Things to do & places to visit in Berlin, Germany

Home to some of the most significant historical sites of the 20th century, Berlin is a bustling international destination. A large city, many of Berlin's neighborhoods were in fact once independent towns. They were cobbled together to form the "Great Berlin" in 1920, and their town centers still reveal elements of this era. Today, nothing is more important to a Berliner than his or her "Kiez" (neighborhood) and the "Kiezleben" (life in the neighborhood). From the loud, wild, artsy, and young streets of Neukolln to the family-friendly avenues of Prenzlauer Berg to the quiet and sophisticated corners of Charlottenburg, Berlin's neighborhoods have something for everyone.

Berlin #1 destination in Germany 2023. The average rating score is 4.46 based on 307.7k traveler reviews, of 30 attractions. Timezone: Europe/Berlin, current date and time: Wednesday, May 01, 2024, 7:37.

Berlin Weather Statistics view more »

Top things to do (21)

• Observation Decks & Towers
• Speciality Museums
• Zoos
• Aquariums
• Government Buildings
• Religious Sites
• Architectural Buildings
• Neighborhoods
• Department Stores
• Castles
• Arenas & Stadiums
• Art Museums
• History Museums
• Points of Interest & Landmarks
• Symphonies
• Theaters
• Gardens
• Science Museums
• Monuments & Statues
• Historic Sites
• Churches & Cathedrals

Upcoming events in Berlin 6

Date	Event	Location	Price	Category
Sat Jun 03 2023 at 12:00 pm to Sun May 05 2024 at 10:00 pm	Learn to Cook Mexican Salsas with a Mexican Chef	Berlin	EUR 40	Cooking
Wed May 01 2024 at 12:00 pm	1. Mai ✺ Free Open Air ✺ Bolzplatz Falckensteinstraße Xberg	Berlin		Sports
Sat May 04 2024 at 10:00 am	33. Oldtimer Tage Berlin-Brandenburg 2024	Berlin		Sports
Fri May 10 2024 at 12:00 pm to Sat May 11 2024 at 11:30 pm (GMT+02:00)	Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024	Berlin	Starts at EUR 250	Parties
Fri May 24 2024 at 09:00 am to Sun May 26 2024 at 11:30 pm (GMT+02:00)	HARMONICA F E N FESTIVAL	Berlin	Starts at EUR 99	Festivals
Fri Jul 26 2024 at 03:00 pm to Mon Jul 29 2024 at 05:00 am (GMT+02:00)	Berlin Kizzes Festival 2024 (OFFICIAL)	Berlin		Photography

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

1. 5.0 Berliner Philharmonie (3.235 reviews)
   - World class
   Symphonies • Architectural Buildings
   
   
   Often a tough ticket, the Berlin Philharmonic features some of the best classical music to be had in Germany. See more..
   
2. 4.5 Brandenburg Gate (46.3k reviews)
   - National symbol of peace and unity
   Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
   
   
   Located in no-man's land between East and West Germany during the Cold War, this famous monument, built during the 18th-century reign of Friedrich Wilhelm II, has long been a defining symbol of Berlin and both the city's division and unification. See more..
   
3. 4.5 The Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (36.7k reviews)
   - Overwhelming
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Monuments & Statues
   
   
   The memorial itself looks almost underwhelming at first, but as you step into it and realise how the ground gives way and you get lost and lose your sense of location, it takes your breath away. The exhibition below the memorial is shocking and extremely emotional, but we owe it to them as well as ourselves and future generations to not look away. Reading victims' last letters is heart-breaking but really brings home the message that they were all individuals, not just a mass of 6 million. It must never happen again. See more..
   
4. 4.5 Reichstag Building (35.4k reviews)
   - Stunning. The dome, the views and the historical panels. A must do.
   Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings
   
   
   Situated just north of the Brandenburg Gate, this building houses the German Parliament and was the seat of the Weimar Republic government until it was seized by the Nazis in 1933. See more..
   
5. 4.5 Pergamonmuseum (20.7k reviews)
   - A worthwhile visit
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Art Museums
   
   
   The Pergamonmuseum is a three-wing complex. The museum houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung, Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. The impressive reconstructions of massive archaeological structures – the Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus, the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon, and the Mshatta Facade – have made the Pergamonmuseum famous throughout the world, with the result that it is the most visited museum at the Staatliche Museen and in Germany as a whole. See more..
   
6. 4.5 Topography of Terror (19.4k reviews)
   - open air museum about the second world war
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums
   
   
   Since 1987 a permanent exhibition at the site where the headquarters of the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were located during the “Third Reich” has been providing information to the public about the most important institutions of National Socialist persecution and terror. The documentary exhibition conveys the European dimensions of the Nazi reign of terror. See more..
   
