What to See in Berlin, Places of Interest: From the Brandenburg Gate to the Castles

Capital of Germany since 1999, Berlin is a phoenix risen from the ashes of World War II. Today the city has regained a position attracting architects, designers, and restorers from all over the world, in addition to artists, musicians, and intellectuals. A trip to Berlin is a journey through reconstruction understood as a global condition that embraces both the city’s architecture and collective feelings that probably have been Berlin’s strength, rediscovered and much loved worldwide especially since the 1990s, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. To visit Berlin on a budget, we recommend the Berlin Welcome Card which grants many discounts.

See also: 3-day itinerary in Berlin

What to See in Berlin

1 Berlin Places of Interest: Brandenburg Gate

The most recognizable symbol of Berlin is undoubtedly the Brandenburg Gate, a majestic monument located between the Mitte and Tiergarten districts. Built in 1791, it witnessed key events in German history. Berlin Brandenburg Gate. East of the gate is Pariser Platz, which regained its prewar splendor and status as one of the most prestigious areas in the city some years ago. On the north side, the historic French Embassy has been rebuilt, while on the opposite side the Art Academy has recently reopened.

Berlin Places of Interest

2 Berlin: Holocaust Memorial

South of Pariser Platz, 150 m from Brandenburg Gate, stands the Memorial to the Jewish Victims, which tells the historical and social stories of the city very well and deserves time to be viewed and explored. This monument, also known as the Holocaust Memorial (Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas), was completed in 2005 by architect Peter Eisenman. Initially, it sparked some controversy due to its bare design and the exclusion of non-Jewish victims, but today it enjoys public favor. The attraction is free to visit from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 20:00.

What to See in Berlin

3 Berlin What to See: Reichstag

This imposing late 19th-century building has recently returned to being the heart of German political life. Its magnificent glass dome, designed by Norman Foster, is undoubtedly a symbol of the city’s current history. To admire the magnificent panoramic view from the top of the building, there are often long queues; it is therefore advisable to arrive early or in the evening. The complex is free to visit every day from 8:00 to 24:00.

What to Visit in Berlin

4 Potsdamer Platz and Charlottenburg

Once bleak due to its proximity to the Wall, today Potsdamer Platz is a city within the city, full of skyscrapers, cinemas, embassies, and interesting museums (including foodie museums). This area breathes the spirit of modernity, yet the charm of the Berlin castles remains unchanged, foremost among them the Charlottenburg Palace with its adjacent park. Built as a summer residence for Queen Charlotte by her husband Frederick I, it was later expanded with Baroque and Rococo additions in 1701.

5 Berlin Wall

Many visitors to Berlin seek traces of the historic Wall that divided the city in two from 1961 to 1989. Although only a few pieces remain, it is not difficult to imagine the concrete barrier separating West Berlin from the surrounding GDR. The Wall’s path, walkable or bikeable, is 160 km long and encircles all of East Berlin, which was the capital of socialist Germany. Along the well-marked route, there are maps and multilingual information signs for orientation. The Berlin Wall Trail (Berliner Mauerweg), essentially a pedestrian and bicycle path, is divided into 14 stages, each easily accessible by metro and suburban rail.

Things to See in Berlin

6 Berlin Museums

In Berlin, cultural spaces are especially concentrated on Museum Island (Museumsinsel), which offers an exceptional concentration of top-level art galleries. The complex is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

• The Pergamon (Pergamon Museum) is a unique museum: here, original-size monuments discovered by German archaeologists from ancient Greece and the ancient Persian Empire have been reconstructed. The museum houses the famous Altar of Pergamon, which gives the museum its name, the Ishtar Gate, also called the Babylon Gate, and many other historic monuments.
• The Altes Museum, built in 1830 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, is the oldest on the island and hosts ancient art collections. The museum’s main attraction is the Greek statue Betende Knabe, carved in Rhodes, depicting a boy with raised arms.
• The Bode Museum, known for the art collection it preserves, dedicated to sculpture, applied arts, and numismatics, is also located on Berlin’s Museum Island.

