What to do in Berlin
One of Europe, and indeed the world’s most important cities for the last 150 or so years. Berlin has been at the peak of scientific and cultural progress, the depths of destruction and despair and is now a centre of technology, innovation and economic power.
It’s fair to say that Berlin’s history has been somewhat tumultuous, to put it mildly. The scars of World War II and the Cold War weigh hard on the city’s conscience, but these have helped to create the vibrant city that Berlin has become.
If you have an interest in WWII and the Cold War (which I really do) then Berlin is a destination that will continue to fascinate and intrigue. Therefore, a fair amount of things in this article will relate to these two areas of history. One of the best things about Berlin is that many of the fascinating and important museums are free. However, even if you have only a passing interest in hot and cold conflicts that shaped the world we live in today there is still plenty to do!
What to do in Berlin
Visit the Brandenburg Gate
Possibly the most iconic sight in Berlin. An imposing gate that projected the might of Prussia when it was built in 1791. Located in the heart of the city it is one of Berlin’s most well-known landmarks.
The statue on top of the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot and charioteer pulled by four horses. When Napolean burst onto the scene conquering all before him, he had the Quadriga dismantled and shipped back to Paris. When he was eventually knocked off his perch the Quadriga was returned to its rightful place atop the Brandenburg gate. The charioteer is glancing slightly to her left, at the French embassy, some say to keep an eye on the neighbours. Those with a vague knowledge of 20th-century history will see the irony in this.
Climb to the top of the Reichstag
For some great views of Berlin, head to the top of the Reichstag. There is an excellent exhibition on the history of the Reichstag and Berlin at the top.
It is possible to join the line at the kiosk on the northern edge of the Tiergarten, or alternatively, you can book your tickets online here!
Watch the sunset in Tempelhofer Feld
Hitler’s old personal airport is an odd place to watch the sunset, however, his vast expanse of concrete and grass competing space is a rather interesting place to people watch as the sun sets on Germany’s hedonistic capital.
Understand the horrors of the Gestapo at the Topography des Terrors
A visit to Berlin can be an intense experience. Germany, and indeed Berlin’s history over the 20th century is tumultuous, to say the least. However, if you have an interest in the historical period then Berlin is a destination that both fascinates and challenges. The Topography des Terrors does this more than other places.
The site is broken into two areas, the outside exhibition in front of a large section of Berlin and an indoor exhibition. If you are short on time then the indoor exhibit is the more interesting of the two, with an excellent audio guide you can access through your phone (don’t forget to bring headphones).
Visit the Jewish Museum
One of Berlin’s most famous museums, the Jewish Museum is a mixture of art, history and recollection of the Holocaust. An excellent museum that begins with a series of contemporary artworks to commemorate the Holocaust, before moving on to the history of Jews in Germany and finally onto the coming to power of the Third Reich and the Holocaust.
Take a walking tour around Central Berlin
A walking tour around any city can give you a fascinating insight into the city’s history and character. Berlin has a number of excellent walking tours, however, we chose to do the Original Walking Tour. It is not a free tour, you pay what feel at the end. The tour starts at Alexanderplatz and finishes at the Brandenberg Gate, taking you past Museum Insel, various Univerisitys and Cathedrals, the site of major book burnings during the Nazi era, Checkpoint Charlie, the location of Hitler’s Bunker and the Jewish museum amongst others.
The guide we had, Laura was excellent, really energetic, insightful and knowledgeable. Safe to say we would definitely recommend it.
Visit Sachsenhausen
One of the less well-known concentration camps, Sachsenhausen mainly housed political prisoners from 1936 until 1945, with its most famous prisoner being Stalin’s son. The camp is now a memorial and museum and is definitely worth a visit.
Located in Oranienbug, part of the DDR, it was actually used by the NKVD after World War II. Its location in a fairly run-down part of old East Berlin gives a more desolate feeling than some other camps in Germany. In many ways, it seems almost completely untouched.
Due to its location an hour and twenty minutes from Central Berlin, it’s likely that a visit here will take up most of the day. However, it is certainly a worthy place to visit, where its desolate nature allows one to more clearly understand some of the horrors that took place at the Nazi concentration camps.
