How to spend a day discovering Berlin’s creative side

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

For thriving nightlife and thought-provoking art, there are few better cities than Berlin. Eye-opening and creative, it’s a place where you can tour contemporary exhibitions, wander between kitschy boutiques and party into the evening, all in the space of a single day. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss.

10am: Stained glass in the Gedächtniskirche

Berlin’s history takes concrete form at the Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Church) on Kurfürstendamm. The original 19th-century structure was hammered by Allied bombs in 1943 and then partially rebuilt after the Second World War, with the wreck of the old central spire preserved in the middle. The modernist architecture is stern, uncompromising stuff — until you go inside the chapel. Set into its honeycomb walls are hundreds of panes of stained glass, glowing an ethereal blue. 

11am: Photography exhibits at the C/O Berlin gallery

Strong, smooth coffee awaits just 450m from the Gedächtniskirche, in the cafe at C/O Berlin. The former Amerika Haus cultural centre, with its elegant 1950s setting, is now better known as one of Berlin’s best photography galleries — with a track record of socially engaged and intelligently curated exhibitions, as well as an art bookshop that’s impossible to resist. 

1pm: Lunch at Neni

Don’t leave the area without first taking the lift to this 10th-floor restaurant on Budapester Strasse, next to the leafy Tiergarten park. Make sure you book ahead and insist on a table on the north side, so you can gaze in wonder over 520 acres of inner-city trees as you enjoy the likes of Korean fried chicken salad with peanuts and pickled pomegranate, and spicy caramelised aubergine with toasted sesame and Japanese rice (mains from €18.50/£16). You might also find yourself searching for Norman Foster’s Reichstag dome on the horizon.

2pm: Street art at Urban Nation museum

This free gallery of contemporary art is just five minutes on the U2 underground line, and is funded by one of Berlin’s largest municipal housing associations, Gewobag. Through a series of scholarships and community projects, Gewobag also encourages murals on its own apartment blocks. This means you can feast on vivid paintings inside the gallery, then follow with a side-order of street art in Bülowstrasse immediately outside.

3:30pm: A riverside drink at Holzmarkt

Is the sun out? If it is, the next stop is Holzmarkt, a short walk from Ostbahnhof station. This hub of bars, businesses and restaurants is one of the few spots beside the river Spree where you can have a drink with the water lapping at your feet. Come for an unexpected city-centre combination of willow trees and peeping coots, stay for a spot of browsing. Rafiness und Tristesse upcycles olive oil cans into furniture, Die Backpfeife is a bakery serving cinnamon rolls, pretzels and sourdough sandwiches, Blackfïsk is the place to consider a souvenir Berlin tattoo. 

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church welcomes guest choirs from all over the world to sing prayers, as well as welcomes piano, jazz, organ and instrumental ensembles.

Photograph by Verena Bruening

4:30pm: Shopping in Neukölln

You’re heading to arty Neukölln for dinner, so why not check out its small, independent shops and boutiques first? Bürknerstrasse has several, such as Kolla.Berlin. Co-owned by painter Dennis Pahl, it specialises in soft, loose-necked sweaters and reversible hooded minidresses. Nearby, Scusi Vintage sells a selection of retro Italian clothing and Yes Studio has kitschy candles and stylish glassware. If you’re here on Tuesday or Saturday you can also spoil your appetite by snacking your way along the Turkish market on Maybachufer street, which runs until 6.30pm. 

7:30pm: Dinner at Jaja Wein

Weserstrasse is Neukölln’s friendly and understated nightlife hub, and well worth a look. But first, take a detour to welcoming and unpretentious Jaja Wein nearby. Here, chef and former artist Hannes Broecker serves a short menu of vegetable-heavy dishes using local ingredients. Textures and techniques are spot-on in dishes such as celeriac tortellini with black trumpet mushrooms and an unctuous egg-yolk sauce. Alternatively, try Café Botanico on nearby Richardstrasse, a German-Italian haunt that grows its own produce for its irresistibly fresh pasta dishes. 

10pm: Drinks at Paolo Pinkel

Jaja Wein’s irresistible list of natural wines is highly likely to stretch your dinner later into the night than you originally intended, but if you have the energy and feel like going on afterwards, Paolo Pinkel is your best bet, only 150m away. Sprawling along both Weichselstrasse and Karl-Marx-Strasse, it’s an unpretentious, mood-lit and well-mannered nightlife hub comprising three kitchens, a buzzing cocktail bar and a small dance floor, which stays open at the weekends until 5am. You’ll probably find yourself dancing there after a spicy Thai cocktail or two. 

Published in the March 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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