Visit Berlin: 33 Awesome Things to Do That You Won't Want to Miss

If you are looking for a hit of high culture, the Gemäldegalerie houses one of the world’s leading collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries, while those more into modern art will want to check out the collections at Hamburger Bahnhof and KW Institute. But while the city has an exceptional array of galleries, Berlin’s art scene is by no means confined to interior spaces: Berlin is a living, breathing canvas in itself. Just take a walk around the streets of Kreuzberg or Prenzlauerberg to find large-scale murals, provocative political statements and Art Deco portraits from famed artists such as Mein Lieber Prost, Blu, XOOOOX and SOBR – famed for his ‘It’s time to dance’ series. Look out for this mural series of partygoers dancing in a cloud of glitter – once you see it, you’ll start to notice them on walls all around the city.

For amazing views of the city, pass on the TV Tower and head to the Klunkerkranich rooftop bar in Neukölln instead. When you manage to find the somewhat well-hidden bar, which is hidden behind the top-floor car park of the Neukölln Arcaden (take the lift to floor five and walk straight through the car park until you reach a spiralling driveway up to the bar), you will be rewarded with an al fresco oasis complete with disco balls, vibrant flowers and a sandpit. It’s the perfect lookout point from which to admire the sunset over the city’s skyline (including the TV Tower) as you enjoy a cocktail or two.

Experiencing Berlin’s nightlife is a rite of passage for any visitor to the city. The clubs here stay open over the entire weekend, and their strict door policies are something of an urban legend: fickle bouncers guard their doors fiercely, with a particular penchant for turning away large groups, tourists and anyone having a little too much drink-fuelled fun in the queue. You might want to think carefully about where to go before you head straight to the infamously hedonistic Berghain and get turned away after waiting in a queue for two hours. Try Kater Blau for a wacky, colourful mix of disco, techno, drag karaoke and an open-air mini-beach by the river. Just here for the hardcore techno? Head to Griessmuehle for pumping music in a former factory building that has maintained its industrial feel.

Going to a Berlin Flohmarkt (flea market) is something of an adventure. Take the time to hunt through a mountain of second-hand clothes, collectables and handmade crafts and you are guaranteed a bargain. Into antiques? Practise your haggling skills at Berlin’s original flea market just beside the Tiergarten S-bahn station. Is vintage clothing more your thing? Prinzessinnengärten has some great clothing stalls, while Neukölln’s hippest residents sell their wares at Muehlenmarkt. And for a bit of everything, head to Mauerpark, where you can watch street artists and sing your heart out at an outdoor karaoke session.

Leave the schnitzel and strudel to Bavaria – Berlin’s multicultural population is echoed in its eclectic food scene, with the best foodie spots a little way from the tourist centre. Share some Middle Eastern platters full to the brim with fresh falafel, hummus and shawarma at Azzam in Neukölln; try a selection of freshly baked Italian pizzas for under €10 at Stranero in Wedding; and sample authentic Vietnamese food at Fam Dang on Huttenstrasse in Moabit – notably the crispy duck and tofu satay. Friedrichshain is a haven for any connoisseurs of vegan cuisine, with Vöner and 1990 Vegan Living among the best. In terms of fast food, the famous Currywurst and doner kebab are also Berlin institutions, and you’re never too far from a stall if you fancy a quick bite.

When the weather is good, make like a real Berliner and get yourself a beer to enjoy outdoors. Spätis are independent kiosks that you’ll find on every street, and are open virtually 24/7. Some of the best spots to enjoy a Späti beer are Treptower Park, Monbijou Park and Landswehrkanal. Späti crawls are of course also an option, and far kinder to your wallet than a lengthy bar crawl.

Tempelhofer Feld marks the site of a former military airport and parade ground. Since the airport closed in 2008, its runways and surrounding areas have become a beloved public park. Here you can dine al fresco in the spacious picnic and barbecue areas, or put the former runways to good use rollerblading or skateboarding – all in the shadow of the monumental hangars and terminal building, which are open to the public for tours. Cyclists will revel in the huge open space on offer here – hire a bike at Rent a Bike 44 for €6 and enjoy the six-kilometre (four-mile) cycling trail.

If you feel like taking things a bit more slowly, take the train to Potsdam. Just half an hour from Berlin’s centre, Potsdam’s Rococo and Baroque-style palaces give the impression that you are stepping into a fairy tale. Potsdam was home to the Prussian kings and the German kaiser until 1918, and as such is the site of many grand palaces, castles and historical monuments. A short walk from the station through the quaint centre will lead you to Sanssouci Park, the largest World Heritage Site in Germany, which holds several royal residences that are open to the public.

