ExploreTravel GuidesPlan a trip
    de|en
    All Places & RegionsAbout FernwehFAQPrivacy PolicyImprint
    ExploreTravel GuidesPlan a trip
    • Neighborhoods & highlights
    • Eat & drink
    • Food culture
    • Culture
    • Nightlife
    • Getting around
    • Accommodation
    • Plan trip
    • Nearby
    Berlin

    Germany

    Berlin

    City

    With approximately 3.66 million inhabitants, Berlin is Germany's largest city and has been the federal capital since reunification in 1990; the federal government and the Bundestag have been based here since 1999.

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Germany
    7. Berlin
    9. Berlin
    With approximately 3.66 million inhabitants, Berlin is Germany's largest city and has been the federal capital since reunification in 1990; the federal government and the Bundestag have been based here since 1999. The Spree flows through the city from east to west, its banks are home to the Government District, Museum Island, and the East Side Gallery.Few cities tell the story of the 20th century so powerfully: On Bernauer Straße, you see the former border strip, at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of unity. Additionally, there are three opera houses, the museums of the World Heritage Museum Island, and districts like Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, and Prenzlauer Berg, known for their bars, restaurants, and nightlife.
    Berlin spans nearly 892 square kilometers, divided into twelve districts with 97 neighborhoods. Getting around is best by U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, and bus, all usable with a single ticket from the transport association. What's unique is its rich history: Wall remnants, government buildings, and world-class museums are often only a few stops from each other. For sights, Mitte is the starting point with Unter den Linden, Gendarmenmarkt, and Museumsinsel; Charlottenburg beckons with its palace. For going out, head to Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, or Neukölln.
    Prenzlauer Berg
    A.Savin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

    District 1 of 4

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Prenzlauer Berg is a district in the borough of Pankow and, with 168,947 inhabitants (end of 2023), Berlin's most populous district.

    With almost 169,000 inhabitants, Prenzlauer Berg is Berlin's most populous district and is characterized by renovated Wilhelminian-era buildings. Around Kollwitzplatz, Helmholtzplatz, and Kastanienallee, you'll find a dense café and restaurant scene, while at night, people gather around Eberswalder Straße.

    Discover
    Scheunenviertel & Hackescher Markt
    Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    District 2 of 4

    Scheunenviertel & Hackescher Markt

    Das Viertel rund um den Hackeschen Markt heißt historisch Spandauer Vorstadt und liegt im Ortsteil Mitte zwischen Spree, Friedrichstraße und Torstraße; den Teil östlich der Rosenthaler Straße nennt man Scheunenviertel.

    Spandauer Vorstadt, with its Scheunenviertel, is the historic old town quarter north of the Spree, just opposite Museum Island. Here, the Hackesche Höfe, the Neue Synagoge, and the Sophienkirche are just a few minutes' walk from each other.

    Discover
    Charlottenburg (City West)
    User Aazarus on de.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 de

    District 3 of 4

    Charlottenburg (City West)

    Charlottenburg received city rights on April 5, 1705, and its name in honour of Queen Sophie Charlotte; in 1920, the city became part of Greater Berlin.

    The City West around Breitscheidplatz, Bahnhof Zoo, and Kurfürstendamm was the new center of West Berlin after 1945 and served as a showcase for the West during the Cold War. The Kurfürstendamm stretches from Breitscheidplatz to Rathenauplatz and features flagship stores of international brands and several theaters.

    Discover
    Friedrichshain

    District 4 of 4

    Friedrichshain

    Friedrichshain owes its name to the Volkspark Friedrichshain in the north, laid out from 1846 as Berlin's first public park, and reaching south to the Spree.

    Friedrichshain extends from its namesake Volkspark in the north to the Spree, combining magnificent GDR architecture with Gründerzeit districts. The listed Karl-Marx-Allee leads to Frankfurter Tor; south of it lies Boxhagener Platz with its Saturday market.

