MY BEST TIPS FOR BERLIN
Here you can find some of the best locations for your visit in Berlin.
My advices can be helpful for first time visitors as for advanced travelers.
The list is just a taste of what Berlin has to offer, it is up to you to go beyond my advices and find the best of Berlin.
the covid-19 crisis is causing some locations to change their policies and some are even temporary closed.
Check before you go!
Highlights
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Reichstag Building
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The Reichstag is an internationally recognisable symbol of democracy and the current home of the German parliament. Every year, thousands of guests visit the Reichstag - and with good reason: It is not often that you can enjoy such an amazing panorama while, just beneath your feet, the political decisions of tomorrow are being made. Both as an architectural wonder and a historical testimony, the Reichstag has an important role to play in Berlin.
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Holocaust Memorial
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The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in the middle of Berlin is Germany’s central Holocaust memorial, a place of remembrance and commemoration for the up to six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It was officially opened on 10 May 2005. The monument consists of the Field of Stelae designed by Peter Eisenman and the underground Information Centre. Admission is free.
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Victory Column
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In the middle of Tiergarten park you find this national monument showing the goddess of victory, Victoria.
In 1873, it was inaugurated in front of the Reichstag building as a national monument commemorating the victory over Denmark, France and Austria. Then the goddess had to move because she did not fit into the urban planning of the Nazis.
1938 she was moved to the Tiergarten. The square is a large transport hub and is also known as the "Big Star". The Column can be reached over several pedestrian tunnels. It's 285 steps to climb up to the viewing platform where you have a terrific view over the Tiergarten.
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Unter den Linden
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Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Running from the City Palace to Brandenburg Gate, it is named after the linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall on the median and the two broad carriageways.
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Hackesche Höfe
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No visit to Berlin is complete without a trip to the Hackesche Höfe. Ever since reunification they have been one of the main meeting points for scenesters and tourists alike. The complex is in the historical Scheunenviertel area of Spandauer Vorstadt in Mitte. They are the largest single courtyard complex in Germany and have been listed buildings since 1972.
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Berlin Cathedral
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The magnificent dome of the Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom) is one of the main landmarks in Berlin’s cityscape – and marks the spot of the impressive basilica housing the city’s most important Protestant church. With its elaborate decorative and ornamental designs, the church interior is especially worth seeing.
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Berliner Schloss
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The Humboldt Forum is a museum of non-European art on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. Named in honour of the Prussian scholars Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, it combines the rebuilt baroque façades of the former Royal Palace and a modern interior designed by Franco Stella.
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Potsdamer Platz
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Since reunification, what used to be a wasteland with the Berlin Wall running through it has become a completely new neighbourhood. It’s a must for anyone visiting Berlin, because there are restaurants, cinemas, theatres, shopping centres and modern architecture.
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Bellevue Palace
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Bellevue Palace, located in Berlin's Tiergarten district, has been the official residence of the President of Germany since 1994. The schloss is situated on the banks of the Spree river, near the Berlin Victory Column, along the northern edge of the Großer Tiergarten park.
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Olympiastadion Berlin
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The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium at Olympiapark Berlin in Berlin, Germany. It was originally built by Werner March for the 1936 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics, the record attendance was thought to be over 100,000. Today the stadium is part of the Olympiapark Berlin.
Museums
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Pergamonmuseum
Archeology / History
The Pergamonmuseum is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin and part of the UNESCO World Heritage. It was built from 1910 to 1930 by order of German Emperor Wilhelm II according to plans by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann in Stripped Classicism style
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THE WALL Panorama Berlin
Cold War
From the four meter high viewing platform at Checkpoint Charlie you will begin to appreciate what a divided Berlin looked like before 1989. The photo gallery is another important aspect to the exhibition, with witness accounts helping visitors understand why the Wall was created and what it was like to live on either side of it.
Nightlife
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Berghain | Panorama Bar
Club: Techno/Electro
Berghain become one of the world's most famous clubs, and is sometimes called the "world capital of Techno."
Best Clubbing Times: Sunday morning and Sunday night.
Door Policy: Bouncers are strict; the chances you won’t get in are considerable. Here are some hints for you: Do not go in big groups, do not wear your best clothes, do not laugh out loud or have too much fun in the queue – they simply don’t like that. Be as discrete as you can and make sure you know what you are getting into. Oh, and don’t dare to take your phone out of your pocket.
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Salon - Zur wilden Renate
Club: Techno/Electro
If you’ve ever dreamed about clubbing in a circus, you’ll fall in love with this club. It’s name already describes the kind of atmosphere you’ll find: WILD. Besides a big outside area, a kitsch decoration and many dance floors, their main attraction is a huge and real labyrinth.
Drinking is relatively cheap since you can trade your empty bottles and glasses for money to buy more drinks and enjoy their psychedelic vibe.
