What strikes most of the tourists visiting Berlin is its soul, once torn by the negative recent past but now, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it’s a lively city constantly in transformation. The most outstanding representative place is the Kreuzberg area.
Its XXth century history is restless: before the Second World War this was a workers’ area, almost destroyed by heavy air raids in the 40’s. The building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Berlin and the Kreuzberg new high quality residential neighbourhood soon became the bordered line for its closeness to the Wall and Germans began moving to the suburban areas leaving the place to immigrates (mostly Turks).
In 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a new generation of young, multi cultural and vital artists moved in and Kreuzberg turned into the most fashioned place in Berlin. Berlin is known as the street art city: murals are everywhere (on houses doors, walls, buildings large permanent surfaces). The most famous are Italian artist Blu’s murals in Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain representing the modern human being slave of time and the reunification (east and west discovering each others)
Kreuzberg is just after Mitte, Berlin’s midtown: it’s strongly recommended to stroll and pace up and down in Marhenjneke platz, Kottbussert Tor and Maybachfer (on Tuesday and Friday’s afternoon you can enjoy the famous Turkish market), the south riverside’s shops (no International chains), vintage small markets, open bars, small galleries.
Kreuzberg is also the place for Middle and Far East food: “follow your nose” and you won’t be disappointed at all! Spend your time for a few days in Kreuzberg and you’ll appreciate the soul of this place.
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