This fascinating city has it all. History, architecture, art scene, green areas, awesome bars and cafes, food and many other things to keep you around the clock. It’s not the prettiest but it’s energetic and that’s what makes it so special and interesting. Therefore, if you’re planning a visit to German capital be sure to bookmark this Berlin Travel Guide 2017 edition.
Transport
Berlin WelcomeCard – Berlin is huge and spread out city so public transportation will be a necessity. With the Berlin WelcomeCard you’ll also get a city map, a guide and 200 discount deals. On offer are 48h and 72 hours but also 4,5 and 6 days passes. You can also read my review of the pass.
Attractions
Alexander Platz and the TV tower – Berlin’s most famous square is a crossing point in the city. You can visit the TV tower and enjoy the panoramic views of the city.
Nikolai Quarter – the oldest historic area of Berlin with medieval lanes and many restaurants and cafes.
Hackesche Höfe – Berlin’s courtyards designed in Art Nouveau style. Lots of nice bars and restaurants in this area.
Berlin Cathedral – The largest church in the city. And also one of the most photographed places.
Unter den Linden – A very long boulevard in the Mitte district with many attractions along the way. Leads all the way to Brandenburger Tor.
Brandenburg Gate – The symbol of the city.
Reichstag – You can visit the German Bundestag and its dome which offers a great panorama of Berlin. However, you need to register your visit and the best way to do it is online by clicking here. Make sure to also snap a photo or two at the Platz der Republic – the huge lawn in front of the Reichstag.
Holocaust Memorial – This monument that consists of 2,711 concrete slabs is dedicated to the Jewish victims of Holocaust.
Potsdamer Platz – Urban architecture.
Berlin Wall Memorial – Visit this central memorial site of German division which is located in Bernauer Strasse. There’s an outdoor exhibition and the Documentation Center with rich material and an observation tower. The entrance is free of charge and the listening stations are spread along the former border.
East Side Gallery – The longest section of the Berlin Wall with 105 paintings from the artists around the world.
Checkpoint Charlie – The most famous border crossing point between East and West Berlin.
Museum Island – An island on the Spree river which is a home to five world class museums.
Charlottenburg Palace – The largest palace in Berlin.
Kurfürstendamm – the Champs-Élysées of Berlin. Filled with shops, houses, restaurants and hotels. Especially nice and atmospheric in the evening.
Friedrichstrasse – Another legendary street of Berlin. Home to exclusive offices, coffee shops, restaurants, shops and Dussmann 😀
Friedrichshain – Berlin’s artsy hub and a very popular place for nightlife.
Museums
Museum Pass – For 24 EUR you get a free entrance to 50 museums for 3 consecutive days. I recommend this pass if you’re making a second visit to Berlin or if you’re staying for more than a week. Otherwise, it’s better buying a separate ticket.
Pergamon Museum – Berlin’s most famous museum and a new home to the Ishtar Gate and other Babylonian treasures. Pergamon is under renovations until 2019 and the waiting hours are long so you may want to get a time slot ticket.
Neues Museum – My favorite museum. Very rich exhibition of Egyptian culture and the Early History. Museum’s most famous treasure is the Nefertiti Bust. Besides exhibitions, the building itself is a beautiful piece of art.
Bode Museum – This beautiful museum at the Museum Island offers rich Sculpture and Numismatic collection.
DDR Museum – An interactive museum which showcases life in East Germany. Great for history buffs!
The Natural History Museum – The world’s largest dinosaur skeleton, found in Tanzania in 1909 is exhibited here.
Berlinische Galerie – Museum of modern art, photography and architecture. Must see!
Honorable mentions
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Deutsche Kinemathek
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Deutsches Historiches Museum
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The Jewish Museum
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Topographie des Terrors
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Stasi Museum
Where To Stay
I use Booking.com to search for accommodation across Europe. Through their website you can find hotels, apartments, hostels etc.
Hotel Mani – I absolutely love this place! Hotel Mani has an awesome decor and it’s one of the better boutique hotels in Berlin.
Eating
Berlin’s cuisine is rich and has an incredible international offer as people from all over the world made this city their home. For more detailed info check out this post on where to eat in Berlin on a budget.
Curry 36 – A place to try currywurst.
Matreshka – Russian/Ukrainian cuisine.
Mustafa’s Kebab – Be ready for a long long wait!
Dada Falafel – Middle Eastern restaurant in Mitte district.
Veganz – Vegan store with a small bakery and a cafe.