Located on the east bank of the Spree in Friedrichshain, the East Side Gallery is an outdoor art gallery of murals painted on the longest-remaining section, 1,316 metres (4,318 feet), of the Berlin Wall. The original works, painted in 1990, were created as a monument to the fall of the divide and the “peaceful negotiation of borders and conventions between societies and people”, according to the artists’ initiative behind it. You can explore it for free, but to get the full context of the era – and to dig into East Berlin’s storied history and subcultures a little deeper – it’s worth considering a guided tour. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Built as a Soviet symbol of power in East Berlin, the TV Tower is to Berlin as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris when it comes to architectural city icons. With a cocktail bar and great views from the top awaiting you, why stand in line with everyone else when you could upgrade to a skip-the-line ticket? Top tip: Try to time your visit for sunset. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

There’s a lot of historical ground to cover at Museum Island’s Pergamon Museum, which comprises three mini-museums: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Museum of Islamic Art. However, it’s not just paintings. Here, you can gaze up at the reconstructed Ishtar Gate of Babylon and peek into the beautifully detailed 17th-century Aleppo Zimmer, a room from a merchant’s house from the Syrian city. It’s one of Berlin’s most popular attractions, so be sure to book your visit online. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Completed in 1904 as the fourth museum on Berlin’s famous Museumsinsel, the Bode Museum is the place to go for sculpture and stunning Byzantine art. However, there’s much more, including pieces from the Italian Renaissance and an expansive coin collection. Given just how popular the island’s museums are, it is highly recommended to purchase a ticket online so that you can avoid long waiting times. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Berlin’s original national gallery, established in 1861, is a haven for art lovers. Inside the imposing building is an incredible collection of works spanning from Neoclassicism and Romanticism through to French Impressionism and early Modernism, including pieces by Manet, Monet and Cézanne. Given that it’s one of the country’s largest collections of 19th-century artwork, people do tend to queue for it – skip right past them with this skip-the-line ticket. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Reopened in 2009 after extensive restorations, the Neues Museum is one of the jewels among Berlin’s 170-plus museums. Here, you can get a glimpse of Nefertiti’s famous bust, learn about ancient Egyptian and Nubian cultures and trace the footsteps of our ancestors via artefacts dating from the Stone Age through to the Middle Ages. With so much to see, it’s a shame to spend time waiting in line – head straight in with a bookable ticket. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

One of Berlin’s most family-friendly visitor attractions, the DDR Museum is an interactive museum about East German life during the Cold War. It’s a genuine delight for both kids and adults. Get behind the wheel of an East German Trabant car, and walk through an authentic Cold War-era apartment. Also, snoop through the files of a secret Stasi listening post. It’s one of the city’s most popular museums, with a queue that frequently runs out the door and down the riverside, so booking online is highly recommended. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

History looms large in Berlin, and few places more so than at the Topography of Terror. It was once the headquarters of the Nazis’ secret state police, the SS. More than 1.3 million people visited the site in 2018, making it one of Berlin’s most-visited attractions. While admission is free, a tour that stops off at the site will give visitors a thorough grounding in its history and context. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Opened in 2001, Europe’s largest Jewish museum is an important part of Berlin’s Jewish heritage and a must-stop for any visitor to the city. Not only is its comprehensive walk through Jewish cultural history fascinating and sobering, but interacting with Daniel Libeskind’s architectural addition to the museum is a powerful part of the experience. Get the most out of your time at the museum by stopping there as part of a guided tour. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Germany’s capital offers more than its fair share of unique experiences, and leading the pack is Teufelsberg, deep in Grunewald Forest. The site is a former US spy station built during the Cold War to listen to the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc. Although it’s a wonderful place to wander – there’s even a rather quirky biergarten up there – a guided tour is undoubtedly the best way to learn about the site’s darkly fascinating history. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

Anyone interested in political history or current affairs should make a point of visiting Berlin’s Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament and a stunning work of architecture. It’s a Neo-Baroque design with a futuristic dome built on top. A visit here should definitely be topped off with a stop at the building’s restaurant – the only parliament building in the world with one open to the public. Take care of every part of the visit in one go with a bookable ticket that reserves your entrance time, gets you into the building and holds a restaurant table for after you’ve explored. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

A visit to the city’s Museum für Naturkunde, or Natural History Museum, begins with a dinosaur and continues through exhibition halls covering themes such as the cosmos, minerals, evolution in action and even more dinosaurs. In the museum’s so-called “wet collection” alone, there are more than 1 million animals preserved in alcohol. It’s definitely a great place to spend the day with the kids. However, to maintain critical levels of sanity, purchasing a skip-the-line ticket, complete with an audio guide and cloakroom access, is a good idea. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

For a special evening out in Berlin, a trip to Charlottenburg Palace will have you feeling like royalty. Located in the west of the city, Berlin’s largest palace isn’t just available for walking through on day trips. It also plays host to special events, such as a concert experience that features members of the Berlin Residence Orchestra performing then-contemporary hits from Bach and Handel. Be sure to buy tickets early though – it tends to sell out quickly. Recommended by Krystin Elise Arneson.

