46 Best things to see & do in Berlin

Over the centuries, Berlin has amassed an impressive hoard of treasures, starting with the collections of culture-mad Friedrich the Great, followed by a succession of emperors – their royal curators and architects equipped with lavish budgets – and rounded off by the spoils of a globe-spanning German Empire.

Most are now conveniently housed on one small ‘Museum Island’, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site boasting five adjacent world-class museums, covering 6,000 years of cultural and art history. An essential stop on any Berlin itinerary.

Berlin’s most popular museum is a tour de force of treasures amassed by German archaeologists during their plunderings of the ancient world. The superb site pulls together three previous museums covering Islamic art, classical antiquities and the ancient Near East.

The antiquities collection at the Pergamon includes a wealth of finds from famous archaeological sites such as Priene, Olympia, Miletus, Cyprus and Didyma, in what’s now Greece and Turkey.

This former city gate was rebuilt in the late 18th century as a triumphal arch for a rising Prussia.

The arch was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia to symbolise a period of peace and prosperity in Berlin. The neoclassical design by Carl Gotthard Langhans was inspired by the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, and it built from 1788 to 1791. It stands as the entry to Unter den Linden, the boulevard of linden trees that formerly led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs.

Now one of Germany’s best-known landmarks, the Brandenburger Tor is laden with historical significance. Napoleon briefly stole the Quadriga, the horse-drawn chariot atop the gate, and it was here Reagan urged Gorbachev to tear down the Wall. Nowadays, the gate stands as the symbol of national unity after reunification.

Berlin is a world-class art destination, thanks to three primary, complimentary causes.

First, there was a hoard of masterpieces collected on the order of culture-mad Friedrich the Great, followed by a succession of emperors – their royal curators and architects equipped with lavish budgets. Second came the spoils collected from a globe-spanning German Empire, and third, a generous amount of public funding in recent years has established Berlin’s state-owned museums way up there on the world’s A-list of art collections.

No less impressive is Berlin’s thriving contemporary art scene – the most fertile in Germany – with more than 600 private and commercial art galleries, showcasing a wealth of well-known, emerging and undiscovered talent.

The first museum to be built on Museum Island, set in a stunning neoclassical building, the Altes Museum houses exhibits from the Collection of Classical Antiquities. The permanent Greek collection is displayed on the ground floor, with special exhibitions on the second.

With its grim border guards and ominous sign – ‘You Are Now Leaving The American Sector’ – Checkpoint Charlie put the world on edge when Allied and Soviet tanks faced off for a few nail-biting days in October 1961. It was the recognised crossing point for the infamous Berlin Wall, which symbolised more than anything else the West’s ‘Cold War’ with the Soviet Union from 1947-1991. For a small and fairly non-descript site, it has enormous historical significance that will lives long in the realms of history.

Today, a cramped but compelling museum there tells the history of the Wall and the rickety tunnels, home-made aircraft, reinforced cars and mini-subs people used to attempt escape to freedom from East Germany – efforts that more often than not ended in heartbreaking tragedy. There are some good documentary clips too.

For a couple of Euros you can pose with a mock guard at the replica border booth and get your passport stamped with a pre-1989 visa.

This 1.3km-long, visually captivating segment of the old Berlin Wall is the largest open-air gallery in the world, adorned with paintings by 118 artists bidding goodbye to the Communist regime. Many of the colourful works pursue themes of hope, peace and freedom on this longest, most authentic section of the ‘anti-Fascist protection barrier’ (the GDR’s parlance).

Look out for The Mortal Kis by Dimitrji Vrubel, the confronting image of Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev engaged in a mouth-to-mouth kiss, and Birgit Kinder’s Trabi knocking down the Wall.

The Alte Nationalgalerie, one of the three internationally-renowned galleries on Museum Island, showcases one of the world’s largest collections of 19th-century sculpture and paintings, with additional collections of neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork.

In case you didn’t know already… the Holocaust saw the systematic murder by the Nazis of approximately six million Jews during World War II, almost two thirds of the European Jewish population – including the murder of over one million children.

Made up of 2,711 concrete slabs in undulating rows, this Field of Stelae is a monument to those who died. Designed by Peter Eisenman was designed to make visitors feel uneasy.

The underground information centre is eerier still, documents the persecution and extermination of European Jews through personal effects, tape recordings and letters of Holocaust victims presented in bare, windowless rooms.

