What you need to know and a sample itenary to see the highlights
Berlin is arguably my favourite city in the world, so it’s no surprise it’s the one I have visited the most. I am fortunate to have family there who have guided me through the best and worst Currywurst, the Mauer, and some brilliant shopping… so whether it’s your first or fifteenth time in Berlin, I hope this guide helps you uncover something new. The number of times I have visited Berlin also means this – this is a bumper edition of the blog, so grab a cuppa and dig in!!
The history of Berlin
The history of Berlin is not just about the events from 1933 onwards, however this does dominate the city. One of the reasons for this is the scale of destruction that occured during WW2 means many older buildings and landmarks have been lost.
Berlin actually dates back to the thirteenth century and was a major trade hub in Europe. Berlin did not escape Napoleon’s ambitions and was captured in 1806 by the French Army who withdrew in 1809. The palace of Charlottenburg is one of the best tributes to Baroque Berlin, if this is what takes your fancy.
In the late nineteenth century, Berlin became the capital of the unified Germany and not long after (1884 – 1894) the Reichstag was built.
Berlin is very intentional about how it honours its Nazi past. You cannot escape the impact that this period had on the city – the objective of this is for everyone to face what happened in the country in a bid for it to never happen again. In a world where fewer people who lived through the Nazi regime are alive to tell their stories, this is of increasing importance. To this end, there are major monuments but there are also more subtle tributes to the period including what looks like a simple perspex square in Bebelplatz that overlooks a now empty cellar where banned books were burned and the brass plaques shown below.
Berlin was divided by the famous Mauer in 1961 which fell in 1989. The city became a symbol of German reunification in the 1990s. Having visited Berlin since the late 1990s one thing is stark – the extent to which the east of the city has changed in this time. The West feels as if it has stayed much the same, but the East has changed beyond recognition due to the investment in regeneration.
Getting around: Riding the U-Bahn
The U-Bahn is Berlin’s metro train system, with a station on almost every corner. The network is mainly underground and connects with the S-Bahn (the more suburban service) and the DB (the national service). The U-Bahn is highly efficient and reflects underground systems in many large cities in that it has multi-coloured lines, complicated changing points, and runs until well into the evening.
Paying for the U-Bahn: the U-Bahn doesn’t have ticket barriers like most city networks. There are pay stations on the platforms where you can buy tickets – for single, day or multi-use. You just need to punch the ticket to activate it before you get on a train. You can also pay for the U-Bahn on the app (this was a REVELATION for me last time I went to Berlin).
The Airport
Having spent years going to Tegel or Schoenfeld, nothing quite prepared me for Brandenburg Airport. It is vast, shiny, and terribly run. Quite literally it is the slowest, least efficient airport I’ve ever been to. I arrived to fly home three hours before my flight and got to the gate 15 minutes before it was due to open. Thankfully the plane was as late as everything else was slow in the airport so I didn’t have an issue getting on board.
There is a feature where you can book your security slot, which my uncle encouraged me to do. Obviously, I ignored this thinking it wasn’t needed and I regretted this. It’s also worth noting a British passport is not a ticket for a quick immigration check. Old British / EU passports (mine is still valid, just!) do not work on the e-gates in Berlin anymore.
The advantage of the airport is it’s very well-connected and accessible via the S-Bahn.
A decent cup of coffee: Einstein Kaffee
Berlin, like many modern cities, has a plethora of Coffee shops. Not all of which are any good. In fact, some are really quite bad, and if you don’t know my feelings about bad coffee yet, let’s just say it’s a peeve. Especially when you pay a good €4 a cup.
So, always in search of a perfect cup, I found a phenomenal independent coffee shop on Eisenachestraße when I visited in December 2023, (elementa – it’s a stonking cup of coffee). The most commonly found – and most drinkable – chain of coffee shops is Einstein Kaffe which has 20 branches in Berlin and a spectacular blend. You will of course find what feels like hundreds of branches of Starbucks, and the blend there is as you would expect. Disgusting.
