Berlin

Understand

The city of Berlin is co-extensive with the Land of Berlin, one of the 16 federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. It has a population of 3.8 million (2019) (and a million more in suburbs like Potsdam across the state line in Brandenburg). Berlin is and has been far less dominant as the capital of Germany than London, Paris or Madrid are in their respective countries, because of the federal nature of Germany and because the havoc war and partition wreaked on the city. In many ways, West Berlin was in some ways forgotten by West Germany, given that it was located as an enclave inside of the DDR, and would be immediately lost if hostilities were to break out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Due to the collapse of the DDR, the main power centres of Germany remained the main power centers of West Germany, with money and power centred on the industrial and financial centres in West Germany. Following reunification, Berlin’s importance has grown steadily, leading to an intensified struggle for political control in the capital during the twenty-first century. Merely a backwater town in the early 18th century, Berlin grew to be one of the most important and biggest cities in the world by the 1920s. The heart of old Prussia and a focal point of the Cold War, it lost much of its importance and historic architecture as a result of World War II and German partition. Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media and science. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector, a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, and media corporations. Significant sectors also include IT, biotechnology, construction and electronics. With the world's oldest large-scale movie studio complex in nearby Babelsberg, Berlin is an increasingly popular location for international film productions.

History

The beginnings The area was most likely first settled by Slavs before German-speaking immigrants arrived in the 11th and 12th centuries. The earliest evidence of settlements in the area of what is now Berlin are a wooden rod dating from approximately 1192 and remains of wooden houses dated to 1174 which were found in a 2012 excavation in Berlin Mitte. The first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197 and Köpenick in 1209, although these areas did not become part of Berlin until 1920 (see below).

The nucleus of Berlin was two towns: Berlin (now known as the Nikolaiviertel close to Alexanderplatz), which began as a Slavic town, and Cölln,

Getting there

By plane

1 Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER IATA). opened in October 2020 on the grounds of the former Schönefeld Airport. While not a traditional hub for a single major flag carrier, it serves as a base for Eurowings, EasyJet, and Ryanair. The airport offers a comprehensive network of European and Mediterranean destinations. Its long-haul portfolio has expanded significantly, now featuring frequent direct flights to North America and strong connections to the Middle East and Asia via carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Hainan Airlines. (updated May 2026) You may also want to consider flying in to the large German airports of Hamburg (HAM IATA), Frankfurt (FRA IATA) or Hanover (HAJ IATA). From there you can take a train or intercity bus to Berlin. The nearby airports of Leipzig (LEJ IATA), Dresden (DRS IATA) and Szczecin (SZZ IATA) have fewer scheduled flights but you may just find a low-cost Europe flight from there.

Getting from the airport to central Berlin

By train The train station is in the basement of Terminal 1; Terminal 2 is a short walk away. It is in fare zone C, so make sure you have an ABC ticket (€5.00 in 2026). An AB ticket is not valid, and you risk a €60 fine. Purchasing your ticket on board is not an option, but there are ample ticket machines throughout the airport. If there's a queue, look for another. There are 6 platforms, 2 for the S-Bahn and 4 for regional trains. To quickly get to the city centre, take any of the regional trains FEX or RE20. (The lines RB24 and RB32 serve Ostkreuz but avoid the centre). At peak periods, trains depart about every 15 minutes, the journey will take about 23 minutes. The S9 and S85 are slower options, but useful in case of disruption. There are also periodic IC trains on the Dresden - Berlin - Rostock route.

By bus Local buses don't directly serve the city centre. Rather, the line X7 connects the airport with the station U7 Rudow. Unless your destination is in the far south of the city (or there's a DB strike), you're not likely to use this. Flixbus offers long-distance bus service to Dresden and Szczecin.

By car Should you wish to drive from the airport, use A113 and follow signposting. Berlin's traffic is becoming a major issue, so think twice before using your car. A taxi should cost €60-70, there is a well-served taxi stand.

By train

Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Germany The central station 2 Berlin Hauptbahnhof together with 3 Südkreuz (Southern Cross, formerly Papestraße) and 4 Ostbahnhof (Eastern Station) — plus minor 5 Gesundbrunnen

Getting around

Pedestrians should be careful not to walk in the designated bike lanes.

