Berlin is the first Germany city I ever visited and remains one of my favorites to this day.
Compared to the castles, the half timbered houses, and the baroque churches, however, the concrete brutalism of Berlin tends to leave something to be desired, architecturally speaking.
To be fair, I’ve only ever visited the city in the winter when it’s grey and rainy- so Summer may be a different story!
While I find Berlin to be grey and cold, the city itself is vibrant and colorful enough to make up for it!
There is a heavy emphasis on the city’s involvement in the Cold War and WWII, and most of the site seeing is related to those events. However, my favorite parts of Berlin are its art and music culture which saturate the city with a really cool urban atmosphere.
What to See In Berlin
Brandenburg Gate
Perhaps the most iconic symbol of Berlin, Brandenberg Gate is a huge tourist attraction. It landed in the restricted zone behind the Berlin Wall for nearly three decades, and became a symbol of unity once the wall fell.
Checkpoint Charlie
Even more touristy is the notorious Checkpoint Charlie- a famous crossing point between East and West Berlin and the site of 1961’s Berlin Crisis. These days, tourists can still stop by for photos with the reconstructed border crossing, and the nearby Checkpoint Charlie Museum- one of the most popular museums in Berlin!
Gendarmenmarkt
Stop by Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin’s pretty square flanked by twin German and French Cathedrals and the Concert Hall! This is also where the winter Christmas markets take place.
Bebelplatz
Make sure to take a short walk around from Gendarmenmarkt to visit The Empty Library at Bebelplatz – a memorial dedicated to the 1933 Nazi Book Burnings. This memorial can be easy to miss as it’s set into the cobblestones of the the street, with a glass window showing empty bookcases where those burned books should have sat.
From here, you can also spot pretty buildings such as St. Hedwig’s Cathedral the Alte Bibliothek, and the State Opera Building.
Berlin Wall
Of course, you can’t come to Berlin without visiting the Berlin Wall! Remnants of the famous structure are preserved throughout the city, but the most famous part is the East Side Gallery. The East Side Gallery has transformed a little over a kilometer of the Berlin Wall into the longest open air art gallery in the world!
Take a stroll along here and pick your favorite artwork- mine is the famous Fraternal Kiss.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Also hard to miss is the Holocaust Memorial that fills a whole city block with 2,711 concrete slabs. It’s a little odd seeing it from a far, but I encourage you to walk among the memorial. While the slabs look to be more or less the same height from above, the ground actually dips lower, and the concrete beings to tower over you as you walk.
It’s definitely something to experience in person.
Underneath the memorial, there are rooms displaying short biographies of murdered or missing Jews.
Museum Island
If you’re looking for more museums, make sure to stop by Museum Island! This island hosts five renowned museums within walking distance from one another.
The featured museums are the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Pergamon Museum, Bode Museum. And Alte Nationalgalerie.
I wish I could say I had a recommendation for these museums, but frankly I was warned that Germany had to give so much of their art back after WWII that they all felt a bit empty.
Maybe one day, I’ll go back to see for myself, but in the meantime, I at least have to mention the Berlin Cathedral, which is one of my favorite architecture structures in Berlin- especially on the waterfront!
Berlin TV Tower
Dominating the skyline of Berlin, the TV tower is a staple of Berlin’s skyline and one of the tallest structures in the city! These days, the tower offers a 360 degree view of the city, a bar and a restaurant!
Things to Do
I highly recommend taking a pub crawl of Berlin. I went on one that was organized through my hostel and they took us to the weirdest, coolest, most underground places you’ve ever seen.
One bar was covered floor to ceiling in graffiti, and was themed around ping pong. My seat was an exercise bike! Was I just in someone’s basement? Unclear! Either way, a super fun way to see the city.
I also suggest taking a graffiti tour of Berlin. There are so many beautiful and ever changing art pieces that make up Berlin and a guide helps you to understand what you’re looking at. Some of these graffiti artists are considered world class, and their work is right up next to your everyman artist- it’s really cool!
Berlin is also known for its clubs- particularly Berghain. I’ve never been cool enough to attempt entry, but definitely head to a techno club if you’ve got the time! Techno was developed in Berlin and Detroit so it’s fun to see it in its natural habitat, even if you’re not a fan.
After a night out, stop for a doner kebab, which is a beloved street food in Germany, despite its Turkish roots. My personal favorite snack is currywurst, and it’s my go-to at any given street vendor!
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