Berlin is Europe's most consistently reinventing city. Destroyed in 1945, divided by a wall in 1961, reunified in 1989 — and now the capital of Germany and one of the world's most creative cities. The history is everywhere: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, the East Side Gallery. But Berlin is also the city of techno clubs in former power stations, of world-class museums, and of a food and coffee scene that punches well above its weight.
The 1791 Neoclassical gate that became the symbol of German division (it stood in the death strip, inaccessible to either side) and reunification (the Wall opened here on November 9, 1989). At 08:30 it's quiet — by 10:00 it fills with tourists.
Peter Eisenman's 2005 field of 2,711 concrete stelae of varying heights — the undulation of the ground makes the path through them increasingly disorienting and isolating. The underground information centre documents the Holocaust and the individual stories of victims.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideCurrywurst — pork sausage with curry ketchup and curry powder — was invented in West Berlin in 1949 (Herta Heuwer's stand on Stuttgarter Platz). Curry 36 in Mehringdamm is the best in Berlin: the sauce is better, the fries are crispy, and there's always a queue at the outdoor stand.
The former crossing point between East and West Berlin (1961–1990) now has a museum (the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) documenting the escape attempts — hot air balloons, converted cars with hidden compartments, and the 141 people killed trying to cross. The original white guard hut is a replica (the original is in the Allied Museum).
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideBuilt on the excavated foundations of the SS and Gestapo headquarters — the most comprehensive outdoor documentation of the Nazi state apparatus, the perpetrators, and the system of terror. Free, powerful, essential.
Kreuzberg (the former West Berlin quarter against the Wall) is now Berlin's most creative neighbourhood — Turkish döner kebabs, Vietnamese pho, and excellent Italian. Markthalle Neun (Thursday evenings, Street Food Thursday) or Maximilians for German food.
The most astonishing museum in Germany — the Pergamon Altar (2nd century BC, from Turkey), the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (575 BC, from Iraq), and the Market Gate of Miletus (2nd century AD, from Turkey). All architectural originals reassembled inside the museum.
The Museum Island has several cafés. Better: cross the Spree to Hackescher Markt — the courtyard (Hackesche Höfe, 1907 Art Nouveau) has cafés and restaurants. The Rosenthaler Platz area has excellent bakeries.
Norman Foster's 1999 glass dome on top of the 1894 parliament building — the walk up the internal spiral ramp gives a 360° view of Berlin and a view directly down into the plenary chamber. Free but requires registration 3 days in advance at bundestag.de.
The 210-hectare park in the centre of Berlin — the former royal hunting ground became a public park in 1742. The Victory Column (Siegessäule, 1873) in the centre has a viewpoint. The Bellevue Palace (presidential residence) is at the north edge.
Prenzlauer Berg (the former East Berlin neighbourhood that became the most gentrified) has the best restaurant scene — Oderberger Straße has excellent choices. Rutz (Michelin star) or Volt are the fine dining options.
Berghain (the former power station techno club, the most famous club in the world) is Friday–Monday. Watergate on the Spree has the best location and excellent techno and house. Admission is selective — dress simply, go in small groups, don't take photos.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall (1.3 km, Mühlenstraße) was painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in 1990 — the most famous stretch of public art in Europe. Dmitri Vrubel's Fraternal Kiss (Honecker and Brezhnev) and Birgit Kinder's Test the Best are the two most iconic panels. Empty at dawn.
The square that was the symbolic centre of East Berlin — the 1969 TV Tower (368m, the second tallest structure in the EU), the 1969 World Time Clock, and the socialist realist architecture of the GDR. The tower can be climbed for a 360° view of Berlin.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideRegional train RE1 from Alexanderplatz to Potsdam takes 40 minutes (€5 with Berlin day ticket). Potsdam is the former Prussian royal residence — Sanssouci Palace (1747, Frederick the Great's summer residence), the Dutch Quarter, and the Film Park Babelsberg.
The 1747 Rococo palace Frederick the Great designed for himself — the intimate garden rooms, the vineyard terraces, and the famous view from the colonnade. The New Palace (1769) is the largest building in the park. The park is 290 hectares.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideOn Sundays, the Mauerpark flea market (on the former death strip in Prenzlauer Berg) is the best flea market in Berlin — vintage clothing, vinyl records, GDR memorabilia, and the famous Bearpit Karaoke from 15:00.
Neukölln (the former West Berlin working-class area, now Berlin's most creative neighbourhood) has the best diverse dining — Sonnenallee (Arabic food), Weserstraße (bars and restaurants), and excellent Vietnamese and Korean restaurants.