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From Wikitravel

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is the smallest of the 12 districts of Berlin. The western district Kreuzberg was merged with the east Berlin district Friedrichshain in 2001. They both have a rather poor population (high unemployment rate) and they are a habitat to a young and alternative, often politically left oriented crowd. Both districts feature a very heterogenous architecture, from whole quarters of 19th century apartment houses to functional and not very pleasant 60s and 70s residential building blocks. As the districts were separated by the wall, you notice also some differences. The remaining part of the wall between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg is the longest still existing one in Berlin.

[edit] Understand

The former districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain had few things in common (one thing is nowadays for sure the attraction to students, politically left and young creative people), due to their history on each side of the wall. Since the political decision to merge, these two districts work politically together. The name was made by flipping a coin to decide what name to appear first.

Kreuzberg is one of Berlin's most eclectic districts, home to a unusual mix of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creative artists and Turkish immigrants, the last of which make up a third of the population and have earned the area its occasional nickname Little Istanbul. The district has gentrified to a considerable extent in recent years, with dot-coms, marketing agencies, designers, German and international kids from wealthy backgrounds moving into renovated lofts and spacy apartments, but there are still plenty of kebab joints, funky nightclubs, and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan gazing down from Communist Party of Kurdistan propaganda posters.

[edit] Get in

The main entry point for Kreuzberg is Kottbusser Tor, the U-Bahn station on line 1 and 8. The U-Bahn line 1 is the backbone crossing the borough from east to west.

The main gateways for Friedrichshain are the S-Bahn stations Ostkreuz and Warschauer Strasse. There are frequent U- and S-Bahns to the main tourist central in Friedrichshain, e.g. the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery close to the "Warschauer Strasse" station.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Kreuzberg

• Jüdisches Museum Berlin (Berlin Jewish Museum) [1]. Designed by Daniel Libeskind with an excellent exposition on the Jewish life in Berlin and the impact of the holocaust.
• Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7 | Stresemannstr. 110, tel +49 30 254 86-0.
• Topography of Terror [2]. This museum documents the terror applied by the Nazi regime.
• Oranienstrasse— A street full of shops, cafes and restaurants.
• Bergmannstrasse— Like Oranienstrasse a street full of shops, cafes and restaurants, but in the other, more middle-class part of Kreuzberg.
• Görlitzer Park. 150-200m along the Wiener Straße (bypassing the fire house and the public swimming pool) from U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof, the park is famous for the Turkish families barbecuing on summer weekends, failed contemporary art and relaxed atmosphere of students.
• Landwehrkanal. Take a stroll for a few kilometers along this canal which runs right through the heart of Kreuzberg. It's peaceful and mostly traffic-free, but full of life in summer. Some parts are lined with bars and restaurants with terraces. Sit on a bench or terrace and watch the world go by on a summer evening.
• Berlinische Galerie
• Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin [3]. Huge technical museum, featuring among many other things an exhibit about computer pioneer Konrad Zuse's work, a collection of old locomotives, and the interactive SPECTRUM science center with various hands-on experiments.

[edit] Friedrichshain

• Karl-Marx-Allee The main street of former East Berlin. It is a big avenue, featuring neoclassical DDR buildings, fountains and lakes.
• East side gallery, the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall still in existence, painted by artists in 1991 (but nowadays rather run down). At Mühlenstrasse, next to the river Spree. Note that the murals are painted on the east side of the wall after the fall of Communism; so they are not from the Cold War, during which murals could only be painted on the west side. The gallery is close to the Ostbahnhof S-bahn station on the west side and the Warschauer Straße S-bahn station on the east side.
  • Make sure not to miss the famous mural of a car seemingly crashing through the wall with Brezhnev and Honecker kissing above it. It is actually on the back side of the gallery (it is facing away from the street.) It is just inside the entrance of the Eastern Comfort Hostel, near the east end of the gallery.
• Oberbaumbrücke, arguably the most beautiful bridge in Berlin and the only connection between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.
• Der Maerchenbrunnen the Fountain of Legends at the Volkspark Friedrichshain
• Boxhagenerkiez The area around Boxhagenerplatz is filled with bars, cafes and small shops. Boxhagenerplatz itself is a small park with a playground and a cafe, and the nearby Simon Dach Strasse is filled with cheap bars and restaurants. At the weekend you can find many places that serve the famous, cheap Berliner brunch. On Sundays there is a small flea market worth strolling around.

