Berlin

Berlin is the most populous city in Germany. The city has the third highest population density in Germany, with 4123 inhabitants per square kilometer. Nearly 4.7 million inhabitants live in the Berlin agglomeration, and about 6.2 million in the Berlin-Brandenburg capital region. The city-state consists of twelve districts. In addition to the rivers Spree, Havel and Dahme, numerous lakes and forests are located in the urban area.

The great metropolis has something to offer. In Berlin, you can find all the sights like the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, and many great bars and hip clubs with excellent backstories. In addition, Berlin is a city with great cultural diversity at every corner.

Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media, and science. The local universities and research institutions, local sports, and museums enjoy an international reputation. In addition, the metropolis holds the UNESCO title of City of Design and is one of the continent’s most visited centers.

Due to the positive development of Berlin’s economy, the tourism industry in Berlin has become an essential pillar of the regional economy. In addition to the hotel and restaurant industry, the retail sector also benefits significantly from Berlin tourists.

Best things to do in Berlin

The Reichstag building on Platz der Republik in Berlin has been the seat of the German Bundestag since 1999.

Reichstag

Since 1994, the Federal Assembly has also met here to elect the German President. The building was constructed according to plans by architect Paul Wallot between 1884 and 1894 in the neo-Renaissance style in the Tiergarten district on the left bank of the Spree River. It housed the Reichstag of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. Initially, the Federal Council of the Empire also met there. After severe damage from the Reichstag fire of 1933 and World War II, the building was restored in a modernized form in the 1960s and served for exhibitions and special events. From 1995 to 1999, the Reichstag was fundamentally redesigned by Norman Foster for its permanent use as a parliament building, which was decided in 1991. On April 19, 1999, the keys were handed over to Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse. Since then, the German Bundestag has been meeting there. A landmark in the cityscape is the walk-in glass dome above the plenary chamber, based on an idea by Gottfried Böhm.

Brandenburger Tor

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is an Early Classicist triumphal gate that stands on the western flank of the square Pariser Platz in Berlin’s Mitte district. It was built as the conclusion of the central boulevard of the Dorotheenstadt, the boulevard Unter den Linden, in the years from 1789 to 1793 on the orders of the Prussian King Frederick William II according to designs by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The sculpture of the quadriga crowning the gate is a work designed by the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow. To the west of the Brandenburg Gate are the vast green spaces of the Großer Tiergarten, which are crossed by the Straße des 17. Juni in a straight extension of the street Unter den Linden. The square area immediately west of the gate bears the name Platz des 18. März. The gate is the only surviving one of the last 18 Berlin city gates. Its formal language represents the turn from the Roman to the Greek model. It is one of the first classicist buildings in Prussia and marks the beginning of classicism as state architecture in Prussia.

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie was one of the Berlin border crossings through the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1990, connecting the Soviet sector with the American sector on Friedrichstrasse between Zimmerstrasse and Kochstrasse, and thus the East Berlin district of Mitte with the West Berlin district of Kreuzberg. The checkpoint was set up by the Western Allies in August/September 1961 as a result of the construction of the Wall, to allow members of their military personnel to continue crossing the sector border, while being registered and instructed. Checks on all other visitors to East Berlin did not take place at Checkpoint Charlie, as they did everywhere on the Western side.

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz is a square on the northeastern edge of the historic center of Berlin. The rectangular square in the district Mitte went back to the square in front of the Königs Thor and received its current name in 1805 after the Russian tsar Alexander I.. In Berlin vernacular, it is usually just called “Alex”. The square, which has been redesigned several times, as well as much of the surrounding development, suffered considerable destruction during World War II as a result of Allied air raids. In the 1960s, the East Berlin administration had the area of the square in the center of the GDR capital completely redesigned, except the Alexander and Berolina buildings. What had previously been a bustling traffic circle became a pedestrian zone covering an area of about eight hectares. In this four times larger area, the Interhotel Stadt Berlin and the HO-Centrum department store were built by 1970, which continue to exist today as Park Inn and Galeria Kaufhof.

Berliner Dom

The Berlin Cathedral at the Lustgarten Museum Island is a Protestant church in the Berlin district Mitte. Built 1894-1905 to designs by Julius Raschdorff in the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles, the architectural monument is the largest Protestant church in Germany in terms of area and one of the most important dynastic burial places in Europe. In addition to church services, the cathedral is also used for acts of state, concerts, and other events. Since the demolition of the memorial church on the north side in 1975, Berlin Cathedral has consisted of the large sermon church in the center, the smaller baptismal and wedding church on the south side, and the Hohenzollern crypt, which occupies almost the entire basement. Badly damaged in World War II, the cathedral exterior was simplified by 1984 and the interior was faithfully restored by 2002. By 2023, the Hohenzollern Crypt will be comprehensively renovated and modernized. Subsequent reconstruction of the monument church to restore the original program of the Berlin Cathedral is currently being discussed among experts.

