Berlin’s vacant buildings have long been a draw for the city. A mass exodus of East Berliners after the fall of the Berlin Wall almost 25 years ago, as well as many factory closures shortly thereafter, left the world metropolis with massive amounts of unused spaces. Over the years of course many of those unused spaces have been rebuilt, repurposed, cleared… you name it.
Some people are proud about this as there are fewer visible scars from when the city was divided. Others look to the gentrification and sterility as Berlin losing its identity. We look deeper in to these issues of course on our Raw Berlin Bike Tour. We also came across a great photo essay by the “Tagesspiegel” newspaper about some vacant buildings still accessible. Take a look at the article for inspiration, and then take advantage of what is still out there in raw, open, accessible history. Berlin truly is unlike any other city.
