A Day in Scheunenviertel
Morning
Take the S-Bahn to
Friedrichstraße and explore this road, Berlin’s former entertainment
district. Walk north along the street up to Reinhardstraße, and turn
left here towards Bertolt-Brecht-Platz. Continue south to Albrechtstraße
to the
Berliner Ensemble
. Once you have admired the theatre where the great playwright used to work, you could make a detour to visit his home, Brecht-Weigel-Gedenkstätte
in Chausseestraße. The best way to get there is on foot – walk along
Chausseestraße. If you remain in Friedrichstraße and turn right behind
Friedrichstadtpalast into
Oranienburger Straße
, you will get to the heart of the fashionable Scheunenviertel. At the corner of the street rises the arts centre Tacheles, and a few steps to the east the shiny golden dome of the
Neue Synagoge
will come into view.
Afternoon
Before exploring the Scheunenviertel district, you should take some refreshments; not far from the Synagogue is Café Oren (see Restaurants & Cafés).
Walk along Tucholskystraße, then turn right into Auguststraße. Here you
will find some of the most attractive courtyards, for example Kunsthof at the corner of Gartenstraße. Return along Auguststraße to Gedenkstätte Große Hamburger Straße and the
Hackesche Höfe
to shop and for an evening meal.
Best of the Rest
Charité
Many
important physicians, such as Rudolf Virchow and Robert Koch, worked
and taught at this world-famous hospital, founded in 1710. A Museum of
Pathology has some 23,000 remarkable exhibits on display.
Schumannstr. 20–21
Medizinhistorisches Museum 10am–5pm Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun, 10am–7pm Wed & Sat
030 450 53 61 56
Alte and Neue Schönhauser Straße
Alte
Schönhauser Straße is one of the oldest streets in Spandauer Vorstadt.
The lively road is still characterized by a colourful jumble of
traditional and trendy new shops.
Deutsches Theater
Once
Max Reinhardt’s place of work, the theatre – widely considered the best
German-language theatre – shows mainly German classics, often in new
interpretations.
Schumannstr. 13a
030 28 44 12 25
Berliner Ensemble
This theatre, established in 1891–2 by Heinrich Seeling, was the main venue for Bertolt Brecht’s plays.
Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1
030 28 40 81 55
The Berliner Ensemble
Hochbunker
One of the last surviving World War II bunkers.
Monbijoupark
A small park, in which once stood the little Monbijou palace. It is now an attractive green space for a rest.
Auguststraße
The
area round this road is one of the closest to the original old
Scheunenviertel, featuring old interior courtyards and many buildings
that have not yet been restored.
Koppenplatz
In this small square, a monument of a table and upturned chair recall the expulsion of the Jews.
Sophienkirche
This parish church, built in 1712, has managed to preserve its traditional Old Berlin charm. Be sure to see the Baroque pulpit.
Inside Sophienkirche
Tucholskystraße
This narrow street is typical of the transformation of Scheunenviertel – trendy shops next to decaying façades.
Old Courtyards
Sophie-Gips-Höfe
Famous
for the Hoffman art collection, which is based here, this former sewing
machine factory is a popular meeting place for locals.
Sophienhöfe
The 19th-century red-brick artisans’ workshops have been transformed into artists’ studios.
Heckmann-Höfe
These
lavishly restored yards, the most elegant in Berlin, attract visitors
today with a restaurant and fashionable clothes shops.
Kunstwerke
Large-scale
installations by the resident artists are regularly on display at the
alternative gallery space – a recent example was an entire artificial
reed garden. The courtyard also has a café in the conservatory.
The alternative Kunstwerke gallery
Rosenthaler Straße 37
This
narrow unrestored alleyway and courtyard gives a good impression of how
the entire area once looked. Just enter via the archway – you will be
able to stroll around and drink a beer at the tables on the left. Until
1933, a Jewish school for the blind was based in these buildings.
Schulhof
Time seems to have stood still around 1900 in this courtyard, today part of the district’s Kulturamt (cultural office).
Hof Joachimstraße
The extensive courtyard of the former Postfuhramt permits a glimpse of the original façade of the building.
Auguststraße 83
A café and an art gallery are now based in the yard of a former sewing machine factory.
Kunsthof
A
courtyard full of nooks and crannies, which is today occupied by a
number of workshops, offices and cafés. Take a look at the richly
ornamented staircases.
Sophienstr. 22 and 22a
Two small inner courtyards, partially planted, are surrounded by yellow and red brick walls.
