n Double-tap image to read the labels
This guide divides Berlin into nine colour-coded sightseeing areas, as shown on the map below. Find out more about each area, including areas beyond the centre, on the following pages.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
Discover Berlin
Berlin’s most stately street still fulfils its role as a connecting artery between Museumsinsel and Tiergarten park. Lined with some of the city’s most impressive baroque and Neo-Classical buildings, this is the boulevard you’ll want to stroll down for a first impression of Berlin: both its Prussian past and its cosmopolitan present.
Best for Culture, architecture, history
Home to Zeughaus (DHM), Brandenburger Tor, Bebelplatz
Experience Prussian-era architecture and iconic landmarks, plus coffee and cake in Café Einstein
Discover Berlin
t Schiller’s Monument and the Deutscher Dom
Discover Berlin
At the heart of Berlin’s central Mitte district is a long island nestled in the tributaries of the winding river Spree. The UNESCO-listed museum complex on this island is one of Berlin’s unique landmarks and a must-see for anyone interested in art and history. And when you’re done exploring the museums, the rest of the city is only a short walk away.
Best for Culture, architecture, history
Home to Berliner Dom, Pergamonmuseum, Neues Museum, Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum
Experience Antiquities from the Middle East and European artworks from the Middle Ages to the 18th century
Discover Berlin
t Fountain at the entrance of the Alte Nationalgalerie
Discover Berlin
Berlin’s most famous square is synonymous with one of the city’s most iconic landmarks: the looming GDR-era Fernsehturm. The whole area is characterized by the somewhat dreary – and heritage-protected – Communist buildings that surround it, but it’s still the beating heart of Berlin, a place where locals rush by on their morning commute or meet up with friends at the weekend.
Best for Shopping, architecture
Home to Fernsehturm, Marienkirche
Experience Shopping at the the Alexa Mall then heading to the Fernsehturm to check out the stunning views from the 203-m- (666-ft-) high observation deck
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t Berlin-Alexanderplatz station and the Fernsehturm
Discover Berlin
North of Torstrasse, Mitte begins to morph into the quieter, more residential district of Prenzlauer Berg. Characterized by its leafy, cobbled streets and refurbished Altbaus (19th-century tenements), it’s one of the most gentrified and laid-back parts of the city. Relatively low on major sights, it offers instead a stream of pleasant cafés and restaurants, independent boutiques and cosy bars. That said, the Berlin Wall Memorial along Bernauer Strasse is a must for all history fans and there are some interesting and unique museums scattered throughout the area.
Best for Strolling, cafés, bars
Home to Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, Hamburger Bahnhof, Neue Synagoge, Centrum Judaicum, Haus Schwarzenberg Museums, Museum für Naturkunde
Experience The view from the area around the Wasserturm, part of a slightly elevated landscaped park that locals use for picnics and hanging out in the summer
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t Tomb in Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof
Discover Berlin
Once home to political anarchists, Friedrichshain has largely lost its radical left-wing image in favour of a more cosmopolitan air – especially around the central Boxhagener Platz, which is studded with buzzing cafés and restaurants, edgy bars and indie boutiques. The district is also popular for nightlife, and its Volkspark is one of the city’s most popular recreational spots.
Best for Restaurants, bars, nightlife
Home to East Side Gallery, Karl-Marx-Allee, Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berghain, RAW Gelände
Experience Urban art and nightlife in the RAW Gelände complex
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t Colourful memorials on the Berlin Wall
Discover Berlin
At the heart of the city, Berlin’s central park bursts to life with gardens, meadows and lakes threaded together with pleasant pathways. The wide boulevard Strasse des 17 Juni divides the park through the centre. Its southern fringe borders the bustling areas of Potsdamer Platz and the Kulturforum, while the northern edge runs parallel to important sights like the Reichstag and Regierungsviertel.
Best for Strolling, museums, culture
Home to Kunstgewerbemuseum, Gemäldegalerie, Potsdamer Platz, Reichstag, Siegessaüle, Kulturforum, Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Experience Rowing around the Neuer See in Tiergarten then a drink at one of its excellent beer gardens
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t The Reichstag illuminated at night
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One of Berlin’s most dynamic districts, Kreuzberg can be divided into several unofficial “zones”. The northern section can be considered part of the tourist centre, with several significant sights and museums. The eastern section, sometimes referred to as SO36, is decidedly alternative, with a buzzy nightlife and a large concentration of Turkish and Middle Eastern immigrants. In contrast, Western Kreuzberg is more gentrified, characterised by pleasant cafés, tree-lined avenues and the historical Viktoriapark.
Best for bars, clubs, cafés
Home to Jüdisches Museum Berlin, Viktoriapark, Berlinische Galerie, Checkpoint Charlie, Deutsches Technikmuseum
Experience the lively bars of East Kreuzberg
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t Café patrons enjoying a summer evening in Kreuzberg
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Kurfürstendamm – usually abbreviated to the more manageable “Ku’damm” – is a 3.5-km- (2.2-mile-) long boulevard beginning at bustling Breitscheidplatz, close to the historical Zoological Garden and the distinctive Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It’s lined on both sides with a non-stop mix of upscale fashion boutiques and high-street stores, and punctuated throughout with cafés, hotels, restaurants and cultural venues. Its side streets are also well worth exploring.
Best for Shops, cafés, restaurants
Home to Zoo Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Kirche, KaDeWe, Bikinihaus Mall
Experience Endless shopping opportunities, a vast array of dining options and plenty of culture – all along one famous boulevard
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t KaDeWe seen from Bahnhof Wittenbergplatz station
Discover Berlin
One of Berlin’s premier royal sights, the Schloss Charlottenburg palace complex is almost a small village in itself. Its ensemble of extravagant Baroque buildings include former royal apartments, rooms brimming with antique porcelain and prestigious artworks and a mausoleum containing graves of the Hohenzollern family. The landscaped gardens are especially lovely in summer, and there are several other noteworthy museums and attractive buildings in the area.
Best for Strolling, sightseeing
Home to Schloss Charlottenburg, Museum Scharf-Gerstenberg, Museum Berggruen, Bröhan-Museum, Luisenkirche
Experience A sunset walk around the manicured palace gardens
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t Bridge overlooking Schloss Charlottenburg