When Alicja Kwade was five and growing up in the industrial Polish city of Katowice, she already knew she wanted to be an artist. “I was a shy and fearful child,” she told the digital art specialist Anika Meier in 2022. “I didn’t like talking to other people and preferred to be alone.” Four years later, in 1987, her family’s fortune improved—they fled the Iron Curtain and settled in Hannover, a West German city where street art coexisted with great museums. At 19, Kwade enrolled in a sculpture course at Berlin’s University of the Arts, where she discovered her signature style—working with materials like wood, glass, and copper to explore themes like the subjectivity of time and space.
Since then, the artist has held solo shows at museums across the world, ranging from Copenhagen’s Louisiana Museum to Texas’s Dallas Contemporary. “I’m fascinated with the borders between science and suspicion,” Kwade told ArtReview in 2014. “Mr. [Harry] Houdini is one of my biggest heroes.” Here, the Berlin fixture shares her favorite restaurants, bars, and museums in her adopted city.
Victoria Bar
Victoria Bar serves absolutely amazing cocktails in a timeless, old-fashioned space. It’s located on Potsdamer Straße, a quirky street that was once a glamorous thoroughfare during the Roaring Twenties, filled with cabarets, clubs, and cinemas. Now, it’s a bizarre mix of a 70s atmosphere, crumbling brutalism, and elegant galleries and clothing stores—very typical Berlin! You can stroll into Victoria Bar at night, witness the strangest characters, and stay until the early morning hours. (victoriabar.de)
GRILL ROYAL
Located along the Spree River with views of Museum Island and the Berlin TV Tower, Grill Royal is ideal for an evening of great steak and family-style meals. The lively atmosphere is matched by an impressive wine list, making it a hotspot for fine dining in Berlin. (grillroyal.com)
ISHIN
Established in 1997, Ishin is one of Berlin’s oldest Japanese restaurants. The service is fast, which is not very common in the city. You walk in, get served immediately, and receive tea with your meal. It’s loud, feeling more like a canteen, but you can enjoy incredibly delicious food quickly and anonymously. I always try to stop by when I’m in the area. (ishin.de)
Museum für Naturkunde
The Museum für Naturkunde, or Natural History Museum, is renowned for housing the massive Brachiosaurus, one of the largest dinosaur skeletons in the world. The museum’s vast collection features over 30 million specimens. They also have hundreds of strange, preserved curiosities in glass jars. I love wandering around here alone for hours—the collection feels endless! (museumfuernaturkunde.berlin)
Neue Nationalgalerie
The Neue Nationalgalerie is a museum focused on 20th-century modern art. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, it stands as a masterpiece of modernist architecture, with its glass-and-steel pavilion and open-plan design. The building, which opened in 1968, was one of Mies van der Rohe’s final projects. It highlights his minimalist style. Recently, the museum’s garden—which hosts community dinners and live performances—has been enhanced with contemporary art. It holds a special place in my heart because I had the chance to install one of my sculptures in it last summer. (smb.museum)
Historische Baustoffe bei Berlin
Historische Baustoffe is a specialty store offering reclaimed architectural antiques. From vintage doors to antique tiles, it’s a go-to place to find unique materials. Located a bit outside of Berlin, it feels more like a park or a wonderland filled with peculiar things that shouldn’t match yet somehow do. I often come here to search for inspiration and materials for my work. Each visit reveals something new and unexpected. (historische-bauelemente.com)
Tiergarten
Tiergarten is Berlin’s most famous park, covering over 500 acres in the heart of the capital. This green haven is perfect for picnics, walks, and biking. It’s also home to landmarks like the Victory Column and the Berlin Zoo. The park was completely destroyed during the war and only replanted in the late 40s and early 50s, so the vast garden is a reminder that all trees here are about 75-years-old. Its long and intense history is a testament to resilience and renewal. (visitberlin.de)
Späth’sche Baumschulen
Founded in 1720, Späth’sche Baumschule is one of Europe’s oldest tree nurseries, offering a wide range of plants, trees, and gardening supplies. Visitors can enjoy seasonal events like garden markets or Christmas fairs and relax in the summer beer garden or year-round restaurant and cafe. (spaethsche-baumschulen.de)
Insel der Jugend
Insel der Jugend, or the Island of Youth, is a picturesque spot on the Spree River, connected to Treptower Park by a historic bridge. It’s a popular destination to relax, go boating, and enjoy a peaceful escape from the city. (visitberlin.de)
Alter Luisenstädtischer Friedhof
One of four adjacent churchyards, Alter Luisenstädtischer Friedhof is a quiet, historical cemetery in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Many notable 19th-century figures are buried here, surrounded by old trees and impressive monuments. It’s a serene place for reflection.
