Wedding

Wedding is the neighborhood that Berlin gentrification has not quite reached, and that is precisely the appeal. The rents are lower, the Turkish and African food is cheaper and often better than the same cuisines in trendier districts, and the art scene is driven by artists who actually live here rather than by gallery investors.

The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse is the neighborhood's most powerful draw and arguably the best Wall site in the city. Unlike the East Side Gallery's colorful murals, this is about the human cost: preserved watchtowers, an escape tunnel exhibition, a documentation center, and the Chapel of Reconciliation built on the former death strip. The outdoor exhibition is free and runs for 1.4 km. Plan at least 90 minutes.

Leopoldplatz is the neighborhood center, with a market, Turkish supermarkets, and the Schiller Bibliothek. The food scene is authentic and affordable: Eritrean restaurants on Muellerstrasse, Vietnamese spots on Badstrasse, and Turkish bakeries everywhere. The Panke river path offers a quiet green corridor through the neighborhood. Silent Green, a former crematorium turned cultural center, hosts film screenings, concerts, and art exhibitions in a space that is as Berlin as it gets.