Courtyard Coffee & Ballroom Glow: Mitte’s Creative Mile

Hours and openings change often — double-check each spot is still open before you head out.

The day, stop by stop

1. 1
   9:30 AM 60 min

   Father Carpenter

   A handsome courtyard frames carefully made coffee and a substantial breakfast. Arrive near opening to enjoy the atmosphere before the brunch queue gathers.

   Münzstraße 21, 10178 Berlin, Germany

   Directions
2. 2
   10:45 AM 60 min

   Hackesche Höfe

   Glazed Jugendstil tiles turn the first courtyard into an outdoor jewel box. Continue through the busy interconnected courts for design shops and architectural details.

   Rosenthaler Straße 40–41, 10178 Berlin, Germany

   Directions
3. 3
   12:00 PM 60 min

   Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt

   This small museum tells how brush-maker Otto Weidt tried to protect his predominantly blind and deaf Jewish employees under Nazism. Give its personal testimonies quiet, undistracted attention.

   Rosenthaler Straße 39, 10178 Berlin, Germany

   Directions
4. 4
   1:15 PM 45 min

   do you read me?!

   Independent magazines and books turn fashion, architecture, food and photography into an absorbing paper landscape. Come for one title; expect to discover several unfamiliar obsessions.

   Auguststraße 28, 10117 Berlin, Germany

   Directions
5. 5
   2:15 PM 120 min

   KW Institute for Contemporary Art

   A former margarine factory houses ambitious, sometimes challenging contemporary exhibitions. Allow time for both the galleries and a pause in the courtyard; access varies between exhibition runs.

   Auguststraße 69, 10117 Berlin, Germany

   Directions
6. 6
   5:00 PM 90 min

   Clärchens Ballhaus

   End with an early restaurant dinner at this storied ballroom, where old Berlin glamour meets the neighbourhood’s present-day bustle. Dining and dancing have separate schedules, so book specifically for dinner.

   Auguststraße 24, 10117 Berlin, Germany

   Directions