15 Best Places To Visit in Berlin 2023
This list of the best places to visit in Berlin will help you remember a thing about one of the most multicultural and unique cities in Europe.
Reborn from its ashes after its destruction during World War II, Berlin has an endless offer of leisure and culture with which you will need more time to get bored. And although it does not retain the charm of other European cities as it does not have an old part, it does have a walk through some areas such as the Jewish or Turkish quarters; having a beer in a tavern or biergarten; you will find the authentic and charming Berlin that surprises all travelers.
Based on our experience, we recommend spending between two and three days in the city to see its main points of interest, among which the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, and the Pergamon Museum stand out, as well as enjoying the excellent atmosphere in parks and alternative venues.
Based on the experience of our two visits to the city, after the last one, we wrote this guide to Berlin and this series of tips for traveling to Berlin; we have made this list of what we believe are the 15 important places to see in Berlin. Let’s start!
1. Brandenburg Gate
One of the best things to do in Berlin is to spend day and night in front of the Brandenburg Gate, one of the few monuments that survived the war.
This old gateway to the city, located in the beautiful Pariser Plaz, was inaugurated in 1791 and has witnessed most of the city’s significant historical moments, such as the parade of Napoleon’s and Hitler’s troops.
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Like a triumphal arch, this Monument stands out for the copper quadriga that represents the Goddess of Victory located at the top. As a curiosity, it is essential to know that during the construction of the Berlin Wall, it was situated on the border of the two Germany. It was only in the fall of the Wall that it returned to its maximum splendor as an icon of the entire city.
An excellent way to learn about the city’s exciting history and take advantage of everything necessary is to book this free tour, considered one of the best free tours in Berlin, or this private tour, perfect for groups.
2. Unter den Linden
The Pariser Platz, with its well-known Hotel Adlon, located in front of the Brandenburg Gate, begins or ends Unter den Linden avenue, the most important in the city and where several of our favorite places to visit in Berlin are located.
It is a broad avenue of just over a kilometer and a half, surrounded by buildings erected after its destruction during World War II; it recovered its maximum splendor with the fall of the Berlin Wall, becoming one of the favorite streets for tourists and locals and among Its most emblematic buildings are the New Guard, built in neoclassical style in 1818 to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon’s troops and which has a moving sculpture of a woman holding the lifeless body of her son in her arms.
Another of the most exciting corners is Bebelplatz, where there is a monument hidden in the ground that recalls the burning of thousands of books in this square in Hitler’s time.
3. Berlin Wall
Known worldwide, the Berlin Wall was built after World War II, during the cold war between the Soviet communists and the allies, and divided the city between the eastern and western areas. During the 28 years of existence of this 4-meter-high Wall, many people crossed it, risking their lives to reunite with their families or to have a better life in the western part.
As time progressed, there were more and more demonstrations against the Wall until on November 9, 1989, the former GDR opened the checkpoints, and a mass exodus took place that ended with the demolition of much of the Wall—turning this historical fact into the beginning of the reunification of the two Germanys.
The most significant part, 1.3 kilometers long that remains is known as the East Side Gallery, another of the essential places to see in Berlin, where a multitude of graffiti, such as the kiss between two communist leaders or the car coming out of the Wall, which show the history of the Wall as well as numerous messages of peace.
As a recommendation, after touring the Wall, you can go for a drink at the original Yaam, known as the Berlin beach, with an extraordinary atmosphere.
An excellent way to learn more about this historical stage of the city is to book the tour of Berlin during the Cold War with a guide in Spanish or this free tour of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War.
4. Checkpoint Charlie
If you are interested in the cold war years, another of the fantastic places to visit in Berlin is Checkpoint Charlie, the control point to cross the most famous Wall in the city.
The scene of tragic stories that ended in death and spectacular escapes from East Berlin, an area ruled with the heavy hand of the administration of the Soviet Union, to West Berlin, this old border crossing still preserves a reproduction of the checkpoint as well as a museum with an extensive collection of original objects and documentation on the Cold War and the construction of the Wall.
A few meters from this place is also the Topography of Terror museum, where you can find essential remains of the Wall and an exhibition on the Nazi security apparatus.
5. Jewish Quarter
The Jewish quarter, located north of Museum Island, is our favorite and another of the most exciting places to visit in Berlin. Even today, you will find traces of the large Jewish community that lived in this area before the Second World War.
One of the most emotional places is Rosenstrasse. On this street, you can see the Block der Frauen monument, dedicated to German women married to Jews who managed to prevent their husbands from being sent to concentration camps with their demonstrations.
Starting from this street, you can begin a route that will take you through the Hackesche Hofe, eight beautiful inner courtyards connected by passages between Art Nouveau-style buildings, and the Hackescher Markt, a triangular square full of atmosphere with its many terraces and restaurants.
One of the most original places in this neighborhood and what to see in Berlin is Dead Chicken Alley, an alley full of graffiti. We recommend you go up to the house at the end of the street and be surprised.
The route ends by visiting the Memorial Jewish Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in which only the tombstone of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the vision outside of the New Synagogue is preserved.