Zoologischer Garten Berlin

The Berlin Zoological Garden is the oldest zoo in Germany and the most species-rich zoo in the world. It is located in the Tiergarten district of Berlin, while the other of the capital’s two zoological gardens, the Tierpark Berlin, is in the Friedrichsfelde district. In the Zoological Garden, more than 20,000 animals of about 1100 can be seen in a 33-hectare area. With its attached aquarium, the zoo is one of Berlin’s most visited attractions: 2.3 million people visited the Berlin Zoo or its aquarium in 2020. In addition, the zoo is the namesake of the Zoologischer Garten train station, which is located on Hardenbergplatz opposite the zoo administration building and the Löwentor.

Where can you go in the evening in Berlin?

Where are the best clubs and bars? Where do Berliners like to party the most? Get an overview of the city’s nightlife districts. In Berlin’s clubs, you can turn night into day, party until dawn, and all day long the next day. Unlike in other German cities, there is no closing time. There is always something going on in the German capital, at any time of day, every day of the year: events, highlights, entertainment and culture.

Live concerts instead of music from the turntable can be found in the jazz clubs. Let yourself be inspired by an improvised jam session. In the city’s bars, you can review the day with a delicious cocktail and get in the mood for the night. Only for adults, the doors of the casinos and some clubs open.

To inhale the Berlin feeling, a drink from the Späti or a meal with friends in typical Berlin style outside the restaurant on the sidewalk is often enough. This lightness defines Berlin and is especially evident in the evening hours. Mareike and Judith from Berlin Ick Liebe Dir will tell you exactly where. They have drifted across Berlin and show you where in the capital is still going on after nightfall.

Unlike other major German cities, Berlin has no curfew, so who’s surprised that night turns into the day here.
Affordable drink prices make going out in the evening even more attractive. In addition, Berlin is a safe city with low violent crime, so you don’t have to be afraid at night.

Entertainment is available around the clock in this vibrant metropolis. Some neighborhoods are known as typical nightlife areas, with many cafes and restaurants, bars can be found almost on every street corner and techno clubs spread all over the city. Berlin has it all: live concerts in jazz clubs, stand-up in comedy clubs, or musical and theater performances.

Here are a few tips to give you a brief overview. It will certainly not be boring in Berlin.

A trip to Prenzlauer Berg is not only worthwhile for a relaxing Sunday stroll through the neighborhood, but especially after work or on weekend evenings for a drink. From the station Eberswalder Straße you are directly at the place of action. It’s best to turn into Kastanienallee. Here you will immediately find a whole lot of bars and restaurants. The nice thing is that a lot is going on, but it is never crowded or exhausting.

Kreuzberg is often associated with the area around Kotti, Görli or Schlesi. But this also includes the Bergmannkiez. The area is less rough and has its charm: with beautiful Wilhelminian-style buildings, cobblestone streets and, of course, Bergmannstraße, where life still pulsates even after sunset. Initially, the street was called Weinbergsweg, because wine was grown in the neighborhood until the 19th century. Despite the name change, wine is still available in Bergmannstraße today, but now directly in liquid form. The wide range of cafés, bars and restaurants from different countries is another reason why people from all corners of Berlin like to come here in the evening.

A trip through Berlin is not complete until you have eaten an original Berlin currywurst. Night owls also like to make a stop for it: Curry 36 on Mehringdamm is a great place to do that, and that’s why it’s just as busy in the dark as it is during the day. In addition to tourists who check the obligatory Berlin curry sausage off their to-do list, you will also meet many Berliners in the line in front of the snack bar who, depending on the time of day, are treating themselves to an after-work snack or need refreshments for the party night. The food is served outside directly in front of the snack bar. If the line at Curry 36 is too long, you can always go to Mustafa’s famous vegetable kebab next door.

The Warschauer Straße is probably a term for every Berliner. In the evening, you can often watch the sunset over Berlin quite well from the Warschauer Brücke and listen to other street musicians. A little further on Revaler Straße is the RAW area, which has something to offer for every taste: Snack bars, a street art gallery, beer gardens, clubs, bars and even an outdoor pool. And all this in the now unmistakable Berlin ‘used look’. Not only for tourists always a popular destination in the evening.