7. 4.5 Memorial of the Berlin Wall (18.0k reviews)
   - Behind, and through, and around, the "Iron Curtain"
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Historic Sites
   
   
   The Berlin Wall Memorial is the central memorial site of German division, located in the middle of the capital. Situated at the historic site on Bernauer Strasse, it extends along 1.4 kilometers of the former border strip. The memorial contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds behind it and is thus able to convey an impression of how the border fortifications developed until the end of the 1980s. The events that took place here together with the preserved historical remnants and traces of border obstacles on display help to make the history of Germany's division comprehensible to visitors. The memorial is part of the Berlin Wall Foundation, which also includes the Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum, the central site dedicated to the history of flight and emigration in divided Germany. MOBILE TOURGUIDE Visitors to the Berlin Wall Memorial who have a smartphone or a tablet computer with internet access at their disposal have the opportunity to select an individual tour of the memorial grounds for themselves on the memorial's mobile website berliner-mauer.mobi. See more..
   
8. 4.5 East Side Gallery (16.8k reviews)
   - Visited this area one warm summer evening
   Spent 2-3 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   This mile-long stretch of the Berlin Wall is one of the largest remaining portions of the former divide between East and West Germany. See more..
   
9. 4.5 Berliner Dom (10.6k reviews)
   - Beautiful Cathedral, mid day service
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Architectural Buildings • Churches & Cathedrals
   
   
   We visited Berlin Cathedral about mid day on a Friday and there was a service going on. The music made by the organ was just so beautiful. During the short service of about 20 min, we needed to be respectful and no photo taking was allowed Tickets needed to be purchased from a machine - but the instructions were too clear. For adults, it costs €9 to enter, so just look out for the €9 tickets See more..
   
10. 4.5 Museum Island (8.993 reviews)
    - So much to explore
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums • Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    Home to three famous museums - the Pergamon, the Altes and the Bode. See more..
    
11. 4.5 Zoo Berlin (8.932 reviews)
    - Need a full day booked out for this amazing experience!
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent More than 3 hours Zoos • Aquariums
    
    
    Zoo Berlin is not only the oldest and most frequently visited zoo in the country, it is also home to the largest variety of species of any zoo in the world – including the only Giant Pandas in Germany. See more..
    
12. 4.5 Tiergarten (8.488 reviews)
    - Urban Paradise
    Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Gardens
    
    
    This huge lush park stretches through central Berlin and provides a relaxing contrast to the bustle of the rest of the city. See more..
    
13. 4.5 Gendarmenmarkt (7.602 reviews)
    - Large historic square with stunning buildings
    Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    This picturesque town square is surrounded by several historic structures. See more..
    
14. 4.5 Neues Museum (5.873 reviews) from $20.66
    - Almost as good as the British Museum
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums • Art Museums
    
    
    The opening of the Neues Museum marked a key chapter in the history of 19th-century art, museum design, and technology. Designed by Friedrich August Stüler and built from 1843 to 1855, the building suffered severe damage during World War II, after which it was left as an abandoned bombsite. Emergency measures to secure the structure were only taken in the 1980s. Painstaking restoration work got under way in 2003 and was undertaken by the offices of the British architect David Chipperfield.The museum reopened its doors to the public in 2009 and combines geographically and thematically related exhibits pooled together from three separate collections at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: the collection of Egyptian art from the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, of prehistoric objects from the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, and of classical antiquities from the Antikensammlung. See more..
    
15. 4.5 Friedrichstadt-Palast (5.608 reviews) from $42.72
    - Mesmerizing windows
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Theaters
    
    
    More than one hundred artists on the biggest theatre stage in the world. With half a million guests every year, the Palast is the #1 theatre in Berlin.The Palast in Berlin is the first choice for those wishing to experience something utterly unique and thoroughly fascinating - perfectly including international visitors who do not speak German. Welcome to Berlin, welcome to the Palast. See more..
    
16. 4.5 Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (4.608 reviews)
    - Beautiful Memorial
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites
    
    
    The ruins of this famous landmark, damaged during World War II bombings, serve as a symbol of the destruction of war. See more..
    
17. 4.5 Victory Column (Siegessaule) (3.751 reviews)
    - Worth the price
    Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM Monuments & Statues
    
    
    The victory column was built in 1873 to celebrate Prussia's victory in the Franco-German War. It was moved to its present location in the Tiergarten in 1938. You can go to the top via 270 steps to see great views of Berlin. See more..
    
18. 4.5 Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) (3.143 reviews)
    - Unbelievable
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Department Stores
    
    
    One of the world's largest department stores, KaDeWe sells everything one could ever need and also offers an amazing selection of foods. See more..
    
19. 4.5 Olympiastadion Berlin (2.897 reviews)
    - Stadium guided tour
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Arenas & Stadiums
    
    
    Welcome to the Olympiastadion Berlin. Please note that our opening hours may change at short notice due to events. You will find our current opening hours on our website. Home of Hertha BSC and host to some of the biggest events in sport and music. Easily accessible by U-Bahn or S-Bahn, this historical monumental attraction is a recommended visit outside the hustle and bustle of the city. See more..
    
20. 4.5 Berlin-Hohenschonhausen Memorial (2.607 reviews)
    - Impressive - excellent tour
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Historic Sites
    
    
    We booked a 2h tour to learn about Stasi and how people have been mistreated here and in the DDR in general. The guide - a lady from Greece - was excellent. So many insides and so much background was shared with us which gave us a better understanding of what happened in the DDR so recent and so nearby. See more..
    
