Hi friends!
Some of you might have already seen it on my Instagram: We went on another weekend trip to Berlin! In the following article I am going to tell you why we chose to spend a weekend in a different area of Berlin this time. Furthermore I’ll give you 5 reasons why you should definitely visit Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 🙂 !
Here’s a quick overview:
- The artistic variety is breathtaking
- Explore unique little shops & cafés!
- The views of Spree river are amazing
- Proximity to interesting sights is a big plus
- Lower prices
Why did we choose this area of Berlin for our weekend trip?
Visits to our German capital have been quite frequent but usually I’ve always preferred staying in areas like Charlottenburg, Schöneberg or Prenzlauer Berg. I simply like the neighborhoods with stylish hotels, boutiques and restaurants.
However, I have also always been interested in exploring more of the artsy vibe and historical aspects in former East Berlin. So this time we wanted to see more of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg to check out if the area can live up to the hype.
5 reasons why you should visit Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
After spending a magnificent October weekend in this part of Berlin, I am absolutely convinced that it’s worth a visit!
In general I believe that Berlin is not a city for a simple 2-days-weekend trip since there is so much to explore.
So whenever you can manage to visit Berlin I would highly recommend planning a 5-days-visit or coming back several times.
It’s so much easier to spend 1-2 days in each area (my choice: Charlottenburg/Mitte/Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) and change hotels than trying to cover the whole city staying in one place. Berlin is huge and it can take forever to get from A to B.
So let’s focus on the reasons why Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is worth your attention!
For more visual impressions, check out my YouTube video (Subscribe to my channel if you like it 🙂 ):
1.) The artistic variety is breathtaking!
The area of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg will literally make your heart jump if you’re into street art!
First of all, the area is absolutely colorful, no matter where you go. And whether you prefer walking along the East Side Gallery and learn something about the history of Berlin’s wall or whether you just enjoy checking out different street artists: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is the right place for you!
Of course there are also several art galleries but exploring art in the streets was far more interesting for us since it was a sunny October weekend.
Here are some impressions:
2.) Explore unique little shops & cafés!
If you need a little break and your feet are tired from walking around, here are the good news:
There is a huge variety of lovely cafés, coffee places and other little restaurants to choose from! You will find a unique spread of different food, healthy options and dishes that you have never tried before.
Our favorite place while visiting Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg was definitely Datscha, an amazing Russian restaurant.
I have always been a fan of Russian food but it’s really hard to find here in Hamburg. Have you ever tried Russian food? My favorites were definitely the blini and dumplings with mixed fillings. Have a look at some of the things we have tasted:
After regaining your strength by eating delicious food, you might want to have a look at the little shops in the area of Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.
The biggest advantage of these shops is that they mostly don’t offer mainstream goods. Instead the shop owners focus on vintage books and clothes and street art items. Strolling around in this area is just amazing and you will enjoy the friendliness and relaxed vibe there.
3.) The views of Spree river are amazing!
Another advantage of visiting the area of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in Berlin is being close to Spree river.
In summer there are countless bars and beer gardens where you can enjoy the view. Nevertheless the area is still amazing in fall since you can go on a boat trip or just take a relaxing walk.
If you want to take a boat trip I would highly recommend walking to Mercedes-Benz-Arena and enter the tour there (Reederei Riedel).
There’s an amazing 1-hour-trip that will take you to Tiergarten. On the way you will see lots of breathtaking city views and sights like the Dome, TV Tower, Reichstag and many more.
4.) Proximity to interesting sights is a big plus
Even though I believe that Berlin isn’t a city that can be fully explored in 2 days, visiting and staying in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg makes it possible to reach many sights quickly.
Especially the East Side Gallery is easy to reach and also Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt as well as Checkpoint Charlie are only a short subway ride away.
When visiting Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg I would choose a hotel that is close to the stations Warschauer Straße or Ostbahnhof since they offer great connections.
After taking our boat trip that ended at Tiergarten in former West Berlin, we took the subway back to Alexanderplatz since we had a little bit time left.
