Forget London, forget Paris: Berlin is today the coolest city in Europe and, best of all, one of the cheapest capitals on the continent. Considering how much bang you get for your buck in Berlin, I’m surprised everyone doesn’t want to spend a few days in what has become the official capital of Germany, the unofficial capital of Europe and, in my opinion, the Capital of Cool.
There are a number of fascinating districts in the city, but for me the most fascinating and entertaining neighborhood in this cool city is Kreuzberg 36, and not only because I used to live there. (There is also Kreuzberg 61, which is not as cool; I didn’t live there).
Even during the dark, dusty early-post-Wall days, Kreuzberg had the hippest bars with the hippest clientele. Some of them were, almost literally, holes in the wall, with slick minimalist furniture and songs by Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, Bowie and Ice-T on the sound system, if they had one.
A Different Side of Berlin
To understand what made Kreuzberg different you have to know some of the city’s history and to understand why Daniela Klette, one of the last living members of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction, aka the Baader-Meinhof gang, lived undetected in Kreuzberg for twenty years until she was captured earlier this year.
When Germany (and Berlin) was divided into East and West, the city became a democratic island in a sea of Communist tyranny. The status of West Berlin was vague, as it was not formally considered a part of the Federal Republic of Germany. As a result, citizens of West Berlin were exempt from being drafted into the German army.
Some young men moved to Berlin immediately after graduating from high school and therefore never served in the military. Some 50,000 West Germans eventually evaded compulsory military service this way.
Many of them settled in Kreuzberg 36, because rents were cheap and there were many abandoned buildings ideal for squatting. They helped create an anti-establishment culture that occasionally turned violent (read about the May Day riots of 1987, which were inspired by a boycott of the census), as well as the city’s most diverse and tolerant neighborhood.
A Creative Melting Pot
The cheap rents also attracted artists, musicians and other creatives, so there is lots of cutting-edge art to see and new music to hear.
That demographic movement continued after the fall of the Wall, and was enriched by an influx of migrants, most of them Turkish, also drawn by the inexpensive cost of living in the district. As a result, Kreuzberg 36 today has one of the youngest populations of all European city districts and about 30% of its inhabitants are migrants.
The result is a diverse, creative and incredibly dynamic district in which all aspects, and sub-cultures, of contemporary society are represented. For example, Kreuzberg has long been home to Berlin’s punk rock movement as well as other alternative subcultures.
Cultural Hotspots
Check out the classic SO36 club, which was founded in the 1970s and often hosted concerts by such rock luminaries as Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Today it remains on the cutting edge of live performances and hosts such unique events as a roller disco and a queer sing-along.
Hip-hop and rap are big in Kreuzberg, which is also Berlin’s breakdance center. And the district is the heart of Berlin’s LGBTQ life. Have a look, if you’re interested, at the Schwules Museum (the Queer Museum), which is dedicated to recording and preserving queer history, art, and culture.
Challenges and Changes
Kreuzberg 36 is also known for the poor education level of a segment of its inhabitants and, inevitably, a high unemployment rate and an unfortunately lively drug scene. (The otherwise pleasant Görlitzer Park has become a drug-dealing center and should, unfortunately, be avoided, especially after dark.)
In 2001, a city-wide administrative reform married the district to adjoining Friedrichshain to create the borough of – wait for it – Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It was a puzzling decision since the two areas are connected only by a bridge, the Oberbaumbrücke.
Since Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg were on opposite sides of the former East-West divide, the decision was probably made to symbolize a unity that remains today more wishful thinking than real. For years after the Wall was torn down, few West Berliners traveled into the former East Berlin, and vice versa, which gave rise to the saying, “The Wall is still there – in people’s heads.”
But the bridge is very nice and worth a look.
Don’t Walk – Ride!
Berlin isn’t the largest city in the world in terms of area, only 891 square kilometers (344 square miles), compared to, say, London’s 1,572 square kilometers (607 square miles). But it feels as if it is. The city is really spread out and even with the U-Bahn and S-Bahn it can take a long time to get where you’re going.
So, for a change, I’m not going to recommend walking through the city. Instead, ride a bike and then walk around. Like most German cities, Berlin has an excellent cycling infrastructure, which keeps you away from motor traffic, with traffic lights on most crossings and intersections.
Berlin is also relatively flat, so cycling around the city will not require a superhuman effort. Several well-known bike-sharing companies ply their trade in the city. The first-half-hour is usually free (if not, choose a different provider), so you can theoretically ride to your destinations for free during your entire stay.
Street Food
One great advantage of having a large immigrant population is that it improves the quality of the street food. But leave it to the Germans to serve street food indoors. Of course you can find street food in the street, especially at the city’s many markets.
For the greatest variety of Kreuzberg street food, visit Markthalle Neun. The place has become an institution of food with stands offering everything from sit-down pasta to takeaway veggie balls, from cheese and spinach dumplings to home-brewed beer.
But as it is an institution, the prices are pretty high for street food; for example, the pasta goes for between 8 and 12 euros. On Street Food Thursday, you can eat regional food from all over the world there.
Go at least once for the experience and to try some Nigerian fufu or Bavarian mac and cheese. Or go to Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap, little more than a hut that serves a great version of one of the staples of Berlin street food, the Döner Kebab. The address is Mehringdamm 32, which is actually in Kreuzberg 61. But go, it’s worth the long journey and the inevitable long line.
