Kreuzberg is a kebab and star cuisine, a magnificent old building and social housing, Berlin and the world. All in all, a district full of contrasts that is not only cosmopolitan in terms of cuisine, but is as tough as it is warm.

Kreuzberg mug from the Colors of Berlin edition

Actually, Kreuzberg should be called “Kreuzbergchen”. Better yet: Cross Hill. At 52 meters high, the district's namesake is just one seventh of the Berlin television tower. It is located right on the border with the neighboring district of Schöneberg (which doesn't even exist yet), in Viktoria Park and, with its panoramic view, probably offers the best starting point for a tour through the loud hustle and bustle of the neighborhood.

At the foot of the hill are the cafés and restaurants of Bergmannstrasse, but the market stalls of Marheinekehalle also offer delicacies from all over the world. American, Vietnamese, Austrian and above all: Turkish and Arabic food are best found in Kreuzberg. Little by little you drink and snack from there, the part of the district colloquially known as the 61 part, further towards the east, cross Urbanstrasse, walk over the always full Admiralsbrücke along the Spree and end up via Kotti at Mariannenplatz , the Heart of Kreuzberg 36.

View from the Kottbusser Tor subway platform

With your breakfast coffee (preferably straight from a Berlin bean factory) you drink freshly brewed mint tea . If you like something savory, order shakshuka or flatbread with eggplant cream, and if you want something sweet, order Turkish delights or baklava with pistachio topping. In any case, you should be full when you wander through the district, visit art galleries , fashion meccas or Checkpoint Charlie , because: Kreuzberg nights are long!

That's why the darkly glowing Kreuzberg cup , the newest member of the Colors of Berlin family, is black as night. We have removed the iconic cup from the BERLIN service designed by Enzo Mari in 1996 together with the designers from KPM and are honoring the different parts of the city with their own color schemes. So you can live in Munich, but enjoy your morning pick-me-up like in Mitte, have your afternoon coffee in Tiergarten and drink your evening tea in Kreuzberg. Or which is your favorite district?