sunday flea market for vintage clothing, furniture, rare vinyl; not many professionals. A typical Berlin experience.
- 16 Rosenthal Flohmarkt, Kopenhagener Straße 79-81 (S-Bahn Wilhelmsruh). Sa Su 07:00-14:00.
Bookshops and record stores
[edit]- Dense, Danziger Straße 16. Electronic music.
- 17 Der Plattenladen (Club Sound Records), Eberswalder Straße 32. Techno
- Da Capo, Kastanienallee 96. Second-hand, rock, pop.
- Hip-Hop-Records, Schönhauser Allee 49. Hip hop.
- 18 OYE Records, Oderberger Str. 4 (U-Bahn: U2 Eberswalder Str., Tram: 12, M1 Schwedter Str. or Eberswalder Str.), ☏ +49 30 666 47 820, [email protected]. M-Sa 13:00-20:00. When this record store opened in 2002, it mainly specialized in Latin, Brazil and Italo house, disco and nu-jazz tunes. Today it offers vinyl from a wider range of genres including techno, electro and house.
- 19 Dodo Beach East (previously Vopo Records), Danziger Straße 31. Punk, rock, reggae.
- Mundo Azul, Choriner Straße 49. International children's and youth literature and music.
- Jokers Restseller, Schönhauser Allee 113, ☏ +49 30 44739573. For a wide variety of cheap secondhand books.
Clothing
[edit]- 20 Tausche, Raumerstraße 8, ☏ +49 30 40301770. Berlin fans from all over the world can be spotted with the television tower, the city map or Berlin’s area code +49 30 on their tausche bags with exchangeable flaps and insets.
- Princigalli, Stargarder Straße 67. Quality shoes and cosmetics for ladies.
- 21 Who Killed Bambi?, Eberswalderstraße 26. Colourful tops, bags & things.
- 22 Sgt. Peppers, Kastanienallee 91-92. 70s secondhand.
- Pauls Boutique, Oderbergerstraße 47. Sneakers.
- 23 Eisdieler, Kastanienallee 12. Sneakers.
- Flagshipstore, Oderberger Straße 53. M-Sa 12:00-20:00.
- 24 Hit-in.tv, Oderberger Straße 34 ( U2 Eberswalder Straße, Tram: M1, M10, 12 Eberswalder Str.), ☏ +49 30 2509 8895. M-F 11:00-19:00, Sa 12:00-18:00. Clothing store.
Decoration
[edit]- 25 La Lampisterie, Greifswalder Straße 195, ☏ +49 30 33986168, [email protected]. Th-F 14:00-19:00; Sa 11:00-16:00. Great selection of old design lamps in a crazy shop.
Gesundbrunnen and Wedding
[edit]- 26 Farmers Market, Leopoldplatz. Tu and Fr 10:00-17:00. A small open-air farmers market right on Leopoldplatz.
- 27 Gesundbrunnen Center.
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