We’ll help you find your way around the capital! Here you will find lots of inspiration and tips in Berlin to help you have the best possible time in the capital.
Places of interest in Berlin
Of course, sightseeing is simply part of Berlin. This applies to tourists as well as old Berlin hands. Even years later, you can enjoy the city’s hotspots again and get to know them from a fresh perspective!
Sightseeing bus: Line 100
There are plenty of companies offering bus tours in the capital, but we have an exclusive Berlin tip for you! Bus route 100 of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) takes you across the city with a standard ticket and covers pretty much all the important sightseeing spots. The buses on the route are mostly double-deckers, so with a bit of luck you can enjoy the city from a comfortable height. The buses start at Alexanderplatz and go to Zoo station, so you can extend your sightseeing tour to include the Memorial Church and the Zoological Garden.
Berlin television tower
A visit to the television tower is simply part of a tour of Berlin, even if it is generally regarded as a berlin’s most unpopular attraction applies. This is mainly due to the long queuing times resulting from the high demand. But it’s worth the wait: Not only do you have an excellent view of the entire city (and beyond) from the viewing platform, but the restaurant in the rotating dome also has a lot to offer. If you want to shorten your waiting time and secure a window seat, you could this offer be interesting for you.
No budget tip: If admission is too expensive for you, you can also enjoy views from lofty heights elsewhere – and all for free! The two former flak towers in Humboldthain and Volkspark Friedrichshain are particularly suitable for this purpose. The former in particular offers an excellent view of the city.
Berlin Cathedral
One of the city’s most impressive buildings, Berlin Cathedral, can also be found in Mitte. Here you can pay an entrance fee to gain access to the epic church and visit its interior. You also gain access to the dome of the cathedral, from where you also have a wonderful view over Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate
Probably Berlin’s most famous landmark is a must-see on any sightseeing trip. Fortunately, you can reach the gate on foot, by rickshaw or by subway! Incidentally, the best photos here are taken either in the morning or late afternoon due to the incidence of light.
Holocaust memorial
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is located right next to the Brandenburg Gate. It was opened in 2005 and commemorates the Jewish victims of the Nazi regime; a museum in the center of the concrete blocks is also dedicated to the subject. The location itself is also steeped in history, as the so-called death strip – a border area to the former GDR – was located here at the time of the Berlin Wall. During the Nazi era, part of the Joseph Goebbels villa also stood on the site.
A little memorial etiquette in passing: Photos are of course allowed; posing in front of and on the blocks, on the other hand, is rather tasteless.
Reichstag building
The seat of the German Bundestag is also a popular excursion destination in Berlin. Of particular interest are the guided tours through the halls, some of which include a visit to the plenary chamber, the heart of the Bundestag. There is also access to the dome of the Reichstag, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of Berlin. There are also an offer for a guided tour of the entire government district with a final visit to the dome.
Victory Column
The mighty column in the traffic circle on Straße des 17. Juni is also one of Berlin’s most famous landmarks and a tip for hunters of beautiful views. Many people are not aware that you can climb the column for a small fee and enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding city from the viewing platform on the Goldelse (the Berlin term for the golden statue of the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria) . Because even if it doesn’t look like it from below, the Victory Column is quite tall!
Berlin Wall
If you would like to find out more about the Berlin Wall or view existing Wall remains, you can do so at various locations in Berlin. On the one hand, there is the Berlin Wall Memorial, which is a kind of outdoor exhibition where you can retrace the course of the Berlin Wall and see old remains of the Wall and an observation tower. There is also a museum on the Bernauer Strasse site where additional information can be obtained.
The East Side Gallery on the banks of the Spree also offers a different perspective. Parts of the wall have been preserved here, on which artists from all over the world have immortalized themselves.
Berlin’s mystical places
In addition to the typical landmarks, Berlin also has plenty of places to offer that are characterized by their mysterious charm. The Grey Monastery in Mitte, for example, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a monk. Or the actually idyllic Peacock Island, where an alchemist once practiced black magic and is still said to appear here today as a nebulous figure. Want to track down the spook? Here you can find the detailed list.
