Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany and its largest city, a place where the history of the 20th century is literally stamped into the architecture. Divided by a wall and reunited, destroyed by war and rebuilt from scratch, today it brings together the Prussian inheritance, contemporary art, startup culture and a club scene of world standing.

Getting to Berlin

The main air gateway is Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER), opened in 2020 to the south-east of the centre. S-Bahn trains and regional expresses run from it into the city (about 30–45 minutes to Alexanderplatz). The main rail hub is Berlin Hauptbahnhof, one of the largest in Europe, linking the city with Hamburg, Munich, Prague and Warsaw. Within the city it is easy to move around by underground (U-Bahn), city rail (S-Bahn), tram and bus — a single ticket is valid on all of them; day passes and the Berlin WelcomeCard are practical for a visitor.

Places of historical weight

Berlin is a city where eras converge: Prussia, the Weimar Republic, Nazism, division and reunification. Many places here are less "sights" than monuments of history. Checkpoint Charlie was the crossing point between the Soviet and American sectors and became a symbol of the Cold War. The Topography of Terror is an open-air museum on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters. Treptower Park holds a large Soviet war memorial.

Cultural and architectural sights

The Reichstag

The building of the German parliament (the Bundestag), with a glass dome designed by Norman Foster. The climb up the dome and onto the viewing terrace is free, but requires online registration in advance. From the top, a panorama of the government quarter opens up.

The Brandenburg Gate

The chief symbol of Berlin and of Germany as a whole, built at the end of the 18th century in the classical style and crowned with a quadriga. The line dividing the city ran right here, and the fall of the Wall made the gate an image of the nation's reunification.

The Berlin Wall

The fullest picture of the division is given by the memorial complex on Bernauer Strasse — a preserved stretch of wall, the "death strip", a documentation centre and an open-air viewing tower.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

A field of 2,711 concrete stelae of varying height beside the Brandenburg Gate. Beneath the memorial is an information centre with the names and fates of the victims.

Museum Island

An ensemble of five museums on the river Spree, inscribed on the UNESCO list: the Pergamon Museum, the Neues Museum with the bust of Nefertiti, the Altes Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Bode Museum. The famous Pergamon Museum is closed for a major reconstruction.

Berlin Cathedral

A monumental Protestant cathedral in neo-baroque style on Museum Island. Inside are the Hohenzollern crypt and an imposing dome with a viewing gallery.

Charlottenburg Palace

The largest surviving palace of the Prussian kings, with baroque interiors and an extensive park in the French and English styles.

The East Side Gallery

The longest surviving fragment of the Wall (about 1.3 km), on the bank of the Spree in Friedrichshain, painted by artists from all over the world. This is where the famous "Fraternal Kiss" is.

The most important museums

• The Pergamon Museum — classical and Near Eastern antiquities, including the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate (access limited by reconstruction).
• The Alte Nationalgalerie — 19th-century painting and sculpture, Romanticism and Impressionism.
• The German Museum of Technology — aviation, railways, shipping and industry.
• The DDR Museum — an interactive display about everyday life in East Germany.
• The Museum of Natural History — one of the largest in the world, with the giant skeleton of a brachiosaurus.

Places for photographs

The best views and shots come from the television tower on Alexanderplatz (the tallest structure in Germany), from the Oberbaumbrucke bridge, from the old courtyards of the Hackesche Hofe, against the graffiti of the East Side Gallery, and on the Gendarmenmarkt with its twin cathedrals and concert hall. Fine panoramas are also given by the Reichstag dome and the Victory Column in the Tiergarten.

Things to do

The vast Tiergarten in the centre is made for walking and cycling. Berlin is the world capital of techno: the clubs Berghain, Tresor and Watergate are known far beyond Germany (strict door policy, no photography). On the food side, it is worth trying currywurst and the doner kebab, which took its modern form in Berlin. Four days conveniently allow you to combine Museum Island, a route along the traces of the Wall, Charlottenburg Palace and the evening life of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.

Berlin Zoo

The oldest zoo in Germany, founded in 1844, is one of the richest in the world by number of species; next door is an aquarium with a terrarium and a jellyfish hall.