Best places to visit in Berlin: top attractions you don't want to miss

With its breathtaking Prussian architecture and its punky wall murals, Berlin is a city of contrasts. It keeps its finger firmly on the pulse of culture and yet responsibly recognizes and respects its past. Whether you're spending two days in Berlin or you're set for a longer stay, there are plenty of big tourist attractions and hidden sights to discover.

From the Berlin Wall to the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin is packed with monuments, museums, and memorials. You can take a deep dive into German art at the new and old National Galleries or delve into the Cold War, and East-West divide at the Stasi Museum. To fuel your adventure, explore Berlin's bustling food and drink scenes with expert tours of the city's hip and hidden districts, one of Berlin's best nighttime activities. Whatever you choose, these are the perfect places to visit when sightseeing in Berlin for art, culture, history, and families.

Best places in Berlin for history

1. The Berlin Wall

Visit the once symbolic divide between East and West and learn how its fall re-unified Germany. It remains one of the world's most important and lasting icons of the Cold War.

Highlights:

Discover the logistics of the Berlin Wall and how it affected everyday life for Berliners. You'll tour Bernauer Straße, which is one of the best-preserved stretches of wall that serves as both a memorial and park.

Address and opening hours:

Bernauer Str. 111, 13355 Berlin, Germany. Meeting points and times vary.

2. Neues Museum

Explore Berlin's pre-eminent history museum, which houses a vast collection of world artifacts. This gorgeous Neoclassical building was saved from the depths of East German decay with a grand re-opening in 2009.

Highlights:

You'll skip the line for the ticket booth with a pre-booked Neues Museum entry ticket and audio guide. Highlights include the Egyptian Museum, home to the Nefertiti Bust, and the Museum of Pre-History and Early History, where you'll find artifacts from Troy.

Address and opening hours:

Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany. Open daily from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM.

3. Brandenburg Gate

View the pride of Frederick William II, built in the 18th century as a Neoclassical national monument. The Brandenburg Gate isn't just one of the most popular landmarks in Berlin. It has been at the center of German history for centuries, from Napoleon and Nazism to reunification.

Highlights:

Walk through the Brandenburg Gate and the pedestrianized Pariser Platz. It was modeled on Athens' Acropolis and is crowned by a Quadriga statue. The gate is surrounded by many grand and historical buildings, embassies, and institutions.

Address and opening hours:

Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Open all day, every day.

4. The Reichstag

Berlin's Neo-Renaissance government center is one of the city's most famous buildings. Enter the building and see its fundamental redesign under Norman Foster.

Highlights:

Get a guided historical tour of the government district, the Reichstag, and Federal Chancellery. Head up to the panoramic glass dome at the heart of the Reichstag building for one of Berlin's best views.

Address and opening hours:

Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin, Germany. Open daily from 10.00 AM-6:00 PM. The rooftop is open until midnight.

5. The Stasi Museum

East Germany's secret police, the Stasi, surveilled millions of its citizens. Learn about their crude and cunning techniques during the Cold War in their original headquarters.

Highlights:

Enjoy a guided tour of the Stasi Museum where you'll see how officers placed cameras in household objects. Learn about propaganda campaigns, false arrests, and resistance movements in East Germany.

Address and opening hours:

Normannenstraße 20/Haus 1, 10365 Berlin, Germany. Open 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Monday-Friday and 11:00 AM-6:00 PM on weekends.

Best places in Berlin for art

6. Alte Nationalgalerie

Berlin's Old National Gallery building is a Neoclassical wonder inside and out. It was built by order of King Frederick William IV in 1862 as Berlin's original national gallery. Browse more than 2,000 important works by German masters.

Highlights:

Get convenient entry into the Alte Nationalgalerie to discover highlights like Manet's In the Conservatory and Friedrich's The Monk by the Sea. You'll get a sense of 19th-century Berlin and its views on art.

Address and opening hours:

Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. Closed on Monday.

7. The Listening Station

Out on a hill in Berlin's Teufelsberg sits this relic of the Cold War. This atmospheric former US Army listening station now plays host to a street art gallery.

Highlights:

Get a guided tour of the art and learn about both the artworks and Cold War history. You'll get access to the coolest spots with panoramic views of Berlin from the listening station's terrace.

Address and opening hours:

Tours depart from Heerstraße 37A, 14055 Berlin, Germany. Times vary and include 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 4:30 PM departures.

8. C/O Berlin

Access one of Berlin's most cutting-edge photography spaces. Situated in the historic Amerika Haus, C/O Berlin showcases rotating exhibitions from world photography heavyweights.

Highlights:

Get access to the museum's latest exhibitions with all-in-one entry. Get inspired by solo or group exhibitions, and lose yourself in the excellent and well-stocked photobook shop.

Address and opening hours:

Hardenbergstraße 22-24, 10623 Berlin, Germany. Open daily, 11:00 AM-8:00 PM.

9. Neue Nationalgalerie

Opened in the 1960s as Berlin's new national gallery, this space is a modern art lover's dream. The architecture alone is a wonder of light and space that fits seamlessly with Neue Nationalgalerie's collections.

Highlights:

Get access to the galleries with an inclusive Neue Nationalgalerie ticket to admire paintings and sculptures from Germany's fascinating modern period. Browse artworks of Cubism, German Expressionism, the Bauhaus, and Surrealism with masters like Belling, Grosz, and Schad.

