Hackesche Höfe and Haus Schwarzenberg

Beneath its rough exterior, Berlin hides elegant urban courtyards behind the Altbau buildings that survived World War II. In the heart of the central Mitte neighborhood, Hackesche Höfe is a cluster of eight café- and boutique-filled public courtyards dating from 1907. Following a complete renovation to restore the interconnected höfs (courtyards) to their former glory, the labyrinth reopened in 1996. Several doors down on Rosenthaler Straße, Haus Schwarzenberg is Hackesche Höfe’s gritty, graffiti-covered brother, and it offers a fascinating glimpse of what much of Berlin looked like before gentrification swept in.

Berlin’s Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg neighborhoods are brimming with the kind of beautiful atelier stores you’ll find in Hackesche Höfe. But the fun here is admiring the architecture as opposed to merely just shopping, especially if you’re a street art fan.