Bötzowviertel

A renovated and a dilapidated façade of residential buildings in Hufelandstraße in Berlin.

The Bötzowviertel, also known as Bötzowkiez, is a residential neighborhood in Prenzlauer Berg with beautiful Wilhelminian-style architecture and the oldest park in Berlin right next door.

The Bötzowviertel in Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most sought-after residential areas in Berlin. Renovated old buildings, new townhouses, a good infrastructure and the proximity to plenty of urban greenery make it so attractive. Despite its central location, the neighborhood is comparatively quiet.

Location of the Bötzowviertel in Prenzlauer Berg

The area between Danziger Straße, Volkspark Friedrichshain and Greifswalder Straße is known as the Bötzowviertel. The heart of the Kiez is Bötzowstraße, which is named after the landowning Bötzow family. The neighborhood was built on the family's farmland, directly in front of the Königstor, which used to be roughly where today's Alexanderplatz is located.

Living in the Bötzowviertel

The representative old buildings in Wilhelminian and Art Nouveau style that still exist today were built shortly before the beginning of the 20th century. The eastern part of the Bötzowviertel was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt after the war. Extensive refurbishment work began after reunification. The decorative facades were restored, flats were combined and modernized, new townhouses were built in old gaps - and prices rose. Today, the neighborhood is one of the most sought-after in Berlin. Despite its central location, it is quiet here. The many double doors and wooden floors, the planted courtyards, the cobbled streets and the good infrastructure do the rest to attract tenants, buyers and investors alike.

Going Out and Infrastructure

There are plenty of cafés in the Bötzowviertel, especially in Bötzowstraße and Hufelandstraße. You don't have to leave the neighborhood to visit a restaurant or bar either. Food is available from the local supermarket or discounter, the organic food shop or the weekly market on Arnswalder Platz with fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and cheese. The market is set up every Saturday. Boutiques, bookshops, delicatessen, bakeries and yoga studios can all be found here. There are several schools in the neighborhood and, of course, many daycare centers, many of which were founded on the initiative of committed parents. There are six playgrounds in the Kiez alone, and many more in Volkspark Friedrichshain and in the nearby neigborhoods Winsviertel and Kollwitzkiez.

Urban Greenery and Places of Interest

Arnswalder Platz on the north-east side of the Bötzowviertel is famous for its Stierbrunnen fountain. The spacious square with playgrounds, old trees, benches, footpaths, lawns and a historic hand pump is a small oasis between the houses. If you need and want more greenery, walk south to the old Volkspark Friedrichshain with ponds, fountains, scented garden, climbing rocks and more. Other parks in the neighborhood include Anton-Saefkow-Park and Ernst-Thälmann-Park. Other places worth seeing in the Kiez itself are the cinema Filmtheater am Friedrichshain and the school building of the Kurt-Schwitters-Schule. Both buildings are now listed.