Slow Walking Through The Bergmannkiez: Discovering Berlin’s Most Charming Neighborhood
The Bergmannkiez is a popular little quarter of Berlin, it’s legend and vibe draws the curious fun seekers, and those in search of authentic Berlin atmosphere. What is it that creates atmosphere in neighbourhoods?
A Stroll Through Bergmannkiez: Berlin’s Hidden Gem of Cafés and Shops
The Bergmannkiez certainly has a vibe that promises a good night out. Turandot is an old established bar along Bergmannstrasse, number 93, on the corner of Solmsstrasse. It’s a cornerstone establishment of the Bergmannkiez. Its patrons are a mixture of those who settled on a bar stool many years ago and wouldn’t dream of being seen anywhere else but Turandot. Others, are the curious wanderers who meander along the Bergmannstrasse in search of something that looks fun but has rock-solid Berlin Kneipe stye. It’s an unpretentious place to sit, talk, meet, and drink a beer or two without breaking the bank.
Farther down the Bergmannstrasse, on the corner of Zossener Strasse, you can wander into a place called “Que Pase”. It looks youthful and busy. Sweet looking cocktail drinks, food on a street terrace for those who don’t mind a busy street corner as their chosen spot for lunch. A fast moving kitchen, I can’t judge the food; never been inside, and I don’t get that “pull” needed to convince me to take a look and taste the cuisine.
The opposite end of Bergmannstrasse is a busy place, and probably has more variety. Shops include two supermarkets that dwell shoulder to shoulder, Edeka and Netto, both have everything a resident needs, and if you’re in Berlin on a short stay, it’s a good bet to buy your late night snacks and food in one of these two supermarkets. Edeka was recently expanded and fitted out into an over large supermarket. It seems to me that they could now do with more staff to fill shelves after 6 pm, the afterwork rush to go shopping depletes that shelves quickly. I’ve popped into Edeka at 9 pm and been caught out as I peered at an empty shelf where milk used to be, and most of the bread has long gone into the shopping trolleys and out the doors. It’s improving, slowly but surely.
Directly next to Netto, tucked into the facade, is an “Eis Diele”, an ice cream stand. It’s an absolute recommend from me. A warm spring day and a traditionally made Italian ice cream in a cone or cup sets the mood just right. In the middle of Bergmannstrasse you’ll find seating. Pretty useful if you get your ice cream, or a coffee and cake, sit down and watch the world pass you by. The Bergmannkiez is a busy place. Motor traffic and foot traffic are in abundance — so, don’t go looking for a quiet day down in the Bergmannkiez. The ice cream cafe is a favourite amongst locals and visitors, the owner behind the serving counter is the friendliest Italian I’ve met. I think most Italians are a jovial friendly bunch, anyway. I often hear him patiently speaking Italian with his customers who want to give their second language Italian a try out at the ice cream stand.
All along the Bergmannstrasse you’ll notice that there are seating arrangements between the two lanes for vehicles. The local senator for Kreuzberg wanted to create a more communal atmosphere in the kiez (neighbourhood). Most Berliners and Kreuzbergers comment that he’s a bit chaotic and possibly nuts in his thinking strategies; the Bergmannkiez has been a strong community for years. No need for seats in the middle of the road where people can sit and gasp at the pollution directly from a car exhaust.
We have Marheinekeplatz which is a short jaunt along the road, just behind the Markthalle. That’s where people hang out. There’s a popular kids playground that is always busy during daylight hours. Plenty of benches to sit and relax — away from the cars. On Saturday and Sunday a second-hand market fills Marheinekeplatz with all types of interesting offers. Books, CDs, Camera components, clothes, shoes, porcelain pots and plates, some very pretty pieces and well worth a look. Toys and collectables, jewellery, second hand and hand made make it an enjoyable stroll as you navigate the various stalls. Stop and talk to the proprietors and you’ll often get a pleasant passing conversation. Kreuzbergers are a friendly lot.
The seating in the middle of the road was an ongoing project which cost a pretty penny in experimentations. The first set of seats were made of wood, like park benches. The second try was a bunch of metalled green seats that reminded me of 1970s park benches that nobody sat on in high summer — they’re way too hot. Scorched backsides, and sweaty legs is not a way to relax.
City planning is becoming an art, these days.
Cities are complex places. Berlin is a patchwork of ideas built on the sands of a swampy plain. The ingenuity that has gone into figuring out how to ensure buildings and structures don’t start sinking into the nether regions of Berlin’s underbelly. Its people are also a mixture of souls that hark from the four corners of the earth. The city of Berlin and immigration have a mutual partnership in sustaining one another. And not only in these strange days of political party immigration policies that are a bit “iffy”.
In the 1600s, Berlin suffered a depleted population due to the Thirty Years War. A war that ravaged Europe. The Berlin population was so low that the Brandenburg Elector, William George, knew if he didn’t take action to populate the emptied streets of Berlin, it would be its end. Populations don’t grow quickly and linearly, they suffer sickness, war, and grow in an up-and-down fashion until they finally reach a number that ensures survival. France had decided they didn’t like the Catholics anymore, so they persecuted, murdered, and forced them out of France.
William George of Brandenburg invited them to come to Berlin and settle. He guaranteed help in the form of financing new businesses, building housing for them, and establishing a community and a catholic church. We ended up with a new type of Berliner, the streets were filled with the smooth rhythms of the French language. French soon became the lingua franca in Berlin.
