Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

 
With its handsome, cobbled boulevards, refurbished altbau’s and multitude of modish cafes, bars and boutiques, pretty old Prenzlauerberg has come a long way from its humble working-class roots. Though certain sections of this Eastern Berlin district were hotbeds of creative rebellion during the fading years of the GDR, gentrification of the area began in earnest as soon as the wall toppled in ’89.

As an embittered GDR population fled West, disaffected West Berliners moved in. Dilapidated buildings were sold off at bargain prices, interiors revamped and the blank spaces created by WWII bombs were transmogrified into innocuous playgrounds and leafy parks.

Luckily the bombs didn’t fall as heavily in Prenzlauer Berg as they did in other districts of the city, meaning many of the lovely townhouses and picturesque churches have remained intact. Indeed, this area is arguably one of Berlin’s prettiest, calmest and most gemütlich (congenial). Not only is it a great place to stroll, shop and café-hop, it’s laid-back, bucolic charm has made it the number one hotspot in Europe to raise a family according to recent EU demographic surveys.

The regeneration began around Kollwitzplatz, a pulchritudinous square named after prominent wartime artist/sculptor Käthe Kollwitz. Nowadays Kollwitzplatz and the surrounding streets are some of the most developed (and pleasant) in the area, boasting everything from organic food markets (weekends only) to fashion outlets and restaurants like the esteemed Gugelhof, where President Clinton once chowed down.

Wasserturmplatz, named after the 19th century circular water that makes the area so distinctive, is also a popular area, boasting a slew of popular cafes like the simple-yet-stylish Anita Wronski and the revered Russian hangout Pasternak, which offers an elaborate Russian buffet brunch at weekends.

Saunter north across Danzigerstrasse, past the wealth of independent shops selling everything from ethnic furniture to baby clothes and books, and you’ll arrive at Helmholzplatz, another up and coming kiez (neighbourhood). Once a seedy meeting point for drugs dealers, today this lattice of streets – Lychenerstrasse, Dunckerstrasse, Stargarderstrasse, Pappelallee – are a Mecca for young families and Latte Macchiato connoisseurs, who come to browse the kinder boutiques and sip frothy coffees in cafes like Liebling, Duckwitz and Wohnzimmer.

Though this area contains few of Berlin’s key sights – many of them are a short tram ride away in Mitte – there is some culture to absorb if you know where to find it. The Jewish Cemetery (Jüdischer Friedhof) on Schönhauser Allee (No. 22-23) contains the graves of Expressionist painter Max Liebermann and composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, among others; there’s also a beautiful Jewish synagogue on Rykestrasse (No. 53), which was rebuilt after suffering damage during the infamous Nazi kristallnacht pogrom.

On a larger – and more commercial - level is the Kulturbrauerei, a converted 19th century brewery complex, complete with original red-brick chimneystacks, that now contains bars, restaurants, clubs, galleries - even a cinema – and regularly hosts cultural events.

Nearby Kastanienallee is the place to head for a more edgy ambiance. Home to yet more fashion stores, legendary cafes like Schwarzsauer and hip hangouts aplenty, this is the street that informs Berlin’s savvy style press. If you take a right off Kastanienallee along Oderbergerstrasse, you could do worse than dropping into colourful café Kauf Dich Glücklich for waffles and ice cream, before perhaps checking out some of the original Berlin wall further down at Bernaurstrasse.

Directly opposite you’ll see the Mauerpark, a kilometer-strip of no man's land between the West Berlin district of Wedding and East Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg that was turned into a park after the Wall fell. As parks go it’s fairly nondescript, but there’s a great flea market near the Bernaurstrasse side every Sunday.

Continuing along Kastanienallee, you’ll arrive at yet another charming Prenzlauer Berg square - Zionkirchplatz. Dominated by the striking eponymous Zionkirche, this area boasts attractive venues like Café Kapelle and community-minded hang out Weinerei, where guests pay a euro for a glass, help themselves to a selection of wines, then pay what they feel is fair when they leave. Clearly not all collective ideology has been eradicated.

Talking of alcohol, Prenzlauer Berg also comes into its own in the evenings thanks to funky 70s ‘throwback’ bars like Wohnzimmer and Scotch & Sofa, sophisticated cocktail bars such as Saphire and Fluido and trendy bars like FC Magnet and Gorki Park. If you get carried away you can head to Klub der Republik or Ballhaus Ost (both on Pappelallee), which host serious house and techno parties.

Mellow and baby-friendly it may be; but Prenzlauer Berg is still part of the ‘party capital of Europe’ after all.