Where do I start? Do you want to be impressed? Are you looking for something different? Haus Schwarzenberg, roughly translated as the house on black mountain, is the gem you’re looking for. Only in Berlin can a haunting part of the past become an edgy thriving community of the future.

This “secret garden” is located near Alexander Platz. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. I also didn’t know it would be this awesome. Online, the review was vague and it said something like come here for great graffiti art. I put this on my list because I love graffiti. I made a mental note and that was that.

Although, originally, I didn’t plan on coming here. If I saw it, I saw it. It was serendipitous how I found it. But first, lets start at the beginning.

The Monsters Underground

Haus Schwarzenberg is a complex in former East Berlin. It’s covered in graffiti. Every inch of this space is written on, painted on, plastered on. It’s an incredible sight.

Inside this place there’s something called The Monster Kabinett. I needed to find Monster Kabinett because I wanted to attend a viewing. I like the weird and the strange and Monster Kabinett seemed odd. It intrigued me.

I google mapped the place and headed out.

I stumbled upon a dark passage. It was like an opening to an alley way. I should really say, it’s like a portal to another time. It was dark and somewhat creepy. It called me forward. I crept in and saw so much graffiti I was in awe.

---

Need a gay and artsy Berlin travel guide? Learn about the gay bars, artsy venues and cruise areas in Berlin. Download the eBook on Etsy.

---

As you enter Haus Schwarzenberg, you’ll see a beer garden filled with tables and people chatting. There’s a couple of historical museums in here as well.

The graffiti art and murals on the walls are political. Although, they’re so well done, you might forget the political message.

I walked down the long stretch and gazed upon the crumbling walls. I looked at the un-renovated facade. Haus Schwarzenberg is something to behold. There is no doubt about it.

I found my Monster Kabinett… But I already knew it wouldn’t be open. I just wanted to see where it was.

Later this trip, I purposefully locked myself in a dungeon with mechanical monsters coming at me… But that’s for another blog post…

The Coolest Barista I’ve Ever Met

Haus Schwarzenberg is half of a residential building in an area formerly known as East Berlin. They’ve kept the building like this on purpose. Some things should be remember.

Fortunately, this building also housed an organization that assisted blind jews that survived the holocaust. This program was the beginning of Haus Schwarzenberg.

While the city sought to demolish this part of history. This organization put it on the map as a historical landmark. Needless to say, it was never demolished.

After WWII, a forgotten and abandoned East Berlin stood empty. Everyone escaped the bad past and left their memories behind. This meant buildings were also vacant. Although, how do you tell people there’s lots of housing in an area that remembers so much pain? The incentive was cheap rent. If you’re an artist or creative type, you can rent it for pennies.

The building was in a constant state of disrepair. The heaters didn’t work in the dead cold winters. Life was not easy. Life here was a struggle.

I only know this because I came here and I grabbed a cup of coffee. The barista, an older gentlemen with beautiful, soulful blue eyes, grabbed my attention. The Frank Zappa in the background was haunting and it made me feel like maybe I was high… I knew I wasn’t high, but maybe I was high on life. He played a video of the building’s history on loop in the background.

I won’t mention his name since I didn’t exactly get permission to talk about him, but he sat me down and we began to talk about the history of this place.

I was curious and he saw my eagerness. He took me to a world I can’t even fathom. Although, everything he said made me feel like life is possible. I felt the history. He painted a picture in my head. This hard history is important to remember.

I stared into his sharp blue eyes and ate up his story. There was something about him that made me feel every word. Perhaps it was his calm demeanor. Maybe it was the intriguing story. Or, maybe it was because a stranger sat me down and gave me a piece of his life. I felt trust. It was warm an all-encompassing. This is incredible.

He opened my eyes to his point of view and I was very grateful. Come support this man, this coffee shop, this barista and this establishment. If not for the historical purposes, to support an artist whose life has seen way too much.

Eschschloraque and the Creepy Bar that is…

Haus Schwarzenberg has monsters underground, a historical museum. It has edgy stores for shopping, an incredible coffee-house and a bar that ties it all together.

Eschschloraque is dark, dingy, and creepy… It’s everything that makes my heart beat. My undead soul lives here. The bar resembles something out of the nightmares of Halloween. It’s covered in purple and green lights. The tables are scratched full of graffiti. The decor is twisted and great.

To top it off they have tables inside and out. Everyday is Halloween at Eschschloraque. This place is edgy. If you’re looking for a place that’s unique and genuinely Berlin, come here! I am not kidding. It’s impressive. It’s also secretive. Meaning ‘No Pictures.’ It’s one place you have to see to appreciate.

So grab that beer, have a cigarette and drink it among the graffiti covered walls of East Berlin and just feel the moment. Trust me.

Put Haus Schwarzenberg on your list if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and exceptionally memorable.

Let Me Break It Down For You:

Haus Schwarzenberg also has some great places to shop. I bought some pins and a pretty cool bag for my little sister. I can only describe this place as a record store with a great art gallery. Although, it’s not a record store, it’s edgy like maybe Sid and Nancy opened this place up before they died.

I HIGHLY recommend you put this on your list.

Haus Schwarzenberg is all around memorable.

Haus Schwarzenberg is at Rosenthaler Str. 39, 10178 Berlin, Germany

The other half of the building is renovated and very modern now. It’s two different sides to one coin. It has lots of cute cafes, restaurants and shops but it almost feels like a mall. I preferred Haus Schwarzenberg instead.