Hackesche Höfe

Opened in 1906, the Hackesche Höfe are eight courtyards running one into the next behind a single street entrance, designed by Kurt Berndt with a facade to the first court by August Endell in glazed tile in a strongly patterned Jugendstil design. The complex mixed uses deliberately: workshops and small factories at the back, flats above, and a ballroom and theatre at the front, an early attempt at combining work and living in one block. It fell derelict and was restored in the 1990s. The neighbouring Haus Schwarzenberg courtyard has been left unrestored, with graffiti and peeling render, and holds small museums and a cinema.

What you actually see

• The eight courtyards - a chain of courts behind one street entrance.
• The Endell facade - glazed tile Jugendstil in the first courtyard.
• The mixed use - workshops, flats and a theatre designed together.
• Haus Schwarzenberg - a deliberately unrestored neighbouring courtyard.

When to go

Year-round; the courtyards are open at all hours and shops keep normal times. Evenings are quieter for the architecture. It is central and busy through the day.

Honest expectations

The courts are now largely retail and restaurants. They are crowded with tour groups. The contrast with Haus Schwarzenberg is part of the interest.

Nearby

Museum Island lies south; the natural history museum is northwest.