Berlin by Foot: Urban Exploration Weißensee

A walking tour through Weißensee revealing Bauhaus gems, hidden lakes, and quirky history by Nils Philipp.

Mostly known today for its eponymous art school, Weißensee rose from a medieval manor to a Stummfilm-Hollywood where Expressionist cinema first came to life.

Starting at Caligariplatz, Weißensee reveals its quiet charm through a mix of art, architecture, and hidden history. On this walk we’ll visit a garden pavilion designed by the last Bauhaus director, encounter a riot of color in Modern housing as well as fake Dutch façades, and discover enchanted lakes and traces of the city’s cinematic past. Indeed, Weißensee is a district more layered than its quiet streets suggest.

The tour ends at the Mies-van-der-Rohe Haus (Oberseestr. 60), a minimalist Bauhaus gem nestled by the Obersee, where architecture and nature blend in perfect harmony.

Weißensee is a district of contrasts-where history meets modernity, serenity meets eccentricity, and every corner holds a story waiting to be discovered. This walking tour invites you to slow down, look closer, and uncover the quiet magic woven into Berlin’s lesser-known northeast.

Lace up your walking shoes and discover a side of Berlin that’s full of surprises!