I’ve been planning a ‘favourite places’ or ‘top ten’ type
post for ages but Berlin has so many treasures that I’ve struggled to decide
what to include and what to leave out. So
I’ve decided that the best way around the problem is to concentrate on some of
my favourite city walks, and to mention interesting or special places along the
way. Berlin is the perfect city for
walking around, with something of note in just about every street (sometimes
this may just be the street itself).
I’ve spent a decade exploring the various neighbourhoods on foot,
sometimes following a pre-planned route but more often than not just setting
off and seeing where my wanderings take me.
It can be tiring but for me it’s a very rewarding way to experience the
city.
As this week has seen the anniversary of the construction of
the Berlin Wall, I might as well start with a manageable ‘Wall’ orientated walk
from S-Bahnhof Bornholmer Strasse to U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Strasse. The distance is about 5 kilometres and can be
covered in about an hour but realistically, with stops and an appropriate pace,
it’s more likely to take two or three.
The station at Bornholmer Strasse can be reached by S-Bahn,
lines 8, 9 and 85 and tram, M13 and M50, but I usually walk from my flat via
some of the less well-known reaches of Prenzlauer Berg (the badlands beyond the
Ring) which offer a number of permutations for getting there on foot.
The Bridge here is of note as it was here that the first
border crossing was breached on 9th November 1989, the night the
Wall fell. There is a plaque and a modest
but informative display commemorating the events of that night. Standing here now, it’s almost impossible to imagine that this
spot was once an international frontier, or that it has a justified claim to
a place in world history.
Commemorative plaque. The Willy Brandt quote reads: 'Berlin will live and the Wall will fall'
The display boards detailing the events of 9th November 1989 - there is also a board here explaining the significance of the date 9th November in German history
From here, steps lead down to Norweger Strasse – a rather
scruffy stretch of land – which runs alongside the railway lines, and follows
the course of the Wall, to another bridge which leads into Gesundbrunnen. Cross the bridge (there is also a subway
which runs underneath it) and take the elevated walkway, Schwedter Steg. It’s nice to stand here above the tangle of
railway lines - which lead in one direction towards Schönhauser Allee, in another
towards Gesundbrunnen and in a third to Bornholmer Strasse - and take in the
panorama. Schwedter Steg eventually becomes
Schwedter Strasse which runs alongside Falkplatz, a pleasant enough
neighbourhood park in its own right, but also a warm-up act for the adjacent
Mauerpark.
Looking towards the Fernsehturm from Schwedter Steg
S-Bahn train making its way to Bornholmer Strasse
The Mauerpark needs no introduction. It occupies a narrow strip which was once
bordered by the Wall, hence its name. The
park has to be visited on a Sunday, not least for the legendary Bearpit
karaoke, although there is some form of activity going on in here at
practically any time of the day or night.
Exiting the park at Bernauer Strasse, there are two options
– either cross over to take a look at the Berlin Wall information panels (the Wall
sliced straight through here) before turning into Wolliner Strasse en route to
Arkonaplatz, or take a detour down Bernauer Strasse to the Gedenkstätte
Berliner Mauer http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/
– a memorial, visitor centre and viewing tower along a preserved stretch of the
Wall. The displays at the visitor centre
explain the layout of the fortifications as well as the history of the Wall and
its impact on the city. 
A picture from last winter at the Berlin Wall memorial, Bernauer Strasse
Displays at the end of Schwedter Strasse
Leaving the Wall behind, Arkonaplatz is a pleasant square
approached via any one of half a dozen cobbled streets, with a neat little park
at one end and a children’s play area at the other. The space in the middle provides the location
for a couple of delightful weekend markets (I’ve mentioned both in previous
posts). I like the Sunday flea market
here – it’s smaller than the one at the Mauerpark and much less crowded. The
Friday food market is also a favourite of mine.
Diners usually mix and match from the various stalls and eat at the
communal tables in the middle of the square.
For example, going for an appetiser of Italian bruschetta followed by a
whole barbecued sea bass accompanied by a glass of wine from the wine stall. The tantalising aroma of fish grilling on the
barbecue mingles with the occasional waft of truffle oil from the Italian, making
it difficult to resist stopping for a bite.
Last time I had barbecued squid served with bread, lemon and a
remoulade-type sauce washed down with a glass of crisp white wine.
Friday market at Arkonaplatz
From here, it’s a short walk down either Swinemünderstrasse
or Zionskirchstrasse to Zionskirchplatz – an oddly-shaped square dominated by
the red brick church from which it gets its name. The church has an interesting history, which
includes being bombed during WW2 and used as a meeting place for DDR dissidents. Opposite the church, Der Hahn ist Tot (which
translates as The Chicken is Dead) http://www.der-hahn-ist-tot.de/en/index.html
is a pretty restaurant which offers a weekly set menu, plus occasional seasonal
specials. The set menu is just twenty
Euros for four courses. There is always
a choice of a vegetarian soup or a meat-based starter followed by a salad, a
choice of four main courses (meat, fish, vegetarian or coq au vin), and a set
dessert. I celebrated a ‘special’
birthday at Der Hahn ist Tot last year and had such a lovely evening that I
went back for this year’s birthday too.
The Zionskirche
Just a few steps away in Fehrbelliner Strasse, is La
Focacceria, a hole-in-the-wall type pizzeria with a few tables. The focaccia-based pizzas, available by the
slice, are very good. There’s no menu,
just choose from whatever they’ve made that day, but the selection is varied; the
wine choice however is limited to ‘red’ or ‘white’.
On the corner of Fehrbellinerstrasse and Veteranenstrasse,
is the charming Weinerei http://weinerei.com/forum/
which I probably visit for coffee and cake at least once a week. There is a daily lunch special and a couple
of soups, plus quiches, filled croissants and baguettes, and some fantastic
cakes, all made on site. There is also a
small selection of wines for between two and three Euros a glass. There is seating on the street outside but I
often find a cosy sofa to nestle into with a coffee, cake and book.
Just down the hill is the Volkspark am Weinberg – one of my
very favourite parks in Berlin. It’s a
small, sloping triangle of green, complete with lily pond, wedged in between
Brunnenstrasse, Veteranenstrasse and Weinbergsweg. In the centre is the excellent Nola’s am
Weinberg http://www.nola.de/, a
Swiss-influenced restaurant with a good quality menu. The terrace is always in high demand
especially on a winter’s afternoon where it’s a great place to catch the sunset
whilst sipping a hot chocolate.
Another picture from earlier in the year - Volkspark am Weinberg
Café Morgenrot
Just a few yards away, the U-Bahn station at Eberswalder Strasse stands at the frenetic junction of Kastanienallee, Eberswalder Strasse, Schönhauser Allee, Pappelallee and Danziger Strasse. It’s a hive of activity with five roads, criss-crossing tram lines and the elevated U-Bahn tracks, and it’s also the end of our journey.
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