Nikolai Quarter

The Nikolaiviertel on the Spree is where Berlin began, the site of the medieval town's origins. Largely destroyed in the war, the quarter was rebuilt for the city's 750th anniversary in 1987 by East Germany, partly as faithful reconstruction and partly as prefab concrete apartment blocks dressed up in old-town styling. At its center stands the Nikolaikirche, the oldest church in Berlin.

The narrow cobbled lanes, lined with restaurants, small shops and historic-looking facades, feel like a different city from the modern center around them. Even knowing that much of it is reconstruction, the quarter is a pleasant place to wander. Traditional taverns serve Berlin home cooking, and there are spots along the riverbank to sit for a while.

The Nikolaiviertel sits centrally between the Rotes Rathaus and the Spree, within sight of the TV tower. It works well as an add-on to Museum Island and Berlin Cathedral, both only a few minutes away on foot. Wandering the lanes costs nothing.