As the name suggests, the Mitte district is located in the heart of the capital city of Berlin. Until 2001, it was an independent district. It was then reformed and merged with other districts to form the greater Mitte district. The old district, or today’s Mitte district, is not only home to sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, but is also a central, attractive and popular residential area. The Mitte district borders Gesundbrunnen to the north, Wedding to the north-west and the districts of Moabit and Tiergarten to the west. To the south and south-east is the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and to the north-east is Pankow.
In the first part of our article “Real estate in the Berlin-Mitte district: buying, selling or renting condominiums and houses“, we provide you with detailed information about the real estate market and trends, including price developments in Mitte. Below you can find out more about the history and development of the district, the most popular residential areas and demographic trends. Please note that this article focuses on Berlin-Mitte and not the district of the same name.
Interesting facts about Berlin-Mitte
The Mitte district has an eventful past behind it. Right in its center is Berlin’s landmark, the Brandenburg Gate. A city gate has stood on this site since the 17th century. The gate has played a key role in history on several occasions. Napoleon marched through the gate in a victory march and Adolf Hitler led his torchlight procession through the center of Berlin. During the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate became a symbol of division. It was located in the restricted zone, with the Wall running behind the Platz des 18. NVA soldiers patrolled Pariser Platz. No one was allowed to cross the gate. Today it is a tourist magnet, a place for cultural events, but also a venue for demonstrations. The nearby Reichstag has also witnessed various historical events. Today, the new modern government district and the Tiergarten district with the park of the same name rise up behind the building. The street “Unter den Linden”, Museum Island, the rebuilt Berlin Palace and Alexanderplatz are some of Berlin’s most famous sights. Friedrichstraße was once a transit station for the transition from East Berlin to West Berlin and vice versa. In the Mitte district, evidence of the past can be found on almost every corner.
Infrastructure in Berlin-Mitte
In Berlin-Mitte, you can expect a perfectly developed infrastructure that offers you a high level of mobility and many opportunities for leisure activities and local recreation right on your doorstep, so to speak. The employment opportunities are also very diverse – primarily in retail, services, gastronomy, tourism and medicine.
Demographic situation
According to population register statistics from 30.06.2022 a total of 106,399 people live in the Berlin-Mitte district. Around 48% have a migration background and around 33% of the district’s residents have foreign citizenship. This means that the district does not differ significantly from other districts in Berlin, where the proportion of foreign residents is also more than 30 percent.
Almost half of the inhabitants of the Mitte district are from the 18 to under 45 age group. The 45 to 64 age group accounts for just under a quarter. The group of children and young people up to the age of 17 accounts for just under 15%, while people aged 65 and over, i.e. primarily pensioners and senior citizens, make up the smallest proportion at around 13%.
Schools, kindergartens & playgrounds
There are more than 40 schools in the Mitte district. These include elementary school, extended schools and grammar schools, as well as special schools, art schools and vocational colleges. Therefore children, young people and adults have in the Mitte district do not have to travel long distances to the respective educational institutions. Thanks to the large selection, children and young people can choose a school to suit their interests. Humboldt University, one of the most renowned German universities, is located in Berlin-Mitte.
The list of kindergartens in the Mitte district is also long. You can choose between state and church facilities. Most are open for children aged 1 to 6 years, some also accept babies from the age of around 2 months. In addition to the German-speaking daycare centers, there are bilingual kindergartens and facilities for children with special needs.
The Tiergarten is recommended as a local recreation area. The park stretches for several kilometers behind the Brandenburg Gate and offers several playgrounds. There are also small and large playgrounds in the residential areas that are open to all children.
Swimming pools
There is an outdoor pool in the Mitte district that is particularly suitable for children. There are also 2 swimming pools, one of which has a 50-meter pool for specific swimming training. Both swimming pools have saunas for relaxation and recreation after swimming.