    Discover

    More districts in Berlin

    Neukölln

    Neukölln

    Until 1912, Neukölln was called Rixdorf: A document from 1360 mentions the village, and in 1737 Friedrich Wilhelm I. settled Bohemian religious refugees who founded Böhmisch-Rixdorf. In 1899 Rixdorf became a city, in 1920 Neukölln joined Greater Berlin, and after the war, it belonged to West Berlin. Today, the densely built-up north with its Gründerzeit districts is vibrantly diverse; by mid-2021 almost half of its residents had a migration background from 155 countries.You can stroll along Sonnenallee and Karl-Marx-Straße, discover old Rixdorf around Richardplatz with its forge and Bethlehemskirche, and descend into the lower-lying Körnerpark. In Reuterkiez, which Berliners call Kreuzkölln, and in Schillerkiez, many bars and cafés have opened since the 2000s, and right next door, the expansive Tempelhofer Feld beckons. At Hermannplatz U-Bahn station, lines U7 and U8 intersect, and the S-Bahn lines S41, S42, S45, S46, and S47 also run through the district.
    Kreuzberg

    Kreuzberg

    Kreuzberg is a district in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough, named after the 66-meter-high Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark, where Schinkel's National Monument for the Liberation Wars has stood since 1821. During the time of the Berlin Wall, the eastern part, SO 36, was enclosed on three sides and became the hub of the alternative movement and squatting in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, around 160,000 people live here, many with Turkish roots, and its nightlife and cultural scene are well-known far beyond Berlin.During the day, you can visit the Jewish Museum or the German Museum of Technology, climb the Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark, or meet up at the Admiralbrücke over the Landwehrkanal, a popular meeting spot. In the evenings, the district's nightlife beckons. You can get here via U-Bahn lines U1 and U3, which largely follow the former Akzisemauer, with U6 and U8 running north-south, and also with U7; in total, there are 14 U-Bahn stations in the district.

    Sights in Berlin

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Brandenburg Gate
    Historic Landmark

    1Brandenburg Gate

    Carl Gotthard Langhans built the gate from 1789 to 1793, modeled after the Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis. It closes the Boulevard Unter den Linden at Pariser Platz; the Quadriga on the 20.3-meter-high structure was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow.
    Open in Google Maps
    The Reichstag
    Attraction

    2The Reichstag

    Designed by Paul Wallot, the building was built 1884-1894 and has been the seat of the German Bundestag since 1999. You can visit the glass dome, designed by Norman Foster, after prior registration.
    Open in Google Maps
    Museumsinsel
    Museum

    3Museumsinsel

    Five museums on the northern part of Museum Island have formed a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999: Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode-Museum, and Pergamonmuseum. The Pergamonmuseum is closed for renovation; according to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the North Wing and central section with the Pergamon Altar will reopen on June 4, 2027.
    Open in Google Maps
    East Side Gallery
    Gallery

    4East Side Gallery

    On Mühlenstrasse in Friedrichshain, in spring 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries painted a 1316-meter long section of the Wall along the Spree. The gallery is located between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke.
    Open in Google Maps
    Berlin Wall Memorial Site
    Museum

    5Berlin Wall Memorial Site

    Along 1.4 kilometers of Bernauer Straße, the memorial site showcases the former border strip. The Documentation Center features the exhibition '1961│1989. The Berlin Wall', and from the five-story tower, you can overlook a preserved section of the border fortifications.
    Open in Google Maps
    Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe
    Attraction

    6Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe

    The memorial designed by Peter Eisenman was inaugurated on May 10, 2005, and consists of concrete stelae across approx. 19,000 square meters. Below it, the underground Place of Information adds to the memorial with a 930-square-meter exhibition.
    Open in Google Maps

    Restaurants in Berlin

    1

    At the Last Resort

    Traditional restaurant in Mitte with German cuisine, wood paneling and a beer garden, which, according to Google, opened as early as 1621.
    Show on Google Maps
    2

    Max and Moritz Tavern

    Nostalgic inn in Kreuzberg with German cuisine and its own ballroom, which according to Google dates back to 1902.
    Show on Google Maps
    3

    Coccodrillo

    Large trattoria with Italian, predominantly vegetarian cuisine, colorful ambiance, and terrace.
    Show on Google Maps
    4

    Mustafa's Vegetable Kebab

    Small, very popular snack bar with chicken doner and grilled vegetables.
    Show on Google Maps
    5

    Curry 36

    Popular snack bar with sausage specialties, fries, salad and homemade ketchup.
    Show on Google Maps

    Food & Drink in Berlin

    Berlin's classics primarily include street food like Currywurst and Döner, plus Buletten, Pfannkuchen, and a glass of Berliner Weisse.

