On the southeastern edge of Berlin, near the Dahme river, a few streets of small houses are painted in colours so bold that locals nicknamed the place the paint-box estate. This is the Gartenstadt Falkenberg, or Falkenberg Garden City, designed by the architect Bruno Taut and built in the years just before the First World War. Taut believed that colour could improve ordinary lives, and so he gave the terraced houses facades of deep blue, red, ochre and green, with gardens, tree-lined lanes and a central square. It was an early experiment in affordable housing for working families, and UNESCO included it in 2008 among the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates.
The estate's story is a human one. Cooperative housing groups financed it, and the first residents were mostly workers and craftsmen who wanted a garden and fresh air in place of the crowded tenements of inner Berlin. The colours faded and were painted over during the following decades, and in the late twentieth century careful restoration brought back Taut's original scheme. Walking the lanes today, you notice how small and neat the houses are, and how generous the greenery is, with fruit trees and hedges between the plots.
For a motorcycle, this is a city ride with some pleasant surprises. The southeastern districts of Berlin, around Grünau, Bohnsdorf and Altglienicke, are quieter than the centre, with lakes, woods and rowing clubs along the Dahme, and the roads are good and often lined with trees. Expect cobbles on side streets, tram tracks and cyclists, and note the airport nearby, with its aircraft noise and traffic. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, and on a sunny afternoon the colours of the houses glow.
Grünau and Altglienicke have fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés, and there is a good choice of bakeries and small restaurants in the neighbourhood. Berlin specialities such as currywurst, doner kebab and a glass of Berliner Weisse beer are within easy reach. Visit on foot, respect the privacy of residents, and keep the bike on the main street, because the lanes are narrow and the estate is still a home.