Berlin
Berlin is spread out and low-rise, with its history written across the centre in fragments: Prussian museums on one island, Cold War remains a few stops away, and reinvented industrial buildings in between. Public transport is what makes it manageable. Three days is enough for the core museums and two outer neighbourhoods.
How long to stay
May to September for outdoor life; December for the markets.
Typical daily budget
No budget published for this place yet
Best time to go
No seasonal guidance published for Berlin yet
Is Berlin right for your trip?
Based on what this guide covers, not a score. This is what Berlin is known for.
Great for
- History & culture
- Nightlife
- Solo
Less of a focus
- Food
- Nature
- Family
- Couples
- Budget friendly
Build your Berlin trip
Top things to do
Brandenburg Gate
Free entry · VerifiedBerlin
The eighteenth-century city gate at the end of Unter den Linden, stranded in the death strip during the division of Berlin and now the city's main symbol. This neoclassical gate was completed in 1791. During the Cold War it stood in the border zone beside the Berlin Wall, and it became a symbol of German reunification after 1989.
East Side Gallery
Free entry · VerifiedBerlin
A 1.3-kilometre surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall along the Spree, painted by artists from around the world in 1990. The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, about 1.3 km, was painted by artists from around the world in 1990. Famous murals include Dmitri Vrubel's "Fraternal Kiss".
Museum Island
Entrance €14 · VerifiedBerlin
Five state museums on an island in the Spree, covering antiquity, Byzantine and Islamic art and nineteenth-century painting. The northern tip of Spree Island holds five world-class museums, including the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum, where the bust of Nefertiti is displayed. The ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Reichstag Building
Free entry · VerifiedBerlin
The German parliament, with Norman Foster's glass dome above the chamber open to visitors who register in advance. It is home to the German parliament, the Bundestag. Norman Foster's glass dome, added in the 1990s, has a spiral ramp open to visitors, but you must register in advance.
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Popular activities
Cold War history walk
Guided route through Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall memorial and the former death strip.
Spree boat tour
Slow boat past the government quarter and Museum Island.
