Friedrichshain
Rents may be rising and gentrification unstoppable, but for now there’s still plenty of partying to be done in this student-heavy district. Soak up the socialist vibe on Karl-Marx-Allee and revel in post-reunification euphoria at the East Side Gallery before finding your favourite libation station(s) around Boxhagener Platz or along Revaler Strasse and capping the night with a dedicated danceathon in a top electro club.
The Sights in a Day
MMake your way to Ostbahnhof and confront the ghosts of the Cold War on a stroll along the East Side Gallery. After giving your camera a workout, either pop into the cafe at Universal Music for a late-morning pick-me-up or report straight to Michelberger for lunch.
RWalk over to Karl-Marx-Allee, East Berlin's showcase boulevard, to parade alongside the phalanx of monumental buildings, some clad in Meissen tiles. Drop by Café Sibylle to learn more about the street's history and architecture before hopping on the U5 at Strausberger Platz to ride the three stops to Samariterstrasse. Head towards Boxhagener Platz for an aimless wander, poking into boho boutiques and watching the world on parade from one of the many cafes.
NReflect upon the day’s events over locally brewed Pilsner at Hops & Barley, then waltz over to Lemon Leaf for an Asian dinner or Lisboa Bar for Portuguese. Wrap up the evening over cocktails at Chapel Bar or find your fave from among the clubs and bars on the RAW Gelände along Revaler Strasse.
Top Sight
x Best of Berlin
Clubs
* Music & Performance
Gay & Lesbian
Getting There
S-Bahn Warschauer Strasse and Ostkreuz (S3, S5, S7/75, S9) are both handy stops.
j Tram The M13 goes from Warschauer Strasse station to Boxhagener Platz.
U-Bahn Frankfurter Tor (U5) and Warschauer Strasse (U1) are your best bets.
Top SightsEast Side Gallery
The year was 1989. After 28 years, the Berlin Wall, that grim divider of humanity, finally met its maker. Most of it was quickly dismantled, but along Mühlenstrasse, paralleling the Spree River, a 1.3km stretch became the East Side Gallery, the world’s largest open-air mural collection. In more than 100 paintings, dozens of international artists translated the era’s global euphoria and optimism into a mix of political statements, drug-induced musings and truly artistic visions.
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
www.eastsidegallery-berlin.de; Mühlenstrasse btwn Oberbaumbrücke & Ostbahnhof; 
h24hr; 
bWarschauer Strasse, 
dOstbahnhof, Warschauer Strasse
y Top Tips
AThe more-famous paintings are near the Ostbahnhof end, so start your walk here if you’ve got limited time.
AFor more street art, check out the river-facing side of the Wall.
5 Take a Break
The hipster hotel Michelberger (
GOOGLE MAP
; Warschauer Strasse 39-40; mains €5-10; hlunch Mon-Fri; 
W; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse) serves excellent all-organic breakfasts and lunches.
Mingle with media types for coffee, snacks or a hot lunch in the riverside cafe of Universal Music (
GOOGLE MAP
; Stralauer Allee 1; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri Apr-Sep, 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Oct-Mar).
Don’t Miss
Dimitry Vrubel: My God, Help Me Survive amid This Deadly Love
The gallery’s best-known painting, showing Soviet and GDR leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker locking lips with eyes closed, is based on an actual photograph taken by French journalist Regis Bossu during Brezhnev’s 1979 Berlin visit. This kind of kiss was an expression of great respect in socialist countries.
Birgit Kinder: Test the Rest
Another shutterbug favourite is Birgit Kinder’s painting of a GDR-era Trabant car (known as a Trabi) bursting through the Wall with the licence plate reading ‘NOV•9–89’, the day the barrier was shattered.
Kani Alavi: It Happened in November
A wave of people squeezes through a breached wall in a metaphorical rebirth in Kani Alavi’s recollection of the events of 9 November. Note the different facial expressions, ranging from hope, joy and euphoria to disbelief and fear.
Thierry Noir: Homage to the Young Generation
French artist Thierry Noir’s boldly coloured cartoon-like heads symbolise the new-found freedom after the Wall’s collapse.
