Things to do in Berlin
Get your bearings from Norman Foster's glass cupola atop the Reichstag or the Siegessäule column overlooking Tiergarten's patchwork of greenery. A classic saunter through Mitte takes in tree-fringed Unter den Linden boulevard, the triumphal Brandenburg Gate and Unesco World Heritage galleries on Museum Island. Edging east brings you to Libeskind's zinc-clad Jewish Museum in Kreuzberg and an arty stretch of the Berlin Wall at Friedrichshain's East Side Gallery. Most museums open daily 10am-6pm (until 10pm Thursday).
Museums and Galleries
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1. Hamburger Bahnhof - Museums and Galleries
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Housed in an old railway station, Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin Tiergarten harbours a peerless contemporary art collection. The echoing halls display works from modern masters like Lichtenstein, Hirst and Beuys. An undisputed highlight is Warhol's grinning Chairman Mao.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€12; concessions €6; under-16s free
Opening hours
Tue-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 11am-8pm; Sun 11am-6pm
Address
50-51, Invalidenstrasse, Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin 10557
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 3978 3411
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2. Jewish Museum Berlin - Museums and Galleries
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Daniel Libeskind's zinc-clad edifice in Kreuzberg houses the Jewish Museum, evoking a broken Star of David. Tunnels lead to the bare concrete Holocaust Tower, Menashe Kadishman's Shalechet void filled with 10,000 iron faces, and a heart-rending exhibition mapping German-Jewish history.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€5; concessions €2.50; under-6s free
Opening hours
Mon 10am-10pm; Tue-Sun 10am-8pm (last entry 1 hour before closing)
Address
9-14, Lindenstrasse, Berlin 10969
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 2599 3300
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3. Pergamon Museum - Museums and Galleries
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The Pergamon Museum is the star attraction of Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors are transported to Ancient Greece via the marble steps of the Pergamon Altar, then to Babylon, and the mosaic Ishtar Gate emblazoned with mythical unicorns.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€10; concessions €5; under-16s free; Thu 6pm-10pm free
Opening hours
Daily 10am-6pm; Thu until 10pm
Address
5, Am Kupfergraben, Berlin 10117
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 2090 5577
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4. Natural History Museum - Museums and Galleries
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Berlin's Natural History Museum in the Mitte district showcases 30 million zoological, paleontological and mineralogical specimens, and is the biggest of its kind in Germany. The highlight of the collection is the world's largest assembled dinosaur skeleton, a Brachiosaurus brancai.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€6; concessions €3.50
Opening hours
Tue-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Sat & Sun 10am-6pm
Address
43 Invalidenstrasse, Berlin 10115
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 2093 8591
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5. DDR Museum - Museums and Galleries
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The DDR Museum in Berlin Mitte is an eye-opening look at everyday life behind the Iron Curtain. From watching TV in a Communist-era living room to revving a Trabant, this hands-on museum's exhibits present an exploration of former East Germany.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€5.50; concessions €3.50
Opening hours
Daily 10am-8pm; Sat until 10pm
Address
1, Karl-Liebknecht Strasse, Berlin 10178
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 8471 23731
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6. Berlin Picture Gallery - Museums and Galleries
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Berlin Tiergarten's Picture Gallery shelters a staggering collection of 13th- to 18th-century European art. A journey through its 72 rooms reveals masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Vermeer and Caravaggio. Be sure to admire the octagonal gallery graced with 16 Rembrandt originals.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€8; concessions €4; under-16s free; Thu 6pm-10pm free
Opening hours
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm (until 10pm Thu)
Address
Matthäikirchplatz, Berlin 10785
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 266 2951
Attractions
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7. Fernsehturm - Attractions
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With its giant silver sphere and needle-thin tower, the 368m-high Fernsehturm (Telecommunications Tower) in the Mitte district is Berlin's most visible landmark. Dominating Alexanderplatz, this monument of the GDR in the 60s affords sweeping views that reach up to 40km on clear days.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€10; under-16s €5.50; under-3s free