A curiosity, you will see several golden plaques on the ground in front of numerous houses in the neighborhood, on each of which is written the name of the Jewish family that lived in the building before it was sent to a concentration camp.
Remember that this neighborhood is also perfect for trying currywurst, Berlin’s most typical dish, at Curry 61.
If you want to know the tragic history of this neighborhood, we recommend you book this guided tour in Spanish.
6. Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz, located in the center of the city, is a famous square and one of Berlin’s most important places to visit. Flanked by the Spree River and the Palace of the Republic, the court has its most prominent place in the 368-meter Television Tower, from which, if you climb to the top, you will have magnificent views of the city as well as the possibility of eating in its unique revolving restaurant Sphere.
You can book the entrance to the tower on this page in advance or this luxury dinner in its restaurant. For more information, we recommend you read this post on how to climb the Berlin Television Tower.
In addition to the views from the tower, when you go down, you can complete your visit to the square by seeing the Fountain of Friendship between Peoples, the Kaufhof Gallery, and the Clock of the Hours of the World, where you can see the times of many cities in the world. World.
In the square, there is also a large metro station, trains, and trams, so it is easy to reach from anywhere in the city and the surroundings you also have the Marienkirche Church and Rotes Rathaus or Red House, the city hall, among many other places of interest.
If you make this visit in the afternoon, another of the best things to do in Berlin and this square is to go up to the terrace of the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel to watch the sunset with the Television Tower in front of it.
7. Visit Nikolaiviertel, one of the things to do in Berlin.
Near Alexanderplatz is the Nikolaiviertel district, the oldest residential area in Berlin. As we have already mentioned, Berlin does not have a historic center, so walking through an environment of cobbled streets and low medieval-style buildings is only possible in this area.
Although during the Second World War, this neighborhood It practically destroyed by bombs, it was reconstructed in the most exact way to the original to remember the old Berlin.
The Church of Saint Nicholas, the Ephraim Palace, and the Knoblauchhaus stand out among its most beautiful buildings. However, for us, it is also a perfect place to go in search of a souvenir and try the forceful German cuisine in Zur Gerichtslaube, one of the best restaurants where to eat in berlin.
8. Pergamon Museum
Berlin has one of the broadest cultural offerings of all European cities and several museums with significant collections, such as the Pergamon Museum and the New Museum.
Located on Museum Island, the Pergamon Museum is the most famous museum to see in Berlin and has one of the world’s most valuable collections. It That built according to the size of the works of art it was going to house and consists of the Museum of the Ancient Near East, the Museum of Islamic Art, and the Collection of classical antiquities.
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The most exciting jewels are the reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate (one of the eight monumental gates of the ancient city of Babylon), the Altar of Zeus in the city of Pergamon (more than 2,000 years old), the gate of the Roman market in Miletus (17 meters high), the Mushatta Facade and the Aleppo Hall.
If you want to save time in line, which is quite long, especially in the high season and on holidays, you can book this fast-track ticket or this one-day pass that will give you access to all the museums on the island.
Another option is to buy the Berlin Welcome Card. This card includes unlimited public transport, discounts of up to 50% on more attractions, and the opportunity to include admission to two museums on Museum Island. More information is in this post about the Berlin Welcome Card.
We were visiting hours: every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Thursday until 8 pm).
9. Cathedral, one of the places to visit in Berlin
Berliner Dom, or the Cathedral, located near the Spree River and Museum Island, is the most important religious temple to visit in Berlin.
This building stands out on the outside for its green copper dome. At the same time, there is a magnificent altar made of white marble and yellow onyx and the Hohenzollern Crypt, in which several members of the imperial family of the Hohenzollern.
In addition, what we liked the most was the climb to the top of the dome, where you can enjoy excellent views of Berlin with the Spree river in the foreground.
An excellent place to relax and have a good beer with views of the Cathedral and the river is on the lawns of James-Simon Park, dotted with comfortable sun loungers.
From this area, you can also book this boat trip at dusk on the Spree river or this one that takes place during the day, two magnificent ways to see the Cathedral and other buildings from a unique perspective.
Remember that another of the religious buildings to see in Berlin is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was not restored after World War II to show the devastating effects of war.
Cathedral visiting hours: every day from 9 am to 8 pm, Sundays and holidays from 12 am to 8 pm.
We were visiting hours of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial: every day from 9 am to 7 pm.
10. Tiergarten Park
Another of the best things to do in Berlin is to take a walk or bike ride through Tiergarten, the city’s most popular and largest park.
This park of more than 200 hectares, located in the heart of the city, has several unique places, such as the Soviet Monument, built in honor of the 80,000 Russian soldiers who died during the battle of Berlin.
Other points of interest are the National Monument to Bismarck and, above all, the Victory Column, where you will have one of the city’s best views. However, our favorite corner of the park is the beautiful area of lakes and river crossings around the Café. Am Neuen See.
It is essential to know that on one of the sides of the park, near the Brandenburg Gate, is the Reichstag or German Parliament, another of the most important places to visit in Berlin for which it is worth making a prior reservation online to be able to climb the glass dome designed by Norman Foster.