Best Clubbing Times: Friday & Saturday night.
Door Policy: In comparison to the clubs that were mentioned before, it’s considerably easy to get into Wilde Renate. Just be sure to follow the basic door policy rules: don’t get wasted before getting there, don’t go in big groups and, when possible, answer their questions in German.
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Tresor
Temporary closed
Tresor is the biggest and most respected Techno club in Berlin. It's history began basically together with the creation of the city’s clubbing scene, right after Germany was unified.
Best Clubbing Times: Friday and Saturday night.
Door Policy: Basically the same rules like Berghain.
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KitKat
Club: Depends on the DJ
Anthropological travel is the best expression to describe what you’ll experience at KitKat. Before you start asking yourself the kind of trouble you’re getting into, let’s make clear that this is a sex club. Don’t be afraid, it’s not as hardcore as it seems.
After a night of unexpected adventures, you’ll notice how the club delivers an unusual decadent slice of hedonism in a city known for its forbidden passions and will never forget how much fun you had in one of the weirdest clubs you’ll ever visit.
Best Clubbing Times: Friday & Saturday night.
Door Policy: Wear your best underwear and be prepared to leave your clothes in the cloak room. Different to other clubs, big groups and foreigners are not a problem, but they won’t let you in if you’re not prepared to show your body and get into the sexual atmosphere of the club.
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Suicide Circus
Club: Techno/Electro
The Suicide Club (fka Suicide Circus) is one of the most traditional and established techno clubs in Berlin, with a large dance floor in the centre, an open-air floor, cutting-edge electronic music and a cosy outdoor terrace/beer garden.
The club has everything you need for a perfect techno night: reduced exterior, dark corners, fog machine, industrial-style dance floor, mystical lighting and a fat sound system.
The name of the club "Suicide" refers to the band "Suicide", which paved the way for later minimal techno back in the 70s with synthesizers and drum computers.
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Sisyphos
Club: Techno/Electro
Sisyphos is a place like no other. It’s a festival, it’s a club, it’s a beach, it’s a bar, it’s Alice’s Wonderland. Here you will find diverse ways of having fun.
You might ask yourself if it’s a good idea going there, since it’s located a bit far out of the way, but don’t worry: you can get a shuttle from Ostkreuz to get there. And here goes a party rat tip: make sure to save some money for your way back. After partying for so many hours, the only thing you’ll want is a cab that will drop you right in front of the place where you're staying.
Best Clubbing Times: All weekend.
Door Policy: The bouncers here are not as bad as in other clubs, but be patient: you’re going to stand in line for quite a while. Eventually they’ll ask you if you’ve been there before and big groups are as always not welcome.
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House of Weekend
Club Club: Depends on the DJ
Located in the center of Berlin, we offer eventful music scenes and host private parties with an ecstatic view of the city and famous landmark, the TV Tower. Lounging and partying on our rooftop or club floor will be an experience you’ll never forget. With crowds coming in from all over the world, we retain a unique experience to new and returning guests with new Dj’s and reccuring weekly events.
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Soda Club
Club: RnB/Dance/Techno
The Soda at the Kulturbrauerei is not only one of Berlin's biggest clubs, it makes culture danceable!
Every weekend, the Kulturbrauerei attracts the party crowd to Prenzlauer Berg's Soda. As one of the biggest clubs in Berlin, the Soda is synonymous for a wide musical variety on a number of dancefloors.
Especially fans of Hip Hop and R'n'B can show their moves on several dancefloors. The crowd is a happy mix and the party is on on multiple floors at the same time. Nearly every floor has a podium where you can show your slickest moves. Should your feet give in after a while, the Soda offers ample space for resting to catch a breath.
Ladies get in for free on Fridays and Saturdays until 1:00 am
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Cassiopeia
Club: Hip-Hop/Reggae
This place is Heaven for an old-school hip-hop and reggae fan. It's Huge! I went on a Wednesday and the other 3 floors weren't open but the 2 large rooms on the ground floor were enough - friendly bartenders and you actually get 1 euro off your drinks if you return the pin they give you upon returning your used glass. How nice! They also start to mix the old school w/ some trance dub later in the night in the hiphop room, which was very cool. That mixed w/ the 'smoke' in the air (hey, it's a reggae club), makes for a very transcendent experience. Highly recommended!!
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Club der Visionäre
Club: Techno/Electro
The "Club der Visionäre" is not a classic beach bar. However still counts as one of Berlin’s hottest spots in summer. The sand is missing, but this party location not only lies directly at but also on the water. On the Treptow side of the "Flutgraben" (flood ditch) sun worshipers and party goers can relax on the floating wooden planks during the day. At night they can dance to electro and minimal music until the early morning hours.
