About Berlin
Explore Germany
Overview
The infamous Berlin wall that once divided the city came crashing down on November 9, 1989, to unite the country in democracy. Today, Berlin’s 18th-century Brandenburg Gate stands as a symbol of reunification.
The city is a bastion of culture, politics, media, and science as it looks forward to tomorrow with its extensive biomedical, electronics and high-tech firms. Many vacationers who visit Berlin in search of history, leave with a new appreciation of its culture through its renowned museums, orchestras, entertainment venues and fabulous food.
What To Do
Visit Berlin’s impressive Brandenburg Gate, a former symbol of a divided city’s Iron Curtain.
View the infamous Checkpoint Charlie border crossing between East and West Berlin and its informative museum.
Experience the moving monument to the Jewish victims of WWII at the Holocaust Memorial, designed by New York architect Peter Eisenman in 2005.
Explore some of the more than 19,000 animals of the Berlin Zoo, which first opened in 1844.
What To See
View the city’s largest church, The Cathedral of Berlin (Berliner Dom), which is a center for the Protestant Church of Germany.
Visit the imposing neo-Renaissance Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament from 1871 to 1918.
In 1999, the parliament once again assembled within the rebuilt Reichstag building, with its newly designed glass dome, located near the Brandenburg Gate.
Shopping
Shop and people watch along the Kurfürstendamm, one of Berlin’s most famous boulevards.
Visit the shops, restaurants, and theatres on Friedrichstraße in the districts of Mitte and Kreuzberg. Search for art, antiques, food and seasonal items at Berlin’s renowned weekly markets located across the city.
Take plenty of time to explore the eight-story Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West), called KaDeWe. Originally constructed in 1907, it was destroyed during WWII and reopened during the 1950s. KaDeWe is Europe’s second largest department store, after Harrods in London, and attracts nearly 50,000 visitors per day. The store is located on Tauentzienstraße near the center of the former West Berlin.
Nightlife
From warehouse clubs to techno clubs, charming beer gardens to fancy cocktail caverns, and sassy cabarets to elegant orchestras, Berlin caters to every taste, budget and age group.
Before Germany's reunification, there was no official closing time in West-Berlin, so partying until dawn was officially legal. This trend continued after reunification, and today the city is renowned as the capital of warehouse clubs and techno clubs.
Prater Garten has been around since 1897, making it the oldest beer garden; it even survived bombings in WWII.
Off the Beaten Path
Visit Fassbender & Rausch for some of the most sublime hot or iced chocolate in the world.
Wander around Museumsinsel, one of Berlin’s most picturesque neighborhoods, with magnificent architecture and expansive green space.
On Tuesdays, enjoy free classical concerts at lunchtime from the renowned Philharmonie.
Food and Drink
A unique food to come out of Berlin is currywurst. Back in 1949, Herta Heuwer mixed up ketchup, Worcester sauce, and curry powder, and this spicy wurst was born.
Other favorites include currywurst’s cousin, bratwurst, wiener schnitzel and of course, traditional steins of German beer.
Berlin offers among the most extensive selection of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the world.
Berlin with Kids
Kids love to visit the Berlin Zoo, home to thousands of animals from giraffes to sea lions.
Paddle a boat along Berlin’s river Spree, or head away from the city to peaceful Grunewald, Krumme Lanke or Müggelsee lakes.
Browse through the famous Mauerpark flea market with vintage items for the adults and a sweet shop for the kinder.
When to Go
Summer is an ideal time to visit Berlin when plenty of sunshine and long days are perfect for exploring the city. November through early March can be quite cold and rainy.
Holidays such as Easter, Christmas and New Year tend to attract large crowds. The legendary Holiday Markets make a wintertime visit worthwhile.
There are festivals and events every month in Berlin, from the International Film Festival in February to the yearly November JazzFest.
Whenever you choose to vacation in Berlin, you’ll find plenty of street parties, sporting events, movies, carnivals and festivals to keep you entertained.
Fast Facts
Berlin has about 1,700 bridges, even more than Venice.
Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961, and the borders between East and West Germany were closed on a single night. The wall was finally torn down 28 years later on November 9, 1989. It will forever be a symbol of the cold war era. When former United States President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, he said in a long-remembered speech, “All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
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