Berlin – Around Town : Central Berlin: Scheunenviertel (part 2) – Best of the Rest, Old Courtyards

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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




  1. 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

  2. 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.

    • Hackescher Markt

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Hochbunker

    One of the last surviving World War II bunkers.

    • Albrechtstr. corner of Reinhardtstr.

  6. Monbijoupark

    A small park, in which once stood the little Monbijou palace. It is now an attractive green space for a rest.

    • Oranienburger Str./Spree




  7. 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.

    • Between Oranienburger and Rosenthaler Str.

  8. Koppenplatz

    In this small square, a monument of a table and upturned chair recall the expulsion of the Jews.

    • Near Auguststr.

  9. Sophienkirche

    This parish church, built in 1712, has managed to preserve its traditional Old Berlin charm. Be sure to see the Baroque pulpit.

    • Große Hamburger Str. 29




    Inside Sophienkirche

  10. Tucholskystraße

    This narrow street is typical of the transformation of Scheunenviertel – trendy shops next to decaying façades.



Old Courtyards




  1. 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.

    • Sophienstr. 21–22

  2. Sophienhöfe

    The 19th-century red-brick artisans’ workshops have been transformed into artists’ studios.

    • Sophienstr. 17–18

  3. Heckmann-Höfe

    These
    lavishly restored yards, the most elegant in Berlin, attract visitors
    today with a restaurant and fashionable clothes shops.

    • Between Rosenthaler and Tucholskystr. 34

  4. 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.

    • Auguststr. 69




    The alternative Kunstwerke gallery

  5. 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.

    • Rosenthaler Str. 37

  6. Schulhof

    Time seems to have stood still around 1900 in this courtyard, today part of the district’s Kulturamt (cultural office).

    • Auguststr. 21

  7. Hof Joachimstraße

    The extensive courtyard of the former Postfuhramt permits a glimpse of the original façade of the building.

    • Joachimstr. 11

  8. Auguststraße 83

    A café and an art gallery are now based in the yard of a former sewing machine factory.

    • Auguststr. 83/Linienstr. 147

  9. 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.

    • Oranienburger Str. 27

  10. Sophienstr. 22 and 22a

    Two small inner courtyards, partially planted, are surrounded by yellow and red brick walls.

    • Sophienstr. 22–22a