Editing Nikolaiviertel (section)

==History==
The two settlements of Old Berlin as well as Cölln on the other side of the Spree originated along an old trade route, the {{lang|de|Mühlendamm}} ('Mills Dam'), a [[Ford (crossing)|ford]] where the river could be easily crossed. The {{lang|de|Nikolaikirche}}, originally a late [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[basilica]], was erected about 1230. The area around the church with its [[medieval]] alleys in the main had been preserved throughout the centuries, until it was [[Bombing of Berlin in World War II|destroyed by air raids]] and the [[Battle of Berlin]] during [[World War II]].

At Berlin's 750th anniversary in 1987 the house-building was restored in a peculiar mixture of reconstructed historic houses and [[concrete slab]] ''[[Plattenbau]]'' blocks, giving the area an unmistakable appearance.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-06-20|title=Palaces for the people: five communist buildings|url=http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jun/20/palaces-for-the-people-five-communist-buildings|access-date=2020-09-10|work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Today the small area is famous for its traditional [[German cuisine|German]] restaurants and bars.