Even when the city was divided, this former workers’ district in East Berlin was favoured by artists and an alternative crowd. It continues to exert a similar pull today. Prenzlauer Berg is being steadily and noticeably transformed by young professionals. Cafés and restaurants have taken over tenement blocks around Kollwitzplatz and Husemannstraße, giving the leafy streets an almost Parisian flair, while Kastanienallee, also known as “Casting Alley”, is the catwalk of the hip young scene.

TopTen

1. Schönhauser Allee

prac_info Prenzlauer Berg

Schönhauser Allee, 3 km (2 miles) long and lined with shops and pubs, is the main artery of the district. Down the centre of the road runs the high-level viaduct of U-Bahn line U2. A couple of buildings are still in their pre-1989 state and give a good impression of the old Prenzlauer Berg, especially between Senefelderplatz and Danziger Straße.

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Schönhauser Allee, Prenzlauer Berg

2. Kollwitzplatz

prac_info Prenzlauer Berg

Once a quiet square, Kollwitzplatz is today the noisy heart of the district. All around the green square, locals congregate in the numerous cafés, pubs and restaurants. From the lavishly restored façades it is hard to tell that this was once one of the city’s poorest areas. The district’s 19th-century tenement blocks and impoverished past are today only recalled by the name of the square. The artist Käthe Kollwitz once lived and worked at No. 25 (now destroyed), from where she highlighted the poverty of the local workers in her sculptures, drawings and sketches.

3. Prater

prac_info Kastanienallee 7–9 • (030) 448 56 88 • Open 6–11pm Mon–Sat, noon–midnight Sun

The Prater is one of the few remaining entertainment complexes that were once common in big German cities. It was built in 1837 just outside the original city gates, and was first jokingly called “Prater” after its world-famous counterpart in Vienna. A concert hall was added in 1857 and by the turn of the century it had become so popular that the nickname stuck. Today, you can enjoy beer and food at the restaurant (see Prater) of the same name.

4. Kulturbrauerei

prac_info Schönhauser Allee 36–39 • Entrance: Knaackstr. 97 • (030) 44 35 26 14 • kulturbrauerei.de/en

This giant complex of buildings originally housed the Schultheiss brewery, one of the breweries that once made Prenzlauer Berg famous. The complex, parts of which are over 150 years old, was designed by Franz Schwechten. It was completely restored in 1997–9 and has become a lively and popular spot. Cafés, restaurants, a cinema, shops and even a theatre have sprung up in the red and yellow brick buildings and the numerous interior courtyards.

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The Kulturbrauerei complex

5. Jewish Cemetery

prac_info Schönhauser Allee 23–25 • www.jg-berlin.org • Open 8am–4pm Mon–Thu, 7:30am–1pm Fri

The small Jewish cemetery is among the city’s most beautiful. The tombstones stand amid dense scrub and high trees. The cemetery was set up in 1827, when the former Jewish cemetery in Große Hamburger Straße was closed. Two of the famous personalities who have found their final resting places here are the painter and printmaker Max Liebermann (1847–1935) and the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864).

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The peaceful Jewish Cemetery

6. Husemannstraße

prac_info Between Wörther and Danziger Str.

The East German regime undertook a perfect restoration of this idyllic street for Berlin’s 750th anniversary celebrations. A stroll through the leafy roads lined with houses from the Gründerzeit (the years after the founding of the German Empire in 1871) is one of the loveliest ways to experience Prenzlauer Berg. Ancient-looking street lamps and signs, cobbled streets, antiquated shop signs and a few atmospheric pubs take the visitor back to the late 19th century.

7. Zionskirche

prac_info Zionskirchplatz • (030) 449 21 91 • Open 8–10pm Mon, 1–7pm Tue–Sat, noon–5pm Sun

Zionskirche, dating from 1866–73, and the square of the same name form a tranquil oasis in the middle of the lively district. The Protestant church has always been a political centre too. During the Third Reich, resistance groups against the Nazi regime congregated here and, during the East German period, the alternative “environment library” (an information and documentation centre) was established here. Church and other opposition groups who were active at Zionskirche played a decisive role in the political transformation of East Germany in 1989–90, which eventually led to the reunification of Germany.

