Nikolaiviertel in Berlin

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.