Berlin is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany with a population of over 3.4 million and an area of 892 km² it is the largest municipality in the country. It is the second-largest city in the European Union.
Berlin is a world city of science, politics, and culture. Sporting events, universities, research centers and museums in Berlin enjoy an international reputation.
The architecture you will come across, nightlife, clubs, and lifestyles of this city is world-renowned. They don’t call it “the city that never sleeps” by chance.
Summers are moderately warm with temperatures from 22 to 25 C, while winters are cold, with the highest temperatures up to 4 C. The transitional seasons, autumn and spring, are generally cool and with moderate rainfall.
The center of Berlin has its so-called micro-climate, so because of the high heat-retaining buildings, temperatures in the center may be higher by 4 C than suburban settlements. Two bears are engraved on the Berlin city seal, and you will see these animals as symbols in many places in the city.
Have you been on a journey and experienced so many strange and beautiful things that you cannot describe it in words? Well, in Berlin you will come across many of them.
1. Street Art
You won’t have much trouble doing this, simply strolling through the streets of Berlin will allow you to enjoy phenomenal graffiti and artwork along the high walls.
Be sure to take a few hours to walk the streets completely aimlessly and enjoy the architecture and street culture of Berlin. With any luck, you may come across an artist who creates work at that moment, no one will bother you to observe the creation of a graffiti for a while.
2. Monsterkabinett
This translates into a monster cabinet and is an art project with mechanical monster machines and supports the independent Berlin-Mitte art scene. You certainly have never seen anything like this!
If you go into exploring the hidden parts of the city, you will come across this art. Under the protection of Dead Chickens, a group of well-known authors who run the Berlin street art scene, and display monsters inspired by video games.
3. Potsdamer Platz
The famous Berlin International Film Festival takes place every February at Postdamer Platz. With a tradition of 60 years, it is one of the world’s major film events. The interesting thing about this place is that the first traffic light was set here back in 1924, and you will have the opportunity to see its replica today.
It’s great that in Berlin you can afford to go to a museum island, yes, a museum island! This small island is located on the Spree river and you can visit as many as five museums with fantastic exhibitions.
4. Jewish Museum
A visit to this museum should not be missed. The very name of the museum describes its theme. The Jewish Museum is a study of Jewish culture in Germany that goes back more than 2 millennia back.
Such a past has certainly left a huge mark on Germany, and the Jewish Museum is the place where you can get to know it best.
5. Neus Museum
The name of this museum translates as New Museum, and it is new. It has been completely renovated in the past few years, after it was destroyed in 1945, after the fall of Berlin and the end of World War II.
In the museum you can see interesting artifacts from different eras of distant histories, such as ancient remains, remains of Neanderthals, objects from Troy, and the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.
6. Pergamon Museum
It houses models of the natural size and real parts of various monumental buildings, such as the Pergamon altar, then the Market Gate of the City of Miletus.
This museum is a world-renowned architecture that is recognizable for its exceptionally stone construction. It is one of Berlin’s most famous attractions and has been overwhelmed by the huge number of visitors every year.
7. Altes Museum
In translation, it means the Old Museum and is indeed the oldest museum in all of Germany. Although reconstructed in 2010, it was built between 1823 and 1830. The creator of this building is Karl Friedrich Schinkel. In it, you can see examples of ancient collections of ancient Greece.
8. Alte Nationalgalerie
National Gallery where you can see a fantastic collection of neo-classicist, romantic, impressionist and modern style artwork. This is the largest gallery in Berlin and don’t miss to visit it.
After this long walk, it’s a good time to take a break and try some delicious German specialties. There are a lot of phenomenal dishes to try, so during your stay in Berlin, eat as much as you like. Generally, Germans like to eat meat, especially in the form of various meat products.
When it comes to drinks, the national drink in Germany is beer. On average, every inhabitant of Germany drinks about 120 liters of beer each year, so that, when drinking beer, Germans are considered the leading nation in the world.