Themed rooms showcase historical photographs and footage of the sites of persecution and extermination, plus there are moving photos, diaries and letters from victims.

It’s a poignant and important memorial to a genocide that must never be forgotten.

First opened in 1830, the Gemaldegalerie is one of Europe’s finest assemblies of European art from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (13th-18th centuries).

Although Italians such as Caravaggio, Raphael, Rubens and Titian grab the limelight, at the heart of the museum are its Dutch and Flemish masterpieces, notably 16 works by Rembrandt at the height of his powers.

Other gems to look for include Franz Hals’ Mad Babette, Bruegel’s impish Netherlandish Proverbs and Vermeer’s Glass of Wine.

Operating from 1936 to 1945, Sachsenhausen was one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps during World War II. It was initially designed as a model camp to serve as a training ground for SS officers. However, it soon became a place of unimaginable suffering and death for tens of thousands of prisoners.

Sachsenhausen held political dissidents, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and other groups deemed undesirable by the Nazis. The prisoners endured harsh conditions, forced labor, medical experiments, and brutal treatment. The camp also housed execution facilities, gas chambers, and crematoria, where thousands of prisoners were systematically murdered.

Liberation came in April 1945 when the Soviet Army arrived. Today, Sachsenhausen stands as a memorial and museum, providing visitors with a sobering reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of learning from history.

These fascinating guided tours explore Berlin’s vast underground network of bunkers, tunnels and vaults going back to the 19th century. There are 5 different tours to choose from. The most popular outings focus on shelters used during the Third Reich and Cold War; another follows tunnels used to escape under the Wall.

Displays include World War II weaponry and uniforms, an Enigma encryption machine, murals painted by the SS chauffeurs’ pool and facilities to prolong survival in the event of nuclear attack.

Completed in 1894, the Reichstag is a testament to Berlin’s powers of self-renewal. The building was gutted in a fire staged by the Nazis, and Allied bombing raids wrought more havoc. Only after German reunification did it get a thorough makeover by star architect Norman Foster.

In the modern glass dome, visitors can peer down on live sessions of parliament and take a spiralling walkway to the observation deck for sweeping views over the city.

Sanssouci Park, located in Potsdam near Berlin, is a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its harmonious blend of nature and architecture.

Designed in the 18th century as a summer retreat for King Frederick the Great of Prussia, the park spans over 290 hectares and features exquisite gardens, palaces, and grand monuments.

Visitors can stroll through manicured gardens, admire ornate fountains, and explore iconic structures like the Sanssouci Palace, New Palace, and Orangery. The park’s serene atmosphere, meticulously landscaped grounds, and architectural marvels offer a captivating glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of Prussian royalty.

East German living was never as much fun as at this award-winning, hands-on museum. Opened in 2008, it’s full of regalia designed to give a sense of life under the former communist regime of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik.

Sit in a Trabant car, lounge in a 1970s living room and watch state TV, or pretend to be a Stasi agent and monitor a bugged flat. No torture chambers here – this is all about Ostalgie (nostalgia).

For the complete immersive experience, stop by the DDR Restaurant attached to the museum. It serves up dishes that replicate the cuisine eaten during the days of the German Democratic Republic.

Another of the Museum Island favourites, the Neues Museum houses collections that could not be accommodated in the Altes museum, notably the Egyptian Collection and other prehistoric and early historic collections.

Reopened in 2006 after a major refurbishment, the museum now houses a fine collection of Byzantine art, coins, medals, and most notably, one of Europe’s finest collections of sculpture.

This architecturally impressive neoclassical building which used to be one of Berlin’s main railway stations (Hamburger Bahnhof), now houses one of the largest and most significant public collections of contemporary art in the world.

The focus is on art since the 1960s (where the Neue Nationalgalerie leaves off), and includes a mix of sculpture, painting, installations and multi-media.

Top of the bill is the Marx collection, a heavyweight line-up of works by Anselm Kiefer, Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly, plus more than 60 drawings by Andy Warhol.

The Neue Nationalgalerie houses an impressive collection of 20th-century artworks up until the 1960s. The museum’s sleek and minimalist design – designed by the renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe –provides an ideal backdrop for the display of modern art.

The collection includes paintings, sculptures, and multimedia installations. Look out for masterpieces by artists such as Picasso, Kandinsky, and Warhol, among others.