Marheineke Markthalle – Located in Kreuzbeurg neighborhood this market offers meat, cheese, fish, fruits, vegetables etc.
Burgermeister – The iconic burger joint.
Babel – One of the best Lebanese restaurants. Big portions, tasty food and a great value for money.
Drinking & Nightlife
KASCHK – This is my favorite place at the moment. Great for coffee during the day. Awesome selection of craft beers. Cool vibe at night. Shuffleboard. Love love love!
GROSZ – If you want to have a drink or two in an elegant and historic setting come here.
Eschenbräu – A popular beer garden in Wedding famous for producing its own beer. There are 21 types of seasonal beer. Try Rauchbier or Black Mamba.
Vagabund bar – Small and artsy bar with great selection of beers.
Weinerei – An interesting place to hang out. Good place for wine but they also serve coffee, tea and a vegetarian lunch menu.
Mein Haus Am See – Popular among hipsters and freelancers who come here to listen to good music and socialize.
House of Weekend – Techno club with a rooftop terrace that offers an amazing view of Alexanderplatz.
Kantine am Berghain – Everyone has heard about Berghain, Berlin’s legendary club. Kantine am Berghain is a smaller club which hosts many cool musical events. You can check their FB page for a list of events.
Cassiopeia – An alternative club with a big garden in the summer. There are parties for everyone’s taste – from hip/hop, reggae to pop, indie to rock.
Culture
Berlin Philharmonie – One of the best orchestras in the world. And not only is this a musical venue but also an architectural highlight. You can even go on a guided tour of the place.
KulturForum – A collection of cultural buildings including the Berlin State Library and the New National Gallery.
The State Opera – Another famous cultural institution on the Unter den Linden boulevard. Guided tours are on offer as well.
Intimes Cinema – One of the best art-house cinemas in Berlin. Program also includes new releases and foreign language films.
Zukunft am Ostkreuz – An open-air indie cinema.
Bookshops – Berlin has many fantastic second hand bookshops selling English and French titles.
Parks & Recreation
Tiergarten Park – One of Berlin’s biggest parks/forests. Very popular among tourists, joggers and cyclists.
Schlahtensee – Berlin has many lakes and this one is especially visited at Summer.
Tempelhofer Feld – A public park at the old Tempelhof airport. Tempelhof Airport is one of the largest buildings in the world and there’s a 6 km long trail ideal for walking and cycling. Locals love to hang out here and there’s even BBQ space.
Grunewald and Teufelsberg – This forest in the southwest Berlin is great for hiking.
The Botanical Garden – With more than 22,000 types of plants, Berlin’s botanical garden is one of the most important in the world.
Treptower Park – One of the biggest parks in the city and also a home to the Soviet War Memorial.
Strandbad Wannsee – The largest inland lido in Europe with many recreational activities on offer.
Mauer Park – Famous for its flea market and outdoors karaoke.
Badeschiff – Swimming pool on a river Spree.
LGBT
Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism – You’ll find this monument at the entrance of Tiergarten park.
Schwules Museum – A museum exhibiting LGBT life in Berlin.
Christopher Street Day – Germany’s largest gay festival.
SchwuZ – Great partying place with 3 different dancefloors.
Queer Couchsurfing Berlin Meetups – Well, the name says it all.
The Club – A gay bar in Neukolln.
Silver Future – Kings and Queens and Criminal Queers 😀
Travels of Adam Berlin Guide – Adam is a travel writer based in Berlin. I totally recommend his website if you’re into alternative culture and if you want to find out more about LGBT travel tips in Europe.
Shopping
KaDeWe – A well known department store. It mostly caters to luxury shoppers and it has a nice gourmet area.
Mauer Park – Hosts weekly flea market.
Mall of Berlin – A shopping mall with 270 stores.
Berlin Story – A souvenir shop on Unter den Linden.
Dussman – A heaven for book lovers and geeks. You’ll also find movies, CD’s and games. My favorite store in Berlin. I know, I’m a geek 😀
Galeria Kaufhof – Another regular department store.
Festivals
Berlinale – One of the world’s leading film festivals.
Pop-Kultur – An international cultural festival.
Christopher Street Day – Berlin Pride festival.
Festival of Lights – The city and its landmarks get transformed during this annual festival.
ITB – The world’s largest and most respected tourism convention.
Free Tours
Day Trips
Potsdam – If you have some days to spare go to Potsdam and see amazing palace of Sanssouci and its stunning gardens.