Enjoying The Joys Of Berlin
This is the bohemian part of Berlin that is the remains of the DDR style sparseness including streets and streets of old Eastern German apartment blocs, not only because at least half of all the buildings in this area were destroyed during World War Two. Historically the industrial part of Berlin, this can still be seen in the district due to the remains of old industrial warehouses.
The best way to get a feeling for this interesting place is to walk east from Alexanderplatz down Karl-Marx-Allee – a broad boulevard built in Stalinist style. The real DDR style of the place comes out further down the street when you get to Lichtenberger Strasse as the endless soviet style apartment blocks stretch out before you, towards the twin towers of Frankfurter Tor.
This place is home to the Internationales Berliner Bierfestival every year which is held in the street! If you want to go to it, book your accommodation in Berlin and get your flights sorted! Every August the beer festival draws hundreds of people onto the streets and it is a great atmosphere to experience Berlin in.
Make your way to the south or east of Frankfurter Tor where you will find various bars, clubs and restaurants, particularly good on Simon-Dach-Strasse. As well as this, you should not miss out on the Trodelmarkt at Boxhagener Platz, a weekly market and the shops, boutiques and bohemian atmosphere here.
Finally, a visit to the Volkspark Friedrichshain is definitely worth doing if you are in Berlin for a long weekend, especially if you feel like taking a romantic stroll. This park is scattered with socialist realist art, and has a fountain of fairytale characters and a popular café Schonbrunn. It is a popular gay zone bordering Mitte to the south, where Kreuzberg is.
There are numerous squats in Friedrichshain, particularly in Rigaer Straße, but I’m guessing you’d prefer to stay in accommodation Berlin! In contrast to the more gentrified and expensive districts of Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte, Friedrichshain has a slightly run-down atmosphere, and its lower rents following German reunification attracted students and artists. Nowadays numerous restoration works are under way and Friedrichshain is developing on a fast pace becoming more and more gentrified itself.