Other notable museums include the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the DDR Museum, and the Jewish Museum.

Berlin to See

7 Berlin what to see: Alexanderplatz

Located east of the museums, the famous Berlin square, affectionately called “Alex“, is a kind of architectural legacy of old East Berlin. The name was given in honor of a visit by the Russian czar Alexander I to Berlin on October 25, 1805. Alexanderplatz is surrounded by several famous buildings, including the Fernsehturm, the Television Tower, the second tallest structure in Europe, the Park Inn Hotel, the tallest habitable building in the city, and the World Time Clock.

Berlin things to see

8 Berlin Zoo and Other Points of Interest

The city’s symbol animal is the bear, which indeed appears on Berlin’s flag and coat of arms; for this reason, a visit to the Zoologischer Garten, Berlin Zoo, is a must. Although the city is huge, sprawling, and lively, it is possible to find a corner for relaxation in the extensive green space of Tiergarten, the park in the city center which especially in summer welcomes families for picnics and outdoor games.

Also beautiful and worthy of admiration are the churches, among which the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), a Protestant cathedral located on Schloßplatz, rightly holds a place of honor. Berlin Guide. The risk of getting lost or missing an important place is averted thanks to technology: to visit Berlin peacefully, it is possible to use audioguides which, with comprehensive explanations, allow wandering without ever losing the way yet with complete freedom.

A trip to Berlin cannot omit visiting Checkpoint Charlie, a striking symbol of the city’s past division and now a tourist attraction.

What to See Berlin

9 What to Do in Berlin: The Neighborhoods

Berlin is a city to be lived intensely at all hours of the day and night: lively and vibrant is also the life in clubs, discos, and streets, a container of fashion, trends, arts, and open-air entertainment. Berlin nightlife.

In Friedrichshain you breathe alternative nightlife, in Charlottenburg refined and elegant evenings, while Prenzlauer Berg is today the trendiest district. However, Mitte remains the center in every sense, not only of the city administration but also for entertainment or a refreshing break during afternoons around Berlin. Because of its wealth of beauty and attractions, Berlin can be visited any time of the year, although the harsh winter temperatures may discourage some. The Berlin Christmas Markets become a real attraction during the Advent period before Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Not to be missed.

Berlin Airport

10 How to Get Around Berlin

Berlin had two main airports: the international Tegel Airport (permanently closed in November 2020), located 8 km northwest of the center, and Schönefeld, which is 20 km from the center. Schönefeld Airport is well connected to the city by extensive bus, train, and taxi services, also thanks to the very modern hub between national and international connections called Berlin Hauptbahnhof, inaugurated for the 2006 World Cup. The main station in Berlin is Hauptbahnhof, but there are also three other stations for long-distance trains and others for regional traffic. The extensive urban network consists of the U-Bahn subway and the surface S-Bahn lines, both running 24 hours a day; there are also trams and buses of the MetroNetz line. The city is divided into 3 zones: A, B, and C.

11 Where to Eat in Berlin

In no other German city do you eat as well and as “international” as in Berlin. The culinary choice is vast and ranges from places offering cuisine from all over the world to others serving traditional recipes with decidedly generous portions. The quality/price ratio is generally fair. For breakfast, we recommend Anna Blume, a fragrant restaurant-café-florist. For lunch, if you want to taste some German specialties such as pork knuckle or oxtail stew, we suggest Restauration 1900, a classic meeting place for Berliners and tourists. To end the day perfectly, dinner at Schwarzenraben, a restaurant-bar formerly a trattoria offering excellent Italian cuisine, or at “Zur Alten Laterne” (Old Lantern) is ideal. Do not miss the foodie museums among which the Zucker Museum stands out.

12 Where to Sleep in Berlin

Berlin offers a wide range of hotels. Berlin hotels. Most high-category hotels are large modern hotels, top in contemporary design, but there are also more classic and economical accommodations, especially in the Kurfürstendamm, Tiergarten, and Charlottenburg areas. Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg host some of the city’s most prestigious hotels.