City: Berlin
Top Things to do in Berlin
The 10 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Berlin, Germany
Berlin is an edgy city, from its fashion to its architecture to its charged political history. The Berlin Wall is a sobering reminder of the hyper-charged postwar atmosphere, and yet the graffiti art that now covers its remnants has become symbolic of social progress. Check out the Weltzeituhr (world time) Clock, topped by a model of the solar system, then turn back time by dining at the historic Zur Letzten Instanz, a 16th century restaurant that was frequented by Napoleon and Beethoven.
Restaurants in Berlin
1. Haus Schwarzenberg
2. Kathe Kollwitz Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 228 reviews
Museum featuring the works of artist and pacifist Kathe Kollwitz.
Reviewed By annaputele_LV - Riga, Latvia
After spending some time in busy streets of Berlin, it was nice to turn left to a calm, nice street with beautiful architecture and green trees. This small museum holds a great collection of an amazingly talented artist of 20th century. Gives a very good insight in Kollwitz's work and life in a chronological order. You don't get tired and it is possible to enjoy every drawing and sculpture.
3. Stasi Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,731 reviews
The former headquarters of the East German secret police. Today, the exhibition includes surveillance and observation technology such as wires and hidden infra red beamers for photographs at night.
Reviewed By 47torbenw - Odense, Denmark
Do you trust your friends? Well you should, but seeing how the Stasi worked you may think twice. It is definitely worth visiting the Stasi Museum and get an insight into how secret services (or a particular secret service) work. The size, the methods, the thoroughness of the Stasi is quite overwhelming. There is a lot of reading to do at the museum but it's worth the time. Remember also to visit the archive (the corner entrance) to see files and machines used.
4. Treptower Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,028 reviews
Reviewed By B1714D - Belgrade, Serbia
This was my third time in Berlin, but the first time I've visited this great park and a really beautiful memorial. Being a history buff it was on my list during my previous visits, but always something else attracted me more, so I didn't have time. Speaking of time, let me assure you that you need only half an hour to reach it - 15 min S Bahn ride to Treptower station and around the same for walking from the station to the memorial. That walk is really relaxing in this huge greenery with many paths. The Soviet memorial is a highlight of this visit. Likewise the park it's also huge. You enter through two massive granite slabs depicting a battle, after which a huge lawn leads you to the larger than life Soviet soldier holding a child and crushing the swastika with his sword and boots. Be sure to climb the stairs to the soldier, beneath whom is a small chapel. On lawn's edges are several big white granit slabs with relief illustrations and Stallin's quotes inscribed. The memorial is dedicated to over 80.000 Soviet losses in the battle for Berlin, while around 7.000 are burried there. TIP: this is a pretty off the beaten track area of Berlin, so in order not to come just for this, you can combine your Treptower visit with: - Molecul Man water installation on Spree river (10 min walk in opposite direction from the S Bahn station) - very interesting and unusual, - Oberbaum bridge, Berlin's most beautiful bridge (further 15 min walk from the Molecul Man, - East side gallery (terrific, must see) starting on your left just after you cross the bridge. For more on these attractions, please read those reviews.
5. Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 286 reviews
Reviewed By AGJoao - Eastern Norway, Norway
Visit during the day. In the evening is dark and more difficult to admire. Today the walls are covered with popular art. The building where Otto Weidt provided activities for people with visual impairments, there were a hiding place for Jews. In the villa there is a bar, where is aloud to smoke inside. In another building there is a museum explaining the life of Anne Frank and the saga of her family to escape the Nazis.
6. Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By 717RobertT - London, United Kingdom
If the weather is sunny, and you fancy a few hours outside the city, then a visit to Wannsee and the Liebermann villa is to be highly recommended. Max Liebermann was one of Germany's foremost painters in the early part of the twentieth century. The villa and its garden was built for him, completed 1910. Take the S7 to Wannsee station, and then either 20 minutes walk, or 2 stops on the bus, brings you to the property. 10 euros entrance (September 2020). There are a dozen or so of his paintings on display. There are also displays (in english and german) on the (jewish) family, the house, and the garden. The garden, which has been restored to how it was when the Liebermann family lived there, runs down to the lake. It is a joy. Coffee on the terrace is wonderful. The villa is one of many fine houses on the banks of the Wannsee lake and surrounding waterways. Lakes cruises of 1.5 hours duration are well worth doing. Boats leave from the jetty some 5 minutes walk from the S bahn; on the way to the Liebermann villa.
7. Museum Berggruen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 397 reviews
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin closed from Saturday onwards From Saturday, 14.03.2020, onwards all buildings of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin will be closed until further notice. This measure is intended to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. We ask our visitors for their understanding. The Museum Berggruen forms an ideal and natural complement to the collection of modern art held at the Neue Nationalgalerie, most particularly with its singular works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti. Similar to the Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg located across from it, the museum owes its existence to a private individual’s passion for collecting art. Situated in Berlin-Charlottenburg in the west of the city, both exhibition venues belong to the Nationalgalerie and are joined by its other entities the Alte Nationalgalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum fur Gegenwart – Berlin, and Friedrichswerdersche Kirche to form an organizational whole.