    Currywurst

    Fried sausage, bite-sized, with tomato sauce and curry powder, served with a roll or fries. Herta Heuwer claimed to have invented her sauce on Sept 4, 1949, at her Charlottenburg snack stand; in Berlin, the Wurst comes with or without casing.

    Döner Kebab

    The German variant, served in flatbread with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, and a yogurt- or mayonnaise-based sauce, differs from the Turkish original. Germany's first döner shop likely opened in Berlin in the early 1970s.

    Rissoles

    Berlin's Frikadelle, its name from French 'boulette' (little ball), was spread by the Huguenots. It's formed from minced meat, egg, onions, and soaked bread, then fried in fat.

    Flapjacks

    What's known elsewhere as 'Berliner' or 'Krapfen', is called 'Pfannkuchen' in Berlin: a deep-fried yeast pastry, usually filled with jam and sprinkled with sugar or glazed. Traditionally, it's eaten on New Year's Eve and during Carnival.

    Berliner Weisse

    A top-fermented wheat beer, soured by lactic acid bacteria, which was first mentioned in 1680 and is a protected designation of origin. You usually drink it "red or green" with a splash of raspberry or woodruff syrup from a wide bowl, sometimes with a straw.

    Culture in Berlin

    The five houses of Museum Island, from the Altes Museum to the Bode-Museum, have been jointly UNESCO World Heritage since 1999. The Pergamon Museum is currently closed for renovation; the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin plan the reopening of the North Wing and the Central Building with the Pergamon Altar for June 4, 2027.Berlin has three major opera houses: the Staatsoper Unter den Linden as the city's oldest opera house, the Deutsche Oper in Charlottenburg with over 1,850 seats, and the Komische Oper, which is currently performing at the Schillertheater. Since 1951, the International Film Festival, the Berlinale, has taken place, whose main award is the Golden Bear.

    Nightlife

    1

    Berghain

    Nightclub for electronic music in a former power plant, with regular live acts and DJs; the complex includes the Panorama Bar and Säule.
    Show on Google Maps
    2

    Klunkerkranich

    Big venue in Neukölln with a rooftop terrace, cocktail bar, concerts, and simple food options.
    Show on Google Maps
    3

    Jazz Club-Art Factory Schlot

    Cellar club with a daily program of jazz concerts, improv theater, and literary brunch.
    Show on Google Maps
    4

    Tresor

    Nightclub on three floors in a former power plant, playing Electro, Club music, and House.
    Show on Google Maps
    5

    Monkey Bar

    Bar with a rooftop terrace, cocktails and bar snacks, overlooking the Berlin Zoo's monkey enclosure.
    Show on Google Maps

    On the go in Berlin

    You can use buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, regional trains, and ferries with a single ticket. Fare zone A covers the city center within the S-Bahn Ring, B extends to the city limits, C reaches into the surrounding area; for most journeys, an AB ticket is sufficient. The Ringbahn circles the city center in about an hour, and trams primarily operate in the former East.On weekends, most U- and S-Bahn lines run all night; during the week, night buses and night trams take over. BER Airport is located in Schönefeld on the southern city limits; S-Bahn trains as well as regional and long-distance trains stop there, including the Airport Express FEX to Hauptbahnhof.

    Accommodations in Berlin

    Find perfect stay in Berlin

    Booking.com* (Affiliate link)
    Search Hotels
    Agoda* (Affiliate link)
    Search Hotels
    Airbnb
    Vacation Rentals

    * Affiliate link: if you book through it, we earn a small commission. The price stays the same for you.

    Campgrounds in Berlin

    Find perfect campground in Berlin

    Search via Google Maps
    Campgrounds nearby (15km)
    Camping.info
    Find Campgrounds
    Park4Night
    RV Parks & Camping

    Plan your trip to Berlin

    Save places, build a route and plan your city trip, all in one place.

    1. 1
      1234

      Round trip

      12 days · 4 stops

      Saved

      Pick a route

      Pick a ready-made one or save places and plan your own.

      Open bookmarks
    2. 2

      Trip to Berlin

      Live
      • 1Brandenburg Gate3 days
      • 2The Reichstag4 days
      • 3Museumsinsel5 days
      Budget

      Plan your trip

      The planner sorts stops, days and budget. Plan together in real time.

      Start trip planning
    3. 3
      9:41 No signal
      Available offline

      Use it on the road

      Download the guide to your phone and use it on site, even offline.

