Berlin's Neighbourhoods: Which One to Visit Depending on What You Want

Berlin does not have one centre, but several. After the war and then the division of the city, each neighbourhood kept its own life: quiet middle-class streets, bar districts, Turkish markets, shopping avenues, lakes and forests a few metro stops away. This guide sums up on one page what people come looking for in each neighbourhood, so you can choose where to spend the day or the evening, and links to the detailed guides. To choose where to sleep, also see our guide to where to stay in Berlin.

Choosing your neighbourhood at a glance

You are looking for	Recommended neighbourhood	Why
The big monuments	Mitte	Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Alexanderplatz on foot
A quiet, pleasant neighbourhood	Prenzlauer Berg	Tree-lined streets, cafés, Kollwitzplatz market
Bars, clubs and alternative culture	Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain	Oranienstraße, RAW-Gelände, East Side Gallery
A cosmopolitan, working-class neighbourhood	Neukölln	Maybachufer market, cafés and restaurants
Shopping and department stores	Charlottenburg and Schöneberg	Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe
Modern architecture	Potsdamer Platz, Kulturforum	Glass towers, Philharmonie, Neue Nationalgalerie
Nature, lakes and palaces	Dahlem, Grunewald, Wannsee, Köpenick	Forests, museums, beach

Mitte: history and monuments

Mitte, "the middle", is the visitors' neighbourhood: most of the big monuments are here. The Nikolaiviertel and Alexanderplatz recall medieval Berlin and the GDR, while the Hackesche Höfe open onto the Spandauer Vorstadt, the most pleasant part for strolling. Our guide to Mitte details a walk of about six kilometres. It is the best-connected neighbourhood, but also one of the most expensive to sleep in.

Prenzlauer Berg: quiet, family-friendly and pleasant

A shaded path near Kollwitzplatz, in Prenzlauer Berg

North of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg is the neighbourhood of cafés, pushchairs and cobbled, tree-lined streets. Explore it around Kollwitzplatz and its market, the Kulturbrauerei and Kastanienallee; it is reached on the U2. It suits families and anyone who wants a quiet stay, with Mitte's Auguststraße half an hour's walk away. See our guide to Prenzlauer Berg.

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain: bars, alternative culture and Wall memory

On either side of the Spree, linked by the Oberbaumbrücke, these two neighbourhoods are those of nightlife and alternative culture. Kreuzberg has the Landwehrkanal, Oranienstraße, Görlitzer Park and the Markthalle Neun, as well as several memorial sites. Friedrichshain offers Karl-Marx-Allee, Boxhagener Platz, the RAW-Gelände and the East Side Gallery. Both are younger, livelier in the evening and slightly cheaper than Mitte.

Neukölln: the cosmopolitan neighbourhood

South of Kreuzberg, Neukölln is Berlin's most cosmopolitan and working-class neighbourhood. The Turkish market at the Maybachufer, on the canal bank, is one of its best-known meeting points. Our guide to Neukölln details the areas, from Reuterkiez to Rixdorf.

Charlottenburg: the middle-class west

Kurfürstendamm at dusk, with its illuminated signs

In the west, Charlottenburg is the neighbourhood of Charlottenburg Palace, of former "West Berlin" and of the Kurfürstendamm, the shopping avenue that starts at the Gedächtniskirche. This is where you will find department stores, theatres and hotels of every level, close to the Berlin Zoo. Our guide to Charlottenburg gives the details.

Potsdamer Platz and Kulturforum: modern architecture

South of the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz concentrates the glass towers built in the 1990s. The neighbouring Kulturforum brings together the Philharmonie, the Neue Nationalgalerie and several museums: see our guide to the Kulturforum. It is an office district: you visit it rather than live in it.

Dahlem, Wannsee, Köpenick and Lichtenberg: green and away from the centre

For nature, three districts leave the usual circuit. Dahlem and Grunewald mix museums, a botanical garden and forest; Wannsee offers a lake, a beach and villas; Treptow and Köpenick open onto the Spree and the forests of the south-east. Lichtenberg, in the east, has the Stasi memorial sites, the Tierpark and Karlshorst. These districts are day trips, not places for an overnight stay.

Practical information

Getting around between neighbourhoods

Metro, S-Bahn, tram and bus connect all the neighbourhoods. Zone AB covers the whole city, and the Ringbahn (S41 and S42) circles the centre, so you can move from one neighbourhood to another without crossing Mitte. Ticket details are in our guide to public transport in Berlin.

Where to sleep by neighbourhood

For a first visit, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg or Friedrichshain are the simplest choices: well connected, with places to go on foot. Kreuzberg and Neukölln suit travellers who like lively evenings. Charlottenburg is a good compromise for families and for those who prefer a more classic neighbourhood. All the details are in where to stay in Berlin.

Choosing by length of stay

In one day, stay in Mitte (Berlin in one day). In three days, add Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and the Kulturforum (Berlin in 3 days). Beyond that, the green districts and Potsdam deserve a day each.