Berlin-Mitte, Berlin

Although Germany and Berlin spent a lot of energy and money to renovate neglected areas esp. in former East Berlin and close to former wall there is still a lot of to do. So, Berlin still is a city of contrasts which I found very interesting.

Not far from the most modern and "high-energy" Potsdamer Paltz I could find neglected areas like on my picture taken from the S-bahn train somewhere in Mitte.

wandering around the neighbourhood, there are alot of interesting things to see. nearby, there was a flea market, with lots of cool historical artifacts. i was trying to find a Mitte bus stop sign, but i think everyone else bought it. i was going to buy an old war helmet, but i dont think that would go to well at the airport, or on my backpack. also nearby there was a beach near the river. i found it odd that there was a beach, and some were still wearing pants... kinda thought that it defeats the whole purpose of a beach

The Hackesche Höfe is a recently restored complex of courtyards. The main entrance is from Rosenthaler Strasse (S-Bahn to Hackesche Markt). Inside this lovely complex are cafés, exhibitions, shops, ... Walk around the area before or after your visit to them to feel like you're in a small town while actually you're in the middle of Berlin.

The Tacheles Complex on Oranienburger Straße, built in 1907 was one of the largest warehouses in town in its time. World War II took its toll on this building and the results are still visible today as you can see in this picture. a good portion of the back side of this building was blown out. This didn't stop squatting artists from occupying the building and saving it from demolition in the early 1990s. The building today is home to artist studios, a cafe and a few bars. The building has actually been fixed up a bit since I first visited in 1998 but its war scared character has been retained. Some of the original spirit still remains however I fear that the mainstream has been moving in and will soon completely commercialize the area. It's hard to keep a good thing a secret. Check it out before it's completely lost it's charm.