Attraction · Berlin · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Nikolaiviertel in Berlin

Nikolaiviertel is an attraction in Berlin, Germany. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 20 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 280 m you'll find a bench, a water point, a public toilet and a bike pump.

Directions in Google Maps

The story

Wikipedia ↗Official website ↗

Audio tour · Nikolaiviertel

2:18

You're standing in the Nikolaiviertel, the Nicholas Quarter, on the eastern bank of the Spree. This is the oldest residential area in Berlin. It grew up around 1200, at a spot where you could easily wade across the river. That old crossing is still called the Mühlendamm, the mill dam. At the heart of the quarter stands the Nikolaikirche, the city's oldest church. It went up around 1230 and is no longer used for worship.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Partly accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: User:Manfred Brückels · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Nikolaiviertel Berlin: the city's oldest residential area

The Nikolaiviertel in Berlin is a district on the eastern bank of the Spree and the oldest residential area in the city. People come here for its cosy atmosphere, and you can eat and drink in traditional restaurants and pubs. You will also find the Ephraim-Palais and the Knoblauchhaus, both of which are museums. The district looks old, but it was rebuilt in 1987. The Humboldt Forum, a museum, is 370 metres away, and the Berliner Fernsehturm is 475 metres away.

Exploring Nikolaiviertel in Berlin

Right in the middle of the district stands the Nikolaikirche. The building is no longer a church today. Take a good look at the façades of the houses around it. Many of them are concrete panels from the DDR, the so-called Plattenbau, so not all of the façades are really old. On the corner of the Mühlendamm and the Poststraße stands the Ephraim-Palais. You can see a rococo façade there. Opposite the palace stands the Knoblauchhaus, one of the few truly old houses in the district. Inside you will find the oldest city museum in Berlin. By the Spree you can see the Kurfürstenhaus, built in red sandstone. Afterwards, head to one of the restaurants or pubs for a break.

Ephraim-Palais and the History of the Nikolaiviertel

The district grew up around 1200 at a point where the Spree could easily be crossed. That old ford is still called the Mühlendamm. Around 1230 the Nikolaikirche was built, the oldest church in Berlin. In 1619 a prince-elector died in the Kurfürstenhaus. He had fled his palace to escape a ghostly apparition. In 1766 a banker had the Ephraim-Palais built. In 1936 that house was demolished to widen the street. Sections of its façade were preserved in West Berlin. During the war, bombing raids and fighting in the city destroyed the entire district. The site then lay derelict for more than 30 years, with only the ruin of the church still standing. In 1982 West Berlin returned the façade sections to the East. The palace was rebuilt about 12 metres further along. For the city's 750th anniversary, the East Berlin city authorities had the district rebuilt in the old style. Critics called the result a socialist Disneyland.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

You will find benches at the Nikolaiviertel in Berlin already at 23 metres, near Nikolaikirchplatz. Within 500 metres there are 234 benches, so you can easily sit down for a while. For drinking water near the Nikolaiviertel in Berlin, head to the water point on Propststraße, 34 metres away, where you can fill a bottle. Within 500 metres there are 3 water points. A toilet near the Nikolaiviertel in Berlin is at City WC, 185 metres away. This toilet is wheelchair accessible and has a changing table. Within 500 metres there are 6 public toilets. If you are cycling, you can pump up your tyres at Jüdenstraße, 285 metres away. This bike pump is free to use. Within 500 metres there are 2 bike pumps.

Walking and more to see nearby

The Humboldt Forum and the Berliner Fernsehturm are both close by, so you can easily walk from the Nikolaiviertel to other spots in the centre. A little further away, 743 metres from here, you will find Hackescher Markt, which is also an attraction. Each of these places has an audio story, so you can learn more about what you see along the way. There is also a 2-minute audio story about the Nikolaiviertel itself. You listen to it on the spot in the Outdoor Pitstop app. Put in your earphones and walk a loop through the neighbourhood while you listen. Then continue on to the next place.

Facilities near Nikolaiviertel

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 20 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Humboldt Forum · 370 m

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Berlin Cathedral · 450 m

Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 deView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Fernsehturm Berlin · 480 m

Photo: L-BBE · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Hackescher Markt · 740 m

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Gendarmenmarkt · 1 km

Photo: Christoph Matthias Siebenborn · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Humboldt Forum on the spot with the app

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

Also within walking distance

The 10 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 760 points of interest in Berlin →

Walks within 2 km

Map ›

Cycle routes within 5 km

Map ›

Explore further

More points of interest

Frequently asked questions

What is Nikolaiviertel Berlin?

Nikolaiviertel is the oldest residential area of Berlin, on the eastern bank of the Spree. The district emerged around 1200 and was rebuilt in 1987.

Where can I get drinking water near Nikolaiviertel Berlin?

The nearest water tap is 34 metres from Nikolaiviertel, at Propststraße. You can fill a bottle there, and there are 3 water taps within 500 metres.

Where is a toilet near Nikolaiviertel Berlin?

The nearest public toilet is City WC, 185 metres from Nikolaiviertel. It is wheelchair accessible and has a baby-changing table.

Are there benches near Nikolaiviertel Berlin?

Yes, the nearest bench is 23 metres away, at Nikolaikirchplatz. There are 234 benches within 500 metres.

Is Nikolaiviertel Berlin really old?

No. The district was destroyed during the war and rebuilt in 1987 in the old style. Many façades are concrete panels, the Plattenbau from the DDR, which is why spotters called it a socialist Disneyland.

What is there to see in Nikolaiviertel Berlin?

You can see the Nikolaikirche, the oldest church in Berlin, dating from around 1230, the Ephraim-Palais from 1766 and the Knoblauchhaus from 1760. The red sandstone Kurfürstenhaus on the Spree is also there.