Hackesche Höfe

The Hackesche Höfe are a set of eight connected courtyards in Berlin's Mitte district, a short walk from Hackescher Markt station. Built in the early 1900s, the complex mixes Art Nouveau architecture with shops, cafes, a cinema, a variety theater, and apartments. If you are looking for things to do around Museum Island and the Scheunenviertel, the Hackesche Höfe are an easy and free stop, best known for the blue-and-white glazed brick facade of the first courtyard.

A courtyard complex with a long story

The Hackesche Höfe were built in 1906 and 1907 to designs by architect Kurt Berndt; they opened on September 23, 1906. The artist August Endell, a leading figure of German Art Nouveau, designed the facade and interior of the first courtyard. Most of his interiors were later destroyed, and the great festival hall was lost around 1930.

In East Germany, the complex became state property in 1951 and deteriorated. It has been a listed monument since 1977. After a sale in 1994, it was renovated and completed in 1997, including a new street facade modeled on the destroyed original. Today it covers about 9,200 square meters of land, with about 27,000 square meters of usable space, roughly 40 businesses, and some 80 apartments.

What to see

• Courtyard I: the blue and white glazed brick facade is the signature view
• The other courtyards: each passage changes the mood, from lively to quiet and green
• Craft shops: according to the operator, courtyards include handmade shoes, hand-blown and hand-painted Christmas ornaments, and pralines
• Hackesche Höfe Kino and Chamäleon Theater: both are in the first courtyard; the Chamäleon stages international variety and new circus shows

Planning your visit

The operator lists the courtyards as open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., though individual shops and restaurants keep their own hours. There is no admission fee; cinema and theater need tickets. Plan 45 to 90 minutes for a walk with photo stops, or longer if you stop for coffee. Weekday mornings are quietest. Remember that people live here, so keep your voice down.

Current note: the operator says the roof and facade are being renovated. The entrance building is partly behind scaffolding, and access in the first courtyard and on the sidewalk is restricted at times. Check the official website before you go.

Getting there

Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station is only a few minutes' walk, and the S-Bahn connects you to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof. Trams and buses also stop nearby. A single ticket in zone AB is enough, and the Deutschlandticket is valid on local transport. Driving is not worth it, as parking in Mitte is scarce.

Nearby

• New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, a few minutes' walk away
• Museum Island with the Altes Museum and the Bode Museum
• Hackescher Markt with its cafes
• Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower within walking distance