5.) Lower prices
After showing you the essential parts of our visit to Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg there is one thing left to say: Staying in former East Berlin is way cheaper than finding a hotel, shopping and eating in other parts of Berlin.
I generally believe that traveling should offer the highest comfort possible and that being too thrifty can ruin your trip. However, there are also some great hotels in this area and certainly there’s no lack of great places to eat and shop.
It all depends on your personal taste ;).
My conclusion
After visiting Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg I can definitely say that it was a great change!
The vibe there is generally more relaxed, artsy and open-minded in contrast to other parts of Berlin.
I can honestly not tell you which part I ultimately prefer! However, as I have stated before, every area in Berlin is so different that choosing is certainly not the purpose here.
In conclusion, I would totally recommend for you to visit Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and enjoy the many advantages this area has to offer.
Have you ever been to that part of Berlin before? Or would you love to go there and explore it?
Feel free to let me know in the comments below 🙂 !
Karo, you make me want to visit Berlin! I’ve actually never been to Berlin and this post makes me question my choices. Your pictures are beautiful and your description is great. I’m adding it to my list!
So sweet memories! I lived in Berlin for almost an year, right in the middle of Friedrichshain and working in Kreuzberg. Your view is pretty the same as an insider: people who moved to Berlin and choose Friedrichshain to settle did it (and loved it) for the same reasons you listed here : )
Very nice article, with a lot of good information! Berlin is a very nice city to visit, and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is a lovely part to wander around!
Went to Kreuzberg a few years ago and it is indeed a cool and hip place, nightlife is great too, thanks for sharing!
Lovely post, I especially loved your pictures. Some great info as well. I’ve never been to Berlin but definitely want to now!
I love this! I wish I had this before I went to Berlin. I don’t remember this areas and love the unique shops and all the art on the walls. Also love the stellar views of the river!
Looks like I’ll need to make a return trip to Berlin! Love the colourful street art and the cute little shops. A great idea to take a boat tour to see the city from a different perspective!
Wow, looks like a great trip! I love visiting artsy places, and this area definitely fits that description. Your photography really shows the area off well. Great article!
Great post, Karo! Love the photos. The street art is awesome and the views of the river are gorgeous! Hope to be able to visit one day soon!
Really enjoyed this post, we need to go back to Berlin as our trip wasn’t long enough, as you suggest you need more than one weekend. Will consider staying in this part of town, it looks like great fun. Nice photos
I love the artsy feel and the patio cafes! Would absolutely love to visit this place given a chance, thanks for sharing !
I love Berlin, and I have explored so much already with all those roadtrips that we’ve done. It’s so nice to see that I’ve been on those photos that’s you’ve taken. I already went to that place Friedrichshain but didn’t really paid attention so much. But honestly it’s really attractive.
Wow – love the street art. The bike yarnbombing is awesome.
Definitely a different and certainly less touristy perspective of Berlin. I like your idea actually moving from neighborhood to neighborhood instead of staying at a hotel in one place – sounds like many short sub-vacations.
Very beautifully captured indeed. Would love to explore it more once we plan another trip to Berlin!
We absolutely cannot wait to be in Berlin next week! This article helped us realize that we should probably start looking outside of the general area we were looking in, and check out more artsy and more affordable neighborhoods. Loved the art pieces you captured in the images above 🙂
I’m hopefully heading here for Christmas! Great post 😀
You had me at low prices hahaa. And the art too! I love murals!!!!! Will definitely be adding this to my bucket list.
This article has made me fall in love with Berline… The city looks so colorful and bright… I am definitely adding it to my list!!
I’m a huge Berlin fan so this was so nice to read. I stayed in Alexanderplatz, and do remember passing all this fantastic street art but not knowing where it was. I love the boutique shopping too, but I never knew about the Russian cafes, looks delicious! Next time, I’ll definitely know where to stay.
This looks like such a gorgeous place. It is a visual delight. I would love to sit in one of those cafes and indulge in people watching. The art scene is fascinating for sure.