Surroundings Residenz Prenzelberg

‘Prenzlberg,’ as natives prefer to call Prenzlauer Berg, is incredibly trandy at the moment. Under communist rule, this was the center of opposition for several decades and is still home for many artists and writers. With its many cafes, art shops, organic (bio) markets and underground clubs, Prenzlberg is to this day still a symbol of alternative living.

More than 40 percent of the inhabitants here are between 18 and 34 which definitely has an impact on daily life here; lots of exciting clubs, bars, cafes, galleries and theaters help ease the the sometimes rough transition from nighttime to morning to day. The ‘Prater,’ Berlin’s oldest beer garden, on Kastanienallee is extremely popular, as is the ‘Kulturbrauerei,’ a former brewery which hosts a variety of events all year long. For a laidback cafe atmosphere, Helmholzplatz and Kollwitzplatz (named after German sculptor Kaethe Kollwitz) are great alternatives and attract youth and young families, as well as tourists, every day.

Between the two trendy districts of Prenzlauer Berg in the north and Kreuzberg in the south lies the district of Friedrichshain. This district once belonged to the communist working class, so it is understandable that at first glance this district is not particularly impressive; however, it is already well on its way to becoming a cult district. Here you can find numerous cafes and restaurants and some of the most popular clubs with Berlin’s youth.

Easily reachable from this apartment are two memorials of the wall that was built during the night of August 12-13, 1961. This wall divided the city and families for 28 years between the Communist East and Capitalist West and as a result many people lost their lives trying to cross this border. Today there are a few standing remnants left of the once 40-kilometre long wall; one is at Bernauer Strasse, a short walk from our apartments, and another is at the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain, which is reachable by a 15 minute tram ride from our apartments.

Another must see in Berlin is the Alexanderplatz, which has a Fernsehturm (TV tower) that stands at 368 meters tall, the Rotes Rathaus (red city hall), the World Time Clock and typical communist architecture. The Fernsehturm is easily Berlin’s tallest landmark and offers an excellent view of the city for a minimal fee. Reconstruction is ongoing at Alexanderplatz: there are plans for ten new high rises, new tram routes, a new shopping centre, new paving stones, steps for seating and much more, lots of which is scheduled to be done by the end of 2007.

On the south side of this very large square is the Nikolaiviertel, named so after the 1,000 year old Nikolai Church that stands in the middle of this area. With its small winding streets, restaurants and numerous shops, this is a tourist favourite.