This list of best places to visit in Berlin It will help you not to miss anything in one of the most multicultural and amazing cities in Europe.
Reborn from its ashes after its total destruction during World War II, Berlin has an endless supply of leisure and culture in which it will be impossible to get bored. And although it does not retain the charm of having an old part as in other European cities, if you are walking through neighborhoods such as the Jewish, the Turkish or having a beer in a tavern or biergarten, you will find the authentic and charming Berlin.
We recommend that you spend two to three days to see the main points of interest among which the Branderburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and the Pergamon Museum stand out, among others.
Based on the experience of our two visits to the city, in the last one we wrote this Berlin guide in 3 days, we have made this list of what we believe are the 10 essential places to see in Berlin. We start!
1. Brandenburg Gate
One of the best things to do in Berlin It is to pass 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 great historical moments such as the parade of Napoleon's and Hitler's troops.
Similar to an arc of triumph, this monument stands out for the copper quadriga that represents the Goddess of Victory located at the top.
During the construction of the Berlin Wall it was located on the border of the two Germanies and it was not until the fall of the wall that it returned to its maximum splendor as an icon of the entire city.
This door starts or ends at Unter den Linden Avenue, the most important in the city where two of our favorite places are located what to visit in Berlin: The New Guard building with its moving sculpture inside and Bebelplatz, where there is a monument on the ground in memory of the burning of thousands of books in this square in Hitler's time.
A good option to know the interesting history of the city and not miss anything important is to book a guided tour or this free tour of Berlin Free!, Both with a guide in Spanish.
Brandenburg Gate
2. Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built after World War II, in the middle of the cold war between the Soviet communists and the allies, and divided the city between the eastern and western zones. During the 28 years of existence of this 4-meter-high wall, many people crossed it risking their lives to reunite with their family 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 old GDR opened the control points and a mass exodus took place that would end with the demolition of much of the wall turning this historical fact at the beginning of the reunification of the two Germanies.
The largest part of 1.3 kilometers long that is preserved, is known as East Side Gallery, another of the essential places to see in Berlin, where there have been many graffiti such as kiss between two communist leaders or that of the car coming out of the wall, which shows the history of the wall and messages of peace.
After touring the wall, you can go for a drink in the original Yaam, known as the Berlin beach and with a very special atmosphere.
Another of the highlights of the cold war to visit in Berlin is Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous control point in the city. In this place, besides seeing a reproduction of the checkpoint, you can visit a museum with a large collection of original objects and documentation about 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 important remains of the wall and an exhibition on the security apparatus of the Nazis.
A good way to learn more about this historical stage of the city is to book the Berlin tour during the Cold War with a guide in Spanish, located among the best excursions in Berlin.
Berlin Wall
3. Jewish Quarter
The Jewish quarter, located north of the Museum Island, is our favorite and another of the most interesting places to visit in Berlin, where even today you will find the traces of the great Jewish community that lived in this area before the Second World War.
One of the most emotional places is Rosenstrasse, a street where you can see the Block der Frauen monument, dedicated to German women married to Jews who got their demonstrations, that their husbands were not sent to the concentration camps.
From this street you can start a route through which you will pass through the Hackesche Hofe, eight beautiful interior courtyards that communicate through passages between modernist-style buildings and Hackescher Markt, a triangular square full of atmosphere in 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 in which we recommend you go up to the house at the end of the street and be surprised.
The route ends by visiting the Jewish Cemetery Memorial, a Jewish cemetery where only the tombstone of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the view outside the New Synagogue are preserved.
As a curiosity, you will see several golden plates on the ground in front of numerous houses in the neighborhood, in each of them the name of the Jewish family that lived in the building is written before it was sent to a concentration camp.
This neighborhood is also perfect for trying currywurst, the most typical dish in Berlin, at the local Curry 61.
The best way to learn about the tragic history of this neighborhood is to book this guided tour in Spanish.
Dead chicken alley
Our recommended hotel in Berlin
Our recommended accommodation to know all the essential places to visit in Berlin It is the Park Plaza Wallstreet Berlin, located about 10 minutes walk from the Museum Island and 100 meters from the Spittelmarkt metro station. In addition to its magnificent location, this hotel has spacious and comfortable rooms, pleasant staff, full breakfast and one of the best quality / price ratios in the city.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods we recommend you check this post of where to stay in Berlin.
4. Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz, located in the center, is a popular square and one of the places to visit in Berlin more essential This huge square, flanked by the Spree River and the Palace of the Republic, has in the 368 meter Television Tower its most prominent place.
From the top of the tower you will have magnificent views of the city and you can eat in its amazing Sphere revolving restaurant. You can book the entrance to the tower on this page in advance or this fancy dinner at its restaurant.
In addition to the views from the tower, when you go down you can complete the visit to the square by seeing the Fountain of Friendship between the Peoples, the Kaufhof Gallery and the Clock of the Hours of the World, in which you can see the hours of numerous cities of the world.
In the square there is also a large metro station, trains and trams, so it is easy to get from anywhere in the city and in the surroundings you also have the Marienkirche Church and the Rotes Rathaus or Red House, the town hall, among many other places of interest.
Another of the best things to do in Berlin and in this square it is to go up to see the sunset on the terrace of the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel and then dine local food in the Zur Gerichtslaube, located in the nearby old quarter of Nikolaiviertel.