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Sights

• The Wall. [Warschauer Strasse U-/S-Bahn]

The longest stretch of the Berlin Wall, where you can get your passport stamped with the touristy Checkpoint Charlie stamp, among other designs for 1.50 Euro.

[edit] Cinema

• Moviemento. Independent and older movies, some in English.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit] Flea markets

• Boxhagener Platz. Sun 10AM-6PM.
• Treptower Hallen/Arena. Sun 10AM-6PM.

[edit] Fashion

• Berlinomat, Frankfurter Allee 89 (S+U Frankfurter Allee). Mon-Fri 11AM-8PM, Sat 10AM–6PM.

• Flaming Squeegee, Gabriel-Max Str. 9, Friedrichshain, Berlin, ☎ 03027589725 (flaming-squeegee@t-online.de), [4]. Funny, creative selection of rockabilly and punk t-shirts, bar, and band merchandise.  edit

[edit] Record shops

• Hardwax, Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44a, [5]. Mon-Sat noon-8PM. THE techno record shop in Berlin; huge back catalogue and weekly news from around the world; also reggae 7" and drum&bass.
• Heisse Scheiben, Ohlauer Str. 44, [6], Mo-Fr 12-7, Sat 11-3; big 2nd hand record store
• Space-Hall, Zossenerstr. 33, [7]. Mon-Fri 11AM-8PM, Sat 11AM-4PM. A large selection of electronic music, from the latest releases to older vinyls.

[edit] Decoration

• Lampenladen, Gabriel-Max-Str. 18, [8]. Mon-Fri noon-8PM, Weekend 10-8PM. Huge selection of hand-craft lamps made of silk and bamboos. Located next to Boxhagener Platz.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Kreuzberg is known for its innovative and good value restaurants. The variety of immigrants can be witnessed in the corresponding restaurants. The following have been recommended in a fast changing market.

[edit] Budget

• Morgenland, Skalitzer Str. 35 (U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof), tel. 030 611 3291. Oriental breakfast buffet on weekends (reservation essentiell!), restaurant and bar every day with good food for mid-range prices.
• Nil. Sudanese fast food shop, serves excellent falafel and other Arabic snacks together with its famous peanut sauce.
• To Loc, Wiener Str. 61. Indochinese cuisine. The best Asian kitchen so far. Highly recommended by a local.
• Hannibal, Wiener Str. 69 (U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof), tel. 030 611 5160. Famous for its burgers and weekend buffet breakfast, good cocktails in the evening.
• Tiki Heart, Wiener Straße 20, tel. 030-61 07 47 03. Innovative and creative Asian, Polynesian and South American breakfast.
• Cream, Schlesische Straße 6, tel. 030-61 07 49 80. Urban coffee house culture with own breakfast creations linked to the film "Herr Lehmann" and own coffee creation!
• Meyman, Krossener Str. 11a, ☎ +49301638061636, [9]. Su-Th noon-2am, Fr-Sa noon-3am. Kurdish restaurant, Small tables with candlelights, full view of the kitchen €7.  edit
• Yellow Sunshine, Wienerstr. 19 (near Görlitzer Bahnhof), [10]. This vegetarian diner offers "bio fast food": soya burgers, organic french fries and currywurst made of seitan. To be enjoyed with freshly-squeezed fruit juice or a Bionade soft drink!  edit

[edit] Midrange

• Hasir, Adalbertstrasse 10, tel. 614 2373, [11]. The flagship of a chain run by Mehmet Aygun, who has a pretty good claim to inventing the döner kebab as we know it, and the kebab here is among the best in town. Main courses still a steal at €6-11. Open 24 hours.
• Kuchenkaiser, Oranienplatz 11-13, tel. 030 614 02697. Institution for generation 68, breakfast till 4PM and global kitchen highlights every week.
• The Shy Chef, [12]. A secret gourmet restaurant in the home of a local resident, with modern European cooking. The address will be revealed to you when you make your booking.  edit
• Asador Steakhouse, Wilhelmstrasse 22 (corner of Hedemannstrasse), tel. 030 2593 1818. Spanish and Argentinian food. Food is good and portions are not so small, waiters are able to speak English. Have a look at the water and drink prices and the taxes to avoid surprises.

