5 Fascinating Central Berlin Courtyards

Discover Central Berlin’s Beautiful, Historical Courtyards

This is a guest post by Jorge G who told me about some gorgeous Berlin courtyards a little while ago and kindly agreed to share his insights with the Berlin & Around community. Happy exploring!

Dive Into the Hidden World of Berlin Courtyards

A long time ago, when I was still getting acquainted with central Berlin’s urban landscape, one of the many things that intrigued me was the size of the street blocks. I soon found out that most of Berlin’s blocks are actually “hollow” inside, sporting instead very spacious inner courtyards.

Access to these courtyards is sometimes restricted to residents, but, fortunately for us explorers, other times open to all.  And many of these public spaces have very interesting stories to tell.

In a Rush? Save this Post for Later!

This blog post will hopefully trigger your curiosity. Maybe next time you pass an open gate, you won’t simply keep going. Instead, you might accept the invitation to enter and explore. Who knows, you might find a hidden gem or two!

In this article, we will skip the famous Berlin courtyards that appear in every travel guide in favour of 5 insider spots.

Although, if this is your first trip to Berlin, do be sure to visit the beautiful Hackesche Höfe (Rosenthaler Str. 40-41) and its countercultural neighbour Haus Schwarzenberg (Rosenthaler Str. 39).  These are full of history and heritage, but a bit too well-known for Berlin & Around readers!

Let’s get started!

Rosenthaler Str. 51 (Mitte)

Located in the part of Mitte kown as Spandauer Vorstadt, the first of our Berlin courtyards is often outshone by its neighbours (Hackescher Höfe and Haus Schwarzenberg). However, when it comes to history and culture, this Berliner Hof truly holds its own.