Berlin
Discovering Kreuzberg's Bergmannkiez
While it's true that Kreuzberg's lively, café-laden Bergmanstrasse is probably mentioned in just about every Berlin guidebook, it also lies at the centre of one of the city's loveliest neighbourhoods.
Largely undamaged by WWII bombing raids, the so-called Bergmannkiez retains much of its splendid late 19th century architecture, complete with elaborately stuccoed facades.
The small network of streets lying just to the south of Bergmanstrasse itself (such as Fidicinstrasse, Willibald-Alexis-Strasse, Arndtstrasse and the rather grand Chamissoplatz) are particularly lovely; tranquil and seemingly undiscovered by tourists, they provide a fascinating glimpse of historic Berlin and an oasis of calm surprisingly at odds with one of Berlin's liveliest, hippest neighbourhoods.
See also:
Riehmer's Hofgarten
Bergmannstraße and surrounding streets: Kreuzberg 10961, Berlin
