Routes

This walk takes you to a part of Berlin that is changing rapidly. New shops and restaurants come and go, so chances are you’ll discover something new yourself, or find that one of the listings is no longer there. If this is your first visit to Berlin, don't start with this walk, as its main focus is eating, drinking, and shopping.



Our walk begins with a breath of fresh air at former airport Tempelhof, now a city park. From here, you can stroll directly into the vibrant Schillerkiez, which has many great places to eat. Make sure to stop by the former Kindl-brewery for some contemporary art.



Next, follow the somewhat unsightly Karl-Marx-Straße and continue until you reach Rixdorf. Here you will get a sense of Berlin's earliest days: This feels like a tiny village in the German countryside. Richardplatz, with an old forge in the middle of the square, is the center of this small town, that has been swallowed up by the city. Take your time to look around. Then walk back through Richardstraße, and enjoy a beer and the breathtaking views from the run-of-the-mill shopping center.



After this, you will enter a part of town known as Kreuzkölln, with many hipster bars, cafés, and restaurants. Here, craft beer and drip coffee rule, but you will also find a great record store, experimental art galleries, and of course the quintessential Berlin photo booth (Photoautomat). Follow Friedelstraße, which is full of fun sidewalk cafés, until you reach Maybachufer, which often has a Turkish market or flea market. Another option is to take a boat tour and admire Berlin's bridges—there are 64 in all!

This walk is quite long, but very interesting, because Kreuzberg is such a varied neighborhood. The walk starts with two great museums: Berlinische Galerie and Jüdisches Museum. Because they are quite far from the U-Bahn station, you could also visit them separately another time. In this case, the walk will start at a local urban farming project, where organic vegetables are grown for use in their mobile kitchen. Across the street is a huge art supplies store.



The walk continues through vibrant Oranienstraße, which also has a quirky museum and a beautiful gallery. Head to Mariannenplatz and the popular Markthalle Neun for a great street food market. Then cross the Landwehrkanal to head south.



Here, you will immediately notice that you have left the raw area of Kreuzberg 36 and entered the friendly Kreuzberg 61 district. Stroll down scenic streets with tall trees and children playing, past shops and restaurants. After passing one of the many World War II air-raid shelters, that can still be found all over Berlin, you will walk down Bergmannstraße. Here, you can visit some old cemeteries, and then continue to Chamissoplatz, to get a sense of the old pre-war Berlin.



If you still have the time and energy, be sure to visit two of Berlin's best known street food vendors a little bit farther down: Curry 36 and Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap. You can take your food with you to nearby Park am Gleisdreieck, and enjoy it sitting on a park bench, or in the grass, Berlin-style.

This walk highlights the beautiful contrast between chic Charlottenburg and exciting Schöneberg: A nice introduction to the old West.



Start at a museum about one of Berlin's best known artists: Käthe Kollwitz. If the weather is nice, you can visit the beautiful garden of the Literaturhaus Berlin next. Don't worry if the weather isn't that great, because the walk continues toward the area around Savignyplatz, which oozes French flair, and has plenty of places to stop for coffee.



After this, you will pass by two great photography museums, which are definitely worth visiting. If you are traveling with children, you could opt to visit the Berlin zoo instead.



Next up is a part of Charlottenburg that is every shopaholic's dream. It is home to two very different types of department stores: Brand new concept-mall Bikini Berlin, and one of Europe’s oldest department stores, where the elite traditionally shop: KaDeWe.



After the impressive Viktoria-Luise-Platz, you will enter Schöneberg. In this lively neighborhood, the walk will continue past Berlin's biggest market, lots of good places to eat, and great shops. The walk ends at Rathaus Schöneberg, where Kennedy delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, and a beautiful park. The perfect place to relax after a long day.



This walk can also be followed in reverse: The area surrounding Savignyplatz offers a good choice of restaurants, if you want to end the day with a nice dinner.

This walk takes you through one of the most original parts of former East Berlin: Friedrichshain. Vestiges of communism, anarchists and original Ossi's (former East Germans) are still clearly visible on its streets.



The walk starts at Café Sibylle on Karl-Marx-Allee. This boulevard is lined with monumental luxury apartment buildings, that were built in the 1950s for the working class, and designed in the typical Stalinist wedding-cake style (Zuckerbäckerstil). Because this is a relatively short walk, you can also start out farther back on Karl-Marx-Allee at Kino International. This takes you along a busy stretch of road, but just after Frankfurter Tor, with its distinctive towers, you'll reach the pleasant area surrounding Boxhagener Platz.



Just like the rest of Berlin, this neighborhood features many great shops and cozy sidewalk cafés. Take your time here to seek out some original souvenirs to bring back home with you, or to enjoy an elaborate lunch. Boxhagener Platz is a charming square with a children's playground, a public lawn perfect for sunbathing, and a market every weekend.



After leaving this friendly neighborhood, you'll head to a part of Berlin where the raw energy of anarchists and punk is still tangible. Today, the former Reichsbahn rail yards are home to all kinds of exciting new enterprises, from an enclosed swimming pool to a beer garden, climbing wall, and various night clubs.



The walk ends at the Spree river, with a view of the beautiful Oberbaumbrücke and the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall.

This walk through the most family-friendly neighborhood of Berlin focuses on shopping and great food and drink. Perfect for a weekend shopping spree, with plenty of opportunities to relax at one of the many sidewalk cafés.



The walk starts in an area that is officially still part of Mitte. There are many great places here to stop for coffee and breakfast or brunch, before walking up the Prenzlauer hill (Berg) that gave this neighborhood its name.



Along the way, the Zionskirche represents the rebellious reputation that this neighborhood once had. This church played an important part in the resistance during World War II, as well as in the uprising against the GDR regime during the 1980s. Several buildings on Kastanienallee bare witness to this era too, such as the anarchist café with its anti-capitalist slogan on the building facade.



After walking through the main shopping streets Kastanienallee, Oderbergerstraße, Pappelallee, and Stargarderstraße, you can relax on Helmholzplatz. Depending on the time of day, look for a place to sit in the sun at one of the many great sidewalk cafés.



After a drink, or a cup of coffee, finish your walk by strolling toward Kollwitzplatz, one of Berlin's most popular squares. Here, it's easy to see why this neighborhood is known for being family-friendly: Around 4pm the squares and playgrounds start to fill up with parents and children. There are plenty of places to enjoy a nice meal around Kollwitzplatz—a great way to end your day.

This walk through Mitte takes you past all of Berlin's most iconic sights, and there are many. Because this is a long walk, we recommend that you pass by all sixteen sights, especially if this is your first time in Berlin. This way, you can decide which ones you want to explore more thoroughly during your visit. Some of the sights aren't open to the public, and for some, such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburger Tor, and Neue Synagoge, you don't necessarily need to go inside—just walking past them will give you a good sense of their impressive history.



Of course it's important during such a long walk to stop and recharge from time to time, so we've made sure our route has plenty of great cafés and restaurants along the way. Most of these places are not known for their exquisite fine dining, but they are perfect for grabbing a cup of coffee, stopping for soup and a sandwich, or enjoying some authentic German sausage and an ice cold beer. Still feel like indulging in a three-course dinner afterward? Then head to Cookies Cream for uber-hip vegetarian cuisine, or Pauly Saal in the Ehemalige Jüdische Mädchenschule if you prefer something more traditional.



The northern part of Mitte is a shoppers' paradise. Because there is so much to choose from, we have selected a few streets that are a prime destination for wonderful shops, galleries, and places to eat. Stores and restaurants here open and close fairly regularly, but there will always be plenty of great places to discover.