Despite the inexorable gentrification creep of Mitte and the laughably stupid rebranding of the area north of Torstrasse as NoTo (get it? NOrth of TOrstrasse!), it’s nice to see that some elements of 90s grunge and post-wall East Berlin squat culture manage to not only hang on but thrive in the neighborhood. We can still celebrate the Schokoladen (for a while yet) and the legendary Klub der polnischen Versager (that’s the Club of Polish Losers) on Ackerstrasse, though sadly the Ackerkeller, once underground home to Berlin’s underground homos, is homeless and seems content to sleep around and currently turns tricks at the King Kong Klub. 

Near the Torstrasse end of Bergstrasse, a bright red neon Z helpfully marks the Z-Bar, Mitte’s home of Kunst, Kultur and Kino. The Z-Bar was born out of an empty bakery in 1993 and today it serves up cocktails, a culture program – which features Berlins Schmusetiersoap (a truly bizarre episodic soap opera with cuddly cast-off, stuffed toys as actors), readings and a weekly variety show – and a truly off cinema program. Fans of bizarro cinema shouldn’t miss their selection from “the wild side of cinema” where you’ll find B-movie offerings from around the world. Whether you love home-made Japanese horror movies or budget slasher films or crappy sci-fi from the 1950s, Z-inema serves it all up with no judgment. 

Best of all, the Z-inema is also available to rent. So if you don’t like their lineup, rent out the cinema, invite your friends and throw your own party!

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Z-Bar | Bars, Cinemas | Cocktail from € 5.00
Bergstr. 2 | Mitte | +493028389121
19:00 – open end daily

“For me Berliner backyards are like surprises. You never know what’s waiting for you behind the gate.”

On one hand the way apartment buildings were built during the so called “Gründerzeit” (time around 1870-1914) produced the typical apartment blocks in Berlin, now known as “Altbauten” (old buildings) or “Mietskasernen” (tenements). On the other hand it gave Berlin those backyards everywhere.

In a particular area called “Scheunenviertel” (Barn Quarter) you can find a couple of very interesting “Hinterhöfe” where life seems to be hidden. Enjoy theatres, cinemas, galleries, museums, shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and other surprises there!

Except for “Hackesche Höfe“, now a tourist magnet and the most prominent complex of backyards, tourists and even Berliners don’t visit them. That is very unfortunate. And you will understand that if you go out to discover the following backyards: – Backyard of Haus Schwarzenberg (see the Haus Schwarzenberg article)- Heckmannhöfe (see the Heckmanhoefe article)- Hackesche Höfe: a complex of 8 backyards Rosenthaler Straße 40/41 & Sophienstraße 6- Kunsthof, contains very nice hospitality and quality galleries Oranienburger Strasse 27- Sophie-Gips-Höfe, contains the Hoffmann Collection (see the Hoffmann collection article) Sophienstraße 21- Rosenhöfe, Rosenthaler Strasse 36- Panasia/Gallerie Cicero, Rosenthaler Strasse 38

Also, I’d like to encourage you to keep your eyes open for many other backyards in this area and not to be shy to enter them. With a bit of luck you can find real jewels of cultural & night life in them!

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Berliner backyards | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Theaters, Restaurants
Different locations | Mitte
Various opening times

I challenge you to find a better cinema in Berlin when it comes down to variety and internationality. It never stops surprising me with what they come up and where the hell they get it from…

Starts off with dozens of annual film festivals and regular programmes they run over the year. Often several different ones at the same time. Most international movies are shown in original version and subtitled. Here a few examples:

- Cine En Español: Regular Monday movies in Spanish

- CinemAperitivo: Regular Sunday (16:00) Italian movies, with Italian aperitif afterwards

- New German Cinema: every Thursday

Special events can be seen on the website of the Babylon.

Sometimes the Babylon is also used for other events such as Readings, cabaret or concerts. Which is not really surprising: The huge main hall still keeps the air from 1929, when the cinema opened first. Furthermore, keeping its history in mind, they screen silent films with live piano music.

The two smaller showrooms in the back of the building are spots of movies only. And as I can confirm, they are really cosy. Gives you the feeling of non-mainstreamism, which I love.

Be aware that there are two Babylons in Berlin (both are cinemas!). Which is why both cinemas need to index themselves with the district: Mitte or Kreuzberg. This article deals with the one in Mitte.

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Babylon: Mitte | Cinemas | Normal admission € 6.50
Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30 | Mitte | +49302425969
Daily (times see website)

To find the cinema “Central”, you first have to point out Haus Schwarzenberg (see the Haus Schwartzenberg article). Go through to the end of the backyard and find the actual cinema on the right.

Their programme of movies makes this little cinema one of my favorites. It is nothing of the big commercial cinemas that (only) screen mainstream films from Hollywood. People on the search for interesting, independent and international films are right here. Usually they play films in their original language and have subtitles in English or German, respectively.

The chairs in the two show rooms are extremely comfortable; the Central’s website is really user-friendly and partly in English (sometimes descriptions of movies are not in English). So check the programme!

A movie that I can still (!) recommend is “Berlin Calling”. It runs successfully here for more than three years, letting the audience dive into the Berlin world of Techno. Paul Kalkbrenner, a famous Berliner DJ, plays the main character – a DJ who has to go for a withdrawal treatment after a drug overdose. Great & famous soundtrack included! Everyone with a taste for the Berliner Techno scene should watch this!

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Central | Cinemas | Regular Admission € 6.50
Rosenthaler Strasse 39 | Mitte | +493028599973
First movie ca. 15:00 – last movie ca. 23:30

One could say there are two cafes/bars, two shops, a gallery, a cinema, a museum…But that wouldn’t be enough to describe the importance of Haus Schwarzenberg. For getting a proper feeling of the cultural Berlin you have to go there.

Here is where Otto Weidt saved lives of deaf and blind Jewish workers from Holocaust in his broom and brush workshop. Find out more about this historical place in the “Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt“.

The memorial “Stille Helden” honors and commemorates those people who, like Otto Weidt, risked their own lives to rescue prosecuted Jewish people from assured death.

Go further through to the second backyard. Here’s the lovely cinema “Central” (see this article). Also, you have the café “Kaschemme” which is “turned” into a bar and renamed “Eschschloraque” at 20:00 (see the Eschschloraque article), a place with an alien-like decoration and really friendly staff.

Above the “Eschschloraque” is the “Neurotitan” – an extremely unique shop and gallery that sells, supports and exhibits all kinds of works of local artists, be it paintings/drawings, CDs/records or t-shirts/tops, books or other stuff.

Other places in Haus Schwarzenberg that are also worth going to are the “Anne-Frank-Zentrum” – an exhibition about the life of the Jewish girl whose diary became so famous and the lovely “Café Cinema” (see the Café Cinema article).

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Haus Schwarzenberg | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Music, Shopping
Rosenthaler Strasse 39 | Mitte
Daily