By public transport As Berlin is a major metropolis with pretty decent public transit, you should take buses, trains and trams whenever possible as those cover most of the city and are often the fastest way to get to places. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) list all their fares on their website. Consult their Berlin route planner (in English) to get excellent maps and schedules for the U-Bahn, buses, S-Bahn local trains (RB and RE) and trams, or to print your personal journey planner. The route planner can also calculate the fastest door-to-door route for your destination for any given day and hour. However, the route planner assumes a rather slow walking speed. It might suggest taking a bus or tram for a single stop where healthy adults would be faster walking. The planner will let you pick between three walking speeds, but even the fastest walking speed is not terribly fast if you have no luggage. While BVG doesn't run S-Bahn or local trains, they are covered by the website and can be used with the same tickets.

BVG's customer service, ☏ +49 30 19449. If you don't know how to get somewhere, or how to get home at night, BVG's customer service number. Most U-Bahn and some S-Bahn stations have call points from which you can contact customer service directly. Some BVG buses and tram lines run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tickets

The public transport system in Berlin (U-, S-Bahn, bus, tram, regional rail) uses a common ticket system based on zones (zone A, B and C). You are unlikely to go beyond zone A and B, except on trips to Potsdam or to the airport (BER). The border between zones A and B is the S-Bahn Ring (see below). Zone C includes trips to and within Potsdam. The following tickets can be used for single journeys:

Single Ticket. The standard single journey ticket. It is valid for any travel within two hours of validation, in a single direction, within the appropriate fare zones. There is no limit to transfers, but return journeys are not allowed. Price: Berlin AB €4.00 (reduced €2.50); Berlin ABC €5.00 (reduced €3.50). (updated Apr 2026) 4-trip ticket ((4 Fahrten Karte)). This gives you four single trip tickets at a cheaper cost. Price: Berlin AB €12.40 (reduced €7.40); ABC €16.80 (reduced €11:60) (updated Apr 2026) Short trip (Kurzstrecke). For a single journey you can buy a cheap Kurzstrecke for €2.80 (reduced €2.10), but this is only valid for 3 stops on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn (transfers permitted) or 6 stops on buses or trams (no transfers). The stations

See

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles Berlin has numerous attractions dating from its turbulent history and in part owing to the fact that it was a "double capital" for 40 years. While the upkeep of some is an ongoing headache for the treasurer, they are a delight to visitors and many locals alike. Much of the city was destroyed in World War II, so Berlin is a rather modern city and does not have as much historic architecture as most other European capitals. What it instead has is some of the finest examples of contemporary architecture from the second half of the 20th century onwards.

Museums

Berlin has a vast array of museums. By far most of them are covered in the Mitte district guide, which, among others, covers the 1 Museumsinsel (an island on the Spree covered with historic museums) and the 2 Kulturforum (a collection of contemporary cultural institutions). You will also find a good deal of museums in the old heart of West Berlin and Steglitz-Zehlendorf area of the city, but there are larger or smaller museums in almost every district. There are museums covering everything, from art through Berlin's and Germany's history to various branches of technology and science. Most museums charge admission for people 18 years of age or older - usually €6 to €14. Discounts (usually 50%) are available for students and disabled people with identification. Children and young people can often come in free, but do check the age restrictions in particular museums. A nice offer for museum addicts is the three-day Museums Pass for €29 (concessions: €14.50) (January 2023), which grants entrance to all the regular exhibitions of the approximately 30 state-run museums and public foundations. Most museums are closed on Mondays - notable exceptions include the Neues Museum and the Deutsches Historisches Museum, which are open daily. Museumsportal Berlin, a collective web initiative, offers easy access to information on all museums, memorials, castles and collections and on current and upcoming exhibitions. Some museums offer free or steeply discounted entry once a week, once a month or during certain hours of the day. This website has daily updates on free offers in Berlin.

Remains of the Berlin Wall

While the Berlin Wall has long been dismantled and much of the grounds it occupied completely redeveloped, you can still find parts of the wall preserved around Berlin, large and small. This does not refer to very small pieces of the Wall sold by the East German government immediately after its dismantling, which can be found in various cafes

Do

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles Pick up a copy of Exberliner, the English-language paper targeting expats and guests of Berlin to find out what's on, when and where. It provides good quality journalism and up-to-date listings. If you understand German, the activity planners for the city, zitty and tip, are available at every kiosk. LGBT+/Queer themed magazine and guide Siegessäule is also one of the most prominent of its kind internationally. Be prepared to choose among a huge number of options.

