Hansaviertel

The Hansaviertel was largely destroyed in World War II and rebuilt from scratch for the 1957 Interbau exhibition, with internationally renowned architects including Walter Gropius, Alvar Aalto, and Oscar Niemeyer each designing individual apartment buildings set amid generous parkland — a deliberate West Berlin showcase of modern, humane urban planning set against the East's more monumental style. The result is an open, low-density district that feels closer to a landscaped campus than a typical city neighborhood, with buildings from different architects clearly distinguishable by name and style if you look them up beforehand. It sits right on the edge of the Tiergarten and is an easy walk from Schloss Bellevue, the German president's residence. It has almost no shops or nightlife, making it worthwhile mainly for architecture enthusiasts.