Nowhere else does the history of the 20th century feel quite as present as it does in Berlin. From the ubiquitous “stumble stones” (pavement plaques dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust) to the DDR-era buildings of Alexanderplatz, the extraordinary struggles of the city are basically everywhere you look. Central to this feeling of a hard history that still shapes the city is of course, the Wall, a substantial portion of which remains, running alongside the Spree River in Friedrichshain. Even though it is now covered in a series of largely terrible paintings, it has lost none of its evocative power and walking alongside it is an incredibly affecting experience.
For easiest access to the Wall and its environs, the place to stay is the Locke at East Side Gallery, one of the group’s deeply pleasant aparthotels. With a portfolio that has grown to 16 European locations from Bermondsey to Zurich, Locke has taken the aparthotel concept and given it a cool, contemporary makeover, banishing forever that slight whiff of lonely business traveller.
The rooms at the Berlin outpost are elegant and understated: polished concrete walls, blonde wood fittings, floor-to-ceiling windows that let the light flood in and terraces that offer great views of the river. Each of them, too, has a little kitchenette. In truth, you’re unlikely to be using them to cook a four-course evening meal for the extended family, but they are perfect for breakfasts and lunches, which is exactly what you want when you’re on an extended city break and you need a rest from the endless round of restaurants.
If you’re hankering after food prepared by someone else, there’s a simple café downstairs and Anima, an audiophile-friendly bar/restaurant that turns out high-end sharing plates like prawns saganaki with smoked feta, and flank steak with smoked aubergine purée. For those of us who are never really off-work, there is also a great lounge for long, caffeine-fuelled laptop sessions. And it’s just round the corner from Berghain, useful for those who get the nod from the notoriously hardnosed doorman at Berlin’s iconic nightclub and, of course, those who don’t.
Mühlenstraße 61-63, Berlin, 10243; lockeliving.com
David Annand is editorial director of Secret Trips