A fun way to explore the entire park is to book this bike tour with a guide in Spanish that also visits other tourist spots in the city.
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Reichstag visiting hours: every day from 8 am to midnight. The last entry is at 10 pm.
11. Kreuzberg Quarter
The Kreuzberg neighborhood, or Turkish quarter, is one of the most alternative and authentic neighborhoods to visit in Berlin.
Its nickname is due to the large community of Turkish immigrants that live in this area, and in which you will feel at some point as if you were in Istanbul itself, eating a kebab in one of its many stalls.
In addition to a great atmosphere, in this fashionable neighborhood, you have alternative clothing stores and some of the most famous graffiti in the city, such as the Astronaut Cosmonaut and the Nature Morte. If you like urban art, we recommend you go to Theodor-Wolff Park, where the Elephant Mural stands out, one of the most Instagrammers in the city.
If you plan to visit this neighborhood, we advise you to come on a Tuesday or Friday from 11 am to 6:30 pm when an endless market is set up next to the Schönleinstrasse metro stop and the river. Although we recommend that you try the local cuisine, if you are not a Kebab lover and want to eat in this area, you cannot stop trying the best hamburgers in the city at Burgermeister.
An excellent option to get to know the best urban art in Berlin is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish.
12. Holocaust Memorial
One of the most awe-inspiring places to see in Berlin is the Holocaust Memorial. This Monument was built in memory of the Jews murdered by the Nazi regime and made up of an extensive gridded area of corridors in which large concrete blocks of different heights rise, which also have an underground area where the center of information, where a room stands out with the names and dates of birth and death of the victims of the Holocaust.
Although it is common sense, we cannot fail to recommend walking it with respect and silence, since not long ago photos appeared in various media of people standing on top of the blocks or taking pictures with inappropriate poses, taking into account the place and its meaning.
Information center visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm. From October to March, they close at 7 pm.
13. Berliner Unterwelten
Another of the places to visit in Berlin that we liked the most is Berliner Unterwelten, an extensive network of tunnels and bunkers located under the city.
More than 3,000 bunkers began to build when the Germans’ defeat in World War II was suspected and improved during the Cold War for fear of another war.
The guided tours, some in Spanish, through the Berliner Unterwelten are carried out by a non-profit company that provides different times through which you can learn about the history and see places such as an atomic shelter.
The tours are sold at a store located at 105 Brunnenstrasse, near the Gesundbrunnen metro stop, and you can find more information about the times and schedules on this page.
14. New Museum
After the Pergamon Museum, another of the important museums to visit in Berlin is the Neues Museum or New Museum, whose great jewel is the 3,300-year-old bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, discovered by the German explorer Ludwig Borchardt.
In addition to the bust and an extensive collection of mummies and objects from ancient Egypt, inside this spectacular three-story building are objects from the Roman Age, the Stone Age, the Golden Age, and the Bronze Age, such as a 3,000-year-old ceremonial hat. You can book your skip-the-line ticket here.
Also, if you like art, we recommend you do the rest of the visits that complete this list of the best museums in Berlin.
They were visiting hours of both museums: every day from 10 am to 6 pm. On Thursdays, they close at 8 pm.
15. Charlottenburg Palace
If you have more time, you can expand the list of places to visit in Berlin with the Charlottenburg Palace, built between 1695 and 1699, which was the former royal residence of the Hohenzollerns.
Although the interior still preserves original furniture and decoration, and you can learn about its exciting history through an audio guide, the truly essential things about this palace are its fantastic and well-kept Baroque-style gardens.
To get to this palace, far from the center, you can take the U7 line and get off at the Richard-Wagner-Platz stop, a 5-minute walk from the entrance.
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As a last piece of advice, if you visit Berlin on a Sunday, we recommend you take the metro to the Bernauer Strasse stop to see the great market set up in Mauerpark. In addition to browsing the stalls in search of an original gift and eating a delicious hamburger, you can put your singing skills to the test in an open-air karaoke that is one of the weekly events in the city.
Palace visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.
Is Berlin worth visiting?
If you like art, museums, nightlife, and modern history, the best city to visit in Germany is easily Berlin.
What is Berlin famous for?
Berlin, the capital city of Germany, is renowned for its exceptional range of landmarks, vibrant cultural scene and way of life that’s somehow all go yet relaxed. In fact, the city is best known for its striking contrasts. Historical buildings stand alongside modern architecture as the past and present intermingle.
What to do in Berlin in 3 days?
Berlin Itinerary 3 Days
- Brandenburg Gate.
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Information Center.
- Fuhrerbunker Berlin.
- Potsdamer Platz.
- Topography of Terror Berlin.
- Checkpoint Charlie.
- Gendarmenmarkt Berlin.
- St. Hedwig’s Catholic Cathedral Berlin.
Is 2 days enough to see Berlin?
2 days is enough time to get to see all of Berlin’s major attractions and test out a few restaurants, though the ideal time to spend would be 3 or 4 days.