St. Nikolai is the oldest medieval church of Berlin, and the Nikolai Quarter was the heart of the medieval town. Here is a concentration of cafés and craft shops clearly aimed at tourists. Visitors to German cities are used to finding the “Altstadt,” the ancient city center, restored as a place for pedestrian strolls, nightlife, and tourists’ deutschmarks. West Berlin had no such Altstadt, except in the remote suburb (and once-independent town) of Spandau.