9. Currywurst
This most famous and indispensable dish in Berlin. Its origins date back to 1949, and it is so well known and adored that this dish has its own museum and a special kind of fork to eat.
At the time, this meal fed the construction workers who worked in Charlottenburg, rebuilding a completely destroyed Berlin. Although there are innumerable variants of preparing this dish in Berlin, it is essentially a dish made with sausages topped with Worcester sauce and curry. French fries are usually used as a side dish.
If you like spicy foods, this is the one for you.
10. Döner Kebab
For this dish in Berlin, you will be waiting in long lines. It is one of the most popular dishes in Germany and is thought to be made entirely spontaneously so that the kebab and salad that are otherwise served in a plate are put into a bun.
11. Senfeier
This dish is very simple. It won’t appeal to you at first glance, but be sure to try it, as you will certainly change your mind. This dish you can almost make yourself at home consists of boiled eggs and potatoes in a mustard sauce.
12. Eisbein
This dish means “ice leg.” Nutrition in Germany is mainly based on pork, while ham hock has a place of honor on their menus. Eisbein is usually served with potatoes, and if you have a dilemma of trying it, the best place is the Zur Letzten Instanz restaurant, which is also the oldest in the city and dates back to 1621.
13. Brandenburg Gate
The most important symbol of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate, magnificent and powerful as it is, will leave you breathless.
The Brandenburg Gate consists of 12 Greek pillars built in Doric style, with 6 on each side. At the gate stands a Qadri, made up of the gods of peace, who ride a chariot with four horses. The gate is 26 m high, 65.5 m long and 11 m wide. Erected in the 18th century on the site of the old city gate – and in today’s Parisian Square.
The Brandenburg Gate is a witness to many important events in city history. The gate became a symbol of freedom during the 1989 revolution – which it has remained to this day. Do not forget to take photos here to bring home important memories from this trip.
14. Zoologischer Garten
If you’re in the mood for a little adventure, the right choice is Germany’s most famous zoo. It is located in the heart of the western part of Berlin and is called Zoologischer Garten Berlin.
It was built in 1844 and is the oldest zoo in Germany. This beautiful garden is home to over 19,000 animals and is, therefore, the most famous in this country.
It is designed to look like the natural habitat of animals. This will be the right experience for you! During the Second World War, this garden was destroyed and unfortunately, only 91 animals survived the war. There were as many as 4,000 before the war.
After the war, the zoo was completely renovated. It is visited by about 3.3 million visitors annually, making it the most visited in Europe. Animals are fed at specific times, which attracts many visitors and is a special attraction.
Within the zoo, you will be able to visit the beautiful aquarium. One part of the Aquarium is dedicated to reptiles and amphibians and is the largest aquarium in Germany.
By now you have realized that this adventure through Berlin will take you several days and comfortable footwear, but wonderful experiences are guaranteed.
15. AquaDom
Have you heard of the AquaDom at the Radisson Hotel in Berlin? Just look at the photos of this magnificent aquarium and you’ll want to go there right away.
You will be recounting this experience to people for a long time. It is 25 meters high, 12 meters in diameter, over a million liters of water and is a biotope for 2,500 marine species.
Given its size and height, it is difficult to see it from the ground, almost impossible. That’s why the Aquadom has an elevator located in the middle of the cylindrical aquarium, that ride will be for remembering.
16. Donuts
You can also afford a sweet break here. In addition to coffee, be sure to order the popular Berlin donuts. Berliner (Pfannkuchen) is a traditional German donut made from sweet dough fried in grease or oil of different filling, sprinkled with sugar.
You can often hear in Berlin that they consider themselves the creators of this sweet test, however, this information has not been fully verified.
Once upon a time, Berliner donuts were traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve and during the carnival. One thing is for sure, you will try to make them at home for your friends.
17. Badeschiff
If you spend time in Berlin in the summertime, you will find salvation from the heat on the ‘Badeschiff’, which is actually a huge tanker turned into a swimming pool floating on the Spree river.
