image taken from Flickr
Whether you are in Berlin for a week, or just a weekend – there are stacks of fun and exciting things to do in the German capital.
The first and most important thing to do is secure yourself a place to rest your head. Check out the hotels available with Venere before you get to Berlin to avoid sleeping rough.
Germany is a country full of so much natural beauty and history, so let’s take a look at 5 of the best attractions you wouldn’t want to miss:
The first must-see spot in Berlin is the Tiergarten. You can pass by the Brandenburg Gate and Unter Den Linden, and make your way into this immense urban park. With its beautiful winding tree-lined trails, canals, and grassy meadows, the Tiergarten shows you the softer side of Berlin.
While Berlin is known for its cutting-edge fashion, art, music and its graffitied cityscapes, it is also overflowing with trees, parks, and waterways. The locals enjoy the natural beauty of their city, especially in the summer, and with a leisurely stroll through the Tiergarten, you certainly can too.
From the Tiergarten, you can double back on yourself and make a visit to the Reichstag. Here you can take an audio tour through its famed glass cupola. From the very top of the Reichstag, you get a full panoramic 365-degree view of the city. The free audio tour guides you as you wind around the spiral platform inside the cupola, noting all the historically and culturally significant sites you pass along the way. The tour and view give you an intimate sense of Berlin, both historically and geographically, and a fascinating entry point into the city.
Up next on your list is a visit to the Jewish Museum (or in the local tongue: Jüdisches Museum) at Hallesches Tor. It presents 2000 years of Jewish history and culture in Germany. The museum itself, designed by Daniel Libeskind, also tells the story of Jews in Germany, with its architectural representation of a broken Star of David and severe angular construction. The museum focuses on all aspects of Jewish life in Germany throughout history, as well as on the disturbing events of the Holocaust.
Your fourth stop should definitely be Museum Island, with a must-see visit to the Pergamon Museum. There is really nothing like the ancient art, architecture, and artifacts from Greece, Rome, Babylon, and the Middle East housed at the Pergamon. When traveling through Europe, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed and suffocated by museums – but the Pergamon is truly breathtaking and inspiring – a must see.
Fifth, see the famous Berlin Wall. No trip to Berlin would be complete without a visit to the Berlin Wall, in one of its many current incarnations. It’s recommended that you check out the East side of the Berlin Wall because travellers say it gives you a sense of what it feel like to live in a divided city. As you walk along the East Side Gallery, you get to see all the murals that have been painted on the wall. You also experience the actual size and scope of the wall and the sheer presence it must have had in the city.
Whilst you’re taking a breather between attractions, make sure to grab yourself a traditional German beer in a traditional Berlin Biergarten. For the ladies, shop at the cute boutiques in Mitte and Charlottenburg, take a boat ride on the Spree, dance at an all night club in Kreuzberg, and just enjoy the beauty, art and culture Berlin has to offer.
Happy travels!