Berlin-Friedrichshain. From worker's paradise to student's playground.

Friedrichshain is a lively old workers district that has completely been taken over by rad nightlife venues, graffiti and leftist students moaning about Touri's encroaching on their favourite watering holes. Tree-lined Simon-Dach-Straße is full of cafés and bars, while Boxhagener Platz hosts the popular Sunday fleamarket. In the former border zone along the river, the 'MediaSpree' development plans for offices, apartments and skyscrapers is passionately opposed by many vocal locals who fear they'll lose public access to the river. This chapter also includes suburban sights east of Friedrichshain.

Getting there
From Mitte, hop on a train to S/U-Bahn station Warschauer Straße, or to U-Bahn station Frankfurter Tor. From Nordbahnhof or Prenzlauer Berg catch the M10 tram, known as the party tram at night.

Pocket Walk: Friedrichshain
Get off the S- or U-Bahn at Warschauer Straße; enjoy the city panorama from the bridge and glance back at the dainty red-brick Oberbaumbrücke bridge before heading north into the district. Turn right on Revaler Straße and left on Simon-Dach-Straße for Friedrichshain's most touristy stretch of bars and cafés. A right on Krossener Straße takes you to Boxi, Boxhagener Platz, scene of the excellent Sunday flea market. Walk north along Gärtnerstraße and Mainzer Straße to reach the grand Stalinist-style Frankfurter Allee. Follow this west (it becomes Karl-Marx-Allee) and turn right onto Friedenstraße for a stroll and a beer in Volkspark Friedrichshain.