Transport links
You don’t necessarily need a car if you live in Mitte. The district is optimally connected to the BVG network with the main station and various smaller stations. You can get to all parts of Berlin around the clock. There are also excellent connections to the surrounding area. You can travel by bus, subway, suburban train and regional train. Some of the bus routes run around the clock, although the timetable for night buses is limited. There are also several streetcar lines in the Mitte district. The regional train not only offers a fast connection to the outer districts of Berlin, but also to the surrounding area.
S-Bahn and U-Bahn in the Mitte district
You have a quick and uncomplicated connection if you take the S-Bahn. The hub is Berlin Central Station, which is largely located in Moabit, but is also directly adjacent to Mitte. Many S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines also run and intersect at smaller stations in Mitte, such as Brandenburger Tor, Alexanderplatz, Hackesche Höfe or Friedrichstraße. The streetcar, which runs at Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstraße, among other places, also ensures short distances. A new section of the U5 subway line was only opened in 2020. The U5 was extended to Berlin Central Station and now connects it with the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island and the Rotes Rathaus. The U5 then continues via Alexanderplatz to the east of the city.
Bus lines 100 and 200
Also worth mentioning are the important bus lines 100 and 200, which run from Berlin Alexanderplatz to Bahnhof Zoo and Potsdamer Platz. Line 100 is extremely popular with visitors to the city, as it largely corresponds to the route of a short city tour.
Parking lot situation
The Mitte district is characterized by narrow buildings with typical multi-storey houses, some of which date back to the Wilhelminian era. There are narrow streets away from the main roads. The parking situation is rather poor, as there are not enough public parking spaces. There is parking space management throughout the district. This means that free parking spaces are virtually non-existent. As a resident, you can apply for a permanent parking permit to be exempt from paying parking fees. Visitors, on the other hand, have to pay parking fees. In addition to the spaces on the roadside, there are various parking garages. You can rent a permanent parking space in these. This saves you the time-consuming search for a parking space. Please note, however, that the parking spaces are not sufficient for your needs. If the rented or purchased apartment does not have a parking space, it can sometimes take a while before you can rent a permanent parking space.
Party shares
In the Bundestag electionelection on September 26, 2021 the Mitte district also belonged to constituency 75 Berlin-Mitte. The results achieved in this constituency are therefore significant in terms of the distribution of support for the political parties in the Mitte district. The Greens are clearly in the lead with 30.7% of the second votes. They are followed by the SPD in second place with 21.4% and DIE LINKE with 13.8% of the second votes. Places 4, 5 and 6 went – in this order – to the CDU (11.2%), the FDP (8.8%) and the AfD (5.1%). The small and other parties together achieved the relatively high share of second votes of 9.0%. The Greens also emerged as the clear winner in terms of first votes. With 30.5%, they won the direct mandate in the Berlin-Mitte constituency.
Doctors, clinics and hospitals
There are 5 hospitals and clinics in the Mitte district. With the Bundeswehr Hospital and the Charité, 2 of Berlin’s best-known hospitals are located in Mitte. The Fliedner-Klinik is a psychiatric hospital.
The outpatient medical profession is also very well represented in the Mitte district. You will find general practitioners and dentists, but also specialists from a wide range of fields. As a rule, the doctors who have settled in the Mitte district are licensed to treat statutory health insurance patients. However, there are also practices that work exclusively with private patients.
Art, culture and gastronomy in Berlin-Mitte
Berlin-Mitte is not just the heart of the city: you will find an extensive cultural and art scene, and that is no coincidence. After all, Berlin’s history began around 900 years ago in the region around Museum Island, Fisherman’s Island and the Nikolai Quarter. Socialize in the cafés and restaurants where national and international artists meet, new contacts. The Nikolai Quarter and the street “Unter den Linden”, as well as the Humboldt Forum in the rebuilt Berlin Palace, are considered prominent addresses. You can experience a particularly diverse art scene in Auguststraße.
Galleries
The list of galleries in the Mitte district is long. If you are interested in art or would like to exhibit yourself, there are plenty of opportunities. The best-known exhibition venues include the ifa-Galerie Berlin, the Arte Luise Kunsthotel and the Volkswagen Automobil Forum, which is located directly on the street “Unter den Linden” and is now called “Drive. Volkswagen Group Forum.” is now called “Drive. The operators of the galleries and exhibition venues provide information about the type of exhibitions and events on site or on their homepages.
