The Best of Berlin: Making the Most of Germany’s Capital

Seasonal Highlights:

1. Weihnachtsmarkts - Also known as the Christmas markets, there are over 80 markets across Berlin taking place between mid November and early January. These markets embrace all of the holiday season with performances, artisanal shops, carnival rides, Glühwein (warm mulled wine), and a vast variety of savory food and sweet pastries. If you only come to Germany once, this is the time. You can find the best markets (such as at Bebelplatz and Charlottenburg Palace), as well as where each is.

2. Museumsonntag - Museum Sunday. The first Sunday of every month grants everyone free admission into over 70 museums across Berlin. Museums such as Humboldt Forum, Deutsches Technikmuseum, and Pergamon Museum are all part of this group. Most do not require pre-booked, free tickets, but for the few that do, check their website.

3. Festival of Lights - In late September or early October annually, Berlin hosts its Festival of Lights. Every night during this period, light shows and projections light up dozens of major buildings in Berlin including the Brandenburg Gate and TV tower!

4. May Day/Labor Day - The first of May (and even some events the night before) is an important day for Germany as it is their labor day. Just about everything will be closed this day, but you will see all the Germans out with their friends and family at different celebrations across the city, such as in Kreuzberg, eating and drinking and enjoying the weather!

5. Oktoberfest - There are some festivities in Berlin for Oktoberfest (which is mostly in September as it celebrates the coming of October), but it is traditionally more of a Bavarian celebration in the southern parts of Germany, like Munich.

Attractions:

1. Brandenburg Gate - The most iconic spot of Berlin, make sure to take a nice picture in front of this famous gate that has ties to Napoleon Bonaparte, the Nazi regime, and Fall of the Berlin Wall celebrations.

2. Reichstag Building - Home of the German Bundestag (federal parliament), this building has a free-to-visit glass dome on top where you walk around an inclined ramp. During your visit, you will get an audio player that talks about the history of the Reichstag and all the sites around Berlin that you can see from this bird’s eye view. I would recommend making this one of the first Berlin things you do.

3. Mauerpark - Every Sunday, there is a flea market (Flohmarkt) in Prenzlauer Berg. This market is bigger than any you have seen before with a vast variety of stands featuring handmade items, pre-owned clothes, vinyl records, and even boxes to sift through that look like they came from someone’s basement. You are sure to find something lovely to take home at a great price, and if not, there are also dozens of food trucks and a biergarten for you to enjoy a snack at, as well as an open karaoke session.

4. TV Tower and Alexanderplatz - A well known and easy to spot site of Berlin, the TV tower is a 368-meter tall building with a design that resembles the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik as it was built on the GDR side of Berlin when it was divided. With paid admission, you can go up the TV tower, or even dine inside the sphere at the restaurant. Afterwards, explore some of the shops of Alexanderplatz and see the World Time clock.

5. East Side Gallery - This beautiful display of artworks that were created on the Berlin wall is displayed here near the Uber Platz (formerly Mercedes-Benz Platz). Walk along this section of the wall and take some really beautiful pictures of art such as the Fraternal Kiss depicting soviet leaders.

6. Berliner Dom - Berlin’s largest cathedral dates back to the 15th century, but suffered great damage during the second world war that required significant restoration that wasn’t completed until after the fall of the Berlin wall. Also featured is the Hohenzollern crypt with around 100 coffins from five centuries that will reopen in 2025 after reconstruction work is performed.

7. Museums - There is a plethora of museums in Berlin, but I will highlight a few of the most popular (most are even free on Museum Sunday previously mentioned). Deutsches Technikmuseum (Museum of Technology), Humboldt Forum, Pergamon Museum (closed until 2027) and its associated museum Panorama, Futurium, Neues Museum (New Museum), and Museum für Naturkunde (Natural History)

8. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - This memorial right next to the Brandenburg Gate is a tribute to all the Jewish people who perished during the second world war. The stone pillars of different heights and the walkways that go up and down are supposed to make you feel disoriented as you walk through this memorial, just as the millions of Jewish people felt during this unfortunate time.

9. Topography of Terrors - The location of the headquarters for the Gestapo during the second world war, this indoor and outdoor documentation center retells all of the terrors committed by the Gestapo, SS, and Reich Security on all different populations of people from 1933-1945.

