Nicolai Quarter: A Tour of Berlin’s Medieval Heart

Description

Berlin’s medieval past often gets overshadowed by its more recent history, but this walking tour of the Nicolai Quarter uncovers the city’s captivating origins. Starting in Lustgarten park, the tour opens with a dramatic scene from 1914, when Emperor William II declared war on Russia, before moving back to the 1700s and 1800s at Berlin’s oldest residential building, Ribbeck House. In the Nicolai Quarter, the birthplace of Berlin, explore a blend of historic structures—some original, some rebuilt, and others added by East Germany in 1987 to evoke medieval charm. Visit Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), a surviving relic of another medieval quarter destroyed during the war, and explore hidden gems of the area. See both top attractions and lesser-known sites, including Berlin Cathedral, Neptunbrunnen, and the statue of St. George slaying the dragon. Discover the legend of Berlin’s famous ghost, the White Lady, learn about the mysterious medieval figure Hans Kohlhase, and visit two of Berlin’s oldest churches. Explore the history of Berlin’s Jewish community and view the newly restored Dance of Death fresco in St. Mary’s Church. Conclude the tour with a drink at Zum Nussbaum, one of the city’s oldest restaurants, before finishing at Marx-Engels-Forum, near the starting point.