Berlin: area by area - East of the Centre - Nikolaiviertel

With its winding medieval lanes and countless bars and restaurants, the Nikolaiviertel is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Berlin.
Before the Second World War, the quarter around the Nikolaikirche was characterized by narrow streets, inns, shops, courtyards and craftsmen's workshops.
Artists including Kleist, Hauptmann, Ibsen, Casanova, Strindberg and Lessing lived or lodged here. The quarter was almost completely destroyed during air raids in 1944 and left as a wasteland. The ruins were only reconstructed from 1981–87, in the run-up to the 750th anniversary of the city, under the supervision of the architect Günter Stahn. During the rebuilding of the quarter as a winding pedestrian precinct, modern and reconstructed buildings were brought together into a unified whole.
The houses and streets follow their historical forebears as closely as possible, creating the illusion of a piece of "Old Berlin".