Berlin · Berlin
Berlin
Germany's capital is a hub of history, art and nightlife spread across a huge, green city. It's also the country's busiest rail junction, with ICE lines fanning out in every direction from its multi-level main station.
Highlights
Brandenburg Gate
The 18th-century landmark and symbol of German reunification, at the head of Pariser Platz.
Museum Island
A UNESCO World Heritage cluster of five museums on the Spree, including the Pergamon and Neues Museum.
Reichstag Building
The German parliament, topped by Norman Foster's glass dome with views across the city.
East Side Gallery
A long surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, painted by artists after 1989.
Checkpoint Charlie
The best-known Cold War border crossing between former East and West Berlin.
Getting there by train
Main station: Berlin Hauptbahnhof
| From | Journey time | Typical trains |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburg | about 1.75 h | ICE |
| Munich | about 4 h | ICE |
| Leipzig | about 1.25 h | ICE |
| Dresden | about 2 h | ICE / EC |
Source: DB timetable data (typical journey times). Checked on 1 June 2024.
Local transport
Berlin's U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses form one of Europe's densest urban networks. The Deutschlandticket covers local buses, trams, U-Bahn and S-Bahn in and around the city, though not long-distance ICE/IC trains.
Day trips
- Potsdam (about 25 min) — Prussian palaces and gardens including Sanssouci, just outside Berlin.
- Dresden (about 2 h) — Baroque old town on the Elbe, easily done as a long day trip.
Neighbourhoods
Mitte
The historic centre: Museum Island, Unter den Linden and the government quarter, all walkable from Berlin Hbf.
Kreuzberg & Neukölln
Turkish markets, canal-side bars and street art south of the river.
Prenzlauer Berg
Restored tenement streets, Sunday flea markets and quiet cafés north of Alexanderplatz.
Charlottenburg
West Berlin's older shopping streets around Kurfürstendamm, plus Charlottenburg Palace.
Food and drink
Currywurst and Döner are the city's two street-food staples; beyond them Berlin's eating is international rather than regional, with Vietnamese, Turkish and Middle Eastern kitchens across the east and south. Berliner Weisse is the local sour beer.
Practical notes
- Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a two-level station: ICE trains run east–west on the upper deck and north–south below, so allow time between platforms.
- Many long-distance trains also call at Spandau, Gesundbrunnen or Südkreuz — check which stop is closest to your accommodation before boarding.
- Museum Island tickets are cheaper as a combined day pass than one museum at a time.
Berlin bookshelf
German-language editions worth reading before or during a stop in Berlin, grouped by shelf. Each link searches Amazon for that edition so you land on the copy currently in print — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.
Romane & Literatur
- Find on Amazon →Leb wohl, BerlinChristopher Isherwood
Weimar-era Berlin fiction that became the basis for Cabaret.
- Find on Amazon →Jeder stirbt für sich alleinHans Fallada
A working-class Berlin couple's quiet resistance, written in 1946.
Geschichte
- Find on Amazon →Berlin 1945: Das EndeAntony Beevor
The end of the war in the city, useful background before visiting the memorials.
- Find on Amazon →StasilandAnna Funder
First-hand stories from behind the Berlin Wall, reported after 1989.
Reiseführer
- Find on Amazon →Lonely Planet Reiseführer BerlinLonely Planet
Current city guide with district-by-district walking coverage.