Photo Essay: A Pedestrian’s View of Friedrichshain, Berlin

I spent much of my time in Friedrichshain exploring the neighborhood on foot, often ditching my map to make random turns on a whim. Though Friedrichshain eventually became one of my favorite neighborhoods in Berlin, at first glance, it had seemed somewhat stiff and colorless. The unexpected summer chill and intense sideways rain that left broken umbrellas strewn about the sidewalks didn’t exactly help either. But the weather turned and my sunny day walks eventually revealed a neighborhood that holds an abundance of charming surprises:

I loved the Berlin appreciation for flowers and the flower shops were everywhere in the summertime.

A wall covered in graffiti, mostly wheat pastes and stencils. There will definitely be more photos of this wall to come.

Friedrichshain has a charming liberal and outspoken vibe.

A garden shop.

Decorative faux taxidermy in a shop full of quirky items.

The weather in Berlin is not so great, but people really make the most of it when it is nice.

An indoor market spills on to the sidewalk.

A building’s reflection in a puddle left from the previous day’s storms.

A fallen tree.

A great building near Friedrichshain’s main park and not far from the Karl-Marx-Allee. It had all of the boxiness of the buildings of that street, but a touch of color, a bit more flair, and the standalone nature of it made it much more stunning.

A gorgeous cemetery.

Such a beautiful way to honor those who’ve passed on.

The East Side Gallery murals that were repainted were covered with anti-graffiti coating. On the backside of the wall, however, people have plenty of space to leave their mark on Berlin.

Biking is a big thing in Berlin.

A view of the Spree River from the Oberbaum Bridge.

The Oberbaum Bridge unites Friedrichshain (part of the former East Berlin) and Kreuzberg (part of the former West Berlin). After the Berlin Wall went up, the bridge was used as a crossing for West Berliners only.