Explore

Go on a tour of Berlin. The Mitte and surrounding districts are sufficiently compact to allow a number of excellent walking tours through its history-filled streets. You'll see amazing things you would otherwise miss. Details are usually available from the reception desks of hostels and hotels.

1 Berlin Tour by public bus line 100 and 200. The 100 and 200 bus lines are just ordinary bus lines, but they pass by many of Berlin's famous landmarks. Both run every 5–10 minutes between S+U-station Zoologischer Garten and S+U-station Alexanderplatz. All BVG tickets are accepted. €4.00 single or €11.20 day ticket. (updated Apr 2026) Original Berlin Walks. English speaking public tour operator since 1993. They offer daily half-day walking tours of the centre as well as tours focusing on WW2, the Berlin Wall, Potsdam and others. €20 per adult. Stern und Kreisschiffahrt. By far the biggest boat company in Berlin. They offer tours on most lakes. Berlin Bootsverleih. Offers the largest variety of rental boats that you can drive yourself. Houseboats and large party boats can also be rented here. Segway Tour Berlin. 1-3 hours. Offers different Segway Sightseeing Tours in Berlin. Start near Brandenburger Tor, for small groups up to 10 people. €45-€85. (updated Apr 2026) Ticket B. Showing the city of Berlin on hand-picked architectural routes. Led by architects in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish. Tours from the water, on land or in a helicopter are offered. They arrange your special tour on contemporary architecture in Berlin with many exclusive visits to the interiors of buildings. Private Tours of Berlin. Offers private, customised tours through Berlin, led by local historians. Yachtcharter Werder. Offers the possibility of a long-term stay on the waterways of Berlin and the surrounding federal state Brandenburg.

Outdoor recreation Berlin has many great parks which are very popular in the summer. Green Berlin operates some of them. Berlin's largest park is Großer Tiergarten (in Berlin/Mitte). In the summer and on

Buy

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles

Shopping areas The main shopping areas are:

Ku'Damm and its extension Tauentzienstraße in Berlin/City West remain the main shopping streets even now that the Wall has come down. KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) at Wittenbergplatz is a must visit just for the vast food department on the 6th floor. It's reputedly the biggest department store in Continental Europe and still has an old world charm, with very helpful and friendly staff. Schloßstraße in Steglitz (Berlin/Steglitz-Zehlendorf) with the shopping centre Schloss-Straßen-Center, Forum Steglitz, Karstadt, Boulevard Berlin, Naturkaufhaus and Das Schloss, between the subway stations U9 Walther-Schreiber-Platz and U9+S1 Rathaus Steglitz. Friedrichstraße in Berlin/Mitte is the upmarket shopping street in former East Berlin with Galeries Lafayette and the other Quartiers (204 to 207) as main areas to be impressed with wealthy shoppers. Alexanderplatz in Berlin/Mitte. The renovated Galeria Kaufhof department store is worth a visit. For alternative souvenirs go to ausberlin. The main shopping area for the alternative, but still wealthy crowd is north of Hackescher Markt in Berlin/Mitte, especially around the Hackesche Höfe. For some more affordable but still very fashionable shopping there is Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin/East Central with a lot of young designers opening shops, but also lots of record stores and design shops. Constant change makes it hard to recommend a place, but the area around station Eberswalder Straße in Prenzlauer Berg, around Bergmannstraße and Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg and around Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain are always great when it comes to shopping. For souvenirs, have a look just in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Berlin/City West); these shops sell almost the same items as others, but are cheaper. However, not all members of staff speak English. You can also get cheap postcards there (from €0.30 while the average price for normal postcard is €0.50-0.80).

Markets There are four market halls selling fresh produce and ready-to-eat food. Marheinecke Markthalle and Markthalle Neun are both in Kreuzberg (Berlin/East Central), Arminiusmarkthalle is in Moabit (Berlin/City West), and Markthalle Tegel is in Tegel (Berlin/Reinickendorf and Spandau). You can find dozens of flea markets with different themes in Berlin (mostly on weekends), but worth checking out is the big one at Straße des 17. Juni (between Ernst-Reuter-Haus and S-Bahn: Tiergarten). Two other flea markets are at

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles

Lovers of street food rejoice! Berlin has an incredibly wide variety of different styles and tastes at very affordable prices (for European wallets, that is). You can find superb food in small stalls tucked away under the tracks of elevated U-Bahn stretches for well under €5.

