Where Berlin Tells the Truth About Itself? Places outside the city center worth exploring.
What if we looked at Berlin more broadly—not just through the prism of the Brandenburg Gate, Mauerpark, or Alexanderplatz? What if we went beyond the city center and explored the places where locals mostly spend their time? My recent visit to the German capital was all about that.
If you'd like to experience Berlin beyond the typical Berlin you see in the guidebooks, I encourage you to take the tour below. You won't regret it.
Where to book accommodation?Although accommodation prices in Berlin are quite high, even in what are considered the more affluent districts, you can find good deals, especially when booking in advance. The Prenzlauer Berg district is a good starting point – close to Alexanderplatz (if you're willing to wander among the crowds of tourists) and close to many charming streets filled with cafes, trees, and squares.
This is the perfect place for a morning stroll and breakfast. Knaackstraße and the streets that intersect it—especially in summer—will delight you with a Berlin that's peaceful, safe, and local, with many children playing and owners walking their dogs of all kinds.
Be sure to grab a coffee to go from one of the many nearby places or – if you have more time – grab some breakfast too.
About a 25-minute walk from Knaackstraße is Arkonaplatz, home to a small Sunday flea market —something Berlin is famous for. Antiques, books, vinyl, furniture, jewelry, clothes—there you can browse without rushing, and maybe even buy something special.
On the way to Arkonaplatz – at the intersection of Knaackstraße and Kollwitzstraße – you pass (on Saturday) a market with cheese, baked goods and other food products.
The old swimming pool and the charms of former East BerlinStaying in Prenzlauer Berg, if you're in the mood for a swim, do it at the Oderberger Berlin. This boutique hotel, housed in a former municipal swimming pool (over a century old), will make you feel like you've traveled back in time as you swim and gaze around the incredibly atmospheric interior.
About a 20-minute walk from the swimming pool – in the Mitte district – is Rosa Luxemburg Square. If you want to see the classic architecture of former East Berlin, look carefully as you walk. The Volksbühne theater is centrally located there. The famous Babylon cinema stands right next to it. Walking from Prenzlauer Berg, I pass many nearly empty streets. Here and there, locals stroll with their dogs (there are quite a few dogs in Berlin – in these strictly residential neighborhoods).
If that's not enough excitement for you and you're interested in Berlin's post-war history, it's worth taking the U-Bahn (German underground) and visiting the Stasi Museum. Besides the wealth of information displayed on various boards, you can also walk the same corridors that Erich Mielke, head of the Stasi, traversed years ago (the museum is housed in the former headquarters of the secret service). You can even peek into his office.
At the end of the day, return to Prenzlauer Berg, eat a bagel in one of the many pubs, drink fresh mint (that's the taste of Berlin for me!), observe your surroundings and gather your strength for the next day, because...
On the second day of your non-touristy tour, you can hop on the metro or tram and head to Marzahn – one of Berlin's most unusual and underrated districts. Some people think it's just the prefab housing estates of the GDR. That's how it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Tens of thousands of people lived there, and the apartments were meant to solve the housing crisis in East Berlin (which, however, still persists, not just in the former East Berlin).
Today, the district has undergone a quiet revitalization. Many apartment buildings have been renovated, much greenery has been planted, and parks and bicycle paths have been created.
The biggest attraction of Marzahn is Gärten der Welt – Gardens of the World , a huge park with themed gardens (Chinese, Korean, Balinese, Japanese, etc.), fountains and a cable car.
I recommend the latter, the IGA-Seilbahn. It takes about 5-7 minutes.
Once you reach Kienberg Hill, climb Wolkenhain, a modern observation deck . From the top—just like from the cable car—you'll enjoy panoramic views of Berlin, the surrounding forests, and the eastern districts.
Be sure to also check out Natur-Bobbahn, the summer toboggan run . It's a great attraction for both children and adults.
On your way back (if you take the tram), stop by the Dong Xuan Center , an Asian wholesale market located in the Lichtenberg district. The market is primarily Vietnamese. The stalls offer clothing, electronics, services, restaurants, and food from around the world.
This place is bustling with activity. You'll encounter customers of many nationalities and faiths, including conservative Muslim men and women looking at hijabs and abayas. Some say it can be dangerous. I disagree, but caution is always advised when handling a purse, and the Dong Xuan Center is no exception.
A dealer next to a grandmother with a dogIt is worth setting aside time for the afternoon to visit Kreuzberg and Görlitzer Park – a place so strange that it could make for more than one report.
There, an elderly woman with a dog, a mother with a child, and avid runners—sometimes on the same path—might bump into a drug dealer. While it's definitely not worth visiting at night, during the day you can stroll the main avenues and see how these two worlds intertwine.
It's worth ending the day in the same district, at Markthalle Neun – a revitalized historic market hall. Today, Berlin's social scene takes place there. There are also stands selling regional, organic produce, artisan bakeries, fish, meat, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.
You definitely need to go there on Thursday evening. Starting at 5:00 PM, Street Food Thursday takes place – an event with a team of chefs without their own restaurant, serving dishes from around the world: tacos, ceviche, Korean rolls, and BBQ.
The city described here isn't a postcard Berlin, but one with soul – one that smells of bakery bread, incense from the market hall, and dust from the toboggan run. And it's precisely this side of Berlin that's worth experiencing before returning to Alexanderplatz.
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