Today, English is becoming prevalent in Berlin and can lead visitors to believe that English is dominating not only Berlin but all of Germany. That is not the case. We must learn the local lingo — German. How else would you understand the Berlin mentality?
The French Huguenots left us with a French Cathedral, Französischer Dom, The Church of Friedrichstadt. Which can be visited at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, Mitte. Line 5 UBahn, stop; Berlin-Mitte.
Gendarmenmarkt is not far from the Bergmannkiez
Take a slow walk along Bergmannstrasse and you’ll see a mixture of shops and bars, cafes, and restaurants. Often, you’ll see a dry cleaner’s or an old second-hand shop. It looks out of place but isn’t really. There was a time when the Bergmannstrasse was a very quiet street full of offices and suppliers. You could pick up a water hose for your washing machine, or buy paper for a typewriter, notebooks and pens. Something took, and the Bergmannkiez began its journey into the 21st century with a glut of restaurants and bars. Businesses vying for customers with foods and offers that hark from distant lands. Lots of asian food restaurants, a little Spanish on the corner of Bergmannstrasse and Zossener Straße.
A good Berlin neighbourhood serves its locals first. There are places to buy notebooks and pens, printer paper too, toys for small children in the form of board games, buckets and spades, brightly coloured cars and dolls. The stretch of road between Nostitzstrasse and Mehringdamm is intense. It’s always busy with locals going to the supermarkets and visitors who are looking for a pleasant sit down and coffee and cake, or a proper meal in a restaurant.
Over the years, the offers change. at the corner of Nostitzstrasse and Bergmannstrasse is Atlantic bar. It’s an old established bar/restaurant that was always a favourite starting point for a night out in the eighties and nineties. It doesn’t go away but it does change hands, and therefore the menu is not the same as five years earlier. It’s a good place to stop and drink a coppa before heading off to a concert or club.
Next door down, “tranquillo” that offers cards, and gifts. A new establishment named, “Madrido”, a cafe offering crepes, Apfelmüss, Nutella and Krokants breakfast food and drink — I haven’t tried either, but they look interesting and there’s a terrace area to sit and watch the world pass by as you drink something cold, or swig on a hot cup of coffee.
Aa slow walk past these two takes you to the Indian restaurant. It’s been there forever and offers everything you’d want from Indian cuisine. The owner is a friendly and helpful person who wants his customers to feel satisfied and happy with their visit. I recently read a sign on the door that offered everything at “7.50 euros all menus”. Check that out if you’r hungry.
On the opposite side of the Bergmannstrasse you see a wine shop. “Jaques”, the wine shop is open between Tuesday till Saturdays, 12–19 hrs, Sat; 11–18 hrs. The owner offers wine tasting “After Work Tastings”, every 1st Thursday of the month. On the 5th of June this year, 2025, is a Sommerwein (Summer Wine) tasting date.
If you’re into Vintage clothes, “Pick and Weight” can be found in the Hinterhof, Yard, that leads off Bergmannstrasse. The name bothers me! Why do they insist on the wrong use of the word, Weight? It should be Pick and Weigh! — double entendre, Pick and wait, I suppose.
Same place in the Hinterhof, Good Morning Vietnam, a vegan Vietnamese restaurant with a good reputation. Bergmannstraße 102, Hinterhof (back yard. Walk through the arch from the street which has various signs pointing you towards several businesses).
Stroll a bit farther along Bergmannstrasse and you see plenty of opportunities to get a quick cup of coffee in Einstein Kaffee. There’s a spacious front terrace and on cold days table space inside. It’s opposite the ice cream stand which is squeezed between the two big supermarkets.
As you slowly walk along the Bergmannstrasse you’ll be exposed to an intense feeling of neighbourhood. It does depend on what time of day you are there, but it’s a mixture of enjoying the sunshine in sprin time, eating and drinking cold food and drinks, watching the people pass you by as you take it easy. It has everything, shops, cafes, sit down restaurants, a variety of buskers visit the area and fill a corner with the strains of their choice — there is a occasionally a singer who comes along, sits on a kerbstone, and sings a lament. Not to everybody’s taste, but these days of multiculti cities include all types of art and music.
The locals are friendly. If you are lost in Berlin then to stop and ask a person for directions isn’t a problem in a built up area, and a selective choice of person to ask. Berliners are infamous for having a biting and barking way of talking. This is not a sign of unfriendliness, they’re simply direct and quick in response to other’s needs and asks.
There’s a growing number of clothes shops along the Bergmannstrasse, and its side streets. They seem to do well enough. Who knows in these times of economic concern.
In Nostitzstrasse there’s, “Nordic fashion”, an established women’s clothes’ shop. The window display is updated often with some pretty impressive pieces of work — if you like tops and dresses, skirts and shawls, I’d take a look and enjoy the quality of the fabrics.
Breitenbach offers scarfs. jackets, and shoulder bags of various sizes and colours. Next door, cafe “Knofi” which has a large terrace, very popular, good for breakfast, catches sunshine in the afternoon.
The Bergmannkiez has a lot of shops and cafes. If you want to mix it up and enjoy the slow walk around the neighbourhood followed by coffee and cake, then an absolute must is “Frau Behrend’s”, a cafe based on traditional styles of small tables, cozy corners, and the most excellent chocolate cake and coffee in Berlin. My opinion. The selection is overwhelming, in a good way, go there with a desire for scrumptious chocolate cakes and a cozy atmosphere. If its tables are full, then get chocolate cake to take out and grab some coffee or juice to wash it down. Enjoy it sitting on a park bench in the Berlin shade.
