Discovering Rixdorf with kids: the route and where to stop

A trip to the Bohemian Village is doubly worth it with kids: around Richardplatz in Berlin-Neukölln you will find cobblestones, old courtyards and almost 300 years of history — and around it one of the loveliest little food corners in the city. Here are our favourite spots to arrive, refuel and wind down when you discover Rixdorf with kids.

Arrive and start in peace

If you are playing Localnauts, it is best to set up your crew calmly beforehand — name, avatars, roles. A good spot for that is the Rixbox, a coffee container right on Alfred-Scholz-Platz (Richardstraße 2, Mon–Sat from 8am). Espresso, cake, sandwiches, benches under umbrellas — perfect for arriving before the app sends you to the first station.

Lunch: hearty and easy

Right on Richardplatz sits Villa Rixdorf — a cosy pub with a sunny terrace and a beer garden in the courtyard. Home-style cooking, pizza (the metre-long pizza is a thing) and a lunch menu; generous portions, fair prices, plenty of room for families.

A few steps on, Fräulein Pilz serves currywurst and fries — the kiosk has been on Richardplatz since 1910. Homemade sauces, vegan options too, Mon–Sat from noon. Right next to it is the Richardplatz playground, handy for a short break. And for dinner: Plus Acht Zwo (+82) at Richardstraße 107 makes Korean fried chicken that kids love too.

Coffee, cake, settling in

Mausi at Richardplatz 1 is a warm café by day (from 10am): croissants, good coffee, seasonal cooking with lots of vegetarian options. And Satt & glücklich at Richardplatz 21 is something like the neighbourhood's living room — breakfast, fresh little bites, cake, relaxed.

A special place: the garden behind the façades

If one place matches the story of Localnauts, it is Café Botanico on Richardstraße. Behind the grey façades lies the only organic-certified permaculture garden in inner Berlin: over 1,000 square metres, more than 200 edible plant species. The kitchen cooks Italian, with whatever the garden gives. On the first Sunday of the month there is usually a garden tour — a nice link to the old courtyards and gardens the kids hear about in the game.

A sweet finish

To finish, an ice cream: Spoonful (formerly Eismanufaktur Berlin) at Karl-Marx-Platz 17 makes handmade ice cream from natural ingredients — with vegan flavours and unusual creations alongside the classics.

And for the grown-ups

If you want to end the day in a relaxed way: Die Zosse, a few metres from Richardplatz, is a beer garden with backyard charm — housed in a former farrier's forge. More of a bar for the adults, but with exactly the old Rixdorf flair that the game is about too.

Experience the history for yourselves

Between all these places lies the actual story: in 1737 Bohemian families came to Rixdorf and built a life here. With Localnauts this becomes a walkable time-travel for kids aged 8 to 12 — across ten stations they solve puzzles, step into the families of back then and read the traces still standing in Rixdorf today. A café outing turns into a whole afternoon.

An afternoon in Rixdorf: a time-travel, one puzzle after another — and the best cake in the neighbourhood in between.