East Germany’s darkest past is on show at this former prison of the Stasi, the notorious East German secret police. Thousands of inmates, ranging from student activists to leaders of the 1953 uprising, were interned here.

Now a memorial, tours are usually conducted by former inmates offering a more vivid – and chilling – first-hand account of prison conditions and the interrogation methods employed by the GDR’s Ministry of State Security. It recounts stories of prison life and inmates suffering through over 300 photos and nearly 500 artefacts, including prison clothes and letters from inmates.

A massive exhibition covers German history from the Dark Ages to the modern day in an entertaining fashion. History buffs could spend all day here, but the rest should head straight for the most interesting sections devoted to the 19th-century Weimar and Nazi eras. Open daily.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the ‘edgier’ east of the city suddenly offered up a wealth of low rent, avant garde studios and exhibition spaces. The result was an explosion in Berlin’s art scene – the city now boasts more than 600 private art galleries, handily concentrated in the trendy suburb of Mitte.

Wander its streets to take in a whole spectrum of artists, from students to masters, struggling to world-famous.

Every Sunday, Mauerpark public park is the venue for this popular Sunday flea market, attracting locals and tourists alike with its eclectic mix of vintage clothing, antiques, and unique treasures. Street performers, musicians, and food vendors adding to the vibrant ambiance.

The Stasi was the dreaded secret police and intelligence agency of East Germany, responsible for surveillance, repression, and maintaining the authoritarian regime during the Cold War, before the fall of the Berlin Wall brought an end to Germany’s division.

This museum, located in the Stasi’s former headquarters, offers visitors a comprehensive view of the agency’s methods, tactics, and the extent of their control over citizens’ lives.

Exhibits include preserved offices, surveillance equipment, and personal accounts of those affected by the Stasi’s activities. Visitors can explore the complex web of informants, the pervasive surveillance apparatus, and the psychological techniques employed by the Stasi.

The museum’s displays serve as a chilling and stark reminder of the consequences of state control, the importance of protecting individual freedoms, and the appalling atrocities that human beings can inflict upon one another.

Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde, dedicated to exploring the wonders of the natural world, houses exhibits that encompass geology, palaeontology, zoology, and botany. Its extensive collection of specimens spans millions of years, and includes dinosaur skeletons, ancient fossils, intricate minerals, taxidermy displays of animals from around the globe, and an impressive array of plant specimens.

This unique museum houses an extraordinary collection of surrealist and fantastical art.

The collection was founded out of the private collection of Otto Gerstenberg, and includes artworks by renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and René Magritte.

It’s a captivating immersion into a world of dreams, symbolism, and the subconscious mind that delve into the depths of the human imagination.

Set in a zinc-clad fortress depicting a shattered star of David, the Jewish Museum tells the story of Germany through the eyes of its Jewish Minority.

It traces 1,500 years of history, starting with medieval settlements along the Rhine, and concluding with the mass migration to Germany of 200,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union.

It offers an engrossing, if often sobering, perspective of the development of the German nation.

Housed in a 6,500-square-metre World War II air raid shelter, this immersive museum takes you on a journey through the city’s turbulent and sometimes chilling history, including the rise of the Nazis and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Guided tours allow you to access to the preserved underground sections and see a reconstruction of Hitler’s study.

This car museum, housed in a beautifully restored historic tram depot, showcases a stunning collection of classic cars and motorcycles, including meticulously restored vintage vehicles, rare collector’s items, and iconic automotive icons. A paradise for automotive enthusiasts and vintage car aficionados.

The Kunstgewerbemuseum showcases decorative arts and design, with an extensive collection of objects spanning various historical periods and artistic styles. Exquisite displays of ceramics, glassware, and furniture, complement those of textiles, jewellery, and other decorative items. The museum’s collection encompasses both European and non-European works, providing a comprehensive perspective on global decorative arts.

Berlin was at the centre of the World Wars and the Cold War – making it a critical operating ground for spies. This intriguing museum delves into that secretive world of espionage, exploring the history, techniques, and gadgets used in intelligence and counterintelligence operations throughout the years.

Visitors can learn about famous spies, espionage tactics, and real-life espionage stories. The museum also provides hands-on experiences, allowing visitors to try their hand at codebreaking, a laser maze, lie-detecting tests and an assortment of sneaky spy equipment.

