Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

Located in eastern Germany, almost halfway between Paris and Moscow, Berlin is laid out on an epic scale and, with 3.5 million residents, is Germany's largest city. When the city-state of Berlin was incorporated in 1920, it swallowed towns and villages far beyond the downtown area around the two main rivers, the Spree and the Havel. Each of its boroughs has distinctive characteristics. Charlottenburg, Schöneberg, and Kreuzberg are popular areas in the west, and to the east, Prenlzauer Berg and Friedrichshain are favored residential and nightlife neighborhoods. Modern urban commercial centers such as Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz still feel like odd insertions between the historically developed quarters surrounding them.

Kurfürstendamm & Western Downtown Berlin. For many locals, Berlin's true heart still beats along Kurfürstendamm, or "Ku'damm"—the easy-to-pronounce nickname for this boulevard that stretches for 3 km (2 mi) through the heart of the western downtown. The area developed in the late 19th century as wealthy Berliners moved out to the "New West," where Ku'damm was modeled after Paris's Champs Élysées. The stately mansions in the posh side streets now house elegant boutiques, restaurants, bars, and galleries. Downtown's center is vibrant Breitscheidplatz, where the somber ruin of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche stands.

Potsdamer Platz & Kreuzberg. Potsdamer Platz and the adjoining Leipziger Platz, the busiest squares in prewar Europe, are the new, yet artificial heart of reunited Berlin. Once a no-man's-land in the shadow of the Wall, Potsdamer Platz reemerged as a shopping, office and entertainment center in the 1990s, offering some of most spectacular modern architecture in Berlin. Hugging the square's backside is the Kulturforum, one of two world-class museum ensembles in the city. The alternative culture of neighboring Kreuzberg makes it one of the most colorful districts in Berlin. A largely Turkish population shares the residential streets with a variegated assortment of political radicals and bohemians of all nationalities. There are few traditional attractions here, but it's a great place to people-watch.

Mitte: Unter Den Linden to Alexanderplatz. Mitte, specifically Museum Island, is the birthplace of the two first settlements—Berlin and Cölln—that later merged to become the proud Prussian and then German capital. Cutting through the historic core of Mitte, all the way from the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz, is the elegant, grand boulevard Unter den Linden. It will take you past stately government buildings, museums, a university campus, and churches. This area of Mitte includes the elegant shops along Friedrichstrasse. Mitte is a fascinating mix of high-life and high culture.

Mitte's Scheunenviertel & Prenzlauer Berg. Fashion, art, and trends are born in northern Mitte around the hip Hackescher Markt and the Spandauer Vorstadt (the former Jewish Quarter), as well as in the Scheunenviertel (Barn Quarter). Former tenement houses and a few remaining late-18th-century buildings house shops, galleries, and stores. The area certainly rewards an aimless walk with vibrant street life. Northeast of Mitte, the old working-class district of Prenzlauer Berg used to be one of the poorest sections of Berlin. Since the fall of the Wall, affluent West German families, yuppies, and couples have all but replaced the former local population. Both areas are great for people-watching and nightlife.