The Hackesche Höfe (hackesche-hoefe.de) is the largest and most famous of the courtyard ensembles peppered throughout the Scheunenviertel. Built in 1907, the eight interlinked Höfe reopened in 1996 with a congenial mix of cafes, galleries, shops and entertainment venues. Take your sweet time pottering around this tangle of eight interlinked courtyards.
The main entrance on Rosenthaler Strasse leads to Court I, prettily festooned with art nouveau tiles, while Court VII segues to the romantic Rosenhöfe with a sunken rose garden and tendril-like balustrades. If you’re a fan of Berlin’s Ampelmann traffic-light characters, swing by Court 5 to stock up on logo-festooned souvenirs. Court 7 leads off to the Rosenhöfe, a frilly Art Nouveau–inspired courtyard with a sunken rose garden and tendril-like balustrades.
Enter from Rosenthaler Strasse 40/41 or Sophienstrasse 6.