Mitte: pumping heart
The Mitte district doesn’t just get its name by being in the Mitte (middle) of Berlin. It’s also its vibrant cultural centre; offering a myriad of attractions, places to see, places to be- both for work and play. You’ll never want to leave again. Your curiosity piqued? Then let’s go!
THE GREEN LUNG
Mitte offers not one, not two, but three major Berlin parks, plus several smaller ones on the side.
From nudists to cyclists, swan-lovers and cricket players – there’s a lot to see and do in Mitte’s green spaces, especially in Tiergarten.
Be careful not to get lost in here – you wouldn’t be the first. At 210 hectares, Tiergarten is Berlin’s second biggest park. Next to nudist spots, lakes and beautiful running tours, Tiergarten park offers an English Garden, the Berlin Zoo nearby, and several memorial sites and restaurants placed inside and out of it.
Visit the Tiergarten teahouse for a nice cup of Earl Grey. Commissioned by the British General Bourne, and with a donation of 5000 trees, the southwest section of Tiergarten was restructured into a quaint English Garden. This same garden still stands today and within it, the aforementioned teahouse.
CENTRE OF ATTENTION
Next to its array of parks and waterside spots, Mitte serves as an attractive, affordable and centrally-located quarter for handicraft, high-tech, logistics, manufacturing and service companies with several commercial districts at hand.
Martinikenfelde
Located in the west of Mitte, bordering the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, the 32-hectare site was once a collection of processing industry firms. In addition to historical and some listed buildings, there are industrial and commercial buildings originating from almost every decade of the 20th Century.
If you’re starting up in either IT and communication technology, mobility, manufacturing, or mechanical engineering, you will certainly meet your tribe here.
For inquiries, feel free to contact the
Bezirksamt Mitte von Berlin
[Local Authority]
Abt. Stadtentwicklung, Bauen, Wirtschaft und Ordnung
[Urban Planning Dept.]
Fachbereich Stadtplanung (Vorbereitende Bauleitplanung)
www.berlin.de/mitte
Berlin innovation and start-up centre (BIG) at the Berlin Technology and Innovation Park
More than 90 companies make up this 92 hectare technology park; the first centre of its kind in Germany. Whether you’re a lone entrepreneur, a young business with innovative projects, or an established and growing company working on short-term projects, the premises offer a wide range of support and cooperation services with more than 200 companies already launched or undergone their first development phase.
Technologie- und Innovationspark Berlin (TIB)
Berliner Innovations- und Gründerzentrum (BIG)
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin
info@orco-gsg.de
Weiberwirtschaft Centre for Female Entrepreneurs
Weiberwirtschaft Centre, literally meaning women economy centre, offers a new female entrepreneur generation its premises to start up a business. A total of 5,500 square meters office and commercial space catering to your every need, including on-site childcare facilities, a canteen and conference areas.
WeiberWirtschaft eG
Anklamer Straße 38, 10115 Berlin-Mitte
www.weiberwirtschaft.de
CULTURAL LIFE
Mitte certainly became Berlin’s most popular neighbourhood for a reason- if you’re looking to stay up to date on all of the latest events and news, start here. In addition to finding renowned museums, theaters and concert halls (you can read about them in ‘Cultural Highlights’), there are a few quirky turns to take. Here are a few recommendations off the beaten path:
Buchstabenmuseum
Are you the artsy type? The Buchstabenmuseum is the first museum in the world to collect letterforms from public spaces and display them as part of urban history. If you want to learn more about urban typography to impress your artist friends or if you're a secret typophile – this will be a dream.
Street Art Walks
Beyond the amazing murals all around town, there are quite a few spots that offer the street art lover (or curious) the opportunity to explore and discover new street-art media, formats and perspectives. Paste-ups, poster art, sculptures, sticker art, graffiti, stencil art- you name it. Several providers such as Awesome Berlin and Alternative Tours offer follow-along street art tours for the sophisticated urbanist.
Uferstudios
Uferstudios is a culture and event space with a focus on dance and performing arts. On the other side of the road are several cute cafés and restaurants, with Café Pförtner being a quirky choice. Next to a fabulous risotto, you can enjoy your lunch in an actual bus, remodeled with tables and seats to feast in.
Mitte, all advantages at a glance:
- Diverse district right in the middle of town
- Leisure areas by water and in parkland
- Seat of national political institutions, commercial associations and renowned institutions
- Attractive, affordable and centrally-located quarters for handicraft, high-tech, logistics, manufacturing and service companies
- Business start-up networks
- Cultural diversity and an interesting arts scene