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Deck 5
Rooftop Bar
If you want to get into Deck5, you have to fight your way through the shopping crowds in the Schönhauser Allee Arcaden to the elevator. It's worth it, because this bar on the roof of the Arcaden in Prenzlauer Berg offers a magnificent view over the city from the Gethsemane church to the TV tower.
Arrived on the parking deck one is not only overwhelmed by the panoramic view, but also by the holiday feeling of the location. On lounge furniture, sun loungers and benches, shopping and urban stress can take a break and you can enjoy a delicious cocktail surrounded by sugar sand.
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Monkey Bar
Rooftop Bar
On the 10th floor of the boutique Bikini Berlin hotel is a large rooftop terrace bar where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city and the Berlin Zoo down below. Right next door is a concept shopping mall, Bikini Berlin, which offers all things fashion and beauty. The Monkey Bar is therefore the perfect place to recharge and enjoy an outdoor post-shopping drink. The bar staff are known for creating drinks with a modern twist, and often base their cocktail recipes on inspiring places around the world. Try the Pearl Island Fizz with coconut gin or the Mad Monkey Mai Tai – a delicious blend of three plantation rums, Curaçao and lime.
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PURO Sky Lounge
Temporary closed
The PURO Sky Lounge is one of the hippest and most popular clubs in the capital. High above the rooftops of the City West you can enjoy a spectacular 360 degree view of the skyline of Berlin through the fully glazed outer walls.
The club itself consists of a total of four areas, the south wing bar and lounge, a second lounge with a bar in the middle and the club in the north wing. In addition there is the large roof terrace. Above all, the bar of the PURO Sky Lounge organizes an After Work Dance every Thursday evening. Whether at the spacious counter with the comfortable bar stools or on the sofa next to the fireplace, guests like to sit here a little longer.
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SOLAR Bar Restaurant Lounge
Rooftop Bar
A door man leads the guests to the cloak room of the Solar. The ride in the glass lift takes you then to the 17th floor of the tower building. Due to the floor-to-ceiling windows and the dark furniture, the Solar Sky-lounge looks very luxurious.
You can enjoy your drink relaxing on sofas and arm chairs marvelling at Berlin's sights from up above. The perfect place to get to know your date better in a nice ambiance. DJs provide a club atmosphere with their background music.
A special tip for night owls: you should always stay at the solar until day dawns over Germany's capital.
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Watergate
Club: Techno/Electro
Watergate is a split-level, two-room club overlooking the River Spree in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighbourhood. Located on the river's edge with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, it offers a panoramic view of the Spree with curtains that can let the daylight in as the club night winds down. Known for its LED lighting panel that spans the entire length of the top floor of the club, Watergate mostly plays host to house and techno parties. In 2008, it started a record label: Watergate Records.
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Matrix
Club: RnB/Dance/Techno
Matrix is a club in Berlin which opened in 1996. Located at Warschauer Platz 18 in ten basement vaults of the Warschauer Straße railway station, the discothèque houses up to nine bars and five dance floors. The venue has an overall size of 2,100 square meters, and is one of the biggest clubs in Berlin. The club has 4 dancefloors & one outdoor area.
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YAAM
Beach Bar/Club
It has been around for the last 15 years: The Yaam, short for the Young and African Arts Market. And ever since the Yaam has been an important part of Berlin's leisure culture. Whether for a basketball tournament, Reggae concert, African dinner, or simply to meet people, the Yaam has been considered as the multicultural meeting point for anyone in any life situation. In the summer, it is the best location to chill-out.
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Cafe am Neuen See
beer garden
One of the oldest and most well-known beer gardens of Berlin is the beer garden of Café am Neuen See - very close to the Zoological Garden.
The beer garden of Café am Neuen See is a bit hidden away under the high trees of Tiergarten, directly by the water.
Tourists sit alongside with locals on long benches, while enjoying a nice beer and a pretzel, a crispy pizza or even a leisurely breakfast
Food
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Rogacki
Fish Delicacy Market
Rogacki is the iconic Delikatessen in West Berlin and a focal point for hungry Berliners from all across the city. With over 90 years of history, Rogacki is celebrated for its fish smoking and food court and is one of the few, historic food destinations in Berlin worth visiting.
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Café Einstein Stammhaus
Cafe Restaurant
Café Einstein Stammhaus a grand, inspiring ambience, the perfect spot for enjoying a lingering breakfast over a newspaper or an afternoon coffee break. The kitchen serves fine Austro-German cuisine from early until late, drawing regulars with specialties like schnitzel or Tafelspitz boiled beef. Make sure to save room for a fat slice of Einstein’s famous apple strudel.
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Burgermeister
Burger
Directly under the subway rails at Schlesisches Tor in Kreuzberg you can find this small but delicious burger joint - the Burgermeister. The building where you can find Burgermeister used to be a public restroom years ago. However, you wash things down today here with a lemonade.
