Wilmersdorf
The U3 underground stations are reminiscent of Berlin's former splendour. At Heidelberger Platz, the station resembles a cathedral with a high vaulted ceiling. At Hohenzollernplatz, passengers can admire photographs of the Hohenzollern Palace while waiting for the next train. It's a good introduction to the district, which is characterised by a mix of pre-war architecture and quiet residential streets paired with the shabbiness typical of Berlin. Although less hyped than other popular districts in the city, Wilmersdorf is very well received by its residents. The district is quiet and safe, offers a variety of good restaurants and parks as well as quick connections to the rest of the city. On top of that, you're just a stone's throw away from Charlottenburg's shopping streets and Schöneberg's lively bar scene.
Get to know your neighbourhood
Markets and shopping facilities
Wilmersdorf is home to a legendary event that attracts crowds from all over the city. Every weekend when the weather is good, Preußenpark is transformed into Thai Park. There are several stalls selling Asian specialities and snacks, and not just from Thai vendors. This event, which is popular with families, has been taking place for more than 20 years. Under colourful parasols on raffia mats, Thai women sell a variety of homemade Thai food. Many only sell a few selected dishes, so it is a good idea to try something from many of the vendors.
Favourites include noodle soups with beef or pork, som tam (papaya salad), the classic pad thai, spring and summer rolls or saku sai moo - steamed tapioca dumplings, which are a mixture of salty, spicy and sweet. Even unusual dishes such as grasshoppers or other insects are on offer. Desserts on offer include fried banana, crepes or mango sticky rice as well as cocktails, iced tea, juices and other drinks.
Our tip: Many dishes are sold in disposable plastic crockery, so it is a good idea to bring your own if you want to protect the environment.
The district also has other markets. At Fehrbelliner Platz ('Fehrbi') there is a weekly market on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a flea market at weekends. The weekly market has many stalls with a wide selection, including jacket potatoes, Turkish specialities such as gözleme, Russian specialities such as pelmeni and borsch, Chinese goods and other vendors offering everything from pizza to sandwiches and porridge. Although this weekly market is less well known and visited than the weekly markets in trendy Kreuzberg, many consider the offerings to be equally good. There are many options for shopping throughout the district, including large shopping centres such as the Wilmersdorfer Arcaden.
Nightlife
Wilmersdorf has many stylish bars. The best known is certainly the Bar jeder Vernunft. It is located in an old dance tent from the turn of the century and is one of the best addresses for cabaret and comedy. The champagne places, where the menu is complemented with champagne by candlelight, are particularly elegant.
The Provocateur Bar is located in the Provocateur Hotel and is reminiscent of the Golden Twenties in Berlin. Heavy velvet curtains, red velvet sofas, dim lighting and a golden bar. The unusual cocktail creations surprise with ingredients such as artichoke, Campari Espuma, prickly pear and aloe vera. At weekends, a DJ plays electro music.
Cafés and restaurants
Wilmersdorf is home to a variety of reasonably priced restaurants such as Shaniu's House of Noodles, where you can share a large portion of steamed Chinese dumplings and other dishes. The house speciality is hand-folded noodles. Tian Fu is another restaurant nearby that specialises in Szechuan cuisine, including a fire pot. Other notable restaurants include Bahadur, which offers one of the most flavourful Indian curries, while Thai Art is a good choice for an affordable lunch. During the summer months, Eiscafé Monheim can proudly call itself the city's oldest ice cream parlour, which has been making ice cream according to its own family recipe since 1928. Located close to the Volkspark, it is the perfect place for a refreshing ice cream after a walk.
Art and culture
The district has a number of live music venues such as Badenscher Hof, a small but cosy jazz bar and restaurant. Blackmore's Musikzimmer is located on Warmbrunner Str. and offers classical and jazz musicians the opportunity to perform on a smaller scale.
There are several galleries around Ludwigkirchplatz, including Anselm Dreher, Galerie Janssen and others, which are part of an active gallery scene across Wilmersdorf and Charlottenburg. The Kommunale Galerie am Hohenzollerndamm has regularly changing exhibitions, which include photography, sculptures, paintings and illustrations as well as art fairs. There is even an artotheque where contemporary art by Berlin artists can be borrowed for a period of between 10 and 20 weeks. If you would like to buy art permanently, there is an art mile on Sundays at the flea market on Fehrbelliner Platz.
Parks and leisure
Volkstpark Wilmersdorf is known as a paradise for joggers. It stretches over 2.5 kilometres and is the largest park in the district. The park includes sports fields, a mini-golf course, meadows for relaxation and a small lake, the Fennsee.
For an outdoor experience, a short trip westwards to Berlin's largest forest, the Grunewald, is well worthwhile. In addition to hiking and cycling trails, there is a popular swimming lake and the ruins of an old American radar station on the Teufelsberg, which offers a unique view over the city (entrance fee applies). The forest borders the Havel and is home to a large population of animals, including foxes and wild boar.
If you take the U3 south to the terminus, you will find the Krumme Lanke, one of the best lakes in Berlin, which is perfect for swimming in summer, as well as other lakes and hiking trails that lead into the Wannsee.
Transport and location
Wilmersdorf is located in the west of Berlin, neighbouring Charlottenburg and Schöneberg. The U3 underground line provides a connection to Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, while the U9 runs from north to south and the U7 runs to Neukölln and on to Rudow, close to Schönefeld Airport. Tegel Airport can also be reached via the U7 and then by bus. The S-Bahn also runs via Wilmersdorf and offers a connection to the whole of Berlin with the Ringbahn.
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