City: Berlin
Top Things to do in Berlin
Top 7 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. Reichstag Building
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
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.
Reviewed By David R - Manchester, United Kingdom
We pre-booked a tour of the Bundestag in English a few months before our trip to Berlin. We had to give passport details online to book on for security reasons.
On arrival we had to pass through airport style security checks before being shown into the foyer area of the building. There was a German speaking tour at the same time as our tour but this didn’t clash.
There was around 18 people in our group, we were allowed in the Bundestag Parliament room and allowed to take photos etc. We were then shown other rooms such as the CBS rooms etc which were interesting! The exterior is very old but the interior is very modern. They have kept some of the graffiti inside the Bundestag from when the Russians took over the building in 1945.
We were then allowed to go onto the roof/dome along with everyone else.
The tour guide spoke good English and engaged well with the guests.
You can enter the dome on its own if you prefer but if possible then you should try and book on the tour! It was free and was interesting! I would recommend doing this before you travel.
2. Memorial of the Berlin Wall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
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.
Reviewed By Amie K
You can walk along one of the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall, see the remains piled up( very sobering with the trees rooted around them) and read various information boards regarding the wall history. Across the road at the memorial is a very informative museum type building with a rooftop view over Part of the wall which has been kept as it would have been. Years ago. Worth a visit if the Berlin Wall is of any interest to you.
3. Brandenburg Gate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
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.
Reviewed By Lynn B - Gatineau, Canada
No visit to Berlin is complete without seeing the Brandenburg Gate. I've travelled to Berlin three times and have come there every time.
The Brandenburg Gate was built along with others in the 18th century in neoclassical style, but is the only remaining gate. It was in East Berlin near the border with the West.
What was once a symbol of division today represents national peace and unity. It's a beautiful place to visit day and night.
4. Topography of Terror
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
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.
Reviewed By Jellybellydancer - Burscough, United Kingdom
This deceptively simple, but compelling museum, housed on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, chronicles the rise of the the Third Reich and the terror and persecution that was inflicted on anyone that stood in their way.
Told candidly through photographs and comprehensive descriptions, the museum confronts Germany's shocking history with brutal honesty, making no attempt to sugar-coat the atrocities meted out.
It is not an easy museum to visit and it will leave you feeling very uncomfortable, but it serves as a stark reminder of a very dark period of history and should be on everyone's itinerary.
5. The Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By annatexas35 - Aarhus, Denmark
The memorial is simple, haunting and beautiful at the same time. As you walk through it, people keep disappearing out of your view and you feel very alone, and at the same time you get that "you can run but you can't hide anywhere" feeling. I liked how there were instructions saying that the monument must only be entered on foot and quietly, no running, and also the security guard asked people not to step on the slabs. I liked that air of treating the monument with the respect it deserves.
6. Pergamon Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
This internationally renowned ancient history museum contains several fantastic artifacts, including the huge Altar of Zeus and the famous Ishtar Gate from Babylon.
Reviewed By Patricia B - Colombo, Sri Lanka
This museum is simply amazing. The size alone of the artefacts leaves one gaspint: The vast altar of Ishtar, the Palazzo of Mileto to start with (the altar of Pergamon was unfortunately not visible during my visit). It is hard to take it all in, in one visit; in fact, I went back another day to visit the Islamic part which is also packed with precious treasures.
7. East Side Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
This mile-long stretch of the Berlin Wall is one of the largest remaining portions of the former divide between East and West Germany.
Reviewed By mafas_c - London, United Kingdom
The wall paintings were not all of quality. Maybe this is not the point but as a touristic attraction it is disappointing. The theme of the paintings are mostly difficult to identify. Took about 3 or 4 pictures and that was it. Would not recommend for people with limited time in Berlin.