Opening hours on Sunday: a word from the wise
One thing that took me aback last time I went to Berlin was how few shops, cafes, or museums were open on a Sunday (especially in the morning but generally). Now I expect this in smaller cities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland however as the capital city, I expected the same restlessness I get in London. I came away with a huge respect for the fact that so many in the city shunned the opportunity to make more money and opted for a day (or at least half a day) of rest.
The Berlin Bear
The Berlin Bear has become a landmark in its own right. First scattered across Berlin in 2001, they were so popular that instead of being temporary installations many similar things are in major cities, they are changed, updated and evolved. Tourists continue to love them, and they bring to life the city symbol for each generation of visitors.
These pieces of art come in the form of tributes to events in Berlin’s past, celebrations of businesses (including corporate-sponsored bears), and the simply random.
Der Ampelmann
Der Ampelmann you could call an early meme. An element of Berlin’s culture so ubiquitous that it is recreated in as many forms as you can imagine. I’ve not found a Berlin bear with the symbol on, but I am sure one has existed at some point.
Der Ampelmann started as a simple symbol on the cross-walk but has morphed into so much more. I have red and green Ampelmann Christmas decorations, have eaten green Ampelmann gummi bears and have seen people proudly sporting t-shirts.
Street Art
One of the wonderful things about Berlin is that the city is adorned by street art – one of my favourite things to see in a new city. Whilst the graffiti on the wall is the most famous in the city, there are plenty of other murals to turn heads of those interested.
Christmas Markets
The last time I visited happened to be at Christmas 2023 which meant there I was able to experience a wonderful array of markets and consume some excellent Gluwein. The markets were wonderful, however, the prevalence of “German-Style Christmas Markets” in the UK meant that they did not have the charm I remember when visiting Koln years ago. Yes, I’m checking my privilege with that statement.
An itinerary for your trip…
As Berlin is a large city, I’ve divided this guide into things to see on the east side and those to see on the west. It’s not insurmountable to go between the sides of the city, but it makes more sense in a short period to cluster things on either side of the city.
If you are looking for a guide purely of the locals tips, this guest post by Matti from ToursofBerlin.com will give you the truly hidden side of Berlin.
Day one
Walk the East Side Gallery…
The East Side Gallery is the largest remaining part of the Berlin Wall and I would say one of THE must-visit places in the City. The art on the wall stands as a reminder of what the city went through, and the sheer size and scale of the wall is not really felt at any other place in the city.
There is no train station called “Berlin Wall”, so you need to go to Warschauer Str and walk from there. You won’t get lost, as people are trying to sell you “genuine pieces” of the wall from the moment you get off the train there, to the moment you hit the actual wall.
The museum at the East Side Gallery is pretty cool. What is NOT worth it, however (sorry) is the “Immersive Wall Experience” which you find near Checkpoint Charlie. Save your €10 (or whatever it costs these days) and thank me later!
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is one of the main squares in East Berlin, and contains the old TV tower too. It will give you plenty of shops, cafes, and transport links, plus some pretty cool architecture and re-creations of former soviet icons.
Tajikistan tea rooms
This one is a find from my uncle. Now, when you approach the tea rooms you will be confused as they are in a redeveloped building, and from the outside you have no idea what is about to behold you. However these quirky tearooms are a firm favourite of Berliners – sitting tables and an array of tea in relaxing surroundings. Really what else do you need for a bit of a rest?
Visit the Spy Museum
The Spy Museum is a newer edition to Berlin’s cultural scene and is one of the furthest out places which you would visit, so it’s worth going there first and then working your way back towards the centre of Berlin.
The Museum brings a new twist to the history of espionage and looks at those who were double or even triple agents. Plus they had dress-up. Really, what more could you want?
Tickets for the Spy Museum start at €6 and pricing is “dynamic” to control the visitor numbers.