Thomas Klingenstein: Detour to the Japanese Sector
Born in East Berlin, Thomas Klingenstein spent time in a Stasi prison for dissent before being extradited to West Germany in 1980. This mural was inspired by his childhood love for Japan, where he ended up living from 1984 to the mid-‘90s.
1Top Sights
1Sights
6Drinking
3Entertainment
Sights
1Karl-Marx-AlleeSTREET
It’s easy to feel like Gulliver in the Land of Brobdingnag when walking down monumental Karl-Marx-Allee, one of Berlin's most impressive GDR-era relics. Built between 1952 and 1960, the 90m-wide boulevard runs for 2.3km between Alexanderplatz and Frankfurter Tor and is a fabulous showcase of East German architecture. A considerable source of national pride back then, it provided modern flats for comrades and served as a backdrop for military parades.
(bStrausberger Platz, Weberwiese, Frankfurter Tor)
Top TipSpotlight on KMA
For more background on the Karl-Marx-Allee (KMA), drop by Café Sybille (
GOOGLE MAP
; 
%030-2935 2203; www.cafe-sibylle.de; Karl-Marx-Allee 72; exhibit free; h10am-8pm, rooftop 1-5pm Mon, Wed & Fri; bWeberwiese, Strausberger Platz), which has coffee, a small exhibit charting the milestones of the boulevard from inception to today, and Instagram-worthy views of the boulevard from the rooftop.
Eating
5Spätzle & KnödelGERMAN€€
This elbows-on-the-table gastropub is a great place to get your southern German comfort food fix, from waist-expanding portions of roast pork, goulash and of course the eponymous Spätzle (German mac and cheese) and Knödel (dumplings). Check the blackboard for seasonal specials like venison goulash or wild boar stew. Bonus: Bavarian Riegele, Maisel and Weihenstephan beers on tap.
(%030-2757 1151; www.spaetzleknoedel.de; Wühlischstrasse 20; mains €7-14; h5-11pm; bSamariterstrasse)
5Lemon LeafASIAN€
Cheap and cheerful, this place is always swarmed by loyal local hipsters and for good reason: light, inventive and fresh, the Vietnamese menu has few false notes. Intriguing choice: the sweet-sour Indochine Salad with banana blossoms.
(%030-2900 9428; www.lemonleaf.de; Grünberger Strasse 69; mains €6-9; hnoon-midnight; 
v; bFrankfurter Tor)
5Lisboa BarPORTUGUESE€€
Thanks to an expansion, getting a table at this beloved Portuguese outpost is no longer as tall an order. The hearty tapas are an excellent base for a dedicated neighbourhood pub crawl. Try the pasteis de bacalhau (fish dumplings), brandy shrimp or chicken in hot piri-piri sauce or any of the weekly specials.
(%030-9362 1978; www.lisboa-bar-berlin.de; Krossener Strasse 20; tapas €3-10; h11am-midnight; bWarschauer Strasse, Samariterstrasse, jM13, dWarschauer Strasse)
Drinking
6Hops & BarleyPUB
Conversation flows as freely as the unfiltered pilsner, malty Dunkel (dark), fruity Weizen (wheat) and potent cider produced right at this congenial microbrewery inside a former butcher's shop. For variety, the brewmeisters produce seasonal blackboard specials such as a malty Bernstein or a robust Indian Pale Ale.
(%030-2936 7534; www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de; Wühlischstrasse 22/23; hfrom 5pm Mon-Fri, from 3pm Sat & Sun; bWarschauer Strasse, Samariterstrasse, dWarschauer Strasse, Ostkreuz)
6Chapel BarCOCKTAIL BAR
Another star on the Friedrichshain cocktail firmament is the Chapel Bar. Its 'altar' is helmed by meister mixer Michael Blair, whose repertory includes both classic and out-there drinks like the Jägermeister-based Hubertus & Jade. A giant chandelier bathes the otherwise rather simple room in a complexion-friendly glow.
(%030-6593 6574; www.chapelberlin.com; Sonntagstrasse 30; hfrom 6pm; dOstkreuz)
6Berghain/Panorama BarCLUB
Only world-class spinmasters heat up this hedonistic bass junkie hellhole inside a labyrinthine ex-power plant. Hard-edged minimal techno dominates the ex-turbine hall (Berghain) while house dominates at Panorama Bar one floor up. Strict door, no cameras. Check the website for midweek concerts and record-release parties at the main venue and the adjacent Kantine am Berghain (
GOOGLE MAP
; %030-2936 0210; www.berghain.de; Am Wriezener Bahnhof; hhrs vary; dOstbahnhof).
