Why go
It is located in Mitte locality (in the homonymous district), five minutes away from Alexanderplatz. Geography Situated on the eastern shore of the river Spree, it is bounded by the streets Rathausstraße, Spandauer Straße and Mühlendamm. The deconsecrated Nikolaikirche (Saint Nicholas Church), Berlin's oldest church, gives its name to the neighbourhood and lies at its centre.
What to look for
- The compact lanes around Nikolaikirche combine reconstructed historic façades with surviving civic landmarks by the.
The full story
The two settlements of Old Berlin as well as Cölln on the other side of the Spree originated along an old trade route, the Mühlendamm (Mills Dam), a ford where the river could be easily crossed. The Nicholas' Church, originally a late Romanesque basilica, was erected about 1230. The area around the church with its medieval alleys in the main had been preserved throughout the centuries, until it was destroyed by the air raids and the Battle of Berlin during World War II. At Berlin's 750th anniversary in 1987 the house-building was restored in a peculiar mixture of reconstructed historic houses and concrete slab Plattenbau blocks, giving the area an unmistakable appearance. Today the small area is famous for its traditional German restaurants and bars.
Useful to know
- Visit in daylight for the clearest reading of the architecture and surrounding urban space.
- Combine the stop with nearby sights on foot, allowing extra time only for any separate interior component.