I arrived in Berlin on a Saturday morning. Sleep deprived, burnt out and without having done any research about what I wanted to do for the week. The weather was fine, and getting to my apartment in Kreuzberg was easy enough with a day pass that works on all forms of transport.

The first thing to do was settle in, explore the area and see what was around. As with many of the cities I visit in Europe, I felt safe and relaxed here straight away. Kreuzberg is often referred to as the East London of Berlin. I disagree — it looks a bit grittier, the graffiti is more widespread, and it’s no where near as hectic. There’s a children’s park nearby that parents make good use of, and all of the cafés and street food restaurants sprawl out onto the streets.

It’s busy but calm and has an understated vibrancy and sense of community

This post is for subscribers only

Send me an email, say hi, tell me where you found my website and I'll add you as a subscriber.

Sign up now Already have an account? Sign in