Understand the power of the Stasi
Possibly the most interesting museum in Berlin, the Stasi Museum offers an insight into East Germany’s all-powerful security service. It gives a fascinating overview as to how the Stasi collected information on anyone deemed a threat, and penetrated the lives of even the most ordinary of people.
Whilst the Stasi didn’t have the violent nature of the Gestapo of Nazi Germany or the NKVD and KGB of the Soviet Union its ability to collect data and intervene in the lives of its citizens was simply unbelievable. It had around 90,000 full-time staff with 170,000 unofficial collaborators, who kept files, records and information on nearly 6 million people. Frightening when you consider the population of East Germany hovered between 17 and 18 million.
When East Germany’s communist government collapsed in the wake of peaceful protests in 1989 the Stasi continued to operate furiously shredding documents. When the offices were occupied by protestors in 1990 there was still a huge number of documents that had not yet been destroyed. An indication of just how much information the Stasi had on their citizens.
Tickets are 8 Euros, with an audio guide (which I would highly recommend) being 2 Euros.
Get to know life in East Berlin at the DDR Museum
A fairly recent addition to the museums around Museum Insel, the DDR Museum is an interactive museum telling the story of life in the DDR. The exhibits are both informative and engaging and paint a thorough and fascinating picture of life in East Germany. Expect it to be fairly busy, as the museum is justifiably very popular. Definitely one of the top things to do in
Tickets are 12.50 Euros for adults, and the museum is open until 7 pm.
Marvel at the Egyptian wing of the Pergamon
Possibly the most famous museum on Musem Insel, the Pergamon houses some truly stunning pieces from antiquity including a reconstruction of the famed Ishtar Gate. However, my personal favourite part of the museum is the Egyptian Wing.
Definitely one of the busier museums on Museum Insel.
Watch a Hertha Berlin or Union Berlin Game
Football in Germany is huge. However, Berlin has never really had a top-class team on the level of Bayern or Dortmund (the two big hitters in the Bundesliga). Hertha Berlin plays their home games at the Olympiastadion Berlin, the main stadium of the 1936 Olympic games, so well worth a visit if a game is on.
Tickets are much cheaper than in the Premier League, and the fans are certainly better behaved.
Understand how the wall divided Berlin and Germany
The Berlin Wall divided the city in reality and the country symbolically from 1961 until 1989. There are numerous memorials and exhibitions, as well as a few pieces of the wall that are still standing.
Head to Berlin Nordbahnhof on the s-bahn, close to the exit you will find the fantastic Berlin Wall Memorial. To say the exhibits associated with the memorial are extensive is an understatement. From Nordbahnhof the memorial continues for just under 1.5 kilometres, shedding light on just how the wall impacted and destroyed the lives of the people of Berlin.
Enjoy some fantastic food or drink
Yes, yes, yes Germany is certainly not the world’s foremost foodie destination (and I say that even as Brit). However, there is some fantastic food to be enjoyed in Germany’s capital. From a schnitzel significantly bigger than the average dinner plate to the phenomenal schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) there is great food to be had!
Check out some funky graffiti at the East Side Gallery
One of the most iconic images of Berlin is a piece of graffiti of a rather passionate embrace between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker, the leaders of the Soviet Union and DDR at the time. The place to find it? The East Side Gallery along the banks of the Spree River.
There are plenty of other pieces of artwork here, come for the kiss, and stay for the rest. The area around the Oberbaumbrücke is chock full of cafes, bars and restaurants, with large areas of the river’s east bank used for socialising and drinking.
See Berlin below street level
One of the best tour operators in Berlin is Berlin Underworld. There are some fantastic tours available here around the bunkers and subway stations of Berlin giving you a fascinating glimpse into the city’s recent history.
We did one of the tours through the old nuclear bunkers in the old West Berlin, a fascinating view of Berlin.
Take a stroll through the Tiergarten
Berlin’s huge Tiergarten is sandwiched between the Reichstag and Berlin Zoo. A wonderful expanse of green space in the heart of the city it’s the perfect place to while away a summer afternoon.
Make sure you visit the Jewish Memorial close to the eastern edge of the Tiergarten.
Get lost wandering in the heart of the city
The area between Alexanderplatz and the Brandenburg gate is an architecture lovers’ dream. The area around Babelplatz and south of it, in particular, is home to some particular gorgeous buildings including the Berlin State Opera, Humbolt University, The French Cathedral and the New Church.