This renowned art institution houses the impressive modern and contemporary art collection of Heinz Berggruen, a German-American art collector. It spans various artistic movements, including Cubism, Surrealism, and German Expressionism and includes works by prominent artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti.

Markthalle Neun, a vibrant food market is Berlin’s main foodie hub. The market offers a diverse range of stalls and vendors, showcasing a wide array of fresh local produce and international delicacies. Downstairs, you’ll find craft brewery Heidenpeter’s.

It also hosts regular events such as food festivals, cooking workshops, and pop-up dining experiences – notably Street Food Thursday, where pop-ups test-driving their latest culinary inventions every Thursday evening.

A contemporary urban art and street art museum showcasing a diverse range of artworks, installations, and murals created by renowned street artists from around the world. With its ever-evolving exhibitions, they explore the intersection of art, culture, and the urban environment, promoting artistic expression and cultural exchange.

Located in the heart of the city and dating back to 1844, Berlin’s zoo is one of the oldest and most renowned zoos in the world. It houses a diverse range of 20,000 animals representing over 1,500 species from around the globe, in beautifully designed enclosures and habitats that provide a comfortable and natural environment for the animals.

The Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin is a verdant oasis nestled within the bustling city. Spanning over 43 hectares, this botanical paradise is home to a remarkable collection of plants from around the world. Visitors can explore themed gardens, including a tropical greenhouse, an Alpine garden, and an arboretum. For nature lovers and anyone wanting a fascinating exploration of the botanical world.

A museum that celebrates the art and history of photography through a rich and diverse collection of iconic works from renowned photographers around the world. Temporary exhibitions highlight various genres, techniques, and historical periods of photography, from black-and-white classics to cutting-edge contemporary pieces.

A museum showcasing the technological history and achievements of Germany. With exhibits covering various fields such as aviation, transportation, communication, and industrial technology, the museum offers a comprehensive exploration of German innovation. Visitors can admire historic aircraft, vintage cars, locomotives, and even explore a replica of a coal mine.

This repurposed cargo container moored in the Spree river is Berlin’s quirkiest swimming option. Daytime is perfect for a relaxed swim and sunbathing. DJs are let loose in the beach bar after nightfall, when parties spill over from the Arena disco opposite. In winter, it transforms into a spa with heated pool, two Finnish saunas and cocktail lounge under a series of tunnel-like tents. Open daily, all year round.

A mind-bending and interactive museum that challenges your perceptions and stimulates the senses through an entertaining variety of optical illusions, mind-bending visual tricks, puzzling exhibits, gravity-defying experiences, and sensory experiences. Great fun for families.

Built in 1969 in the former East Berlin as a symbol of German Democratic Republic (GDR)’s technical prowess, this distinctive, 368m tall Fernsehturm telecommunications tower has become an iconic landmark soaring above the city skyline. The observation deck features floor-to-ceiling windows, offers a 360-degree view of Berlin’s skyline, plus informational panels and audio guides that provide interesting facts about the city’s history and landmarks.

Prestigious museum showcasing the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the Islamic world. through a mightily impressive collection of over 15,000 artifacts, spanning more than a millennium. Marvel at exquisite examples of Islamic art, including intricate calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, and architectural elements.

A charming and vibrant courtyard complex located in the Mitte district, comprising of eight interconnected courtyards filled with a variety of shops, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and theaters. It’s an atmospheric spot, popular with Berliners, who sip coffee and chat while admiring the fine Art Nouveau and Jugendstil architecture.

Located on the site of the former headquarters of the Gestapo and SS, this museum offers a compelling exploration of Nazi Germany’s reign of terror, and a chilling insight into the crimes and atrocities committed during the Nazi regime. Informative exhibits, photographs, and archival documents explain the mechanisms of power, propaganda, and oppression that characterized this period. A sombre reminder of the importance of remembrance and vigilance against tyranny.

This renowned techno nightclub has become an iconic institution in the city – and Europe’s – nightlife scene. Housed in a former power plant, it’s known for its industrial aesthetics, massive dance floors, an exceptional sound system, and a strict door policy – leading to its reputation as one of the most exclusive and selective clubs in the world.

This thrilling and immersive attraction takes you on a journey through the darker side of Berlin’s crime and punishment history, with live actors, special effects, and interactive storytelling bringing chilling tales of the past to life. Expect medieval torture chambers, plague-infested streets, and witch trials. Min age 5 years, but we’d advised 13+.