Discover Friedrichshain: Culture, History and Walking Routes

Friedrichshain can be discovered through a wide variety of experiences: art in the urban space, distinctive architecture, a historic park, interactive media history and walking routes. Anyone planning a trip to Berlin can combine cultural discoveries with exercise here and organise their priorities for choosing a suitable holiday apartment according to their own daily rhythm.

Art and History in the Cityscape

The East Side Gallery is considered the longest open-air gallery in the world. It has been protected as a historic monument since November 1991, making it not only a place for public art but also part of Berlin’s recent history. Another historical focal point is Karl-Marx-Allee. Its monumental street architecture made it East Berlin’s showcase boulevard; during the GDR era, it was called Stalinallee. Today, it stretches between Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor.

Along Karl-Marx-Allee, you can also follow the History Walk to 24 anchor buildings. An interactive map marks the locations of the key architectural buildings and shows the way. This creates a concrete opportunity to explore the history of the boulevard through individual buildings and their positions, rather than viewing it only from a general perspective.

Park, Fairy-Tale Fountain and Computer Game Culture

Volkspark Friedrichshain was created between 1846 and 1848 according to plans by Gustav Meyer, who later became Berlin’s first city gardening director. The park is one of Berlin’s oldest municipal parks. Its densely branching, curving network of paths offers various opportunities for a walk. In the centre there is a magnificent promenade with a viewing area; beneath it, a stream flowed into the Großer Teich.

The main attraction of the Volkspark is the Märchenbrunnen fountain. It has been protected as a historic monument since 1959 and is notable for its romantic fairy-tale figures by Ignatius Taschner and Georg Wrba. For visitors who want to combine architecture, urban history and sculptural details, the fountain provides a distinctive highlight within a visit to the park.

The Computer Games Museum offers a completely different perspective. In 1997, it opened the world’s first permanent exhibition on digital interactive entertainment culture in Berlin. The current permanent exhibition opened in 2011 in the former Café Warschau in Berlin-Friedrichshain and traces the development of computer games over the past 70 years. More than 30 of the over 300 exhibits can be played and tried out; depending on the special exhibition, there may be even more.

Walks and Different Daily Itineraries

The Oberbaum Bridge also offers a special perspective on the city. There, pedestrians can cross the Spree beneath the underground railway viaduct of Berlin’s oldest underground line. A sightseeing tour through Friedrichshain begins at Frankfurter Tor underground station, which is also served by two tram lines. It leads from the nightlife district around Simon-Dach-Straße to viewpoints on the Spree, with a detour into Treptower Park, continuing to the East Side Gallery and Karl-Marx-Allee, and ending in Volkspark Friedrichshain. The actual travel time is one hour and 20 minutes; time for stops is not included.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Friedrichshain, it is therefore worth deciding first on your preferred travel style: are you planning individual cultural destinations or longer walks and stays in park areas? Accommodation in the destination area can then serve as a starting point for your personal selection, without every item on the programme having to become part of a fixed circular route.

Further Orientation

For further orientation within the range of options, you can also find Weißensee, Marzahn, Hohenschönhausen, Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Kladow, Lichtenberg and Buckow.

To the higher-level travel overview: Berlin.