• Angus Restaurant Steak-Haus, Kreuzbergstrasse 11-12, ☎ ''+49 030'' 786 27 42. Good food (pizza from €3, pasta, different steaks ect.) while enjoying a nice atmosphere. Its one of the cheapest restaurants in Kreuzberg and because of this very crowded (which is part of the nice atmopshere)  edit

• Turnhalle, Holteistraße 6-9 (Friedrichshain, Warschauer station), ☎ ''+49 (0)'' 30 29 364 816 (info@dieturnhalle.de, fax: +49 (0) 30 29 364 836), [13]. This big old gym is turned into a spacious restaurant, lounge and cocktailbar. Free wireless internet. €13 for mains.  edit

• Schneeweiss, Simplonstraße 16 (Friedrichshain, Warschauer station), ☎ ''+49 030'' 29 04 97 04 (info@schneeweiss-berlin.de), [14]. 11am-4pm, 5pm-11pm. Very white and clean but still cozy restaurant with knodels, schnitzel and other German food. Very popular, so make a reservation €15 for a main.  edit

• Caldera, Gabriel-Max-Str. 17 (Boxhagernar Platz), ☎ ''+49 030'' 34 200 568 50, [15]. Great german-italian food and fancy cocktails in a romantic atomosphere €12.  edit

• Cayetano, Simon-Dach-Str. 14 (Frankfurter Tor), ☎ ''+49 030'' 547 300 42. Mediterran food. Amazing weekend brunch buffet. Free wireless Internet  edit

• Spätzle & Knödel, Wühlischstraße 20, ☎ ''+49 30'' 27571151. mo-fr 5pm-midnight , sa-so 3pm-midnight. Simple and informal restaurant but the southern Swabian-Bavaian food is delicious and spot on. And they have the good beer to match the food. €10 for mains.  edit

Opposite the U-Bahnstation Schlesisches Tor is a very good Turkish bakery which offers one of the broadest varierties of pastries, cakes, bread and other sweet stuff.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Kreuzberg is a popular area for a drink and most people enjoy the very laid back atmosphere. Usually people tend to go out later so most bars start to fill up from 10-11 PM

• Madame CLAUDE, Lübbener Str.19, tel. 030-84 11 08 61, [16]. Gigs 5 days a week (indie-rock, experimental, folk...). Crazy Deco (everything is upside-down). Open daily from 7PM till late.
• Bar Sofia, Wrangelstr. 93 (U Schlesisches Tor). Small café and bar with a bit tacky but very nice interior. Open daily from 9AM. Hot drinks till 8PM, alcoholic drinks from 6PM  edit
• Konrad Tönz , Falkenstein Strasse. Retro 70s with live DJs playing old vinyl records. Most comfortable chairs imaginable and the barman, Jens, is a local legend for his friendliness and charm. Open Tuesday-Sunday 20.00 - whenever (usually around 3-5AM).
• Zyankali Bar, Großbeerenstraße 64, [17]. The most adventurous bar in Berlin! You'll be surprised what kind of drinks they have on their beverage list. They say some people entered the Zyankali and never came out again.
• Wild at Heart, Wiener Strasse 20, [18]. Punkrock Club with live music, great deco.
• Wiener Blut, Wiener Straße 14
• Wuergeengel, Dresdener Straße 122. Great Bar for cocktails.
• Bierhimmel, Oranienstraße 181. Cafe during the day, bar in the evenings.
• Luzia, Oranienstr. 34. Hot brand-new bar.
• Wirtschaftswunder, Yorkstraße 81. Is synonymous with the expression "economic miracle". The prices are very low and it has a good local Kreuzberg atmosphere.
• Bar 11, Wiener Str. 21. (U-Görlitzer Bahnhof), [19]. Every day from 6PM till 7AM. Authentic Bar in the heart of Kreuzberg, DJs on the weekend (rock, pop, funk, soul, disco), entrance is free and international audience. Mondays all cocktails half price.
• Orient Lounge, Oranienstr. 13, tel. 030 - 69 56 67 62. Relaxing lounge with good drinks.
• Habermayer, Gärtnerstr. 6, tel. 030-29 77 18 87, [20]. Nice relaxing bar in Friedrichshain with laid back people.
• Freischwimmer, Schlesischen Tor 2, tel 030-61 07 43 09. Bar directly located at the river on a ponton with good food and drinks, good for chilling.
• Cafe Moskau, Karl-Marx-Allee 34.
• Rockcafe Halford, Boxhagener Str. 19-20, [21]. Heavy metal bar with billiard room, friendly staff and a gigantic statue of Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford out front.
• Hops and Barley Hausbrauerei, Wühlischstrasse 22/23 (East of Simon Dach str.), ☎ 03029367534 (mail@hopsandbarley-berlin.de), [22]. Microbrewery in former butcher shop. They have a good selections on tap, all own production and from other microbreweries  edit

