Hack and Heck - Consumer Courtyards by Ekaterinburg
Other delights in the Oranienburger Strasse area are the groups of courtyards developed for shopping and generally indulging oneself. The biggest of these, at the corner of Rosenthaler Strasse, is the Hackesche Hofe, conveniently located almost directly opposite Hackescher Markt Bahnhof. This is described as a 'series of nine interlinking Jugendstil courtyards' and I must say that I have a small problem with that description. The first courtyard definitely has Jugendstil facades but lots of the others come no where near meriting this description. However, they are all delightful places to browse and wander in and it was great to see some original and exciting merchandise. Obviously there are plenty of places to eat and drink here as well and there are also, galleries and a theatre. The galleries made for wonderful window shopping and if I were rich I think I could have quite easily been parted from some of my money here.Further up Oranienburger Strasse is the entrance to the smaller but equally enjoyable Heckmann Hofe. Both these complexes are undoubtedly a bit touristy but especially off-season it would be difficult not to enjoy what they have to offer.