Berlin neighbourhoods: Scheunenviertel and Prenzlauger Berg

In the following description, the names of streets and main sites are written in German, i.e. as they appear on site, and in italics. The letter ß, specific to the German alphabet, is pronounced like a double s in English. See place names in the "Practical information" section.

Start: Hackescher Markt Station.

Access:
- S-Bahn - Lines 5, 7 and 75.
- Underground - Line 6.
- Tram - Lines M1, M4, M5, M6 and M8.

(S) From the station, take the Hackescher Markt exit (Ausgang). Head north, follow An der Spandauer Brücke to the left and continue to the crossroads. Turn right onto Rosenthaler Straße and follow this street on the left-hand side.

(1) At number 40, note the entrance to Die Hackeschen Höfe on your left. Continue to number 39 (on the same pavement). Enter the passageway with graffiti-covered walls and continue to the cinema (Kino) at the end on the right, passing the Anne Frank Zentrum. Retrace your steps to Rosenthaler Straße 40.

(1) Then go under the porch of Die Hackeschen Höfe and enter the first courtyard (there are eight in total, all connected to each other; maps and information boards are located throughout). At the end, go under the archway marked Zu den Höfen II-VIII and you will come out into the second courtyard. Continue straight ahead to Zu Höfe III. Retrace your steps and turn left onto Zu den Höfen IV-VIII. When you reach the fourth courtyard, turn left to reach the fifth courtyard and retrace your steps. Then turn left onto Zu den Höfen VI-VIII. In the sixth courtyard, turn left and go through the seventh and eighth courtyards. Retrace your steps and, in the sixth courtyard, turn left onto Zu Sophienstraße to leave this group of courtyards.

(2) Then turn left onto Sophienstraße. At the church on the left, at numbers 20a-21 on the right, enter the passage called Sophien-Gibs Höfe (discreet door). Cross a first courtyard with a wall covered in inscriptions encouraging you to make choices (oder = or). Go under a porch and cross a second courtyard with a café on the left. Finally, cross a third courtyard and you will come out onto Gibstraße. Follow this street to the right until you reach a crossroads.

Cross Rosenthaler Straße, then turn left into Gormannstraße and walk along a square on your left. Cross Steinstraße and, at the next intersection, turn right onto Mulackstraße. Go to the end of this street, cross Alte Schönauser Straße and take Schendelgasse opposite, slightly to the left. Cross Max-Beer-Straße. At the T-junction that follows, turn right and then immediately left into Hirtenstraße. At the next junction (Kino Babylon opposite), turn left into Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße and you will immediately reach the square of the same name.

(3) Continue along Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße and leave the monumental Volksbühne (theatre) on your right. Pass the underground station, cross Linienstraße and then, at the traffic lights, a busy avenue, Torstraße. Continue along Schönauser Allee. Note a church on the left and take the first right, Sarrbrücker Straße. Walk past some beautiful buildings on the left and an imposing brick industrial building on the right. Take the first left, Strasburger Straße. Cross Metzer Straße and you will arrive at the foot of a hill from which the top of the old water tower (Wasserstum) emerges.

(4) Look for a closed metal door opposite and, about 20 metres to the right, a small staircase. Climb the few steps and continue along a small alley. At the end (ping-pong table), turn left at an acute angle and climb up a cobbled lane. You will arrive at the top of the hill with the masonry of the water tower. Go in a wide arc to the right and go to the foot of the tallest building, which looks like a chimney or a lighthouse. Go down the stairs at the foot (on the right) of this building and return to the table tennis table. Turn left and leave a playground (slide) on your right. At the corner, turn right and go through two gates in succession. Go around a large cylindrical building on the right and, halfway around (no. 23), go down the stairs on the right. Then turn left onto Knaackstraße and follow this street to Kollwitzplatz.

Continue along Knaackstraße, which curves slightly to the right, and walk alongside a small public park on your right. Cross Wörther Straße and continue straight ahead. At the next intersection, turn left onto Sredzkistraße and walk alongside a large brick building on your right (former brewery).

