Mitte:
Historical heart of the city, rapidly becoming its most touristy. A former GDR district and seat of the East German parliament, it offers many of Berlin’s key landmarks all within walking distance of each other. The TV tower Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz is at the eastern end of the district. Unter den Linden boulevard leads westwards across the Spree past museums of international repute on Museum Island to the Brandenburg Gate. Hackescher Markt and the surrounding area, particularly along Oranienburger Strasse, offers streetwear stores, designer boutiques and plenty of hip and well-frequented bars and restaurants.
Prenzlauer Berg:
A formerly rather grey hang-out for punks and alternatives, Prenzlauer Berg – located on a low hill north-east of Mitte – has transformed itself in recent years to become one of the chicest parts of town, popular among locals with money and professionals from across the globe and there is a whole lot of “brunching” going on. With trendy restaurants and bars of all kinds, Prenzlauer Berg is also a great people-watching place, especially along Kastanienallee or around Kollwitzplatz, which has a street market on Sundays. A former 19th century brewery has been transformed into the Kulturbrauerei cultural centre.
Friedrichshain:
An area that soaked up many Berliners for whom Prenzlauer Berg became too chic and expensive, Friedrichshain is also attractive among students and alternatives and is well on its way to becoming itself very hip and desirable. For entertainment it has one of Berlin’s finest fun-for-all-the-family parks, Volkspark Friedrichshain, and probably Europe’s most impressive techno club, Berghain/Panorama, behind Ostbahnhof station. Prices in Friedrichshain are among the lowest in Berlin, so lots of stag weekenders choose to stay here.
Kreuzberg:
The city’s cultural melting pot, Kreuzberg is where you find the much talked about Turkish quarter, giving Berlin its nickname “Little Istanbul”, also hippies, alternatives and anarchists aplenty. It boasts a rich, cultural texture and has people milling in and out of cafes and along the Landwehrkanal (where a colourful Turkish market takes place on Maybachufer on Tuesday and Friday afternoons), Oranienstrasse and Bergmannstrasse. The Berlin Wall museum (Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) and the Jewish Museum are also here.
Schöneberg:
Middle-class with a liberal, alternative twist, Schöneberg is particularly noted for fine restaurants, cafes and bars, and for being the heart of Berlin’s boisterous gay scene. Christopher Isherwood based his novel **Goodbye to Berlin here. The best area to check out goes from Nollendorfplatz southwards to Winterfeldplatz, where a much-loved market takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Moving further south to Eisenacher Strasse and Akazienstrasse you will discover some laid-back cafes and all kinds of unique boutiques.
Tiergarten:
Westwards through the Brandenburg Gate is Tiergarten, not only a district, but also a 255-hectare park full of statues, joggers, walkers – and nude sunbathers. The Strasse des 17. Juni runs through the park and around the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, which is topped off with a golden statue and a platform offering breathtaking views. You can also see Berlin from the walkways of Norman Foster’s glass dome atop the Reichstag, including the concrete slabs of the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe and, by contrast, Potsdamer Platz with big-name businesses, entertainment complexes and shops.
Charlottenburg/Wilmersdorf:
The former shopping and theatre centre of West Berlin, this upmarket area is now the closest thing to “downtown” Berlin with heavy traffic, five-star hotels, tall buildings and streets teeming with shoppers. The heart of the area is the hub where Kurfürstendamm, Joachimsthaler Strasse, Zoo Station and Tauentzienstrasse – where you find Berlin’s Kaufhaus Des Westens flagship department store or “KaDeWe” – come together. Move west along Kantstrasse and you reach swanky, leafy Savignyplatz, surrounded by trendy restaurants and cocktail bars – though in general these are frequented by an older, wealthier clientele. Take a look at some of the clothes boutiques around the station area and you know you have landed where the money is, so prices tend to be higher.