Also try one of the five Wrapublics in Berlin – of course, there’s one in Kreuzberg. As the name suggests they put soft and crispy wraps around food and sell it for 5 to 10 euros.
But what you really want to do is go to one or more of the many markets and try real in-the-street street food. The main staples are the Döner Kebab, which was actually born in Berlin, the brainchild of a Turkish immigrant; the Currywurst, which is exactly what it sounds like, a sausage spiced with curry ketchup and Bratwurst, a sausage that can be fried or grilled.
For the best Currywurst in Kreuzberg, try Ketels Curry at Kottbusser Damm 1. It’s a takeaway place that sometimes puts a few tables on the sidewalk.
What to See in Kreuzberg
Must-See: The East Side Gallery is a large remnant of the Wall that has been painted over by some wonderful artists. It stands where it has always stood, on a bank of the Spree river, and illustrates the power of art over tyranny. Dictators come and go, but art abides.
Boxhagenerplatz: Located in Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg’s lesser half, it has a farmer’s market on Saturday, a flea market on Sunday and the cool and suggestively named Mokofuk café.
Oranienstrasse is the heartbeat of Kreuzberg, with many cafés and small shops as well as restaurant serving a variety of international cuisines at decent prices. It’s also the street on which you might want to spend your evenings, with lots of pubs and some of Berlin’s most famous clubs, such as Ritter Butzke (on Moritzplatz) and Farbfernseher (near the Görlitzer Bahnhof).
Street art (of course) is everywhere. Check out Michelle Tambolini’s “Butterfly” at Krossener Strasse 36; the anonymous work at Kreutzigerstraße 19; and “There’s no such Thing as Bad Publicity,” by Mateo Lepeintre (aka MTO), at Warschauer Str. 58. But just keep your eyes peeled as you walk through the district. There’s always something somewhere to look at and admire.
I mention Checkpoint Charlie just because everyone wants to see it. But the truth is that it ain’t what it used to be. It has been updated and upgraded and is no longer recognizable.
I crossed into the former East Berlin via Checkpoint Charlie three months before the Wall was torn down. Waiting on a line to have my passport checked, I was taken aside by an East German police officer because I spoke English. He took me to a small room and asked me to empty my pockets. It was suddenly clear to me that I could disappear without a trace.
The situation became serious when he examined my wallet and found four different currencies in it: German, of course, but also US dollars, Mexican pesos and Guatemalan quetzals, souvenirs from a recent trip to the Americas. But when I dropped some coins on the floor and the man got on his hands and knees to retrieve them, I realized that it was all a bluff.
What to See in Greater Berlin
I am not big on pompous or nationalist architecture because its primary function is to project power. This is why I only saw the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate when I happened to pass them on the way to somewhere else. But do see them if you must.
Berlin is a city overstuffed with history, much of it of the tragic kind, and there are plenty of historic sites worth seeing.
The Topography of Terror is an outdoor and indoor history museum and memorial on the grounds of the site of the former Gestapo headquarters. Such was the collective amnesia of the Germans after the Holocaust that they didn’t “discover” the site until the mid-1960s, though everyone of course knew that it was there. The Wall ran along one side of the street and it is still standing there.
The city’s Holocaust memorial, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, is located near the Brandenburg Gate. It is both grim and quite moving.
A few years ago, one of the escape tunnels East Germans used to escape to the West was opened to the public. The100-meter (328-foot) section is located near Berlin’s Wall Memorial, which runs along both sides of Bernauer Strasse.
Some Fun Places in Berlin
Berlin is above all a fun place to visit. It has clubs and bars galore, museums, parks, etc. Keep your eyes open as you walk or cycle and you’ll find something interesting to explore.
A special mention goes to the Yaam (Young and African Arts Market), which holds basketball tournaments, Reggae concerts, African dinners and is a great place to meet and greet people. It’s also a prime chill-out venue in the summer. Find it at the Schillingbrücke.
An extra-special mention for the Strandbars (or beach bars). There are about a dozen throughout the city, but I will cite only those that are actually located on the water and have actual sand and, yes, palm trees. All except one of these are on the Spree river. It was a brilliant move by the city to transform what once formed part of Berlin’s Iron Curtain into a party spot. NB: (1) They are open only in good weather and (2) swimming is not allowed in the Spree.
Strandbar Sage Beach is on the Spree at Köpenicker Straße in Kreuzberg (free admission Mon. to Sat., DJs).
Gestrandet (‘stranded’) Mitte, also on the Spree, is near the Jannowitzbrücke (sun chairs, BBQ).
Captains Beach is located across from the East Side Gallery (daybeds, Caribbean ambiance, which means lots of rum cocktails).
Finally, the Überseebar at the Weißensee is the one beach bar where you can actually go swimming (sand, palm trees, lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, free admission until 7 p.m.).
Where to Stay
If you don’t mind basic accommodations and a shared bathroom, the a&o Hostel in Friedrichshain is a very affordable option. The chain has two other hostels in the city, at similar prices, but this one is on Boxhagener Strasse and therefore conveniently located for a short walk or bike ride to Kreuzberg 36.
Finally
Berlin is a city to visit and revisit because it has so much to give and gives it cheaply. Other interesting districts to explore are Neukölln (a Turkish market, young, cosmopolitan, art), Mitte (the Museum Island, art galleries, the DesignPanopticon – Museum for bizarre objects), and Schöneberg (David Bowie and Marlene Dietrich lived here, ‘nuf said).