10. Checkpoint Charlie - The best known border crossing between the East and West side of Berlin is located here with replicas of the watchtowers and turnpikes. There is also a museum dedicated to the Berlin wall right next to this checkpoint.

11. Botanical Garden - A garden with about 20,000 plant species in a space of 43 hectares, the botanical garden is a beautiful spot in southwest Berlin. Also to note, during the Christmas market season, you can visit their festive light show that has you marvel at different sculptures and projections around the property.

12. Olympiastadion - Home to the 1936 summer Olympics, Olympic Stadium is home to Berlin’s Hertha BSC football club, and part of the UEFA 2024 tournament stadiums.

13. Deutsches Espionage Museum - If you want to feel like a spy and learn all about espionage from ancient biblical times to spyware happening today, visit this museum. Great for all ages with small activities scattered throughout the exhibit, this is a fun and exciting museum.

14. Mall of Berlin and Potsdamer Platz - If shopping is your thing, definitely visit the huge mall of Berlin and nearby Potsdamer Platz with over 300 shops, a variety of food stands, and a slide that will take you down nearly 3 stories.

15. Rausch Schokoladenhaus and Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt - A German best-of list would not be complete without delicious German chocolate! At the Rausch chocolate house and restaurant, you can take a walking tour of the history of chocolate, see different Berlin attractions sculpted out of chocolate, or dine at the cafe to get dessert or fondue. At the Ritter Sport colorful chocolate world, you can find all the flavors of Ritter Sport chocolate in their rainbow of packages, as well as even make your own chocolate bar!

16. Berlin Underground and Lasergame - There are tours that will take you underneath the streets of Berlin and into the tunnels and bunkers of WWII. Even cooler is that you can play laser tag in one of these bunkers!

17. LVL Global - If you or someone you are traveling with is a gamer, you NEED to bring them to LVL. This venue has two floors with Playstations, Switches, Xboxes, racing seats, Virtual Reality, and plenty of PCs equipped with the top gamer games. There is also a unique esports arena that hosts League of Legends and Valorant matches, and a movie theater for MarioKart tournaments and more. This venue also offers burgers, fries, beers, and cocktails!

18. Schloss Charlottenburg - A beautiful palace in western Berlin, this palace of Queen Sophie Charlotte, the first queen of Prussia, is Berlin's largest palace. In the summertime, visit the gardens and in winter, go to one of Berlin's best Christmas markets!

19. Disgusting Foods Museum - A unique museum near Checkpoint Charlie and Topography of Terrors that has you looking into all the odd foods of the world’s cultures, like insects!

20. Grunewald and Pfaueninsel - If you are into exploring and the outdoors, make sure to check out this area. Grunewald is a large stretch of forest where you can get a beautiful view of Berlin from Drachenberg or see the art gallery of Teufelsberg. Nearby on the lake known as Wannsee, there is Pfaueninsel where wild peacocks roam around the island and small castle from former royalty.

21. Gärten der Welt - Gardens of the World is a park in east Berlin that is a bit more of a journey than most other attractions, but has beautiful Asian, Christian & Renaissance themed gardens, home to sculptures, flowers & buildings of those themes.

22. Buddy Bears - While touring Berlin, keep an eye out for the Berlin Buddy bears that are scattered all throughout the city. There are over 200 unique bears in Berlin alone and are even around the world. A common place you will find them is at each country’s embassy (i.e. there is a Statue of Liberty Bear in the United States embassy and a J.F.K Bear at the Boston, Massachusetts German Consulate).

Day trips

1. Potsdam - When visiting Berlin, I would encourage you to take a day out of your itinerary, or add a day to your trip, and go on a quick hour ride to visit Potsdam. This city just south of Berlin has the beautiful Sanssouci Palace that used to belong to a king in the 18th century as a summer residence, Cecilienhof Palace that hosted the famous Potsdam Conference in 1945, a Dutch Quarter where you can enjoy cuisine from the Netherlands, and they even have their own, smaller Brandenburg gate!

2. Sachsenhausen - When traveling to Germany, many people do want the chance to visit a former concentration camp for the historical significance and remembrance of all the lives lost in the second world war. If this is something you choose to do while visiting Berlin, the closest former camp is Sachsenhausen located an hour away from Berlin’s central train station. Admission and tours are free, but book your tours at least four months in advance.

