TV tower in Alexanderplat. Photos: Veronica StivalaIf I had to pick one thing that I liked most about Berlin, it would have to be the architecture. From the city skyline’s idiosyncratic space-like TV tower in Alexanderplatz, to Frank Gehry’s Pariser Platz 3, to the asymmetrical, tent-like Berlin Philharmonic, the city is filled with wonderful contemporary architecture.
Of course, one cannot appreciate these buildings without remembering the reason why the city is populated with so much modern architecture. Its destruction in World War II left few historic buildings intact.
One cannot fail to mention Potsdamer Platz, which lies south of famous monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (German Parliament Building). This square marks the point where the old road from Potsdam ran through the city wall of Berlin at the Potsdam Gate. It too was laid waste during WWII and then completely abandoned when the Berlin Wall bisected its former location.
Since German reunification, Potsdamer Platz has been the site of major redevelopment projects. Although plans are great, many of the locals complain that the city is constantly undergoing construction works. Indeed, practically every tour guide I came across slagged off the fact that the city is a building site.
Admittedly, this is true, especially for the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district, where the demolished Palace of the Republic is currently being replaced by a new Stadtschloß (City Palace). But there are so many fantastic attractions nearby that I hardly noticed them as a tourist.
Look out for the towering graffiti of a red-haired woman wearing a green and red patterned dress looking down onto the courtyard and see if you can find the ‘sex bomb’
‘Unter den Linden’ literally means ‘under the linden trees’, so named after the lime trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways.
Berlin in October is beautiful. Hailing from a country where we don’t have many trees, or a proper autumn for that matter, I was struck by how picturesque the city became with its trees having turned shades of red, yellow and orange. The city is dotted with quaint parks and these two were all carpeted in leaves in hues of amber, burnt red and golden brown.
Smiling Makes Me Thin graffiti in Kreuzberg. Photo: Alexander SobollaThe weather too was just right. It was cool but the sun shone on most days. Though the weather is temperamental, as it has become the world over, and there were the occasional outbursts of showers, but these were the exception rather than the rule. So a light jacket, a hat and a scarf were the perfect outfit for walks in the park, or along Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg.
This long and wide street is dotted with pretty cafes and one can find gems of shops such as the 1910–1990 vintage furniture and home accessory store Treibgut. Here one can find stylish 1950s armchairs and sofas in the mustard or patterned prints so typical of the time; some retro chests of drawers, interior design rarities and curiosities for your living and working space.
Indeed the city, especially Kreuzberg, where I was staying, is a veritable feast for the lover of all things vintage, and all things stylish. It’s a hipster’s paradise, a designer’s dream, and probably a workaholic’s nightmare. Nobody seems to get up before 11am in this city, and none of the few people I met seemed to do much work. But I didn’t meet toomany locals and one must never generalise.
Lest I be misunderstood, I loved Kreuzberg. This is the trendy, bohemian, artsy area that, along with Friedrichshain and PrenzlauerBerg, forms part of East Central. This eclectic district is home to an array of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creatives and Turkish migrants. These form a third of the population.
A word also has to be said about the impressive graffiti in this city. The most famous site for graffiti is surely the East Side Gallery – a 1.3 mile section of the Berlin Wall, and now an international memorial for freedom. The gallery consists of over 100 paintings by artists from the world over, painted in 1990 on the east side of the wall.
Kreuzberg is a hipster’s paradise, a designer’s dream, and probably a workaholic’s nightmare
It is reputed to be the largest and longest-lasting open-air gallery in the world and is home to probably one of the most famous graffiti pieces ever: Dmitri Vrubel’s Fraternal Kiss, depicting Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker embracing in 1979 during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic.
I was also pleasantly surprised to stumble upon some wayside graffiti in the magnificent Hackescher Markt area. In a hidden away enclose, which also houses the Anne Frank Zentrum andthe Otto Weidt Museum, colourful bunting hangs from graffiti-packed walls.
Next time you’re there, look out for the towering graffiti of a red-haired woman wearing a green and red patterned dress looking down onto the courtyard and see if you can find the ‘sex bomb’. I know I’ll be back to discover more hidden gems.