A staple in Berlin is currywurst for around €3 (April 2022). It's a bratwurst covered in ketchup and curry powder. You can find them all over Berlin by street vendors. It's a must try when in Berlin. Two renowned currywurst stands are "Konnopke's Imbiss" below Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn station on line 2 and "Curry 36" opposite the Mehringdamm U-Bahn station in Kreuzberg (only two stops south of Checkpoint Charlie). Both of these offer far friendlier service than many of Berlin's more upmarket eateries. Another famous thing to eat in Berlin is döner for around €6 (April 2023), a flat bread filled with lamb or chicken meat and vegetables, available at many Turkish stands. Berlin may seem like carnivore heaven, but vegetarians and vegans can eat quite well. Berliners are generally environmentally conscious, and that extends to their food; most of the inner neighbourhoods have a handful of good healthy vegetarian or vegan restaurants using local ingredients, though they tend to be more expensive than the ubiquitous kebab and sausage stands. If you're a vegetarian on a limited budget, many kebab restaurants have a good selection of roasted vegetables and salads, and you can usually get falafels (fried chickpea balls, suitable for vegans) and halloumi (a type of dense cheese) in place of meat. Eating out in Berlin is incredibly inexpensive compared to any other Western European capital or other German cities. The city is multicultural and many cultures' cuisines are represented here somewhere, although they are often modified to suit German tastes. All prices must include VAT by law. Only upmarket restaurants may ask for a further service surcharge. It is best to ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down—it's not that common to accept credit cards and cash is preferred. Most likely to be accepted are Visa and MasterCard; all other cards will only be accepted in some upmarket restaurants. European debit cards are not always accepted because due to debit card fraud, some processing companies stopped intra-European cards from specific countries. This does not apply to debit cards that are from German banks. Better have cash or ask the restaurant staff.

Orientation

One of the main tourist areas for eating out is

Drink & nightlife

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles A word of warning: Berlin's famous laissez-faire attitude is perhaps most evident in its approach to indoor smoking. Although smoking is prohibited in all but the smallest bars, you should assume that everywhere you go out, if no food is being served, will be quite smoky. This is also the case at clubs and large concert venues. If you have any medical issues, then you should be prepared, and either change your plans or bring a well-fitting mask. If not sure, call the venue and ask.

Clubs The club scene in Berlin is one of the biggest and most progressive in Europe. Even though there are some 200 clubs in the city, it's sometimes difficult to find the right club for you since the best ones are a bit off the beaten track and most bouncers will keep bigger tourist groups out. If you want to go clubbing, you will almost always have to pay an entrance fee. While admission to clubs was considered cheap for many years after the fall of the Berlin Wall compared to other German and European cities, the cover charge is €20 and more in the 2020s (usually no drink included). The main clubbing districts are in the east: Mitte (around Alexanderplatz and Köpenicker Straße), Friedrichshain (the "techno strip" along the Spree river), and Kreuzberg (around Schlesisches Tor). In once legendary Prenzlauer Berg almost all clubs have disappeared due to gentrification since the 2000s, while it still has many trendy bars and cafés. A few mainstream clubs are also located in Charlottenburg and at Potsdamer Platz. Techno is still the biggest sound in Berlin, with lots of progressive DJs and live acts around. But there are also many clubs playing '60s beat, alternative rock and of course mainstream music. Clubbing days are Thursday, Friday and especially Saturday, but some clubs are open every day of the week. On weekends partying in Berlin starts between 22:00 and midnight and peaks around 02:00 or 03:00 in many clubs. Berlin is known for its long parties, some going on until Sunday evening, a few also until Monday evening. In regard to electronic music, you can check Resident Advisor for the best parties before you go out.