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Grill Royal
Steakhouse
With its entrance on the promenade by the Spree below the Weidendammer Brücke, this comfortably cavernous restaurant is more reminiscent of London or Paris than Berlin. In the beginning it seemed full of local celebrities but has now settled into a lively eaterie for a well-heeled, colourful crowd. A favourite destination for the art scene in particular, locals and tourists come to enjoy fine steaks of Irish, French or Argentine provenance, plus many other meat and fish dishes. Reservations essential.
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Café am Neuen See
Cafe Restaurant
One of the oldest and most well-known beer gardens of Berlin is the beer garden of Café am Neuen See - very close to the Zoological Garden.
The beer garden of Café am Neuen See is a bit hidden away under the high trees of Tiergarten, directly by the water.
Tourists sit alongside with locals on long benches, while enjoying a nice beer and a pretzel, a crispy pizza or even a leisurely breakfast
3
Bleibergs
Kosher Cafe & Restaurant
Bleibergs is located near Kudamm and can be your first choice if you are looking for kosher food in the area. It is a small Cafe Restaurant with indoor and outdoor tables. Bleibergs offers coffee, pastry, vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Kosher Certificate: Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal
Attractions for children
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Berlin Zoological Garden
Zoo
The Berlin Zoological Garden is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers 35 hectares and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, the zoo presents one of the most comprehensive collections of species in the world.
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Legoland at Potsdamer Platz
Lego playground
A must-see when traveling with children is the Legoland Discovery Centre, the Danish toy company's only indoor park. Children can build their very own towers while their parents live out their urban development dreams, even testing if the miniature construction would survive an earthquake. In a special section, Berlin's landmarks are presented in a breathtaking miniature world made up of thousands of tiny Lego bricks.
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Tierpark Berlin
Zoo
The Tierpark Berlin is one of two zoos located in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1955 and is located in Friedrichsfelde on the former grounds of Friedrichsfelde Palace, which is situated within the zoo. As of 31 December 2013, the zoo houses 7,250 animals from 846 species, in an area of 160 hectares.
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Karls Erlebnis-Dorf
Strawberry Adventure farm
Karl's Adventure Village, not far behind Spandau, is a great family trip to Brandenburg. Especially in summer, the strawberry-related products from freshly-harvested fruits are an added bonus to the children's highlights like petting zoo and adventure playground. But also winter is a good time to go with an indoor playground and seasonal products.
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Tropical Islands
Aqua Park
Relaxation, adventure or activity: in the Tropical Islands, everyone can spend their day as they wish. In the South Pacific, there are lots of sun loungers for snoozing. The sand is also great for digging and building castles or playing beach volleyball. In the tropical rain forest with around 50,000 plants, visitors can go on an exciting excursion, passing turtles, flamingos and dragon fish. The most beautiful beach resort is undoubtedly the Lagoon, a bay surrounded by palm trees and a rocky landscape with a waterfall.
ART
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Contemporary Fine Arts
Art Gallery
One of Berlin’s best-known spaces, Contemporary Fine Arts has been presenting idiosyncratic art from around the world since 1992. Run by Bruno Brunnet, Nicole Hackert and Philipp Haverkampf, CFA’s programme blends the outré and fresh with eminences, in their light, airy Chipperfield-designed building near Museum Island.
2
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Art Gallery
Housed in a former margarine factory, Kunst Werke has been a major non-profit showcase for new talent since the early 1990s. Today curator Ellen Blumenstein promises more emollient, audience-friendly programmes, insisting the institution move back from the realms of the (occasionally) esoteric and baffling and return to engaging with the public. A lively programme of exhibitions, film screenings, talks and presentations means that 20 years on, KW remains very much at the heart of Berlin’s cultural agenda.
3
Galerie Capitain Petzel
Art Gallery
Housed in a dramatic, Soviet-era Modernist block at the top of the Frankfurter Allee in former East Berlin, Capitain Petzel is a light, bright and airy space that, in a former life, was used to showcase ideologically-friendly art during the DDR era. Today, thanks to Cologne gallerist Gisela Capitain and her partner Friedrich Petzel, the programme takes in an international range of contemporary artists including John Stezaker, Wade Guyton, Martin Kippenburger and Sarah Morris. Even if none of these names draw you, a visit to Petzel’s premises is an architectural experience in itself.
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Helmut Newton Foundation
Photography Museum
The Helmut Newton Foundation occupies the two lower floors in the building and has for many years presented its hugely successful permanent exhibition 'Helmut Newton’s Private Property', as well as individual exhibitions on Helmut Newton’s work, his wife Alice Springs, and his contemporaries, including: 'Helmut Newton: Sex and Landscapes', 'Newton, Nachtwey, Lachapelle: Men, War & Peace', 'Pigozzi and the Paparazzi', and 'Helmut Newton Polaroids'.