About Berlin
Berlin is a young city by European standards and one that has reinvented itself repeatedly: Prussian royal capital, imperial metropolis, the vibrant and fragile Weimar city of the 1920s, the seat of Nazi power, a ruin in 1945 and then, for 28 years, a city split by the Wall. Since reunification in 1990, Berlin has become Germany's capital again and one of Europe's great creative centres, with a cost of living that, while rising, still attracts artists, start-ups and musicians from around the world.
Because the city grew from many villages and was divided for decades, it has no single centre. Mitte holds the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag dome and Museum Island; Kreuzberg and Neukölln are multicultural and alternative; Prenzlauer Berg is leafy and family-friendly; and Charlottenburg in the west preserves the bourgeois elegance of the Kurfürstendamm. More than a third of Berlin is covered by parks, forests and lakes, from the Tiergarten to the Tempelhof airfield, where runways became a public park in 2010.
Read our guides on the best Kiez (neighbourhood) to stay in, the sights and history you should not miss, and practical tips on the S-Bahn, the BER airport, Sunday closing and Berlin's legendary nightlife.
Berlin city guides
- Where to stay in Berlin
Berliners identify strongly with their Kiez, or neighbourhood, and each district offers a different experience. The public transport network is so good that you can stay almost anywhere inside the Ringbahn, the circular S-Bahn line, and reach the sights quickly. Mitte (literally "middle") is the historic core and the obvious choice for first-time visitors focused on sightseeing. Unter den Linden runs from the Brandenburg Gate to Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz with its TV Tower is nearby. North of the Spree, the Spandauer Vorstadt around Hackescher Markt has courtyards (Höfe) full of shops, galleries and bars, including the restored Hackesche Höfe, and the gold-domed New Synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse. Hotels range from international chains to design boutiques, and prices are the highest in the city. Just north of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg survived the war better than most districts, so its streets are lined with restored nineteenth-century tenement buildings. After reunification it became the home of artists and later young families. Today it is calm, green and pretty, with Kollwitzplatz's Saturday market, the Mauerpark Sunday flea market and karaoke, and the Kulturbrauerei, a brewery turned cultural centre. Tram lines and the U2 make access easy.
- Things to do in Berlin
Berlin is less about pretty postcards and more about history, culture and atmosphere. Combine memorials and museums with markets, parks and evenings out. The neoclassical Brandenburg Gate, completed in 1791, stood in no-man's land beside the Wall and became the symbol of reunification. A few minutes away, the Reichstag building houses the Bundestag. Its glass dome by Norman Foster, with a spiral ramp, is free to visit, but you must register online in advance with ID. Visit the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, where a preserved section with the death strip and watchtower explains how the border worked. The East Side Gallery is a 1.3-kilometre stretch painted by artists in 1990, including the famous "fraternal kiss" between Brezhnev and Honecker. Checkpoint Charlie, the former Allied crossing, is touristy, but the nearby Wall Museum and the Topography of Terror, on the site of the Gestapo headquarters, are important.
- Practical tips for visiting Berlin
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which finally opened in 2020 after years of delays, is south-east of the city. The FEX Airport Express train reaches Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes, and the RE7 and RB14 regional trains and S-Bahn lines S9 and S45 also serve it. You need an ABC ticket because the airport lies in zone C. Taxis to the centre cost €50 to €70. BVG runs the U-Bahn, trams and buses, and Deutsche Bahn runs the S-Bahn. Most sights lie in zone AB. Buy tickets from machines or the BVG app, and remember that single tickets must be validated if printed without a time stamp; there are no barriers, but plainclothes inspectors fine fare dodgers €60. Day tickets, 7-day tickets and the Berlin WelcomeCard with museum discounts are available. The Deutschlandticket offers unlimited regional travel across Germany for a monthly subscription. Bus 100 and 200 follow scenic routes past major sights. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn run all night on weekends. May to September offers long days, beer gardens and open-air events; summer temperatures are often 24 to 28°C. Autumn is colourful, and the Festival of Lights illuminates landmarks in October. Winter is cold and grey, around 0 to 4°C, but Christmas markets such as Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace compensate. Big events include the Berlinale in February, Karneval der Kulturen at Pentecost and Christopher Street Day in July.
Destination overview · Berlin
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What to see in Berlin
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What to do
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