8. Wasserturm

prac_info Knaackstr.

The unofficial symbol of the district is this giant 30-m- (98-ft-) high water tower, built in 1877 as a water reservoir, but shut down in 1914. The engine house in the tower was used as an unofficial prison by the SA from 1933 to 1945, a period recalled by a memorial plaque. The water tower stands on Windmühlenberg (windmill hill), where some of the mills that had made Prenzlauer Berg famous in the 19th century once stood. This round brick building has been converted into trendy apartments.

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The Wasserturm

9. Synagoge Rykestraße

prac_info Rykestr. 53 • (030) 88 02 83 16 • Guided tours 2–6pm Thu • www.jg-berlin.org/en.html

Built in 1904, this synagogue is one of the few Jewish places of worship to have survived Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938, the violent attacks on Jewish property by the Nazis. The temple’s historic interior was built from red bricks in the shape of a basilica. It is the largest synagogue in Berlin.

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Interior of Synagoge Rykestraße

10. Gethsemanekirche

prac_info Stargarder Str. 77 • (030) 445 77 45 • Open May–Oct: 5–7pm Wed–Thu (otherwise by prior arrangement)

Outside this red-brick church, dating back to 1891–3, East German secret police beat up peaceful protesters. It was the starting point for the collapse of the East German regime.

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Gethsemanekirche, detail

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Gethsemanekirche interior

PRENZLBERG OR PRENZLAUER BERG?

Many locals simply say Prenzlberg when talking about their quarter. But this name is used mainly by West Berliners and West Germans who have recently moved here – the real name is Prenzlauer Berg, just as it is written. The supposed nickname is just a new-fangled term for a neighbour-hood that has become fashionable after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

A DAY IN PRENZLAUER BERG

TopTen

MORNING

Set off from the U-Bahn station in Senefelderplatz, one of the lively spots in Prenzlauer Berg. From here, explore the old tenement blocks and backyards. Now continue west along Fehrbelliner Straße to Zionskirchplatz with its eponymous church. There are numerous cafés on the square, such as Kapelle, where you could stop for a capuccino. Leave the square via Zionskirchstraße, then turn left into Kastanienallee. This is one of the most colourful streets in the quarter. At the end of the street you could pop into Prater. Then turn right into Oderberger Straße, one of the best preserved streets of the district. Continue east along Sredzkistraße until you reach Husemannstraße. Have a good look around the old Berlin streets, you may find something interesting to buy.

AFTERNOON

You could have lunch at one of the numerous restaurants in Kollwitzplatz: Gugelhof and Zander are both recommended, the former for German and French cuisine, the latter for imaginative fish specialities. After lunch, walk along Knaackstraße to the Synagoge Rykestraße. From here it is a few paces back to the Wasserturm. Give your feet a rest at the small green space around the tower before continuing along Belforter Straße and Kollwitzstraße to Schönhauser Allee. You will find perfect tranquility there in the Jewish Cemetery.

The Best of the Rest

1. Greifenhagener Straße

Not the most beautiful, but one of the best-preserved red-brick residential streets of old Berlin.

2. Pfefferberg

prac_info Schönhauser Allee 176 • (030) 44 38 30

This alternative cultural centre is set in a former brewery and hosts concerts, performance art events and festivals.

3. Senefelderplatz

The wedge-shaped square is named after Alois Senefelder, a pioneer of modern printing techniques. At its centre is a “Café Achteck”, housed in a historic octagonal public urinal.

4. Zeiss-Großplanetarium

prac_info Prenzlauer Allee 80 • (030) 421 84 50 • Open 9am–noon Tue–Thu, 6–9:30pm Fri, also pm Sat & Sun

Lose yourself amidst uncountable stars, planets and galaxies under the vast silvery dome of the planetarium.

