The city centre of Berlin: loud, crowded, diverse, fun. There are plenty of adjectives to describe the vibrant touristic centre of Berlin. Most people would not use the term “placid” though. But there is a place right in the middle of the action where you forget that you are in the centre of a 3.5 million inhabitants metropolis.
The Nikolaiviertel is a small quarter under monument protection near Alexanderplatz. It only consists of a few houses, shops, restaurants and a church which gives this neighbourhood its name. It may not sound too exciting but trust us, the place has its charm. The houses are partially very old, mixed here and there with modern influences. The shops are mostly small traditional handcraft places. And even though it is located in one of the busiest parts of Berlin and a tourist magnet, Nikolaiviertel is surprisingly calm. It feels like you are in a small town, which makes the contrast to the location around very surreal.
As the quarter is small, it does not take very long to walk through it. The shops and restaurants are worht a look, and strolling around the houses always gets me. There are several traditional German restaurants which is otherwise rather difficult to find in Berlin. Tip: when visiting the Nikolaiviertel, check out the “Knoblochhaus”, a traditional 18th-century residential house which is a museum now (the entrance is free). Afterwards, drop by the Tigertörtchen café and pick some tiny, delicious cupcakes: if you thought there’s nothing better than a delicious cupcake, wait until you try several at once!