Shopping at the Mall of Berlin
Opposite the Spy Museum there is the Mall of Berlin a newly (ish) re-developed shopping centre that has a few really good spots and a great food court (Currywurst, YES PLEASE).
Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie is one of the iconic places in Berlin to visit as a tourist and is a symbol of the divided city. Thankfully it doesn’t take long to see, but in the daytime if you want a photo you need to queue and pay.
Checkpoints Alpha and Bravo also existed, but neither are so iconic as Charlie. The original Checkpoint Charlie was a wooden hut which has been moved across the city to the Allied Museum, and the replica stands as a reminder of the restrictions Berliners faced every day.
Personally I LOVE the Mauer Museum (Haus am Checkpoint Charlie), but many don’t. It resembles a regional museum where the curator went missing. It just contains EVERYTHING you might ever want to know about Checkpoint Charlie, with little thought to the narrative or flow of the experience. For me, this was PERFECT.
If you’re hungry at this point, Casa Italia on Friedrichstraße I’ve always found pretty dependable. It gets mixed reviews online, but never had an issue…
Day two
Visit the KaDeWe
The KaDeWe is Berlin’s answer to Bloomingdales or Selfridges – a high-end department store with fashion, exhibitions, and quality food but without the vulgarity you would find at Harrods.
Like all of these iconic department stores, the KaDeWe has a magnificent cafe where you can buy traditional German treats- it isn’t what it was, but it is still an excellent experience and the Apfelstrudel mit Vanille Sahne cannot be beaten. I also found an end-of-line section in the KaDeWe on my last visit. I still couldn’t afford most of it, but it’s good to know it is there.
A few doors down from the KaDeWe is a more mid-market and smaller department store Peek & Cloppenburg, which I am quite partial to.
Top Tip: if the KaDeWe is busy, and you cannot go without cake, then MOLA is a great alternative close by.
Brandenburg Tor
No visit to Berlin is complete without a train ride to Unten-den-Linten and a visit not only to the Brandenburg Tor, but also to see the hotel next to it where Michael Jackson dangled baby Blanket from the balcony. From here, it’s easy to walk to the Tiergarten, one of the biggest parks in Berlin, and see the Reichstag from the outside (I’ve never managed to go in, it needs to be pre-booked).
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Round the corner from the Brandenburg Tor is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The memorial dates to the mid 2000s and is made of large stones of varying sizes which you can walk between (not on, it’s not respectful). The vastness of the memorial is deliberate and really takes you aback. Equally the dark grey stones add a sense of bleakness that humbles you and makes you reflect on what happened. Under the stones is an exhibition room that is not always open to the public, but is worth a visit.
Currywurst at Friedrichstraße station
Currywurst is a staple of Berliners. It comes in two forms – a wurst with curry powder sprinkled on top, then with a bit of mayo or mustard or a wurst smothered in curry ketchup (which you can buy in the Penny Markt if you want to take some home). Best served with some greasy chips!
Now Currywurst is easy to come by in Berlin but it varies in quality. One of the best places to get it is at Friedrichstraße station.
David Bowie’s apartment
This is a quick stop, but the apartment that David Bowie once lived in is near Kleistpark U-bahn station. There is usually some form of memorial near the entrance to the apartment.
Urban nation
If you want a quick museum that celebrates all things Urban Berlin then the free Urban Nation on Bulowstraße is for you. It’s a quirky, neon celebration of graphic art and subversion combined with randomly spray-painted rooms.
German dinner at Lenzig
Lenzig is a German restaurant on Wartburg Straße that celebrates the best of stodgy German food. With red and white checked tablecloths, and a selection of beer and schnapps it’s a wonderful way to end a weekend in the city. They do a particularly good Flammkuchen (the German version of Pizza, but it doesn’t have tomato).
If you would like to slice something a little less mainstream into your agenda, see this post on the hidden gems in Berlin.