Bars Berliners -especially young Berliners- love cocktails. People like to meet their friends at a cocktail bar before going clubbing. Prenzlauer Berg (Around U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Str., Helmholtzplatz, Oderberger Straße and Kastanienallee), Kreuzberg (Bergmannstraße, Oranienstraße and the area around Görlitzer Park and U-Bahnhof Schlesisches Tor), Schöneberg (Goltzstraße, Nollendorfplatz, Mo

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Berlin's district articles Berlin is still witnessing a construction boom of hotels and offices since the end of the Cold War. The boom leads to a significant oversupply of hotels which results in comparatively cheap prices even in the 5 star category (off-season prices of €110 per night are not unusual). Especially for a short visit, it may be best to stay at a place in Berlin-Mitte (around Friedrichstraße), as most of the main sights are located there. Due to its history most hotels in Berlin are still located in the City West (i.e. Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf), especially close to Zoo station. Alexanderplatz and Anhalter Bahnhof have clusters of 2-3 star budget hotels (i.e. Ibis, Motel One). You'll find only budget hotels (Motel One and Meininger) located directly at the new main train station but some large constructions are in progress. The (oddly named) budget hotel chain 'Motel-One' operates various 2-star hotels in the city centre. There are also many 3-4 star 'NH Hotels' offering good value. All major hotel chains are present in Berlin. A good idea to check that the hotel is close to public transport (U-Bahn or S-Bahn) to avoid too long walks. Cheapest are youth hostels (called Jugendherbergen, only for members) and hostels (similar to youth hostels, but for everyone, mostly backpackers stay here, usually in one to 32-bed rooms). You will also find bed and breakfast offers (often private) and boarding houses (Pension, more familiar and smaller than hotels). The majority of private flats on platforms like AirBnB are offered illegally in Berlin and contribute to the ongoing housing crisis. Try to choose your accommodation responsibly! Check the district pages for individual accommodation listings. Popular hotel districts include:

Mitte - mostly high-end hotels in the main tourist areas and some cheap hotels and hostels on the outskirts Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf - the largest number of mid-range and upscale hotels can be found here, mostly grouped around the Zoologischer Garten railway station and the Ku'damm Prenzlauer Berg - here you will find many independent small hotels, hostels and guesthouses in the relaxed atmosphere of this district Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - the centre of alternative life in Berlin offers many suitably-themed accommodation opportunities, mostly hostels and guesthouses You may find accommodation at reasonable prices in almost any district of Berlin, but be mindful of the time it may take to get from that place to where you want to visit, as Berlin is a very large city.

Go next

Some people from Berlin would ask you why you would ever want to leave, but there are a couple of nice places in close proximity—some even within reach of the Berlin S-Bahn. Outside a thin ring of suburbs (compared to most other European metropolises), Brandenburg is mostly rural so a surprisingly short drive will get you right into picturesque nature. Berliners call this area "JWD" (pronounced yott vay day), short for "janz weit draußen", that is "in the back of beyond". Brandenburg and Berlin cooperate in many facets of regional planning and the boundary between the two is not always easy to make out. Part of that cooperation is a plan to (in theory) focus development along a "star-shaped" net of rail lines heading towards Berlin. The motorway Raststätte Grunewald at the S-Bahn station Nikolassee is a good spot for hitching if you're heading south or west.

Potsdam (35 km) — the capital of the surrounding federal state of Brandenburg, not far southwest of Berlin, and makes a perfect day trip. Especially the park of Sanssouci, a world heritage site with its great famous palaces, is worth a visit. You can get there with the S-Bahn S7 or Regional-Express RE1 to the station Potsdam Hauptbahnhof or Park Sanssouci (fare zone C). It takes about half an hour from Berlin Hauptbahnhof or Friedrichstraße. Oranienburg (35 km) — a quiet suburb housing the remains of KZ Sachsenhausen, one of the few preserved Nazi concentration camps on German soil. There's also a small palace in the centre of Oranienburg. Half an hour by RE train and reachable by the S1. Spreewald (c. 85 km) — a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve. It includes low-lying areas in which the river Spree meanders in thousands of small waterways through meadows and forests. It is a beautiful, unique landscape about one hour south of Berlin and well worth a day trip or a weekend trip to relax from the buzzing city life. Frankfurt an der Oder (100 km) — on the Polish border, with many international students, is within easy reach. Just over an hour by RE train (half-hourly service). Lutherstadt Wittenberg (110 km) — about 40 minutes southwest of Berlin by ICE. Schlosskirche was the church where Martin Luther nailed his theses to the church door, starting the Protestant Reformation. Across the street from there is a visitor's centre with great information. Great city to tour and one can easily explore on foot. Müritz Lake Region (Mecklenburgische Seenplatte; c. 145 km) — a national park to the north with a few hundred lakes. Perfect for camping and canoeing close to nature. 'Lusatian Lake District and Centr