Alexanderplatz, one of the places to visit in Berlin
5. Museums
Berlin has one of the widest cultural offerings among all European cities and several museums with very important collections such as the Pergamon Museum and the New Museum.
The Pergamon Museum is the most famous museum to see in Berlin and has one of the most valuable collections in the world.
Located on Museum Island, it was built according to the size of the works of art it was going to house and is made up of the Museum of the Ancient Near East, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Collection of classical antiques.
The most interesting jewels are the reconstruction of the Istar Gate of Babylon, the Altar of Zeus of the city of Pergamon for more than 2,000 years, the door of the Roman market of Miletus, the Facade of Mushatta and the hall of Aleppo.
If you do not want to waste time in the queue, quite long especially in high season and holidays, you can book this quick ticket or this day pass that will give you access to all the museums on the island.
Another option is to buy the Berlin WelcomeCard, a card that includes unlimited public transport, discounts of up to 50% in more attractions and the option to include the entrance to two museums on Museum Island.
Another of the museums to visit in Berlin It is the Neues Museum or New Museum that has as its great jewel the bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti of 3300 years, discovered by the German explorer Ludwig Borchardt. The collections of Ancient Egypt and Prehistory and History also stand out. You can reserve the ticket without queues here.
If you like art, we recommend completing this list of the best museums in Berlin.
Visiting hours of both museums: every day from 10am to 6pm. Thursdays close at 8pm.
Pergamon Museum
Book the best rated Spanish excursions in Berlin by travelers:
- Sachsenhausen concentration camp
- Excursion to Potsdam
- Private tour from Berlin- More excursions and tours here
Book the best rated Spanish excursions in Berlin by travelers:6. 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 and inside for the altar, built with white marble and yellow onyx although it is worth visiting the Hohenzollern Crypt, where several members of the imperial family rest of the Hohenzollern.
In addition to this, what we liked most was the climb to the top of the dome from where you can enjoy excellent views of Berlin with the Spree River in the foreground.
A good place to have a good beer overlooking the cathedral and the river is on the lawn of James-Simon Park.
From this area you can also book this boat trip at dusk on the River Spree or this one that takes place during the day.
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 a war.
Cathedral visiting hours: every day from 9am to 8pm. Sundays and holidays from 12h to 20h.
Visiting hours of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial: every day from 9am to 7pm.
Cathedral, one of the places to see in Berlin
7. Tiergarten Park
Other of the best things to do in Berlin It is a walk or bike ride through Tiergarten, the most popular and largest park in the city.
This park of more than 200 hectares, located in the heart of the city, has several prominent places such as the Soviet Monument that was built in honor of the 80,000 Russian soldiers who died during the battle of Berlin.
Another point of interest is the Bismarck National Monument and the Victory Column, from where you will have one of the best views of the city.
Although our favorite corner of the park is a beautiful area of lakes and river crossings around the Café am Neuen See and on one side of the park, near the Brandenburg Gate, is the Reichstag or German Parliament, another of the most essential places to visit in Berlin for which it is worth making a reservation online to climb the glass dome designed by Norman Foster.
A fun way to tour the entire park is to book this bike tour with a guide in Spanish where you can also visit other tourist spots in the city.
Reichstag visiting hours: every day from 8 am to midnight. Last entry at 10pm.
Tiergarten
8. Kreuzberg neighborhood
The Kreuzberg district 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 living in this area and where you will feel at some point as if you were in Istanbul itself eating a kebab in one of its many positions.
In addition to a great atmosphere, in this trendy neighborhood you have alternative clothing stores and some of the most famous graffiti in the city such as the "Astronaut Cosmonaut" and that of "Nature Morte".
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.
If you are not a kebabs lover and want to eat in this area, we recommend you try the best burgers in town in Burgermeister.
A good option to get to know the best urban art in Berlin is to book this guided tour in Spanish.
Turkish Quarter
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Holocaust Monument
One of the most overwhelming places to see in Berlin is the Holocaust Monument. This monument was built in memory of the Jews killed by the Nazi regime and is formed by an extensive gridded area of corridors in which large concrete blocks of different heights are raised that also has an underground area in which the center of information, which highlights a room with the names and dates of birth and death of the victims of the Holocaust.
We recommend going through it with respect and silence, not long ago photos were taken in various media of people up on the blocks or taking pictures with inappropriate poses, taking into account the place and its meaning.
Visiting hours information center: from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm. From October to March they close at 7pm.
Holocaust Monument
10. Berliner Unterwelten
Another of the places to visit in Berlin What we liked the most is the Berliner Unterwelten, an extensive network of tunnels and bunkers located below the city.
These more than 3000 bunkers began to be built when the defeat of the Germans in World War II was sensed and improved during the Cold War for fear of another war.
The guided tours, some in Spanish, by the Berliner Unterwelten are carried out by a non-profit company that provides different tours in which you can learn about history and see places as an atomic refuge.
The tours are sold at a store located at 105 Brunnenstrasse, near the Gesundbrunnen metro stop.
You can find more information about tours and schedules on this page.
If you have more time you can expand the list of places to visit in Berlin with the Charlottenburg Palace.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Berlin, add yours in the comments.
