Berlin is one of my favorite cities not only in Germany but also in all of Europe. The city has something to offer everyone no matter what interests you: art, history, culture, music of all forms, architecture, and every entertainment type imaginable. It is hard to narrow the highlights to just 10 but I’ll try!
One thing to know before you visit is that Berlin is divided into 12 official districts with the Mitte district as the city center. This is where most of the historic sites are, which are all located in a walkable distance from each other. Most of the places I am going to mention are in this district but there will also be a few places that aren’t in the city center. And without further-ado, here are my top 10 places to visit when traveling to Berlin!
1. Brandenburg Gate (Brandenbuger Tor)
This site has such an interesting history. It was completed in the late 18th century as the royal city gate. Throughout its life, it has been a symbol for victory, then a symbol for peace, and now it is a symbol for a unified Germany. For over 200 years it has been a site for major historical events as well. The view is beautiful during the day and stunning at night. This is a must see if you are in Berlin (and honestly it’s hard to miss either way).
Price: Free
Location: Mitte -Unter den Linden
2. Reichstag
Located about a block from the Brandenburg Gate, this is one of Germany’s most iconic buildings! It was originally built in 1894 and is now home to Germany’s Parliament. It has an absolutely beautiful panoramic view of the city from the rooftop which you can reach by an express elevator in the building. Its most impressive feature is a beautiful glass dome which has entry to the rooftop as well. To get more tips and tricks, check out my previous blogpost about my experience there.
Price: Free
Location: Mitte -Unter den Linden
3. Museum Island (Museumsinsel)
This is exactly what it sounds like: an island of museums full of, not only art, but history as well. I loved strolling through the museums the Island had to offer and even got to utilize the convenient Berlin Museum Pass to visit them. I wrote about this experience too in a prior blogpost, so check it out for tips about the Museum Pass (you’re going to want get it if you plan to visit at least three museums while you are there).
Price Range: 12 euros per museum without pass
Location: Mitte -Museumsinsel
4. Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
Of course, you can’t go to Europe without happening upon a massive cathedral, which is exactly what happened to us. We stumbled on this beautiful neo-Baroque church while walking around Museum Island (yes, apparently it has more than just museums). The iconic dome is impressive from the outside but also gives a great view of the city from the inside. The Royal Crypt in the basement is the final resting place for many of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. It was definitely one of the top Cathedral’s to visit in the city.
Price Range: 7 euros
Location: Mitte -Museumsinsel
5. Fernsehturm (TV tower)
Just like Seattle, Germany’s tallest structure is a sphere in the sky that slowly, but surely, rotates 360 degrees so that you can get a great birds-eye view of the city. The tower was originally intended as a Communist symbol of power but when the sun shines, the reflection appears as a cross known as the Pope’s Revenge. Imagine the look on the Kremlin leaders faces when they realized that! It definitely gives greater weight to the term “Pope’s Revenge”.
Price: 13 euros (19.50 euros for timed ticket “fast view” to skip the line)
Location: Alexanderplatz
6. A cruise on the Spree River (runs through the center of Berlin)
If you’re looking for a fun way to tour the city, a cruise on the Spree River is always a great way to do that. It allows you to enjoy an overview of the history and sights of Berlin while relaxing with a drink on deck (and I do recommend going on a boat that does serve drinks). Tour length ranges from one to three hours. Commentary is available in both English and German.
Price: 15 euros (one hour) and up
Location of boats: Docks located at various convenient locations along the Spree
7. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)
This memorial isn’t hard to find. The five-acre site is covered with 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights arranged in rows with sharp dips sporadically throughout the ground which cause you to become slightly disoriented at times. There are varying theories of interpretation, but it was designed to have people draw their own conclusion. However, let me tell you, the experience (yes it was an experience) left a huge impression on me in both a sobering and revering way.
Price: Free
Location: Mitte -Unter den Linden
8. Checkpoint Charlie
If you haven’t heard of Checkpoint Charlie, you should brush up on your WWII history just a little. This spot became the most famous crossing point between East and West Germany (usually reserved for high ranking officials). One of the hottest moments of the Cold War actually happened right here where U.S. and Soviet tanks faced each other with weapons primed and at the ready (imagine how devastating that would’ve been if someone pulled the trigger).
Price: Free
Location: Mitte -Friedrichstrasse
Side note: For tourist fun, you can have your photo taken with some young men dressed as U.S. soldiers for a couple of euros
9. Berlin Wall
Although the Wall no longer exists, you can see remnants throughout the city. A fun place to go is the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer where you can have one foot in East Berlin and the other in the West. The East Side Gallery is the longest continuous section of the Wall still in existence. 118 artists began painting on it when the Wall came down and it was given protected memorial status in 1991. The Mauermuseum (Berlin Wall Museum) near Checkpoint Charlie is a great place to learn all about the history of that time.
Price Range Museum: 12. 50 euros / 3.50 for audioguide
Location of Musuem: Mitte -Friedrichstrasse
10. Flohmarkt im Mauerpark (Mauerpark Flea Market)
Open every Sunday, this brings tourists and locals alike to find treasures, vintage goods, food, and art in this adorable little flea market. It lingers well into the afternoon with live music and even karaoke sessions. There are many international food stalls and local cafes on the street around Mauerpark (as you know, food is necessary to keep the festivities going). If you want to see some of the fun things I found when I visited the flea market, check out my previous blogpost.
Price: Free (unless you buy stuff)
Location: Prenzlauer Berg
In case this wasn’t enough, here is a bonus tips for you (just because you made it to the end of my list). Eat traditional German food! There are many delicious options to choose from, but I decided to highlight two that are both located in the Mitte District (remember, very central to other sites) and are casual. Both are open for lunch and dinner.
11. Die Maultasche
This cozy little café has reasonable prices, friendly staff, and good food/wine. They specialize in Southern German food and they are particularly famous for their homemade sausages and maultaschen (German ravioli).
Location: Mitte -Between Gendarmenmarkt and Unter den Linden in Charlottenstasse
12. Treffpunkt Berlin
This little place was a fun gastropub (even equipped with an old-fashioned juke box) with reasonable prices, friendly staff, and good food. They are known for their schnitzel, sausages and sauerkraut. Make sure to save room for their delicious apfel (apple) strudel. You will regret it if you don’t!
Location: Mitte -Mittelstrasse 55
If you want to see even more of Berlin, check out my blog post on lesser-known spots in Berlin. I hope this helps you plan out your next trip to Berlin and I hope you enjoy this wonderful city as much as I do!
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