(5) At number 1 on this street, enter the courtyard of this former brewery, which has been converted into a cultural centre (Brasserie des cultures). Walk along a large building on your left, then turn right and left opposite the building called "Palais". Walk along the Kesselhaus on your left, then the Alte Kantine. At the end, turn right to leave the complex and turn left again onto Knaackstraße. At the crossroads, turn left onto Dantziger Straße. At the crossroads with Schönauser Allee, turn right to reach the Eberwalder Straße underground station (E).

To return home:
- Underground - Line 2.
- Tram - Lines M1, M10 and 12.

Place names:
- The word most commonly used to refer to a street in a city is Straße (street), regardless of its length or width. This word is most often combined with the name of the street, as in Friedrichstraße. It can also appear separately, with hyphens, as in Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße, or without, as in Spandauer Straße.
- Other words for finding your way around: Allee (avenue, boulevard), Damm (quay), Gasse (alley), Weg (path), Platz (square), Markt (market place), Brücke (bridge), Bahnhof (station ).
- Buildings: Kirche (church), Dom or Kathedrale (cathedral), Synagoge (synagogue), Moschee (mosque), Museum (museum), Schloß (castle), Haus (house).

Public transport:
Public transport is very well developed and very convenient when visiting Berlin (and no doubt when living there too). There are four types of public transport:
- S-Bahn (suburban train)
- U-Bahn (underground)
- Straßenbahn (tram, only in former East Berlin)
- Bus (bus)
Tickets are valid for any of these modes of transport and must be validated. Tickets can be purchased on board from ticket machines. Tickets valid for 1, 2 or 3 days can also be purchased on board, as well as online and printed at home. For more details, visit the City of Berlin website.

Traffic:
- Given the space and urban planning, car traffic, which can be heavy in some places, rarely gives the impression of being as dense as in a large city in France.
- Berliners strictly obey green/red traffic lights for pedestrians and do not appreciate it when others do not do the same. However, there are many crossings without traffic lights or pedestrian crossings.
- Pavements are sometimes shared between pedestrians and cyclists, although this is not always clearly marked.

Equipment:
- Low-cut sports or hiking shoes are preferable to city shoes.
- From November to March, it is generally cold in Berlin and can be extremely cold. During this period, don't skimp on warm clothing.

Times, resources and alternatives:
- The times indicated are walking times, not including the many stops and visits that can be made. Depending on the number of visits and their duration, the time for this walk can vary from a few hours to a full day.
- The route alternates between busy areas and quieter areas. Given the characteristics of Berlin's urban planning, even in busy areas, there is plenty of space.
- Appropriate dress and behaviour are required in churches (see signs at the entrance). No visits to churches during services.
- There are bars and restaurants along the route where you can stop for refreshments or a meal. The toilets in these establishments are for customers only. There are also a few public toilets (payable).
- The itinerary can of course be varied depending on the sites you wish to visit or your inspiration, provided you have a detailed map (see below). It can be extended with the "Memories of the Berlin Wall: Bernauer Straße" walk, which starts at Eberwalder Straße Station.

Maps:
It is essential to bring a detailed map with the names of the streets in German (at least the one accompanying this description). City maps can be purchased on site at the main tourist sites. They can also be obtained in the United Kingdom from specialist bookshops (for example, IGN offers a handy 1:15,000 map).

Hike completed by the author on 12 November 2016.

This walk is part of a series of walking routes dedicated to Berlin, none of which claim to be exhaustive in terms of places to see or visit. In addition to the city's unique urban planning, characterised above all by its spaciousness, the following sites are worth mentioning:
- Hackescher Markt (S): lively square.
- Passages and inner courtyards between (1) and (3): at no. 39 Rosenthaler Straße; Die Hackeschen Höfe from no. 40 on the same street; Sophien-Gibs Höfe.
- Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (3) with the monumental Volksbühne theatre. Rosa Luxemburg (1870-1919), socialist and pacifist activist, co-founder of the Spartacus movement, was executed without trial by soldiers who were supposed to take her to prison.
- Former water tower (4), built between 1853 and 1892 and unused since 1914.
- Kollwitzplatz, between (4) and (5). Public garden, statue of the sculptor Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945), creator of "Mother and Dead Son" at the Neue Wache. Lively market on Thursday and Saturday mornings.
- Kulturbrauerei (5). Former brewery converted into a cultural centre.