A Walk Around Prenzlauer Berg

One of the joys of Berlin is the multitude of different neighbourhoods, each giving off their own vibes. It would be possible to visit Berlin and see it with new eyes a thousands times, because life in Kreuzberg is different to the streets of Neukölln, or the leafy suburbs around Wilmersdorf. We spent the afternoon walking through Prenzlauer Berg, a neighbourhood I am still getting to know and which grows more and more charming around every corner. I was lucky to catch it on a sunny day – the following morning, temperatures dropped and it began to snow! Here is a little photo walk so you can enjoy the experience with me.

We started by admiring all the pastel apartment buildings, which add colour to the otherwise stark aftermath of the winter. It is quite common not to have an elevator, so just imagine lugging your shopping up all those stairs to the top floor!  Still, from the higher levels, you get great views and lots of precious sunlight.

Next stop was a delightful French crêperie, called La Bigoudène, set beneath street level with a very cosy atmosphere.We feasted on crepes with four different kinds of cheeses and washed it all down with an espresso. There are no shortage of cafes and bars in this area so make sure you take advantage of them!

From the window of the restaurant, we looked out to Zionskirche, a church from 1873.  We noticed people at the top of the bell tower and thought we would check it out after lunch.

It turns out you can pay 1 euro to climb to the top of the bell tower for some magnificent views of the city.  We were so lucky with the weather, but imagine this view once Springtime comes along!

We continued our walk through the streets towards the Berlin Wall Memorial.  On the way, we spotted some bulbs that had just come into full bloom.  Spring is on its way!

We also admired a lot of street art.  Berlin is full of artists and you can see it both inside and out.

There is always a Photoautomat on hand if you want to take a passport photo. It is perhaps more popular to jump into one of these booths at the end of a big night out with your friends.

When we arrived at the Berlin Wall Memorial, we peeked through a gap in the fence to check out a real section of the wall before it was destroyed.  This is where a watchtower stood to prevent anyone from crossing the border.  It would have been very dangerous territory back in its time.

And here is the memorial, showing where the Berlin Wall once stood.  There is a museum nearby, as well as a reconstructed church and a lot of information boards.  I would highly recommend the museum – it presents hundreds of different stories from various families who were split up when the wall was built.

As we continued walking, I was struck by this beautiful image of the TV tower, which you can see from many different angles around town.

By the time we reached Mauerpark, the weather was starting to change, but that didn’t stop the locals and tourists from hanging out, skating, playing basketball, making music and generally enjoying their Sunday.

At the top, we saw a whole lot of street art in action. Spot the graffiti artist against the black wall!

We finished our walk with a glass of wine at Kaffee Marlene, near Eberswalder Straße.  There are thousands of cafes along this strip and when the sun has been shining, people sit out on the pavement, regardless of the temperature.

It feels great to be back in Berlin and I look forward to exploring more neighbourhoods with you in the future. Any requests are welcome!

Have you been to Berlin?  What are your favourite neighbourhoods?

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