Opening hours
Mar-Oct daily 9am-12am; Nov-Feb daily 10am-12am
Address
1a, Panoramastrasse, Berlin 10178
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 24 75 75 37
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8. Checkpoint Charlie - Attractions
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Symbol of a once-divided city and former border crossing between East and West Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie now draws camera-toting tourists to its reconstructed guardhouse and soldiers' post in the Mitte district. The adjacent Mauermuseum tells real-life stories of ingenious escape attempts.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free (Museum €12.50; concessions €5.50-€9.50)
Opening hours
Daily 9am-10pm
Address
43-45, Friedrichstrasse, Berlin 10969
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 253 7250
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9. Reichstag - Attractions
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Sir Norman Foster's striking glass cupola atop the Reichstag (German Parliament) draws architecture lovers to Tiergarten. A lift races up to the crystalline dome, where a mirrored funnel creates optical illusions and a viewing platform shrinks Berlin to toytown scale.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily 8am-12am (last entrance 10pm)
Address
1, Platz der Republik, Berlin 10111
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 227 0
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10. East Side Gallery - Attractions
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A remnant of the Berlin Wall, the East Side Gallery stretches 1.3km through Friedrichshain. Artists have revamped dull concrete to create the world's largest open-air gallery, featuring 106 airbrushed murals from Trabant cars to politically charged works like Bruderkuss (Brotherly Kiss).Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daylight hours
Address
Mühlenstrasse, Berlin 10243
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 251 7159
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11. Siegessäule - Attractions
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Rising high above Tiergarten's greenery, Siegessäule commemorates victory in the Prussian-Danish war. Perched atop the column is the winged Victoria statue, nicknamed 'Golden Else' by Berliners. Scale 285 steps to the platform for far-reaching views over central Berlin.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
€2.20; concessions €1.50
Opening hours
Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 9.30am-6.30pm; Sat & Sun 9.30am-7pm, Nov-Mar Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat & Sun 10am-5.30pm
Address
1, Grosser Stern, Berlin 10557
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 391 2961
Transport
Hansaplatz U-Bahn
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12. Brandenburg Gate - Attractions
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Towering above Pariser Platz square in Berlin Mitte, neoclassical Brandenburg Gate is the most potent symbol of German reunification. Look up to glimpse Victoria, goddess of victory, charging forth on Quadriga. At dusk, light bathes its Doric columns in gold.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily all day
Address
Pariser Platz, Berlin 10117
Transport
Brandenburger Tor S-Bahn
Special things to do
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13. Tiergarten - Special things to do
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A swathe of greenery in the heart of Berlin, Tiergarten is where locals flock when the sun is out. Once a Prussian hunting ground, the city's largest park is crisscrossed with footpaths leading to tranquil lakes, mature woodland and English-style gardens.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daylight hours
Address
Berlin 10557
Transport
Tiergarten S-Bahn
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14. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - Special things to do
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Comprising 2711 dark concrete slabs, the labyrinthine Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Tiergarten is Peter Eisenman's moving tribute to victims of the Holocaust. Dark, narrow alleyways between the slabs eventually emerge at the Information Centre's permanent exhibition.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free but donations appreciated
Opening hours
Daily all day (Information Centre: Apr-Sep Tue-Sun 10am-8pm, Oct-Mar Tue-Sun 10am-7pm)
Address
1, Cora-Berliner-Strasse, Berlin 10117
Telephone
+49 (0) 30 2639 4336
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15. Unter den Linden - Special things to do
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Flanked by lime trees, Under den Linden is Berlin's classic strolling boulevard in Mitte. Linking Brandenburg Gate with Schlossbrücke bridge, the former Prussian bridle path is studded with monumental landmarks including Humboldt University, where Einstein taught.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening hours
Daily all day
Address
Berlin 10117
Transport
Brandenburger Tor S-Bahn