Museums
Berlin-Mitte is home to the world-famous Museum Island with the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum and the Old National Gallery. The 5 museums attract a large number of visitors year after year. Also worth seeing are the exhibits of the Deutsches Museum, which is housed in the Zeughaus on Unter den Linden. Here you will find exhibitions at regular intervals, which you can visit over a period of several months. There are also numerous smaller museums and exhibitions in Mitte.
Restaurants
There is a large number of restaurants in the Mitte district. In the street “Unter den Linden”, on Alexanderplatz and in the Nikolai quarter alone, the restaurants are lined up one after the other. It doesn’t matter which individual taste you prefer: you can enjoy specialties from all over the world or a local potato soup in an old Berlin restaurant. You have the choice between different price categories. There are exclusive restaurants as well as establishments with moderately priced menus.
Cafés
The density of cafés in Berlin-Mitte is the highest in the entire city. This is not surprising, as the district is a magnet for visitors, locals and Berliners from the surrounding districts and neighborhoods. A good cup of coffee after a long stroll through the city is simply a must, which is why many of the cafés have been able to establish themselves to various standards in recent years. Special recommendations include the “1687 Restaurant & Café” in Mittelstraße and the “Bunte-Schokowelt-Berlin” in Französische Straße. The “Wilde Mathilde” and the “Einstein” on Unter den Linden are also among the city’s visitor magnets.
Bars
There is probably no other city where you can experience an unforgettable bar night with good conversation, fine drinks and new acquaintances as intensely as in Berlin. Mitte has a large number of bars that are open until the early hours of the morning, even during the week. We recommend the branches of “Wilde Mathilde” in Rathausstraße and Behrensstraße.
Clubs
Many of Berlin’s popular nightclubs are concentrated in Mitte and the surrounding districts. The “Tresor” in Köpenicker Straße is known far beyond the borders of Berlin. Clärchens Ballhaus” in Auguststraße is also a popular meeting place for the generations: Not only young people, but also middle-aged people have discovered this club for themselves.
Tips for top companies and activities in Berlin-Mitte
In Berlin-Mitte, activities are possible right on the doorstep. This includes long walks, a tour by bike, but also a trip on a steamer on the Spree, which you can do right on the doorstep.
Tip 1: The historic center by boat
The Spree flows through the Berlin-Mitte district and gives the area a very special charm. You can take a steamboat trip through the historic center from various stations. The tours, which generally last one hour, focus on Mitte. However, trips to Charlottenburg and as far as Wannsee are also possible. These can also be arranged as day trips on request.
Tip 2: Discover Berlin-Mitte by bike
A bike tour in Mitte is a very special experience. You will find well-developed cycle paths on the main roads. Berlin does a lot for the safety of cyclists and it is not only in Mitte that entire lanes that were previously dedicated to car traffic have been converted into cycle paths. You can experience the unique flair of the Mitte district particularly intensively by bike.
Tip 3: Explore the government district on foot
The modern government district extends – seen from the east – on the area behind the Reichstag, directly on the banks of the Spree. It consists of the Chancellery, the Paul Löbe House opposite and several smaller buildings in the style of the late 20th century. If you would like to get to know this area of Mitte better, take a walk. You can linger on the banks of the Spree and enjoy a cool drink in the beach bars.
Conclusion
The administrative district of Berlin-Mitte not only includes the district of the same name, but also other formerly independent districts such as Wedding, Gesundbrunnen, Moabit and Tiergarten. With the Mitte district, you are choosing a residential location that is of great importance both historically and in terms of the present. The residential areas are very central and offer not only a high level of comfort, but also countless opportunities for local recreation and leisure activities without having to travel long distances. If you decide to live in Berlin-Mitte, you don’t necessarily need a car, as the public transport network is almost perfect. Short distances to school or a great restaurant are also a must in Mitte. It is an upscale district for living and working, which is also reflected in the prices for buying and renting real estate.