[edit] Clubs

• SO36, Oranienstrasse 190, [23]. Legendary club whose roots are punk, nowadays plays different alternative and mainstream concerts. Don't miss the GAYHANE, the Turkish "homoriental" gay party.
• Club der Visionäre, Am Flutgraben 1, [24]. Minimal techno, house and techno-house at this atmospheric venue by the water.
• Rosi's, Revalerstraße 29, [25]. Rosi's features grungy underground - the best club in town if you are into that. Nice grill outside with lots of chairs for the warm days, has one chill out floor and one main stage almost in front of a very nice bar. 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month: drum'n'bass, 2nd and 4th Saturday: house electro and on other days concerts and rock parties.
• Geburtstagsklub, Am Friedrichshain 33. Best reggae party in town on Mondays, other days vary.
• Insel Berlin, Alt-Treptow 6, [26]. Three floors, music varies from reggae to techno to indie to gothic.
• K17 [27]. 4 floors of goth, industrial, synthpop, post-punk, wave, metal, hardcore and punk, located in a backstreet of Friedrichshain. Impressive exterior and outdoor bar. Wear black or get funny looks. Still, far less pretentious than other goth clubs.
• Berghain/Panorama Bar, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, [28]. The world-famous techno, house and hardcore club. It is situated in an old power generation plant near the Ostbahnhof, sports a huge dancefloor and has room for more than 1500 people. Panorama Bar upstairs is open late until Sunday afternoon. Known as one of Europe's (and the world's) best clubs. Gay friendly, with hidden darkrooms and leatherboys. Be prepared for tough door policy on popular nights.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Pegasus Hostel Berlín [29], Straße der Pariser Kommune 35 (U-Bahn: Weberwiese), tel. 2977 360 (fax: 2977 3610, email: hostel@pegasushostel.de), [30]. 2-bed rooms start at €19 per person, sleeping hall starts at €10. One of this independent hostel's main attractions is its large, green courtyard which hosts a beer garden, BBQ, table tennis and comfortable seating areas. They have free internet access, laundry service and multilingual staff. They offer accommodations from single rooms with showers and WC, to beds in dormitory rooms.

• Raise a Smile Hostel Berlín [31], Weidenweg 51 (U-Bahn: Frankfurter Tor Tram:M10), (email: hostel@raise-a-smile.org), [32]. Double rooms start at €17.90 per person, sleeping hall starts at €8.90. Small & homely independent hostel opened in December 2009. The hostel is decorated in an African style with each room having a different animal theme. 100% of the profit from the hostel is used to support the charity "Raise a Smile" which helps children in Zambia, Africa.

• A&O, Boxhagener Str. 73 (S-Bahn: Ostkreuz), tel. 297 7810 (fax: 2900 7366, email: hostel@web.de), [33]. Double rooms start at €24 per person, sleeping hall starts at €10.

• Baxpax Kreuzberg Hostel , Skalitzer Straße 104, tel. +49 30 6951 8322, [34]. This hostel is centrally-located in an area that has excellent nightlife.

