Friedrichshain, Berlin guide

The East Side Gallery is the world’s longest open-air art gallery. At over a kilometre long, it’s also the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. The biggest crowd pleaser is Dmitri Vrubel’s ‘Fraternal Kiss’ between socialist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker. It gets crowded here, so come early or late for photos.

A coat of arms, Gothic arches and storybook spires make the Oberbaum Bridge one of Berlin’s most beautiful bridges. Once a checkpoint between East and West Germany, today, it symbolises the city’s unification. Look for the neon light installation ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’. Then cross on your way to hipster haven Kreuzberg.

In East Germany, punk rock used to be the soundtrack of rebellion. Today, techno represents Friedrichshain’s defiant spirit. Visit the famous techno club Berghain, set in an old power plant. Just trying to get into this exclusive nightclub can be an adventure. Other top clubs on the scene include Tresor Berlin and ://about blank.

The neighbourhoods of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg can feel like two sides of the same coin. But there was a time when the Berlin Wall divided them completely. The FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum tells untold stories of the now-trendy borough. It covers everything from its old, marginalised communities to the gentrification changing its core.

Families will find plenty to do here, including visiting Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berlin’s oldest public park. World War II bunkers lie beneath artificial hills, and the Fairy Tale Fountain brings Brothers Grimm tales to life. In summer, kids will love splashing alongside familiar characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel.

Berlin is home to the largest community of Turks outside of Türkiye. Refuel after a night of partying with a late-night doner kebab, a popular Friedrichshain snack. Get your fix at legendary stand Voner, where ‘currywurst’ (sausage with curry ketchup) is also on the menu. From fine dining to Germany’s first vegan ‘biergarten’ (beer garden), you’ll find what you’re hankering for here.

This city is really good at breathing new life into abandoned spaces. At the RAW-Gelände compound — formerly a rail repair workshop — you’ll find clubs beloved by Berliners. Dance like no one’s watching at ‘teledisko’, the world’s smallest dancefloor, located inside a telephone booth. And don’t miss the Young African Art Market (YAAM) for its world music, exotic flavours and urban beach.

Sundays are about digging for treasure at the Boxhagener Platz (‘Boxi’) flea market. Berliners flock here for vintage furniture, books and vinyl records. Cosy cafes line the leafy square, where you can fuel up with an al fresco brunch. And you’ll find plenty of boutiques and second-hand stores to rummage through.

Christmas markets have been a German staple since the Middle Ages. Each Friedrichshain market has its own vibe. Staying true to the tradition’s medieval roots, RAW-Gelände offers hot mead, axe throwing and a hand-cranked Ferris wheel. At YAAM, a Caribbean Christmas means fried plantains, reggae and a not-so-Caribbean ice rink on the banks of the River Spree.