Looking for fun?

There are two directions to take on Warschauer Brücke. A crowd heads south towards O2 World while another heads north towards Simon-Dach-Straße . But all these people have one thing in common - they are looking for a good time. The former working class district of Friedrichshain has long become a party district.

The new mecca for bohemians

Friedrichshain was combined with Kreuzberg to make a single district. Both areas are connected to each other by a bridge, Oberbaumbrücke, which has become a landmark in Berlin. Friedrichshain has become the new mecca for bohemians, students and artists. The long stretch of bars around Simon-Dach-Straße attracts the entire city and many international guests. No other area of Berlin has such a large density of hotels. And in the evening, you can hear so many different languages spoken on the street. The bars in the area include Astrobar with its retro science fiction furnishings, Goldfischbar with its outstanding cocktails, Paules rustic metal bar and Comux bar with old metal signs that was one of the first bars in Simon-Dach-Straße. Why not come down for happy hour?

A district in transition

In 1920, the city limits ran through today's trendy district. Berlin names like Frankfurter Tor or Oberbaumbrücke still bear witness to this. But the growing metropolis needed more space and so it grew beyond the city boundaries as cheap housing for workers was built. If you walk down Warschauer Straße or take the tram, you can't help but notice that the district in eastern Berlin is in transition. The facades of Karl-Marx Allee, a former socialist boulevard that was a tribute to the architecture of the great Russian brother state, have been revamped and young groups of tenants from the West have moved in. In the old substation, there are now restaurants and the Berlin Criminal Theatre. And not far away, partygoers celebrate in the former Kosmos Cinema at the weekend. But if you want to party all night long, visit Germany's most famous techno club, Berghain, near Ostbahnhof.

Friedrichshain discovers its river banks

The Spree River was formerly the border between the East and West of Berlin. Today, the painted wall of the East Side Gallery is one of the top tourist attractions. But now Friedrichshain has found its place by the water as the river banks here have changed completely. On the east side of the bank, we have the Media-Spree with the Universal and MTV buildings. On the other side, you will find O2 World , a mega event hall that is used for basketball and ice-hockey games as well as concerts. The neighbouring cultural centre, Radial System V, presents classical music in an unconventional manner. Here you can listen to the music lying down! The well-known choreographer Sasha Waltz also has her rehearsal rooms here with the focus on contemporary dance in general.