Address and opening hours:

Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin, Germany. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. Closed every Monday.

10. Charlottenburg

Explore West Berlin's chic Charlottenburg, home to dozens of art spaces and private collections. Here, you'll get a feel for the contemporary scene and the latest paintings, sculptures, digital, and photographic art.

Highlights:

Enjoy a Charlottenburg tour of up to 5 hand-picked galleries with a personal guide. Meet the gallery owners for an immersive encounter with the latest art trends in Berlin.

Address and opening hours:

Tours begin at Kurfürstendamm 33, 10719 Berlin, Germany. Available on weekends.

Best places in Berlin for families

11. Museum für Naturkunde

Berlin's premier natural history museum is more than fossils and stones. Towering T-Rex skeletons and magnified insects make it a hit with families.

Highlights:

Skip the ticket booth with museum entry and get a free audio guide in your language. Your kids can get hands-on with explorer sheets and twiddle, a museum riddle, available in the museum shop.

Address and opening hours:

Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Open Tuesday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM. Weekends 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. Closed every Monday.

12. Volkspark Friedrichshain

A mainstay for Berliners since 1840, this grand city park is the perfect place to run off steam. Expansive fields, playgrounds, fountains, and an outdoor cinema keep little ones entertained.

Highlights:

Turn your playground adventure into a game with a smartphone app quest game. This virtual guide includes puzzles, riddles, and treasure hunts to help you explore the park as a family team.

Address and opening hours:

10249 Berlin, Germany. Open 24/7.

13. Biosphäre Potsdam

Explore a rainforest environment with exotic birds flying across the treetops above you. This biosphere in Potsdam is packed with experiences, from mangrove swamps to a butterfly house.

Highlights:

Get sorted before you arrive with a Biosphäre Potsdam entry ticket for swift access to the biosphere, butterfly house, and aqua sphere. Your family can learn all about camouflage and color in a natural setting bursting with activity.

Address and opening hours:

Georg-Hermann-Allee 99, 14469 Potsdam, Germany. Open Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Open on weekends 10:00 AM-7:00 PM.

14. Computer Games Museum

Packed with over 70 years of video game history, the Computer Games Museum hosts hands-on exhibits and virtual experiences. It's the largest museum of its kind in Europe that highlights the development of the arcade and consoles.

Highlights:

Get entry to the Computer Games Museum permanent and temporary collections. Highlights include retro gaming units from Pong to Pacman. Aside from the fun nostalgia ride, you'll learn how games are developed and marketed.

Address and opening hours:

Karl-Marx-Allee 93A, 10243 Berlin, Germany. Open daily, 10:00 AM-8:00 PM.

15. Berlin Dungeon

Enjoy an interactive journey through Berlin's gruesome past at the Berlin Dungeon. This live experience is available in English and German, taking you from the Black Death through tales of the White Lady.

Highlights:

Get entry to the Berlin Dungeon plus an orientation of Berlin with a 24-hour hop-on, hop-off bus ticket bundle. This experience is not suitable for children under 10 years and is well-suited for teens.

Address and opening hours:

Spandauer Str. 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany. Open daily, 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.

Best places in Berlin for culture

16. Mauerpark

One of Berlin's most famous parks, this sprawling green space is a legendary location for soaking up the city's unique personality on a Sunday, when you'll find it taken over by a flea market and live music performances. If you can't make it on a Sunday, do it differently and learn about this park's history through a graffiti masterclass. Graffiti is intrinsic to Berlin's post-Cold War image, with murals decorating the Berlin Wall. Learn all about graffiti culture with an art class on a section of the Berlin Wall.

Highlights:

You'll learn how to spray paint in a guided workshop that also details the culture of street art in Berlin. Your art will be immortalized with a photograph to take home.

Address and opening hours:

Gleimstraße 55, 10437 Berlin, Germany. Dates and times vary per the instructor's schedule.

FAQs

How many days should I spend in Berlin?

Berlin benefits from stays of at least 3 days. This will allow you time to visit its top museums, dine on local classics, and enjoy a performance or tour. Add more days to your itinerary to enjoy even more cool activities in Berlin and to explore Potsdam or Sachsenhausen.

What is the best time of year to visit Berlin?

Berlin's busy summer period brings the best weather with outdoor festivities in parks and packed performance programs. However, the best time to visit depends on your preference. If you prefer quieter streets and cool weather, avoid summer. Oktoberfest and Christmas are also popular periods for those seeking beer and Yule markets, respectively.

How do I get around Berlin?

Berlin is an easily-navigable city, thanks to its excellent public transport. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn systems will connect you to all corners of Berlin and its suburbs. Alternative options include trams with better street views.

What are the best neighborhoods to visit in Berlin?

Berlin's many districts and neighborhoods provide unique experiences to suit different tastes. Mitte is the central area home to noted areas like Museum Island, a treasure trove for tourists. Berlin's hip eastern neighborhoods tend to offer unique art and culinary adventures. These include Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain. For leafy, cultural charm, head to Charlottenburg and Tiergarten.

What are the best places to go shopping in Berlin?

Berlin's shopping districts cover all bases, from haute couture (Kurfürstendamm) to hip boutiques (Hackescher Markt). Alexanderplatz is highly recommended for its variety of international fashion brands and the Galeria Kaufhof department store. You can also hunt down art and accessories at Boxhagener Platz.