Steglitz
Southwest of the capital city centre, Steglitz enjoys a quiet and village-like atmosphere, apart from the busy shopping streets. In recent years, the neighbourhood has attracted more and more young people, not only because of the Free University (FU), which is located in Dahlem, part of the larger Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. The opening of new cafés and shops, vegan restaurants and vintage clothing shops soon followed. The district's architecture is just as interesting, a mixture of old and new architecture, including villas and art deco apartment blocks. The "Bierpinsel" tower on Schloßstraße is one of the most unusual buildings in the city, and a landmark that often appears in Berlin films and television programmes.
Get to know your neighbourhood
Markets and shopping facilities
Schloßstraße is the main shopping street in Steglitz and offers all kinds of shops, including fine boutiques as well as branches of Primark and Uniqlo, for example. The Schloss is a shopping centre with many of the well-known big brands. What makes it unique is the animated ceiling, which shows seascapes or other seasonal images, such as snowfall at Christmas. Besides the big ones, there are many smaller shops in Steglitz, with more variety. For those who like to keep their weekly shopping inexpensive, "SirPlus Rettermarkt" can be a place to go - the shop in Schloßstraße sells untreated fruit and vegetables, as well as those that deviate from the norm and are therefore not offered in regular supermarkets. There are also dried goods that are past their sell-by date but are still usable and edible - the aim here is to reduce food waste. A small flea market is held every Sunday at the end of Schloßstraße on Hermann-Ehlers-Platz, opposite the town hall.
Nightlife
Steglitz is not known for its clubbing scene, but there are many first-class bars and cosy local pubs where you can watch a football match, play darts or enjoy the evening with friends. "Clandestine on Berlinickestraße is one of Steglitz's favourite cocktail bars. With its dark red walls, leather armchairs and dark wood panelling, it is the perfect place for a sociable evening. From Tuesday to Thursday, students receive a discount of 1.50 euros on every cocktail. "Celtic Cottage" is a popular Irish pub with a large selection of beers and ciders and traditional dishes such as cottage pie and stews - the place is particularly lively at weekends.
Cafés and restaurants
Good food is easy to come by in Steglitz. The "Madonna del Castello" is an example, they conjure up great pizza and pasta. Fu Li Lai on Albrechtstraße is known for its excellent Chinese cuisine, serving tried and tested classics such as Sichuan noodles, dumplings and steamed dumplings as well as northern Chinese dishes. A hidden gem in Steglitz is the Vietnamese cuisine at "Bao", which offers fair prices and high-quality dishes, especially the pho.
For coffee, head to Café Nunzio, which is also known for its homemade ice cream and cakes. On quieter days, this is a great place to work - perhaps with a sweet treat. Another sweet and cosy café is the "Fräulein Emily Café", which offers delicious coffee and cakes, as well as Vietnamese soups and rice dishes. Café Baier" is a bakery on Schloßstraße, but upstairs is a café with stylish vintage decor, great cakes and a large selection of food.
Art and culture
Close to the town hall is the Schwartzsche Villa, which frequently hosts changing exhibitions of painting and photography, literary readings, live music and theatre. In addition to the villa's garden park, there is also a lovely café with a terrace.
The largest theatre in Steglitz is the Schlosspark-Theater, which has staged many famous productions over the years and now hosts regular shows and occasional free events.
If you like world-class art museums, you might like to visit the "Brückenmuseum" in nearby Dahlem. It has the largest collection of paintings from the German Expressionist period, including works by luminaries such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde. The museum is located in an idyllic setting on the edge of the Grunewald forest.
Parks and leisure
The "Stadtpark Steglitz" is a beautifully laid-back park with ponds, fountains and woods, a secluded escape from the city where you can read a book or enjoy a drink with a friend. The foot of the Stadtpark connects to the Teltow Canal; south of here there are some good routes for jogging or cycling along the waterway.
When it gets hot, many people head to the summer pool at Insulaner, a large swimming pool with high diving boards and water slides. The large area next to the pool offers plenty of space for relaxing days on a beach towel or games of frisbee.
The Botanical Garden in Dahlem is a great place in summer, but in winter the impressive glass-domed greenhouses are one of the few places where you can still feel like you're in the tropics. For good reason, many Berlin advertisers choose this location to shoot their latest campaign with models in front of the garden's large tropical plants.
Transport and location
Located in the south-west of Berlin, Steglitz is well connected by U-Bahn line 9, which runs north through Charlottenburg, Moabit and Wedding, and by S-Bahn line 1, which runs north to Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg or south to Potsdam. There are also many bus connections, and the Ring-Bahn runs through the city in both directions, also to get to one of Berlin's airports.
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Steglitz
South-west of the capital city centre, you can enjoy...
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