However, if you want to see the real face of the Wall in its entire monstrosity, you need to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial – an open-air exhibition north of the city center. Especially moving here is the Window of Remembrance – a touching reminder of the victims. A piece of the Berlin Wall – otherwise entirely covered with chewing gum – at the relatively new Potsdamer Platz features an exhibition describing the current Wall sites and future related projects; small pieces of the Wall – claimed to be authentic – are sold in all the souvenir shops. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

Checkpoint Charlie – the famous crossing point between East and West Berlin – is one of the top attractions in the city. Yet however real the US Army guardhouse might look, it is not. The original was removed in 1990 and is now located in the Allied Museum; the two soldiers posing in front of the booth are just actors. Unfortunately, there is no longer the field with 1,065 crosses that represented all the victims shot while trying to break out through the death zone. Despite the protests, they were removed in 2005. In this area, there is also the Checkpoint Charlie Museum founded by the human rights activist Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt. The museum exhibits artifacts used by fugitives while escaping from the one side to the other – over, under, or even through the Wall. Nevertheless, it does not forget to commemorate the stories of those lucky ones who were able to accomplish their escape. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

The Brandenburg Gate is located on the western edge of the city center. The area around the Gate is crowded all the time since the monument looks wonderful during the day and at night as well, when it is illuminated. The Brandenburg Gate was a sign of peace commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia in the 18th century. It was inspired by the gateway to Acropolis in Athens. The well-known landscape has two parts: a neoclassical triumphal arch and a quadriga, which is a four-horse chariot ridden by a goddess. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

Kreuzberg was the poorest neighborhood in the ’70s, but it gradually became the cultural center of Berlin. In this district – known also as the Berlin’s most prominent hipster area – you can find plenty of small and unique shops, bars, and restaurants. Walking among the graffiti of the streets of Kreuzberg you can feel the fascinating alternative nature of this area. Another advantage of this district is that it is not too crowded with tourists. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

The Protestant Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Churchwas built in 1895, but a few decades later, during World War II, it was badly damaged during a bombardment with only its torso remaining. After the war the church was not rebuilt; instead, a new one was built right next to the ruins. A new building is made of concrete and blue glass, and its walls resemble honeycombs. The two churches are completely different and it is up to everyone to choose which one is more divine. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

Between the Bundestag and Potsdamer Platz, three memorials – the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism, and the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism – are located close to each other, and their beauty resides in their simplicity. The biggest of these three monuments is the one dedicated to the murdered Jews; it is an amazing and huge labyrinth of large smoothly carved stones. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

This island enveloped by the arms of the river Spree is a paradise for every museum lover: four museums and one national gallery in one spot. Museums offer discount tickets for tourists who would like to visit as many museums as possible. However, the Island is worth seeing also if you do not have time for exhibitions, since the museums – amazing buildings themselves – are located in beautiful surroundings. The complex of museums became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. On top of that, the impressive Berlin Cathedral open for tourists is in this area as well. Recommended by Paulina Gono.

Beyond techno, there is a thriving live music scene in Berlin. Ranging from jazz to classical or punk and many styles in between, there is a music experience for everyone. With venues dotted across the city, favourites include Berlin’s oldest jazz club, Quasimodo and SO36, which held concerts from the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Recommended by Alice Dundon.

Taking a break for coffee and cake, or kaffee und kuchen, is a beloved social ritual in German culture. It’s common to spend an afternoon in one of Berlin’s cosy cafes playing chess, reading a book and catching up with friends. You can explore the city’s culture scene by neighbourhood, as many locals do, or according to your sweet tooth. Recommended by Alice Dundon.

Berlin is home to many quirky and cute art house cinemas. These local gems transport you back in time and let you experience current blockbusters or delve into the indie film scene. With a range of special screenings, Q&A’s with directors and a world-famous film festival, Berlinale, the Berlin film scene is rich, diverse and sometimes pretty saucy. During the summer, the city also has a huge range of open-air cinemas. Recommended by Alice Dundon.

Berlin is known as a mecca for artists of all kinds, and its small, international comedy scene is a testament to this. Still seen as underground, there is a range of weekly comedy nights around the city, mostly in the trendy neighbourhood, Neukölln. Recommended by Alice Dundon.

Germans are passionate sauna-goers and Berlin has some luxury, yet affordable spas to meet this demand. Liquidrom is a favourite, where aside from sweating it out in the sauna, visitors can have a truly Berlin experience and listen to underwater techno music as they float in a salt water pool. Recommended by Alice Dundon.