The Berlin You Keep Going Back For

It's striking, how many stories begin with the sheer scale of Berlin – the monumental history, the vast parks, the wide avenues. But what really seems to pull people back, what gets mentioned again and again in hushed tones, are the unexpected pockets. The way you can wander from a quiet, leafy street into a sun-dappled courtyard café, or stumble upon an art installation tucked away in an old factory building.

There’s a particular feeling to those late afternoons, when the light softens over the rooftops and every neighbourhood Späti glows like a welcoming beacon, promising a cold drink and a moment to just be.