Berlin attractions are the main magnet for tourists visiting the city. The capital of Germany is one of the most interesting places in Europe and on the world map. There is always something going on here and there is something to do. Berlin with its monuments and attractions is an ideal proposition for a weekend getaway. Berlin is a capital city full of color, diversity and tolerance. It is a thoroughly modern and vibrant city. However, no one here forgets about the painful past and the fact that only thirty years ago it was divided by a high wall. Berlin is a city with loads of interesting places to see, famous buildings and hipster neighborhoods. There are many flea markets, green parks, and restaurants with cuisine from all over the world. The multitude of attractions in Berlin makes it difficult to see everything in one visit.
However, it’s always a great reason to visit the German capital again – so let’s start exploring Berlin with our tour guide.
What’s worth seeing in Berlin?
Berlin is a big city, but if we just want to visit its most famous monuments and attractions, we can easily do it just by walking. This is why day trips around the German capital are so popular.
However, when it comes to visiting these more distant attractions of Berlin, then you must at least use public transport or your own car. This city is a good place for a weekend trip, but to really see most of the interesting monuments and visit them from the inside (e.g. Berlin museums), you need much more time. However, as we have already written, you can visit attractions in Berlin one by one.
There will always be an excuse to come on a trip to Berlin once again.
Museum Island
In Berlin, the Museum Island is definitely worth visiting. It is a fragment of the German capital located on the Spree, where the buildings of Berlin museums are located. The entire island is considered one of the most important museum complexes in the world.
In addition, in 1999 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, due to its unique architectural and cultural character. On site, it is worth visiting the Pergamon Museum, the New and Old Museum, the Bode Museum and the Old National Gallery.
The former deserves special attention, because it was in the Pergamon Museum that the Great Altar of Zeus was reconstructed. In addition, on site you can admire objects recovered from Middle Eastern excavations. The entire collection has been divided into three collections: ancient, Middle Eastern and Arabic art.
See on the map where the island of museums is located in Berlin:
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Another place in Berlin that is definitely worth seeing is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The monument consists of 2,711 concrete blocks of various heights and covers an area of 19,000 square meters.
The whole thing looks a bit like a cemetery, and the individual blocks reflect the tombstones. This monument is to commemorate the murdered Jews during the Second World War. Additionally, in the basement there is a museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. This monument is a realization of the vision of Peter Eisenman’s project, which was created in Berlin in 2003-2005.
Check on the map of Berlin where this place is located:
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is also a place that is hard to miss when visiting Berlin. This square is the unofficial heart of the German capital and also an important transport hub. Over 300,000 people pass through Alexanderplatz every day, both tourists and residents looking for a moment of relaxation after work.
This square was named after the Tsar of Russia Alexander I, who is called by Berliners – Alex. Alexanderplatz is home to the famous TV tower with an observation deck, the Weltzeituhr clock showing the current time in 24 time zones around the world, and the Friendship Fountain. In addition, there are numerous cafes, restaurants and large shopping centers on the square.
Locate one of Berlin’s greatest attractions on the map:
Let’s continue our tour of Berlin.
Berlin tourist attractions
One of the biggest and most recognizable attractions in Berlin is without a doubt the Brandenburg Gate.
Brandenburg gate
It was built in the years 1788-1791, on the orders of the Prussian prince Frederick William II, and was to be the Gate of Peace. Unfortunately, during the construction of the Berlin Wall, it became part of a border area that could not be crossed. After the end of the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate became a symbol of the unification of the entire country.
The building is 26 meters high and over 65 meters wide. Its culmination is a quadriga, driven by the winged goddess of victory – Victoria. The Brandenburg Gate is located almost in the center of the city, at the exit of Unter den Linden Alley, in Paris Square.
See how to get to this attraction:
Fernsehturm
Another very characteristic tourist attraction in Berlin is the TV tower – the Fernsehturm. As already mentioned, it stands on Alexanderplatz square and it is hard to miss it. It is 368 meters high and is the tallest building in all of Germany.
It was built in the 60’s of the last century as a great transmitter of radio and television signals. Today it is rather known for its scenic route from which you can admire the panorama of the whole of Berlin. In addition, there is also a restaurant above the terrace, the biggest advantage of which is the fact that it rotates 360 degrees in 30 minutes.
Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
Potsdamer Platz is also a very popular attraction among tourists visiting Berlin. It is a really large, busy square that stands out with its modern architecture. Its name comes from the now-defunct Potsdamer Gate. Interestingly, at the time of the Berlin Wall, this square was depopulated due to the division of the city.
However, immediately after the end of the Cold War, plans were made for its redevelopment. Hence the current, modernist buildings. Today, there are glass office buildings in which well-known companies have their headquarters, as well as shopping centers and catering facilities. It is here that the Berlinale film festival takes place every year.
An interesting place on Potsdamer Platz is also the Panoramapunkt observation deck, where you can admire the entire city from the height of the 25th floor.
Now a few words about the monuments of Berlin.
Sights of Berlin
One of the greatest monuments of Berlin is certainly the Berlin Wall, and more precisely its other fragments.
Berlin Wall
It is a reminder of the times when this city was divided into parts belonging to West Germany and East Germany. Today, most of the Berlin Wall has ceased to exist, and a few fragments of it can be seen mainly in the Mitte district, more precisely on Bernauer Strasse, Niederkirchnerstrasse and Liesenstrasse.
Currently, it serves as an open-air art gallery. The East Side Gallery, created here, consists mostly of murals that cover the remaining fragments of the walls. The most famous street art here is, of course, the one showing Honecker kissing Brezhnev. The remaining murals feature works commemorating major and minor historical events as well as important social topics.
Berlin Cathedral
A great monument in the capital of Germany, in the literal sense of the word, is also the Cathedral in Berlin. Built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the temple is the largest and most important religious building in the city. It is in this cathedral constructed by Julius Carl Raschdorff that celebrations of major holidays and events are held, with the participation of important government officials.
Reichstag
The Reichstag is a historic building that you should definitely not miss on the map of Berlin. This ancient building was once the seat of the Reich Parliament in the German capital, and now houses the Bundestag. The Reichstag was almost completely destroyed during the war.
Later it was rebuilt and today its most characteristic feature is the large glass dome. This place is open to tourists, as there is an observation deck on its top. You just need to register in advance to be able to visit at least part of the German parliament.
See on the map of Berlin attractions where the Reichstag is located:
See what other interesting places Berlin has to offer.
Interesting places in Berlin
An interesting place in Berlin is the Gendarmenmarkt, a square that is often overlooked by tourists. It looks more like similar places from Paris than from the German capital. This is due to the buildings located next to it.
On the Gendarmenmarkt square there are: the French Cathedral and the German Cathedral, where you can see museum exhibitions, and the Concert Hall with the statue of Friedrich Schiller, where classical music concerts are held.
Charlie Checkpoint
Charlie Checkpoint, the former border point between East and West Berlin, is also a popular destination in the German capital. Today there is a booth with disguised guards who encourage you to take photos. Of course, for a small (more or less) fee.
There are many souvenir shops and fast food outlets around, which take advantage of the great interest in this place by tourists.
Kreuzberg is undoubtedly a very interesting place, or rather a district of Berlin. The atmosphere here is truly hipster – second-hand shops, restaurants with food from all over the world or colorful murals. Certainly not everyone will like it, but it is always worth visiting at least once.
These are not all Berlin attractions yet.
What else is worth seeing in Berlin?
In Berlin, the famous Unter den Linden Avenue is definitely worth a walk. This is one of the most important streets in the German capital, along which we can see many attractions of this city. These include the Brndenburg Gate, the National Opera, the Humboldt University and the Museum Island.
In addition, there are not only planted linden trees, which gave the name, but also embassy buildings, shops, hotels, cafes and restaurants.
A very modern building on the map of Berlin is definitely the building of the Federal Chancellor’s Office (Bundeskanzleramt). This slightly futuristic shape resembles a set from some science-fiction movie. The whole thing is huge, made mostly of glass and retains the unusual geometry in its shape.
The Topography of Terror is also a very unusual place in the German capital. This, in turn, is an outdoor museum that includes buildings that were once the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS. It was here that decisions were made regarding the mass murder of European Jews and Roma. Here, too, a plan was devised to get rid of the political opposition by means of persecution and execution. In the area of Topography of Terror, the evolution of the terror apparatus of the Third Reich is shown on the boards. A position rather for those interested in this type of story.
Berlin tourist attractions map
See on the map of Berlin attractions all the monuments and interesting places that the capital of Germany offers to tourists:
What tourist attractions, places of interest and sights are your favorites in Berlin? We are waiting for your opinions in the comments below!