Of course, you can also go the other way from Rosenthaler Platz and stroll through Torstraße. Suppose you walk down the approximately two-kilometer-long street from Oranienburger Tor to Schönhauser Allee. In that case, you will not only eventually arrive in Prenzlauer Berg, but you will also pass many fantastic bars, stores, small galleries and great restaurants. Especially the gastronomic offer here is huge: You can eat your way through the whole world. Japanese at DUDU, Syrian at Yarok or would you prefer Italian, Israeli or Turkish? You name it, Torstraße got it! After the meal you can still be super in one of the bars lined up here. And if you’re already on an international culinary journey, how about Danish craft beer at Mikkeller? Or you could end up at Kitty Cheng Bar, which is not only a bar but also a club. With all that’s on offer, it can take a little longer to cover two kilometers.

Rosenthaler Platz in Mitte is always busy in the evening and during the day. The square is named after the Rosenthaler Tor, part of a customs wall that once surrounded the district. The gate has since been torn down, but the name remains. And bars, Spätis, kebab stands, snack bars, restaurants, cafés, a coworking space and a gym have been added. So if you don’t want to spend a long time looking for something or travel long distances between fitness and Mexican burritos, Rosenthaler Platz is the place for you. And if you want to get a bit of Asian flair in the middle of Berlin, you should walk down Rosenthaler Straße a little bit towards the TV tower. Sushi Circle, Sixtyseven, District Mot or Fuki Sushi – all just a stone’s throw away.

Charlottenburg is probably not at the top of the list if you plan a lovely evening with your friends. However, we can still recommend the corner, because around the Savignyplatz it is not only idyllic. A lot is going on in the streets. The small park offers the perfect setting to sit together comfortably in good weather. But there is also no shortage of bars and restaurants here. The Savignyplatz exudes a unique atmosphere that you must experience.

Hackescher Markt and Oranienburgerstrasse: Already in the early 1990s, a nightlife district emerged in the area around Oranienburger Strasse. Bars, pubs, restaurants and cafés are lined next to each other. In Oranienburger Straße, everything is a bit classier, shinier and more glamorous. The clubs, bars and restaurants in the Hackesche Höfe, as well as cinemas, court theaters and artists’ studios, attract a broad audience, and on the Hackescher Markt one restaurant follows another. The neighborhood can be reached via the Oranienburger Tor subway stop or the Hackescher Hof S-Bahn stop.

Before the reunification, one of the most popular nightlife districts of West Berlin, City West lost its appeal in between but has now regained its place among the most popular nightlife districts. Scene bars alternate with Berlin cult pubs here. Students sit with artists and visitors often all night. Here you can experience an exciting and varied pub crawl. The “Dicke Wirtin” and Savignyplatz is a cult pub with an authentic Berlin tradition.

Kurfürstendamm is a main shopping street in Berlin’s Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district, running from Rathenauplatz in the Grunewald district to Breitscheidplatz with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the Charlottenburg district, where it merges with Tauentzienstraße. Kurfürstendamm is characterized by trade and gastronomy and is considered one of the tourist attractions in Berlin’s City West.

What is unique about Berlin Cathedral?

The Berlin Cathedral is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful churches in the city and impresses with beautiful decorations on the outside and inside. Special attention is paid to the baptismal and wedding church, the imperial staircase, the Hohenzollern crypt, the cathedral museum and the impressive dome.

Is the Berlin Cathedral Protestant or Catholic?

The Berlin Cathedral (officially: Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin) at the Lustgarten on Museum Island is a Protestant church in the Mitte district of Berlin.

Which cathedral is there in Berlin?

A cathedral on the Spree Island in Mitte has existed in Berlin for almost 500 years. The first cathedral, a less flashy construction made of brick, was built in 1536. It was followed by the second cathedral around 1747. Frederick II had the place of worship built in the Baroque style.11/29/2021.

How much does it cost to enter the Berlin Cathedral?

Admission fees Berlin Cathedral 2022: It is one of the few churches in Germany that charges admission. Adults pay 7 euros, reduced admission costs are 5 euros. However, the entrance for children under 18 years is free. Jan 18, 2019.

What’s a must-eat in Berlin?

Classics of Berlin cuisine: from currywurst to Hoppelpoppel.

Currywurst (without intestines) Konnopke’s snack bar on Schönhauser Allee is famous – and the currywurst is also really recommendable.

• Eisbein
• Schrippen, Schusterjungen und Splitterbrötchen
• Berliner Weisse
• Berliner Luft.
• Döner
• Mampe Halb & Halb
• Pfannkuchen