Neighborhoods to avoid in Berlin and best areas to stay

Whether you are a tourist, student or simply looking for a rental in the German capital, you want to identify the neighborhoods to avoid in Berlin and the best areas to stay.

Indeed, even if Berlin does not have the reputation of being dangerous, it is better to find out to avoid choosing accommodation in a sensitive area or a red light district of Berlin.

Here is the 2024 guide to neighborhood safety with advice on choosing the best place to stay in Berlin.

The sources for this article come from internet media, business press articles, forums and world rankings. This document is therefore only a summary of current data on the reputation and sense of security of Berlin neighborhoods.

Is Berlin a dangerous city?

NO: Berlin is not one of the most dangerous cities inEurope. She ranks far behind Naples, Marseille, Paris, Athens and even behind London.

Indeed, according to the last ranking on the crime of European cities, Berlin is in 50th position out of 131 with a crime index of 44.12 (medium high).

Note that this type of classification is quite subjective. Indeed, it is established mainly with the opinions of Internet users. It does not take into account official comparative data between different cities.

Also, according to the comparison site crimegrade.org, Berlin has a level of safety equivalent to the average for American cities.

Is Berlin safe for tourists?

YES: Tourists can visit Berlin safely. Indeed, crime in Berlin is the work of clans, organized gangs, mafia networks which organize drug trafficking, money laundering and other trafficking. See the articles below:

Wikipedia article on Clan Crime in Germany ou Germany: vast operation against organized crime in Berlin ou Human trafficking

This type of crime does not affect tourists. But, as in all major capitals, foreigners are often the target of petty criminals. They only risk small crimes (pickpocketing, vehicle break-ins, scams).

As everywhere, tourists must remain cautious around tourist sites, on public transport, airports and train stations.

When choosing their accommodation, tourists should avoid certain areas of Berlin in favor of a safe area of ​​the city.

Here is some useful information to help you identify areas to avoid in Berlin.

Berlin neighborhood map

Berlin is divided into 12 districts (Bezirke): Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Lichtenberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Mitte, Neukölln, Pankow, Reinickendorf, Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg and Treptow-Köpenick.

Each of them is made up of quarters which are themselves made up of sub-quarters.

To help you locate the main areas of the city, those to avoid and those to stay in, here is the map of the main districts of Berlin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FvpoBDwAwrkmh5gH6

Dangerous neighborhoods in Berlin

The Berlin police communicated on the areas identified as the most dangerous in Berlin on their official website: Polizei Berlin. The majority are located on the outskirts of the city. To find out about them, you can consult the report on the organized crime situation or the latest Berlin police crime statistics.

Neighborhoods to avoid in Berlin

Without mentioning the suburbs on the outskirts of Berlin, here are the areas of central Berlin which have the reputation of being the least safe (click to see their Google map location):

• Alexanderplatz (very touristy place in the Mite district but not safe especially at night because of alcohol and drugs),
• Neighborhood Leopoldplatz,
• The northern part of the district Schöneberg (in the area of ​​Nollendorfplatz and parts of the Regenbogenkiez),
• Görlitzer Park (because of drug addicts and drug dealers),
• Station area Warschauer brücke,
• Kottbusser Tor in the center of Kreuzberg (party district, numerous offenses related to drugs, theft and bodily assault),
• areas around the station Hermannstraße,
• Around the square Hermannplatz,
• A small area of ​​Riga Street.

Red light districts to avoid in Berlin

Because they are generally poorly crowded at night, I recommend that tourists also avoid the red light districts of Berlin when choosing their hotel there. There are 6 of them located at street level:

• Bülowstraße
• Kurfüstendamm
• Kurfürstenstrasse
• Oranienburger Straße
• Potsdamer Strasse
• Stuttgarter Platz

Best neighborhoods in Berlin

Apart from the few dangerous places listed above, Berlin has many safe and interesting neighborhoods.

It's hard to say which are the most beautiful neighborhoods in Berlin, but here are the ones that have the reputation of being the best in the German capital:

• Mitte : The historic center
• Friedrichshain : The artists and youth district
• Kreuzberg : The bohemian district
• Charlottenburg : The chic and quiet district
• Reinickendorf : The residential area for families
• Prenzlauer Berg : The trendy bourgeois district

Best area to stay when visiting Berlin

Berlin is a very large city so for tourists it is recommended to stay as close as possible to tourist sites. Thus, you will avoid wasting time in transport and you can do everything on foot: sightseeing, evenings at restaurants, going out to bars ...

And the best area to stay when visiting Berlin is the district of Mitte.

Mitte, the most touristy district of Berlin

Mitte is the heart of Berlin. It is the most lively and popular place for tourists. Indeed, this historic district is central and allows you to be close to:

• Berlin's most beautiful monuments and sights such as Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz Tower, Hackescher Markt, Bundestag Palace, Gendarmenmarkt Square, Potsdamer Platz Square,
• Museum Island with the Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum, the Bode Museum and the New Museum,
• Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Museum,
• trendy bars, good restaurants and clubs,
• boutiques, art galleries and the finest luxury hotels.

Here is one of the most beautiful hotels located in the beautiful district of Berlin-Mitte:

Where to stay in Mitte?

The area around Alexanderplatz is very busy as it is the crossroads of public transport and 3 metro lines. Suddenly, it is the only place in the Mitte district that you should avoid because of pickpokets and other petty crimes targeting tourists.

This is an ideal hotel for a weekend or a tourist stay in Berlin in a safe and convenient area for visiting the capital on foot. In addition, this hotel has excellent value for money!

In fact, this hotel is just a 2-minute walk from the cultural, shopping and entertainment district of Hackescher Markt.

Unusual accommodation in Berlin

Are you on a budget but want to stay in the historic district of Mitte? Well here is an unusual and inexpensive accommodation in the heart of Berlin: