Picture Perfect: Hackesche Höfe, Berlin
This post is part of an ongoing series entitled ‘Picture Perfect’, published because of my wish to showcase some beautiful travel shots from around the world which didn’t quite make it into regular blog posts or which tell a story on their own and need few words, if any, to describe them.
Berlin is full of stories of buildings and areas brought back to life after the destruction of WWII. This is one of these stories, and it features the Hackesche Höfe, a number of courtyards left in dereliction after the war but then lovingly restored (or most of them). These courtyards are now one of the most visited places in central Berlin with their Art Nouveau splendor as well as some quirkier discoveries such as a 1-euro-gobbling tin monster which does not, alas, perform for everyone. Whether tiled or graffitied, the courtyards as a delightful way to spend some time exploring. Here is what I saw.
-Text and Photography by Denise Pulis @www.theartofslowtravel.com. All rights reserved.
21 Comments → “Picture Perfect: Hackesche Höfe, Berlin”
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11 months ago
[...] Berlin. Part of ‘The art of slow travel’s’ photo blog series, ‘Picture Perfect’ a photo guide to Hackesche Hofe. In this edition Denise takes you around the rebuilt Hackesche Hofe courtyards and shows off their [...]
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I love this feature. I love that you are posting extra shots from your trips, and I especially love that you are featuring photos like these, not just the usual type of photos a Berlin visitor would post! But then again, you are not a touristy type
Loooove the graffiti!
Hi Elisa,
Thank you for your lovely words. I AM touristy, but I think I don’t just blindly follow a guidebook or do something just because that’s what everybody else does…I research and make up my own mind
Great shots! I love the “Oxymoron” restaurant and the painting of the girl with pink hair!
Nicely done with those shots. It gives us a side of Berlin we rarely see.
Hi Leigh,
Our guide told us that this is a very popular spot for locals, but I’m not sure whether many tourists make it here, which is strange as it’s in the heart of Berlin.
Nice look at the details of Berlin. I am a huge fan of art nouveau, so I would love exploring those courtyards.
Hi Jenna,
Can you share stories about other Art Nouveau treasures? I love Art Nouveau architecture!
Some fantastic shots here, Denise! That slot machine is priceless.
Great pics! The old little windows are so beautiful. And some of the graffiti are really nice.
Love Art Nouveau, so stylish. Great you drawing attention to the lesser known parts of Berlin.
Hi Sophie,
Which cities would you recommend for Art Nouveau? I’ve seen plenty of beautiful examples in Vienna and Budapest so far.
Interesting. I think we passed this place without stopping on a guided walking tour of Berlin.
These are beautiful restorations. Love the slot machine and the designs on the rails.
Hi Mary,
That’s actually a ‘robot’. If you’re lucky, when you put one Euro into it, it starts moving, but it didn’t do it for me!
Like the graffiti.
Yes they are really cool! Good graffiti give a certain kind of life to a place.
I have such great memories of that place! I lived in Berlin for several years and we loved to sit in a cafe there or go and have dinner in that area and explore the courtyards.
Love all the graffiti and the staircase shots. Really love seeing a city through pictures like this.
Wonderful set of shots, Denise. I was in Berlin in 1973, before the wall came down, and absolutely hated the place. I just found it to be cold and unfriendly. I would love to go back now and experience it again. I’m sure my experience would be totally different.
Hi Nancie,
Indeed, it would!. The thing about Berlin is that when you’re in it, you can feel its history (for example, my walking tour guide was an East Berliner and she brought that sort of level to my walking tour), but now it’s a place full of colour, beauty and joy. You’ll still find communist structures, but all in all, not only have old structures been restored or lovingly rebuilt, but the city itself just feels full of life, even in the dismal winter weather. I would go as far as to say that I even like it more than London.