Walking TourAn Afternoon in the Bergmannkiez

One of Berlin’s most charismatic neighbourhoods, the Bergmannkiez in western Kreuzberg is named for its main shopping strip, the Bergmannstrasse, which is chock-a-block with cafes and indie shops. Above it all ‘soars’ the Kreuzberg hill, Berlin’s highest natural elevation. If you’ve got time, make a detour to nearby Tempelhof Airport, which has been rebooted as a vast urban park.

Walk Facts

Start Marheineke Markthalle; XGneisenau-strasse (U7)

End Cury 36; X Mehringdamm (U6, U7)

Length 3.5km; two to three hours

1 Marheineke Markthalle

The aisles of the renovated 19th-century Marheineke Markthalle (www.meine-markthalle.de; Marheinekeplatz; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat; XGneisenaustrasse) brim with vendors plying everything from organic sausages to handmade cheeses, artisanal honey and other bounty.

2 Pick & Weight Concept Store

Vintage fans love this huge loft store (%030-694 3348; www.kleidermarkt-vintage.de; Bergmannstrasse 102, 1st fl; h11am-8pm Mon-Sat; XMehringdamm) crammed with used clothing going back to the 1960s,all priced by the kilo. Enter via the courtyard.

3 Chamissoplatz

With its ornate townhouses, cobbled streets, old-timey lanterns and octagonal pissoir, Chamissoplatz looks virtually unchanged since the late 19th century, making this square a popular film set.

4 Luftbrückendenkmal

The Berlin Airlift Memorial outside the former Tempelhof Airport honours those who participated in keeping the city fed and free during the 1948–49 Berlin Blockade. The trio of spikes represents the three air corridors used by the Western Allies, while the plinth bears the names of the 79 people who died in this colossal effort.

5 Viktoriapark

Take a break in this rambling park draped over the 66m-high Kreuzberg hill, home to a vineyard, a waterfall and a pompous memorial commemorating Napoleon’s 1815 defeat. In summer, laid-back locals arrive to chill, tan or enjoy drinks at Golgatha (%030-785 2453; www.golgatha-berlin.de; Dudenstrasse 48-64; h9am-late Apr-Aug, weather permitting Sep-Mar; c; bYorckstrasse, XPlatz der Luftbrücke) beer garden.

6 Curry 36

Day after day, night after night, a motley crowd – cops, cabbies, queens, office jockeys, savvy tourists etc – wait their turn at Curry 36 (%030-2580 088 336; www.curry36.de; Mehringdamm 36; snacks €2-6; h9am-5am; XMehringdamm), a top Currywurst purveyor that’s been frying ʼem up since 1981.

Optional Detour: Tempelhofer Feld

To extend your walk, swing by Tempelhofer Feld, a huge untamed urban park on the airfield of decommissioned Tempelhof Airport. Budget an hour or more to explore this noncommercial, creative, open-sky space with a beer garden, art installations, urban gardening, barbecue areas and other fun zones. The main entrance is on Columbiadamm. Entry is free and gates are open from dawn till dusk.