Also, be sure to walk through and take pictures next to the “Molecular People” sculpture. In Berlin, “Molecular People” are made of aluminum and are 30 meters high. The sculpture is made up of three separate people who adhere to one another.
18. East Side Gallery
If you have a bit of rebellious and artistic spirit, it’s time to hit the mark in this city and visit the East Side Gallery.
The East Side Gallery presents 1,316 meters of graffiti and murals created for decades by artists from all over the world. The front, the one overlooking the street, contains 105 works of art and is covered with works of art throughout its length.On the other hand, the one looking at the river can still make fun.
It is a place waiting for you to sign. You can’t leave Berlin without at least signing. Set aside as much time as you need to paint whatever you want, every time you come to Berlin you will return to this place.
19. New Year’s Eve Celebration
Whoever decides on a New Year’s Eve arrangement in Berlin will be able to boast that he was in the city with the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration in all the globe.
This mass party is played at the Brandenburg Gate, attended by around one million people each year. Kilometer columns are in front of the stage with live music of all genres, while at midnight there is a total euphoria with fireworks that many descriptive adjectives as gigantic and indescribably large.
If it is hard for you to imagine, it is enough to imagine Berlin shining all over. The people next to you will be in a very nice mood and you will not be lonely even though you are alone.
20. Carnival of Cultures
Probably the most colorful day in the German capital is June 8th. During the Carnival of Cultures, the streets become the stage with about 5,300 official participants and thousands more spectators and passersby having fun dancing with them.
During the carnival, anyone can find something to their liking. Various dishes and flavors of all continents are served on the streets of Berlin, through the flatbread from Korea, to Hungarian donuts with sour milk. During the four-day carnival, there are also around one hundred concerts and 300 performances accompanying the street parade.
21. Clubbing
If you can hardly wait for the sun to go down for fun, there are things to know in Berlin nightlife. Clubs in Berlin do not work before midnight and the party starts only after 2 am. This will give you plenty of time to visit one of the many bars where you can “warm-up” for the upcoming crazy night.
There is no set closing time so many clubs can have parties until morning.
Public transportation is open overnight at the weekend so you do not have to worry about returning to your accommodation.
There is no need to worry about what to wear, most clubs do not have strict rules for dressing, and Berliners are very relaxed in dressing. However, for some more serious and sophisticated, you need elegant clothing.
Ticket prices are not always the same, but on average they cost between 8 and 15 euros. Remember to add to the price of the drink – about 4-5 euros for a beer and 7-10 euros for a cocktail.
22. Berlin Markets
If you want to spend some money and experience unusual shopping in Berlin, be sure to visit the Berlin markets.
Berlin’s markets are one of the best in Europe. Here you will find everything you can think of, from jewelry, footwear, clothing, bikes, carpets, furniture, to art paintings and books.
Mauerpark is the most popular Berlin market which offers shopping and relaxation in addition to shopping. You can relax and try various international delicacies.
The main day of the visit is Sunday. Then thousands of Berliners and tourists gather in Mauerpark to enjoy various activities. Karaoke parties are especially popular on Sunday afternoons.
Conclusion
Depending on how many days you plan to spend in the German capital, you can schedule all the activities nicely.
There are many other sights you should see, such as Schloss Bellevue Castle, German Parliament (Bundestag), Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Monument, New Synagogue (Neue Synagoge Centrum Judaicum), Alexander Square and TV Tower (Alexanderplatz & Fernsehturm).
It is advisable to adequately prepare for such trips so that you do not waste much time and wander.
If you have organized guided tours, it will be much easier for you. as far as communication is concerned, knowledge of German would certainly facilitate communication, however, it is sufficient that you speak English and be able to explain everything you want.
The most important thing is to be comfortable and to be prepared for long walks, believe that it will pay off. Bring some of the phenomenal souvenirs Berlin has to offer. Berlin is a city that leaves no one indifferent, you will be completely in love with this city.
Last Updated on March 23, 2023