(www.berghain.de; Am Wriezener Bahnhof; hmidnight Fri to Mon morning; dOstbahnhof)
6Suicide CircusCLUB
Tousled hipsters hungry for an eclectic electro shower invade this gritty dancing den that at times can feel like a mini-Berghain – sweaty, edgy, industrial and with a top-notch sound system. In summer, watch the stars fade on the outdoor floor with chillier sounds and grilled bratwurst.
(www.suicide-berlin.com; Revaler Strasse 99; halways Fri & Sat, other days vary; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse)
6://about blankCLUB
This club collective also organises cultural and political events that often segue into long, intense club nights, when talented DJs feed a diverse bunch of revellers dance-worthy electronic gruel. Drinks are fairly priced, and if you get the spirit of openness and tolerance, you'll have a grand old time.
(www.aboutparty.net; Markgrafendamm 24c; hvaries, always Fri & Sat; dOstkreuz)
6HimmelreichGAY & LESBIAN
Confirming all those stereotypes about gays having good taste, this smart red-hued cocktail bar cum retro-style lounge makes most of the competition look like a straight guy’s bedsit. Tuesdays are women-only and on Wednesdays drinks are two-for-one.
(%030-2936 9292; www.himmelreich-berlin.de; Simon-Dach-Strasse 36; h6pm-2am Mon-Thu, to 4am Fri, 2pm-4am Sat, 2pm-2am Sun; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse)
6Monster Ronson’s Ichiban KaraokeKARAOKE
Knock back a couple of brewskis if you need to loosen your nerves before belting out your best Beyonce or Lady Gaga at this mad, great karaoke joint. Pop Idol wannabes too shy to hit the stage can book a booth for music and mischief in private. Some nights are GLBT-geared, like Mondays' MultiSEXxual BOXhopping. Must be 21 to enter.
(%030-8975 1327; www.karaokemonster.com; Warschauer Strasse 34; hfrom 7pm; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse)
Entertainment
3Astra KulturhausLIVE MUSIC
With space for 1500, Astra is one of the bigger indie venues in town, yet often fills up easily, and not just for such headliners as Melissa Etheridge, Kasabian or Paul van Dyk's Vandit Records label parties. Bonus: the sweet ’50s GDR decor. Beer garden in summer.
(%tickets 030-6110 13 3; www.astra-berlin.de; Revaler Strasse 99; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse)
Local LifeUrban Playground
The postindustrial jumble of derelict buildings along Revaler Strasse, called RAW Gelände (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.raw-tempel.de; along Revaler Strasse; bWarschauer Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse, Ostkreuz), is one of the last alternative compounds in central Berlin. Since 1999 these rambling, graffiti-slathered grounds of a 19th-century train repair station have been a thriving offbeat creative centre dotted with clubs and bars, an indoor skate park and – in summer – a bunker-turned-climbing-wall with attached beer garden and outdoor cinema. Flea market and street-food fair on Sundays.
Shopping
7Flohmarkt am Boxhagener PlatzFLEA MARKET
Wrapping around leafy Boxhagener Platz, this fun flea market is just a java whiff away from Sunday brunch cafes. Among vendors it’s easy to sniff out the pros from the regular folks here to unload their spring-cleaning detritus for pennies.
(Boxhagener Platz; h10am-6pm Sun; bWarschauer Strasse, Samariter Strasse, dWarschauer Strasse)
7Antikmarkt am OstbahnhofFLEA MARKET, ANTIQUES
There are two sections to this market which starts outside the station’s north exit. The 'Grosser Antikmarkt' (large antiques market) is more professional and brims with such genuine collectibles as old coins, Iron Curtain–era relics, gramophone records, books, stamps and jewellery. It segues neatly into the 'Kleiner Antikmarkt' (small antiques market) which has more bric-a-brac and lower prices.
(www.oldthing.de; Erich-Steinfurth-Strasse; h9am-5pm Sun; dOstbahnhof)