21. 4.5 German Museum of Technology (2.409 reviews)
    - Huge technology museum
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM Spent More than 3 hours Science Museums
    
    
    The museum presents a broad spectrum of old and new technology. Permanent exhibits include rail transport, navigation, writing and printing, aerospace, film technology, telecommunications, textile and road traffic. See more..
    
22. 4.5 German Spy Museum Berlin (2.330 reviews)
    - Very interactive and fun museum with lots of information
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums
    
    
    The German Spy Museum is the only spy museum in Central Europe and charts the history of the second oldest tradecraft in the world in an interactive exhibition for all ages. Situated near Potsdamer Platz the museum is the perfect location to explore the worldwide capital of spies. 2019 refurbished the exhibition is nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award 2020. With more than 400,000 visitors in 2019, the German Spy Museum one of the most visited museums in Berlin Hundreds of unique exhibits like the Nazi cipher machine Enigma, hidden cameras and weapons, bugs or radios are waiting to be explored. Visitors can learn to Morsecode, search bugs, decode messages, try a lie detector, wiggle trough a laser maze or crack a safe. Children can write with secret inks or climb in a dust. See more..
    
23. 4.5 Gemaldegalerie (2.124 reviews)
    - Brilliant Donatello exhibition and great permanent collection
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Art Museums
    
    
    We are more than happy that starting from 12th of May 2020 we can reopen several of the museums belonging to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – among them the Gemäldegalerie! Please note that during your visit you have to follow some special hygiene and safety measures. All important information about visiting the museum can be found on our website. // The Gemäldegalerie boasts one of the world’s most important collections of European painting ranging from the 13th to 18th century. Masterpieces from all epochs in the history of art are on permanent display here, including paintings by Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Albrecht Durer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Jan Vermeer van Delft. The gallery is especially proud of its strong collection of German and Italian painting from the 13th to 16th century and painting from the Low Countries dating from the 15th to 17th century. See more..
    
24. 4.5 Palace of Tears (2.107 reviews)
    - Place to be visited
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM History Museums
    
    
    Our exhibition “Site of German Division” at this historical site shows how the division of Germany and the construction of the Berlin Wall came about. It also explains how the customs and passport checkpoint functioned at the Tränenpalast and outlines the surveillance system in place at the Friedrichstrasse border crossing. In the Tränenpalast itself, visitors can experience the checkpoint procedures and actually walk through the original passport control booth. The exhibition focusses on the personal stories of various individuals who lived through the ordeals of divided Germany. Contemporary witnesses describe in interviews how they escaped from Communist East Germany and how they kept in contact with their families on the other side by sending letters or parcels. They also narrate how they smuggled documents and secret photographs across the border or protested against the travel ban in Communist East Germany. See more..
    
25. 4.5 Stasimuseum (1.838 reviews)
    - Well worth the visit.
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums
    
    
    The museum is located in the former headquarters of the East German secret police. Today, on three floors the exhibition includes surveillance and observation technology such as wires and hidden infra red beamers for photographs at night. The heart of the exhibition is the office of minister for state security of the GDR, General Erich Mielke. The entire second floor is in the situation of 1989 with lots of equipment and furniture of the 1960's, 70's and 80's. See more..
    
26. 4.5 Classic Remise Berlin (1.134 reviews)
    - Car heaven - once in a lifetime opportunity !
    Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Speciality Museums
    
    
    A classic car center with vintage cars for sale, glass garages, serviceActually no museum, but museum atmosphere in an old street car (tram) depotRestaurant and event locationNo admission fee See more..
    
27. 4.5 Brandenburg Gate (46.3k reviews)
    - National symbol of peace and unity
    Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
    
    
    Located in no-man's land between East and West Germany during the Cold War, this famous monument, built during the 18th-century reign of Friedrich Wilhelm II, has long been a defining symbol of Berlin and both the city's division and unification. See more..
    
28. 4.5 The Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (36.7k reviews)
    - Overwhelming
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Monuments & Statues
    
    
    The memorial itself looks almost underwhelming at first, but as you step into it and realise how the ground gives way and you get lost and lose your sense of location, it takes your breath away. The exhibition below the memorial is shocking and extremely emotional, but we owe it to them as well as ourselves and future generations to not look away. Reading victims' last letters is heart-breaking but really brings home the message that they were all individuals, not just a mass of 6 million. It must never happen again. See more..
    
29. 4.5 Reichstag Building (35.4k reviews)
    - Stunning. The dome, the views and the historical panels. A must do.
    Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings
    
    
    Situated just north of the Brandenburg Gate, this building houses the German Parliament and was the seat of the Weimar Republic government until it was seized by the Nazis in 1933. See more..
    
30. 4.5 Pergamonmuseum (20.7k reviews)
    - A worthwhile visit
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Art Museums
    
    
    The Pergamonmuseum is a three-wing complex. The museum houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung, Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. The impressive reconstructions of massive archaeological structures – the Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus, the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon, and the Mshatta Facade – have made the Pergamonmuseum famous throughout the world, with the result that it is the most visited museum at the Staatliche Museen and in Germany as a whole. See more..