Reviewed By MikeWells90 - Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
Excellent collection of modern art with works by Picasso and Paul Klee amongst others. For me the fascinating feature of this museum is the emphasis on the provenance of the works of art. The collection was compiled by Heinz Berggruen, who was Jewish. He fled Germany to the USA in 1936, eventually became an art dealer in Paris. Understandably he was always concerned about the possibility that art works he was dealing in or collecting had been looted or illegally acquired either in post 1933 Germany or occupied countries during the War. Hence the provenance of the work was important. The art works are displayed with very interesting information giving the names of various owners of the works and the dealers involved. It is surprising to see how frequently over the years the works of art are bought and sold generally involving a limited number of dealers often located in London. As well as works of arts from Europe there are a small number of West African bronzes where the provenance issue relates to looting and forced acquisitions by colonial powers. The display explains how the provenance of these works is often difficult to establish because copies of these works were frequently made for legitimate export. This museum is a must for anyone interested in art or history.
8. Military History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 251 reviews
The Museum on the Berlin-Gatow airfield is a branch of the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History. Like its parent agency in Dresden, it does not see itself primarily as a museum of technical history, but rather as a modern museum of cultural history.The Museum in Dresden tells a general cultural history of violence, whereas the Berlin Museum focuses on aerial warfare as the most recent development in the military use of force.Visitors will learn how aerial warfare has altered our views on warfare. The following topics are at the center of our presentation:• Crossing Borders. Airplanes enable us to transport information, diplomats and casualties quickly and across borders. At the same time, the emergence of the aerial bombing warfare resulted in the abolition of the old dichotomy between front and hinterland.• Invisible Perpetrators, Invisible Victims. Among other things, aerial warfare is characterized by high speeds, tremendous ranges and increasingly huge kill capacities. These characteristics result in a depersonalization in the relationship between perpetrators and victims.• Cover instead of Flight. People on the ground are practically unable to escape the violence from the air. They are faced with sudden alarms and have to look for cover in cellars and holes in the ground.• Role Models. The role of a pilot has changed continuously over the years: In the eyes of his contemporaries, he was a daring technical pioneer and knight of the air, a daredevil, an engine operator and a flight engineer. Pilots were sacrificed and became killers. Not all pilots are men. What will be their role in an era of unmanned aviation?• Military and Society. The doctrines of employment and the manner of taking responsibility for the protection of lives reflect the political system and self-image of the various air forces. For that reason, military aviation cannot be examined separately but must be seen in the context of its social and political environment.The Museum of Military History on the Berlin-Gatow airfield sees itself a place of learning for military Bundeswehr personnel as well as interested visitors. As an interface between the military and society, it hopes to encourage discussions and to contribute towards the integration of the armed forces into public life in Germany.The museum collection contains more than 200 airplanes, numerous air defence systems and sensors, uniforms, equipment, art, documents and pictures (a total collection of 600,000 items).
Reviewed By 977PeterD - Rudersdorf, Germany
This is a spectacular site. Fighter planes and helicopters from both, American and Soviet origin are on display. There is also a ’Transall’ military transport plane, huge! During my army time, I was flying in one of these dinosaurs ???? This museum tells an interesting story about the merging of east and west Germany (in fact, the German Democratic Republic (DDR) national people army, NVA, was closed down after eastern Germany‘s “democratic“ republic, the DDR, joined the western German ‘Bundesrepublik‘. Suddenly the West owned the best of eastern weapons airborne technology. I very much like the huge soviet helicopters, these are really flying fortresses. Interesting. Boys love this. Visiting is for free and highly recommended, especially for families.
9. Botanischen Gartens und Botanischen Museums Berlin
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 886 reviews
Reviewed By JPCHickey - Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Had a very pleasant autumn walk through the extensive gardens. The highlight is definitely the large well laid out tropical greenhouses. Every bit as good as Kew Gardens in London
10. Tempelhof Airport
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 816 reviews
Guided tours in the former airport building.In German : Mo - Thu 4 p.m., Fr 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Sat /Sun 12 a.m. and 3 p.m.In English Wed, Fr, Sat and Sun 1:30 p.m. Special Tour "Hidden Places in the Former Airport building" Mo, Thu, Sat and Sun 11 p.m.,Special arrangements for groups in German, English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Russian and Chinese language.
Reviewed By ClogsPL - Warsaw, Poland
The Tenpelhof airfield is free to enter and to use, it's in fact a public park, used by windskaters, cyclists, friends having a picnic, or just aimless tourists like me. Awesomely gigantic, a wide open space in the middle of the city. Amazing feeling, felt almost overwhelmed by the wide space and vista. Almost alien. Cool visit.