    Nearby

    Berlin

    Berlin

    Berlin is the federal capital and, with around 3.66 million inhabitants, Germany's largest city. The city is completely surrounded by Brandenburg; the Spree flows through it from east to west and empties into the Havel in Spandau. Twelve districts with 97 localities structure the almost 892-square-kilometer urban area.Here are places that make German history come alive: from the Brandenburg Gate, over the remains of the Berlin Wall, to the Reichstag Building, where the Bundestag has met since 1999. Museum Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, and in neighborhoods like Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, and Prenzlauer Berg, you'll find bars, restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife.
    Scheunenviertel & Hackescher Markt

    Scheunenviertel & Hackescher Markt

    Das Viertel rund um den Hackeschen Markt heißt historisch Spandauer Vorstadt und liegt im Ortsteil Mitte zwischen Spree, Friedrichstraße und Torstraße; den Teil östlich der Rosenthaler Straße nennt man Scheunenviertel. Ab 1685 wurden hier Straßen angelegt und Parzellen an Berliner Bürger und Hugenotten verkauft, 1712 bekam die Vorstadt mit der Sophienkirche ihre eigene Pfarrkirche. Heute steht das Gebiet als Ensemble unter Denkmalschutz und gilt als der größte und am besten erhaltene historische Stadtteil Berlins.Du bummelst durch die acht Höfe der Hackeschen Höfe, schaust an der Oranienburger Straße zur Kuppel der Neuen Synagoge hinauf und ziehst durch die Auguststraße, die für ihre Galerien bekannt ist. Am Bahnhof Hackescher Markt halten die S-Bahn-Linien S3, S5, S7 und S9 sowie die Trams M1, M4, M5 und M6.
    Kreuzberg

    Kreuzberg

    Kreuzberg is a district in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough, named after the 66-meter-high Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark, where Schinkel's National Monument for the Liberation Wars has stood since 1821. During the time of the Berlin Wall, the eastern part, SO 36, was enclosed on three sides and became the hub of the alternative movement and squatting in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, around 160,000 people live here, many with Turkish roots, and its nightlife and cultural scene are well-known far beyond Berlin.During the day, you can visit the Jewish Museum or the German Museum of Technology, climb the Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark, or meet up at the Admiralbrücke over the Landwehrkanal, a popular meeting spot. In the evenings, the district's nightlife beckons. You can get here via U-Bahn lines U1 and U3, which largely follow the former Akzisemauer, with U6 and U8 running north-south, and also with U7; in total, there are 14 U-Bahn stations in the district.
    Prenzlauer Berg

    Prenzlauer Berg

    Prenzlauer Berg is a district in the borough of Pankow and, with 168,947 inhabitants (end of 2023), Berlin's most populous district. Approximately two-thirds of the apartments were built between 1871 and 1914; typical are five-story apartment buildings with courtyards, and over 300 buildings are listed as historical monuments. In the 1980s, the GDR opposition gathered here, for instance around the Gethsemanekirche; after 1990, the district was considered Europe's largest contiguous redevelopment area.You can sit in the cafés and restaurants around Kollwitzplatz, Helmholtzplatz, and Kastanienallee, admire the water tower from 1877, and go to the flea market in Mauerpark on Sundays. The Kulturbrauerei, in the former Schultheiss brewery, combines cinema, stages, and clubs; nightlife focuses around the Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn station. The U2 stops at Senefelderplatz, Eberswalder Straße, and Schönhauser Allee, along with the M1 and M10 trams and five Ringbahn stations.
    Charlottenburg (City West)

    Charlottenburg (City West)

    Charlottenburg received city rights on April 5, 1705, and its name in honour of Queen Sophie Charlotte; in 1920, the city became part of Greater Berlin. After 1945, the area around Bahnhof Zoo, Breitscheidplatz, and Kurfürstendamm developed into City West, the new centre of West Berlin, because the historic city centre was located in the Soviet sector. Its landmark is the ruin of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, whose tower was not demolished after citizen protests.You stroll along the Kurfürstendamm with its flagship stores and theatres, visit the Zoological Garden and the Memorial Church, and end your evening at Savignyplatz, where restaurants, bars, jazz clubs, and bookstores cluster. Through Charlottenburg run the U-Bahn lines U1, U2, U3, U7, and U9; S-Bahn trains of the Stadtbahn stop at Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten and Savignyplatz, as do regional trains at Zoo.