Just 150 metres down Klosterstraße is the Rolandufer embankment of the River Spree, the capital’s main artery. The embankment is ideal for joggers and walkers, while numerous benches and small bars make it an inviting place to while away time. On the righthand side at Mühlendamm Lock you can stop for a nice cup of coffee and watch as the boats busily come and go.

Along the embankment walkway it’s a stroll of a few minutes to the Nikolaiviertel quarter, the erstwhile city centre of Old Berlin, with its Medievalstyle gabled houses and alleyways and the oldest church in the city. Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, the Märkisches Ufer, is the impressive Historic Harbour, in which numerous old river boats, such as the muchloved ‘Andreas’ steam tug, lie at anchor.