Discover Berlin’s rather unknown gems
Off the beaten tourist track, Berlin still has a few highlights to offer that not everyone is familiar with. Here you can find our tips in Berlin.
Museum landscape
In addition to its many landmarks, Berlin is of course also famous for its rich museum landscape. The Museum Island in particular is enormously popular and is home to six museums. Each of these has a different exhibition focus and their local proximity invites visitors to visit all the museums. The Martin-Gropius-Bau, the Jewish Museum, the New National Gallery and the Museum of Natural History are also definitely worth a visit.
A little tip on the side: Many museums offer free admission on the first Sunday of every month. Participating houses and more information can be found here.
In addition to these more classical museums, Berlin also offers plenty of eccentric exhibition venues. In Berlin, for example, you will find a Museum of Letters, the Disgusting Food Museum and the Deja Vu Museum. Sounds exciting? Then you will find a detailed list here!
Lost Places
In contrast to Berlin’s fine museums, the Lost Places look more like aged witnesses to the capital’s turbulent urban history. Once proud buildings are now just empty shells of their former selves that have been left to the ravages of time. However, the loneliness of these so-called places came to an end, particularly in Berlin, in the wake of the urban explorer movement(Urbex) . She gives the decaying buildings a new meaning, explores them and decorates them with graffiti. The result could be described as anarchic museums that are curated and visited by like-minded people. You can find a detailed list here.
Current exhibitions
In addition to the permanent exhibitions in Berlin’s outstanding museums, many places also offer exhibitions inside or outside the museum context. You can find a detailed overview of tips in Berlin in the current quarter here.
Explore Berlin’s unique architecture
Berlin’s turbulent city history has left behind some buildings that are rarely found in this constellation! This makes Berlin the perfect tip for an extensive … Architek-Tour! How to find them in and around Berlin lots of extremely beautiful castles. Elsewhere, in various places decidedly unconventional buildings that perfectly match Berlin’s eccentric nature. The unique architecture also makes Berlin a popular choice as a film set, for example for the Tribute to Panem series. One You can find a list of all filming locations in Berlin here.
Nightlife
Berlin is famous for its lively nightlife, especially in bars and clubs. In terms of bars you will find here a (still incomplete) guide for many districts but also certain subject areas.
When it comes to clubs, tastes are of course very different. In general, the following clubs can be recommended with a clear conscience:
Anomaly
The Anomalie Art Club presents some of the most impressive visual designs of the Berlin club scene. In recent years, not only techno DJs from all over the world have played here, but also artists in the fields of sound, light and installation have presented their works. In addition to techno events, the Anomalie also hosts film screenings, art exhibitions, pop-ups and open-air raves.
Berghain
When you talk about Berlin and clubs, there’s no way around Berghain. It is the most notorious club in Berlin and probably the whole world. Once you’ve been there, you’ll know why! Berghain is a magical place full of hedonistic characters, dark rooms and a distinct sense of freedom. The door policy here is legendary and a little scary, but the atmosphere inside is all the more inviting. All in all a club like no other, but you should bring a plan B with you.
Blue tomcat
Situated on the banks of the Spree, this place makes the most of its outdoor location with a boat, night-time campfire and hammocks. DJs play here non-stop, sometimes for four days in a row. The atmosphere is more informal than chic, especially at weekends. In summer, a festival feeling spreads through the middle of the city.
KitKat
This legendary sex and techno club for all is a labyrinthine complex with numerous dance floors, an ominous swimming pool and lots of swings. Explorers of their own sexuality are always welcome here. The dress code varies, so it’s worth checking in advance, especially for fetish events. You don’t usually get far here in jeans and a T-shirt!
Sisyphus
The spacious indoor and outdoor areas of this former dog biscuit factory create a festival atmosphere à la Burning Man, especially on long sunny days. The music ranges from pulsating techno inside to house music outside by the lake. The audience is diverse: from fresh students to aged ex-club kids.
Watergate
This elegant two-floor club played a key role in the rise of minimal techno in Berlin in the 2000s. The Water Floor is particularly impressive here with panoramic windows overlooking the Spree and a floating terrace on the first floor to experience the sunrise over Kreuzberg.