GERMANY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 699

Berliners just call it “der Berg.” This part of the city was largely untouched during World
War II, but its buildings slowly rotted away under the communists. After the Wall fell, it
was overrun with laid-back hipsters, energetic youngfamilies, and clever entrepreneurs who
breathedlifebackintoitsclassicoldapartmentblocks,desertedfactories,andlong-forgotten
breweries. Ten years of rent control kept things affordable for its bohemian residents. But
now landlords are free to charge what the market will bear, and the vibe is changing. This
is ground zero for Berlin's baby boom: Tattooed and pierced young moms and dads, who've
joined the modern rat-race without giving up their alternative flair, push their youngsters in
designer strollers past trendy boutiques and restaurants. You'll count more kids here than
just about anywhere else in town. Locals complain that these days the cafés and bars cater
to yuppies sipping prosecco, while the working class and artistic types are being pushed out.
While it has changed plenty, I still find Prenzlauer Berg a celebration of life and a joy to
stroll through. Though it's a few blocks farther out than the neighborhoods described previ-
ously, it's a fun area to explore and have a meal (see here ) or spend the night (see here ) .
▲ Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer)
While tourists flock to Checkpoint Charlie, local authorities have been investing in this site
to develop Berlin's most substantial attraction relating to its gone-but-not-forgotten Wall.
Exhibits line up along a two-block stretch of Bernauer Strasse, stretching northeast from the
NordbahnhofS-Bahnstation.Youcanentertwodifferentmuseums;seeseveralfragmentsof
the Wall, plus various open-air exhibits and memorials; and peer from an observation tower
down into a preserved, complete stretch of the Wall system (as it was during the Cold War).
Cost and Hours: Free; Visitor Center and Documentation Center open April-Oct Tue-
Sun 9:30-19:00, Nov-March until 18:00, closed Mon year-round; outdoor areas accessible
24hoursdaily;lastEnglishmoviestartsat18:00,memorialchapelclosesat17:00;Bernauer
Strasse 111, tel. [phone], www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de .
Getting There: Take the S-Bahn (line S-1, S-2, or S-25—all handy from Potsdamer
Platz, Brandenburger Tor, or Friedrichstrasse) to the Nordbahnhof. The Nordbahnhof's un-
derground hallways have history exhibits in English (explained later). Exit by following
signs for Bernauer Strasse, and you'll pop out across the street from a long chunk of Wall
and kitty-corner from the Visitor Center.
Background: The Berlin Wall, which was erected virtually overnight in 1961, ran right
along Bernauer Strasse. People were suddenly separated from their neighbors across the
street. This stretch was particularly notorious because existing apartment buildings were in-
corporated into the structure of the Wall itself. Film footage and photographs from the era
show Berliners worriedly watching workmen seal off these buildings from the West, brick
by brick. Some people attempted to leap to freedom from upper-story windows, with mixed