Discover your neighbourhood Berlin Pankow (Prenzlauer Berg)

Berlin Pankow blends urban culture, Berlin attitude and community spirit. Explore 9 spots in Berlin Pankow (Berlin Prenzlauer Berg)!

Marle

6 minute read

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Updated on 6 Aug 2024

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Living

Berlin Pankow is a favourite among locals. Years ago, the district was only seen as the final stop on the U2 underground line, today no other neighbourhood in Berlin can compare to the buzz around Berlin Pankow. And there're good reasons for this: Berlin Pankow combines Kiez culture, Berliner Schnauze and a spirit of community.

Let's discover Berlin Pankow and Prenzlauer Berg so that you can walk through your new district like a true Berliner!

The unexpectedly large rush on the district at the U2 final station came slowly, yet not really surprisingly: after all, Berlin Pankow boasts a green, relaxed character and magnificent streetscapes. There's plenty of space and a lot to discover. With its shops, cafés, inviting you to linger, and cultural activities, more and more are following suit and drawing in the crowds.

Today, Berlin Pankow has become more than just a trend, it has stood the test of time. The run on the north of the city keeps increasing also in the future: The number of residents is forecast to rise from 407,000 to 460,000 in 2030. Berlin-Pankow itself can already claim the title of Berlin's largest district!

What many people might not know is that Berlin Pankow hasn't existed in its current form all that long. In 2001, 1 district was created out of the 3 previous districts of Pankow, Berlin Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee. Now with 13 districts stretching from the northernmost tip of Berlin to Torstraße near the city centre, the district blends a mix of almost rural tranquillity and pulsating big-city life.

Fancy some Berliner Schnauze and loads of Kiez culture? We take you to 9 spots in Berlin Pankow that you should check out apart from Mauerpark. Bet you'll feel like a real Berliner after your tour - better yet, like a real Pankow Berliner.

Let’s go!

Starting your tour on Florastraße in Berlin Pankow means changing sides of the street all the time because there's so much to see. The busy street is teeming with hairdressers, shops, cafés and driveways. Take a cup of herbal tea with honey and ginger at 'Wo der Bär den Honig holt' ('Where the bear gets the honey'), as the mood takes you. To be honest, who could possibly resist a café with a name like that? Grab a quiche for later and off you go to a more traditional café next.

Café serves fresh and homemade dishes for lunch, just like grandma used to make. Whether it’s crumbled cake or yeast dumplings (Hefeklöße), you'll reminisce about a German cuisine from childhood even as an international here.

Fancy shopping and cakes? Tiriki is the place to go for FairTrade fashion.

Cross Görschstraße to Wollankstraße, where you're about to enter a Berlin pub icon.

Strolling through Berlin Pankow, and even more so in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg, you're only steps away from a café with a matcha latte or vegan banana bread in your hand. Café culture is en masse here, not so much pub culture.

In Zur Eiche, also known as OAK Bürgerstube, you can feel the rustic Berlin pub cosiness in Pankow's oldest pub (from 1903!). With good draught beer, house schnapps and Berlin cuisine made from regional products, the established pub is almost bursting at the seams due to its crowds coming in. Ready? Just a two minutes walk up the main street and then to the left on Wilhelm-Kuhr-Straße is the next stop.

It's not just the sugar shock and caffeine kick that will make your heart beat faster here, but also the bliss of finding yourself in vegan heaven. As the name of the café suggests, you'll find your feasting bliss amidst vegan and gluten-free munchies.

And just a few steps away is Bürgerpark Pankow.

Remember saying that Pankow is so popular because it's so green? In Bürgerpark Pankow you'll get plenty of space to sunbathe on the 12 hectares of land, runners tackle the Pankewanderweg with a view, and you get to catch up on your reading in the park library, undisturbed by the greenery. Dream come true, isn't it?

It gets even better: children come and discover lots of animals in the animal enclosure and play with animals at the Pinke Panke children's farm.

Chances are you will end up spending the whole day at the Panke, but wine and concerts are still on the itinerary. Walk back towards Stück vom Glück and then down Neue Schönholzer Straße until you reach Heynstraße.

The Heynhöfe area is dedicated to preserving the culture of the neighbourhood. The place is a true festival, a stronghold for culinary delights, music and spirits. Photo series and commercials often feature the special backdrop of Fritz Heyn.

We continue up Florastraße again. As you can see, Florastraße is the heart of life in Berlin Pankow.

From Florastraße, directly behind Joker's Bar, which advertises itself with Pfeffi, vodka and wifi, you'll find the Milchmann on Berliner Strasse.

Nothing for those who are lactose intolerant though: huge waffles with hot chocolate are at the top of the hit list here.

Berlin Pankow locals wallow most fondly in childhood memories of Berlin meatballs or their all-time favourite kebab, something that's good on every spot. From a culinary point of view, Berlin Pankow lags a little behind Berlin Prenzlauer Berg, yet the Pandagarden brings a ray of hope: you should swap the kebab for this Thai food.

Now it's time to shake a leg! Just walk up Berliner Straße and you'll find Dock 11 on the right on Breite Straße.

Eden lies at the feet of the Pankowers, home to the national and international dance scene. All of this in a villa so beautiful you won't want to leave. In more than 80 classes, more than 900 students a week feel the rhythm of the music and think up new steps of choreography.

And even if you're a little less talented in dance, you can take a passive role and let yourself be carried away by the high-quality stage programme. Dock 11 changes its programme weekly and is the only theatre to focus on dance year-round.

After a long day, simply let the bus take you to the next stop directly on-site; 5 kilometres on foot might be a bit too much now. Just walk up Neue Schönholzer Straße and turn right onto Breite Straße, where you can already see Pankow town hall. From here, take the 250 bus and in five minutes you'll be at the Hermann-Hesse-Straße bus stop, right in front of the Blauer Stern cinema.

Let's be honest, German isn't the easiest language to learn. But as an expat in Berlin, you won't have to miss out on entertainment! Luckily, there're still small independent cinemas where you can watch films in their original version. Away from crowded halls spread over several floors, you can choose a free seat in the Blauer Stern and watch a film in comfort. In the afternoons there are films for children and families and in the evenings’ current productions in their original version.

Berlin Prenzlauer Berg has become a favourite in Pankow: it's not just tourists who flock to Mauerpark, but also young families with their yoga kids or creative minds for brainstorming sessions in their backyard startup offices. Between colourful building facades and countless cafés, there are three spots in particular that you can't miss - aside from Mauerpark.

Usually, it's the early risers who are praised to the skies. Betty 'n Caty love cosiness, so you can choose between avocado bread with poached egg, cocoa with marshmallows or toasties with cheese until 6 pm. Try to call Betty and Caty beforehand to avoid being rejected at 4 pm with a rumbling stomach in front of the café as Betty ‘n Caty is always packed.

When you first step onto the patterned floor tiles, a scent of oriental spices wafts through your nose, the candlelight and the many plants invite you directly to linger in the cosily furnished restaurant SimSim. Authentic Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese cuisine for vegan, vegetarian or 'omnivore' eaters is served on painted plates and vintage silver trays. Of course, you can order your own dish, but it tastes even better when you share the homemade hummus, kibbeh, moussaka or okra with your dinner companions.

All right, now the path will take you to Mauerpark after all. However, not entirely: the beach bar Schönwetter is located right next to the Mauerpark. Once the site of the Berlin Wall, it is now a cosy open-air place where you can sip your after-work beer. Holiday feeling in the middle of Berlin: with deckchairs, cool drinks and even a fire bowl, you'll switch off immediately.

Tell me, when are you going to discover your new neighbourhood in Berlin Pankow?

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