Rixdorf is definitely my favourite area of Berlin, because it is a historic village within in Berlin. At the moment it is under heavy construction, and I found this strange, nearly taken-down building sitting in the middle of the quaint neighbourhood.

Cinema with original fifties interior, close to Hermann Platz. Like all cinemas from the York Cinema Group in Berlin, it features a diverse program of independent movies (mostly original versions with German subtitles).

You can grab a coffee or a juice right next door to the KINDL Center in the old brewing Hall at König Otto, complete with all the fascinating brewing equipment from its completion in 1930 it is a hall reminiscent of German Expressionism style… or as stated on their website. :)

The central ‘Mitte’ area of Berlin is packed tight with galleries and museums, which means you can cram a lot into a short amount of time, if that’s what you want. The best of the lot is the Me Collectors Room, which shows off large chunks of the Thomas Olbricht collection alongside other contemporary private artworks. The permanent ‘Wunderkammer’ display offers over 200 pieces from the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, with a solid focus on the strange and macabre. There’s even a Mark Ryden original that fits in nicely.

Kw is a great art institute situated at the backyard of a very eastern part of town, place for many other small galleries. Auguststrasse is worth the walk and Kw is worth the stop.