5. Mauerpark

prac_info Am Falkplatz

The vast park near the former border, comprising Max Schmeling Hall and Jahn Sports Park, was built for the Berlin Olympic bid in 2000. Today it hosts sports and music events, and a Sunday flea market.

TopTen

Toys at a stall, Mauerpark flea market

6. Helmholtzplatz

Apart from the trendy cafés and bars, time seems to have stopped here in 1925, with buildings reminiscent of a social housing programme.

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Buildings at Helmholtzplatz

7. Prenzlauer Berg Museum

prac_info Prenzlauer Allee 227–228 • (030) 902 953 917 • Open 9am–7pm Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm Sat & Sun

This museum charts the history of the district and its poor working-class inhabitants in the 19th century.

8. Konnopke

prac_info At the southern exit of U-Bahn Schönhauser Allee • (030) 442 77 65 • Open 10am–8pm Mon–Fri, noon–8pm Sat

This legendary Currywurstimbiss was opened in 1930 under the U-Bahn steel viaduct. The spicy sausages are among the best in the city.

9. Oderberger Straße

This leafy street is lined with cafés, boutiques and a few historic buildings. The old swimming baths of Prenzlauer Berg at No. 84 were renovated in 2015.

10. Thälmannpark

prac_info Prenzlauer Allee

One of few parks in the northeast of the city, dominated by Socialist prefabricated buildings. It has a monument to Ernst Thälmann, a communist murdered by the Nazis.

Restaurants

1. Oderquelle

prac_info Oderberger Str. 27 • (030) 44 00 80 80 • Open 6pm–1am daily • €

Basic Berlin and German dishes are served up in an alternative, relaxed setting in this quaint little Kiez (neighbourhood) place.

2. Gugelhof

prac_info Knaackstr. 37 • (030) 442 92 29 • Open 4pm–1am Mon–Fri, 10am–1am Sat & Sun • €€

Bill Clinton was once a guest at this restaurant, which attracts clients from all over Berlin. The menu features an original combination of German and French cuisine.

TopTen

Outdoor tables at Gugelhof

3. Cotto e Crudo

prac_info Eberswalder Str. 33 • (030) 44 03 71 11 • Open noon–midnight Tue–Sun • €€

Homely little restaurant, Cotto e Crudo offers authentic Sicilian cuisine. It is located close to the southern end of Mauerpark.

4. Weinstein

prac_info Lychener Str. 33 • (030) 441 18 42 • Open 5pm–2am daily (from 6pm Sun) • €€

A friendly, rustic wine bar with a great selection of Austrian and German wines and solid bistro fare.

5. Prater

prac_info Kastanienallee 7–9 • (030) 448 56 88 • Open 6pm–midnight Mon–Sat, noon–midnight Sun; beer garden: noon Apr–Sep • No credit cards • €€

Surprises at the Prater include a beer garden, a rustic restaurant in the courtyard and free live concerts.

6. Sasaya

prac_info Lychener Str. 50 • (030) 44 71 77 21 • Open noon–3pm & 6–11:30pm Thu–Mon • No credit cards • €€

Head to Sasaya for some of Berlin’s best sushi. Reservations needed.

7. Osmans Töchter

prac_info Pappelallee 15 • (030) 32 66 33 88 • Open 5:30pm–midnight daily • €€€

This modern, family-run restaurant serves traditional Turkish cuisine.

8. Pasternak

prac_info Knaackstr. 22 • (030) 441 33 99 • Open 9am–1am daily • €€

This Moscow-style venue has borscht, Russian music and vodka.

9. Café November

prac_info Husemannstr. 15 • (030) 442 84 25 • Open 10am–1am Mon–Fri, 9am–2am Sat & Sun • €€

A Prenzlauer Berg institution with a small but tempting menu.

10. Mao Thai

prac_info Wörther Straße 30 • (030) 441 92 61 • Open noon–11:30pm daily • €€

Berlin’s first Siamese restaurant, this is one of the friendliest eateries in town, serving traditional and artistically presented food.

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