Berlin holds a unique title: the city with the largest number of backyards in all of Germany. They call these backyards Hinterhöfe in German. For many visitors, these historic pockets of urban life remain undiscovered, tucked away behind grand facades and vibrant streets. To truly understand the capital’s soul, you must venture off the beaten track and explore the intricate network of what we call Berlin Hidden Backyards. And this is what I’m here to help you out with.
The history of these courtyards is intricately linked to Berlin’s explosive growth in the 19th century. As the German capital exploded into a metropolis of millions, large-scale tenement buildings, known as Mietskasernen, were rapidly constructed to house the burgeoning population.
These imposing structures were designed with multiple successive courtyards—sometimes five or six deep—packed with workshops, small businesses, and secondary dwellings. The density was the point here, but it was also extreme in some cases. And yet the backyards became the city’s economic engine and its social heart. The stories and legends preserved in their cobblestones are correspondingly numerous and fascinating.
Each backyard is unique, and its distinctive design and character are central to the enchantment.
The pictures you are going to see here are from an afternoon in the spring of 2025. This was when my friends at Canal Alemanizando invited me to go with them on a tour of Berlin’s Secret Courtyards organized by the good people behind Secret Tours. I left the house with my Canon F-1 and roll of Kodak Gold that I forgot to use before.
Since I knew I would be going through some interesting architectural locations, I decided to capture them as wide as I could, so I brought my Tokina 17 mm with me. And I couldn’t be happier with the results.
The Ultimate Walking Tour: Discovering Berlin’s Hidden Backyards and Secret Courtyards
This journey through time begins in one of Berlin’s oldest and most historically preserved districts: the Spandauer Vorstadt, located in Berlin-Mitte. Once situated just outside the city gates, this area is now a listed building complex defined by three- to four-story architecture from the 19th century.
Today, it’s a sophisticated, multicultural, and fashionable hub, a creative center marked by design shops, bars, and exquisite art galleries.
The Gatekeeper: Hackesche Höfe
The starting point for any exploration of Berlin Hidden Backyards is often the most famous of them all: the Hackesche Höfe, right near Hackescher Markt.
This beautifully restored complex, dating back to 1906, is a stunning example of Art Nouveau architecture. Comprising eight interconnected courtyards, it holds the title of the largest closed courtyard ensemble in Europe. Initially, it was conceived as a revolutionary model for modern, healthier living and working spaces, balancing residential areas with commercial functions.
The Hackesche Höfe is a stunning must-see, and nearly every visitor to Berlin passes through its gates. However, while beautiful, it serves as the colorful introduction to the truly hidden jewels that lie just steps away.
Conquering the True Berlin Hidden Backyards
We intentionally steer clear of the well-traveled tourist routes to explore Berlin’s genuine hidden side. It’s here you find culturally valuable spaces that feel like a secret handshake with the city.
Seek iconic names such as Rosenhöfe, celebrated for their pastel colors and elegant architecture; the quiet, contemplative Sophie-Gips-Höfe; and the historic Heckmann Höfe, which have retained a distinctly cozy, residential feel.
Perhaps the most intriguing of the secretive spots is the Schwarzenberg House, a small courtyard with an almost chaotic, alternative vibe. Here, where horses were once housed and workshops once buzzed with industry, you now discover modern restaurants, cozy cafes, exquisite galleries, and creative concept shops.
Further exploring the area uncovers locations like the Otto Weidt workshop for the blind, which preserves the history of an ordinary man who risked everything to save his Jewish employees during the darkest period of the city’s history.
These courtyards were once places where people lived, worked, made things, and celebrated life in a tight-knit community. Today, they offer a quiet retreat, a moment of reflection, and a peek into Berlin’s multilayered past.
The courtyards of the Spandauer Vorstadt also tell a deeper cultural story. The area around Oranienburger Straße was historically the heart of Jewish life in Berlin.
Our tour of the backyards often leads to the magnificent New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße. With its iconic, gold-ribbed dome visible from afar, the synagogue recalls the rich, complex German-Jewish history of the city. Before the Second World War, this building was the largest and most important synagogue in Germany.
Walking these courtyards is not just a sightseeing trip; it’s an entertaining alternative tour through Berlin that peels back layers of social, architectural, and cultural history. If you feel like exploring the city with the support and help from Secret Tours Berlin, click here to book their tour.
Discovering the Berlin Hidden Backyards is one of the ultimate ways to experience the city off the beaten track. They are not just picturesque shortcuts; they are living archives, each one a unique gallery telling the complex story of Berlin, a story that continues to unfold behind the unassuming street-front doors.
If you want to do more of this type of self-guided free walking tour, you might like what I wrote about Nazi architecture in Berlin, brutalist architecture in Berlin, and craft beer bars.