1. Beer - One of the best reasons to come to Germany! The beer here is unmatched by any other country and there are plenty of places to enjoy it! You could visit the Hofbräuhaus near the TV tower, but I would recommend a Biergarten scattered throughout Berlin, such as the Cafe am Neuen See in the Tiergarten Park near the Zoo. Otherwise, you can always stop into a supermarket like Rewe or Edeka to grab a beer for only a Euro or two and stroll through a park. Just be responsible as it is not respectable to be drunk in public in German culture.

2. Döner Kebab - Döners are well-known in Berlin and are a Turkish street food (think of a gyro sandwich). Berlin does this savory treat incredibly well and is my go-to recommendation for food in Berlin. The best ones are Rüyan Gemüse Kebab and Mervan Bistro, although Mustafa’s is also supposedly very good, but the lines are always incredibly long.

3. Currywurst - Created in Berlin, currywurst can be found all throughout the city and is a hotdog-like sausage with a spiced curry ketchup over it. You will typically find it at a food stand, and the best one is Curry 36. Definitely give currywurst a chance even if you don’t think you will like it (I don’t typically like curry or ketchup, but I love currywurst).

4. Schnitzel - A classic for everyone of all ages. The breaded cutlet is usually of pork, but can be veal or chicken too and goes best with a mushroom cream sauce. Some of the best I have had is from Schnitzelei or Cafe Sidney.

5. Flammkuchen - This German snack/meal is similar to a flatbread but on a crispier, lighter dough. The standard flammkuchen comes with a Crème Fraîche base, cheese, and bacon pieces. A great place for this is Grimm’s Tischlein deck Dich, a Grimm’s brother themed restaurant in a hotel. Fun fact, the Grimm brothers are actually buried nearby in Schöneberg.

6. German Fare - There are plenty of German restaurants scattered throughout Berlin and plenty are meant for tourists (although that does not mean they are tourist traps). One in particular is Ständige Vertretung that features great dishes like the stuffed cabbage roll or pork knuckle, and has political pictures around the restaurant from the Cold War era.

7. Langos - A Hungarian street food that is highlighted during the markets in the winter. A better fried dough, you can get langos sweet or savory, and my recommendation is to get it savory with garlic, cheese, and the Crème Fraîche sauce.

8. Brammibal’s Donuts - The best donuts of Berlin can be found in a few locations throughout Berlin, and the one at Potsdamer Platz is my go-to. This vegan donut shop makes their donuts fresh every morning and has a large selection of classic donuts and rotating seasonal specials. They have great coffees with oat milk and you can even get custom donuts in the shape of letters for birthdays and other special occasions.

9. Burgermeister - One of the biggest fast food chains of Berlin, Burgermeister is like a more affordable Five Guys. They have awesome burgers, a great chili sauce for your fries, and are located in essentially every major section of Berlin.

10. Jolly - You may not think to get Chinese food in Germany, but this place is very good and conveniently located next to Museum Insel (Museum Island) for a great meal after touring the museums. Their highlight is their duck which is greatly featured on their menu.

11. Tudo - Bubble tea really has seemed to gain a lot of popularity in the past year or two, and Berlin is no exception to the bubble tea craze. Tudo has the best bubble tea and is right in front of the TV tower, which is a great location to grab a tea and walk around.

12. Vapiano - If you are with any picky eaters, Vapiano is an awesome place to check out. This place lets you customize your pasta dishes with sauces and types of pasta to make sure you are going to enjoy what you eat.

13. Winterfeldt Schokoladen - If you are in Berlin on a cold day and there are no Christmas markets around to warm you up, make sure to visit this place for Berlin’s best hot chocolate. This cafe is actually a former pharmacy, so the interior is very unique and still looks like an older pharmacy.

14. Japanese - If you are into Japanese cuisine, there are two locations located nearby to each other in the Wilmersdorf area of Berlin. Jade Palast has delicious hand-pulled noodles that will satisfy your noodle or ramen cravings. For sushi, Sticks’n’sushi has a great selection of sushi dishes and other Asian cuisine, including a wide variety of “sticks” from teriyaki to bacon-wrapped scallops.

15. Monkey Bar - If you are looking for a unique bar experience, go to the Monkey Bar near the Zoo. This bar, located on top of a hotel, is a small venue with great drinks and a view of the monkey enclosures at the Berlin Zoo. Just make sure to get there early to snag a seat.