A city to understand
Berlin isn’t pretty in the way Prague or Paris is. Its appeal runs deeper. You walk past bullet marks on old buildings, sections of the Wall and memorials to a difficult past, and then step into a park full of people having a barbecue. It’s thoughtful, creative and very relaxed.
Flights land at Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and fast trains reach Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes.
Good for
- History, especially the 20th century
- Cheap food and relaxed nightlife
- Cold or wet weekends, with plenty of museums
Not ideal if
- You want a pretty, compact old town
- You plan to shop on a Sunday
- You want to see it all on foot
The essential history
- The Brandenburg Gate, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe nearby.
- The Reichstag dome: free, but you must book online in advance.
- The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, the best place to understand the Wall.
- The East Side Gallery, the longest surviving stretch of the Wall, covered in murals.
- Topography of Terror, a free museum on the site of the former Gestapo headquarters.
If you only have time for one Wall site, make it Bernauer Strasse rather than Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie is mostly a photo stop; Bernauer Strasse shows you what the border actually did to a street.
Museums and art
Museum Island is home to five major museums. The Pergamon is closed for a long renovation, but the Neues Museum, with the bust of Nefertiti, is a highlight. On Sundays, the Mauerpark flea market and its open-air karaoke are a Berlin institution.
With limited time, pick one museum on Museum Island and give it a few unhurried hours. The Neues Museum is the easy choice, for Nefertiti. Then spend the rest of the day outside: the Wall Memorial, a walk along the Spree, a beer by the canal in Kreuzberg. Berlin makes more sense from its streets than from its galleries, and three days indoors would waste it.
Neighbourhoods
Kreuzberg is multicultural and lively, with canalside cafés and street food. Prenzlauer Berg is leafy, with cafés and good weekend markets. Mitte has the big sights and galleries, and Neukölln is where the city’s younger crowd goes out.
What we’d skip: the queue at Checkpoint Charlie and the photos with actors in uniform. It’s on the way to the Topography of Terror, so look as you pass and keep walking. The Topography, which is free, tells the story far better.
Rent a bike and ride across Tempelhofer Feld, an old airport turned into a giant park. You can cycle down the runways.
Food and drink
Try currywurst at a street stand, a döner kebab, which Berliners proudly claim as their own, and a German beer in a beer garden. Berlin also has a huge vegetarian and international food scene. Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg hosts a street food market on Thursday evenings.
Three days in Berlin
On day one, start with the history at the centre. Visit the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, where the glass dome is free but must be booked online. Walk to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, then on to Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror, an outdoor and indoor museum on the site of the old Gestapo headquarters.
Day two is for museums and the Wall. Museum Island has five major museums, so choose one or two rather than trying to do all of them. In the afternoon, go to the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, which explains the divided city better than anywhere else, then see the murals of the East Side Gallery.
On day three, explore the neighbourhoods. Kreuzberg and Neukölln are full of Turkish markets, canal-side bars and street food. Prenzlauer Berg is quieter, with the Mauerpark flea market and karaoke on a Sunday. Tempelhofer Feld, an old airport turned into a huge park, is a very Berlin way to spend an afternoon.
Getting around and saving money
Berlin is big, so use the U-Bahn and S-Bahn. A day ticket or a short-term Berlin travel pass is good value, and you need an ABC ticket to reach the BER airport. Validate paper tickets before boarding, because inspectors check often and fines are steep.
Food is cheap compared to other capitals. Try a currywurst, a döner kebab, which many say was perfected here, and a Sunday brunch. Some smaller places still prefer cash, so carry a little.
Where to stay
Mitte is the most central. Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg have more character and are well connected by U-Bahn and S-Bahn. A day ticket makes public transport simple. In December, the Christmas market at Charlottenburg Palace is one of the prettiest in the city.
Good to know before you go
- Book the Reichstag dome online in advance and bring photo ID.
- Most shops close on Sundays. Museums, cafés and flea markets stay open.
- Carry some cash for smaller bars and cafés.
- Validate paper tickets before you board, and buy an ABC ticket for the airport.
- Berlin is big. Group each day by area rather than crossing the city twice.
- Some clubs have strict door policies. Don’t take it personally.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book the Reichstag dome?
Yes. Entry is free, but you must register online in advance and bring photo ID.
How do I get from Berlin airport to the centre?
Express and regional trains run from BER to Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes. Buy an ABC zone ticket.
Is Berlin expensive?
Berlin is one of the more affordable capitals in Western Europe, especially for food, drink and public transport.
Are shops open on Sundays in Berlin?
Most shops close on Sundays in Germany, though restaurants, museums, cafés and the flea markets open. Plan any shopping for Friday or Saturday.
