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Walking tour of Kreuzberg, Berlin

Twenty years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin is better behaved but by no means tamed. More than twenty thousand independent artists live here, and its nightlife is second to none. Kreuzberg is one of the focal points of Berlin’s new energy. Take a tour of this colourful neighbourhood, on foot or by bike as Berliners do.

A former working-class neighbourhood that arose in the late 19th century, Kreuzberg was part of West Berlin, in the American sector, during the Cold War. The neighbourhood became home to immigrants, punks, and marginals and activists of all kinds.

Since Reunification, two distinct neighbourhoods have emerged: Kreuzberg 36 and Kreuzberg 61. Kreuzberg 36, centred on Kotbusser Tor U-Bahn station, is the one Berliners prefer. It’s not uncommon to see a chic lounge next to a working-class café strictly populated by locals.

Kreuzberg 61, around Mehringdamm and Gneisenaustraße stations, is the more hipsterish of the two. Nearby Bergmannstraße, its liveliest street, is home to artists’ studios, antique stores, and cafés.

Kreuzberg continues to attract students and residents looking for cheap rent and a less scrubbed atmosphere. Its charm has seduced the likes of Quentin Tarantino, who stayed here while filming Inglourious Basterds, and Roman Polanski, who filmed his most recent film The Ghost Writer here.

Five great spots in Kreuzberg.

For brunch: Café Morgenland

Although located near an elevated U-Bahn station, this café is an oasis of tranquility, ideal for Sunday brunch. All the neighbourhood’s cultural diversity is on offer: antipasti, salads, eggs, couscous, and crêpes are all on the menu. Wooden tables are provided outside to take advantage of fine weather; inside, the plush ambiance is enhanced by courteous service and the lounge music that is Berlin DJs’ trade secret.

Skalitzer Straße, 35

For a cultural outing: the Jüdisches Museum

Designed by the Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind and inaugurated in 2001, this building is a pure example of the deconstructivist in style. Its zigzag forms, evoking a shattered Star of David, reflects the fractured history of the Jews in Germany. The blind outer facade belies the building’s 280 slit windows. The interior design, entitled Between the Lines, with its a confusion of rooms and halls, is both dizzying and stifling, with voids that represent the loss of memory. The sounds of the city resonate in the concrete towers. A powerful experience that will mark the visitor in both body and mind.

Lindenstraße, 9-14

For a bargain: the Jumbo Second Hand store

The capital bubbles with affordable creativity in its numerous used clothing stores. Indie bargain hunters will be drawn to Jumbo Second Hand by its funky window dressings and will stay for the 60s and 70s leather jackets and vintage shoes in every size and colour. Bags, belts, sunglasses – you’re sure to find the perfect accessory somewhere in this temple of second-hand.

Wiener Straße, 63

For dinner: Abendmahl restaurant

This restaurant specializes in vegetarian cuisine, with vegetable and fish dishes with wild names such as “Hellfire,” “News from the Moon,” or “I Shot Andy Warhol.” Chef Udo Einenkel, prepares nutritionally balanced meals full of vitamins, fibre, and natural ingredients. The restaurant has sixty tables and a quintessentially Berliner kitsch chic decor. The ice creams are incredible.

Muskauer Straße, 9

For an evening out: the Watergate Club

Occupying a two-storey building on the banks of the Spree, the Watergate is a club the way only Berlin can do it. The biggest names have spun here on one of the best sound systems in the world. Watergate evenings are a perfect mix of elegance and decadence, with a hip, eclectic crowd. You’ll dance to minimalist techno until the small hours, when the legendary sunrise over the Spree fills the club through its huge windows – a sight you won’t soon forget.

Falckensteinstraße, 49