For someone who tends to avoid Mitte, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time there in the past week. It’s not my top choice of where to pass the time, but I have to admit that the contrast of old and new in the architecture makes it an interesting mix. I love the tall, GDR-era buildings around Alexanderplatz just as much as I love the elaborate Altbauten lining the small maze of streets between Hackescher Markt and Torstraße.