Our Intrepid Urban Adventures tour of Kreuzberg was yet another excuse for Berlin to convince us to stay. Seriously, Berlin, surely you’re full enough you don’t need two more Aussies taking up space and complaining about the coffee!
It was basically a private tour, Marthese and I being the only guests of lovely guide Juana, a Romanian woman who lives in Kreuzberg. The tour started at the East Side Gallery – a portion of the Berlin Wall that has been turned into huge canvases for artists.
We ventured across the impressive and totally out of place Oberbaumbruke, a late 19th Century bridge built in the Romantic style.
But as soon as you’re on the other side of the bridge, there are no illusions of Romanticism to be found. Kreuzberg is a bustling community with a vibrant street art scene, loads of funky bars and restaurants and a real sense of multiculturalism. We enjoyed Currywurst (well, I did, again), Turkish roasted nuts and spices, a Turkish meal of dips and meat (which all tasted great but totally different to what we expected) and the tour ended at a typical German bar, with beer. Along the way we soaked up the sights of the neighbourhood, and even popped into a comic shop.
At the base of these buildings is a large Shanty Town made up of mostly homeless people
Currywurst!!
After bidding farewell to Juana, who was super friendly and gave us lots of tips about Berlin, we returned to our area of Hackescher Markt to try some of the hidden local bars. In a graffiti adorned alleyway we discovered an open air cinema and a bar, so we stopped in for some cocktails before heading to the Fire Bar nearby, where we sat and drank on the quiet Berlin street. We’re staying.
Elias Rambles 