• Die Fabrik, Schlesische Str. 18 (U-Bahn: Schlesisches Tor), tel. 611 7116 (fax: 618 2974, email: info@diefabrik.com), [35]. An old factory building turned into a hostel. 2-Bed rooms start at €49/room, sleeping hall starts at €18.

• Comebackpackers, Adalbertstrase 97, 10999 Berlin (U-Bahn: Kottbusser Tor), tel. +49 30 600 57 52 7 (email: [36]), [37]. Live in the middle of Kreuzberg from 14€.

• NH Berlin Friedrichstrasse, Friedrichstrasse 96, [38], The hotel has a central location, it is close to the main railway station and just a short stroll away from the Brandenburg Gate and the boulevard "Unter den Linden", making it the ideal position from which to discover the city, whether it be for business or pleasure. [39]

• Odyssee Hostel, Grünberger Str. 23 (U-Bahn: Frankfurter Tor), tel. 2900 0081 (fax: 2900 3311, email: odyssee@globetrotterhostel.de), [40]. 2-Bed rooms start at €45/room, dorms from €10/person. The Odyssee is independently run by a young crew - a real rockn roll place with a nice bar.

• Riverside Lodge [41], Hobrechtstr. 43 (U- 8 : Schönleinstraße), tel. +49-30-69 515 510 (email: welcome@riverside-lodge.de). The Lodge is a cozy little hostel located in the exciting neighborhood of Kreuzberg. Here you will find peaceful relaxation on your travels.

• Sunflower Hostel, Helsingforser Str. 17 (S-Bahn: Warschauer Strasse), tel. 440 44 250, (fax: 577 96 550, email: hostel@sunflower-hostel.de), [42]. dorms from €10/person, they also have doubles and apartments. The sunny side of Berlin, nicely decorated rooms.

• U Inn Berlin Hostel, Finowstraße 36 (U-Bahn: Samariterstraße and near S-Bahn/U-Bahn: Frankfurter Allee), e-mail: info@uinnberlinhostel.com,[43]; another cosy backpacker hostel that offers singles, doubles and dorms.

• Red Rooster Bar and Hostel Odyssee, Grünberger Straße 23 (corner of Warschauer St), ☎ (+49) - (0)30 - 29 0000 81 (odyssee@globetrotterhostel.de, fax: (+49) - (0)30 - 29 0033 11), [44]. This is simple hostel provides internet access, bicycle rental, and a bar (open until dawn). Prices range from €10-54 per night.  edit

[edit] Bed and Breakfast

• Bed and Breakfast Ring, ☎ +49-30-48496468 (info@bandb-ring.de), [45]. staff speaks english Prices range from €22-80 per night.  edit

• City-Hotel Gotland, Urbanstrasse 171, 10961 Berlin (Kreuzberg), ☎ +49-30-69536450, [46]. checkin: 13:00; checkout: 11:30. staff speaks english Prices range from €49 per night.  edit

[edit] Shared flats

Berlin welcomes hundreds of students every year which are in need of an inexpensive place to live. Shared flats are the alternative:

• WG-Company [47] this service is free of charge

[edit] Hotels

• Berlin's Hotel President, An Der Urania 16-18, Berlin, Germany, 10787 (Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn, corner of Kudamm and An Der Urania), ☎ +49-30-219030 (info@hotel-president-berlin.de, fax: +49302186120), [48]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: Noon. Staff speak English, French, German, Hebrew, Turkish, Polish, Russian. Located in the heart of the old west side of the city, super close to the Kudamm. It'd be easily missed but is one of the best-kept secrets in the city. The décor is slightly chic in feel. However, the walls are rich and my copper accented full length mirror, along with the lobby bar that glow warmly in the soft illumination. A big draw is the breakfast balcony that overlooks the city. The walls are decorated by art that is often erotic and is always interesting. The Mix—the bar is usually packed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and always has a safe and friendly atmosphere. The crowd is diverse most evenings; gays and straights all sit beside each other in a comfortable setting. Ages range widely from 19 to 50-plus. Cocktail hours from about 5 to 7PM are nice for a more relaxed and conversational feel. However, regardless of what time you go, you're likely to have a good time. Prices range from €85-400 per night. (52.502098,13.34727) edit

[edit] Contact

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!