5 winter tips for Berlin
We recommend: Christmas Markets, Events, & Culture
Yes, winter in Berlin can often be grey and cold. But it's also the time of the year when so much is going on. So here are our top Berlin tips for when temperatures go south. We find that Berlin is worthwhile year-round, and perhaps even more so in winter. Our tips for the best time of the year!
1) Berlin Christmas Markets
Berlin is home to almost countless Christmas markets, ranging from the romantic to urban and even Scandinavian.
You just have to decide what you're in the mood for. Our favourites include:
- Berlins Christmas Market at the historic Spandau citadel
- Berlins most beautiful christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt
- Magical lights: Christmas Garden at the botanical garden
- Scandinavian food and Nordic traditions at the Lucia Christmas market at the Kulturbrauerei
- Enjoy a winter walk in the woods Christmas market at Jagdschloss Grunewald
Do you want even more choices. Visit our overview:
All Christmas Markets in Berlin
2) Shopping in Berlin
It's hunting season in Berlin. Hunting for presents, that is. The city is full of shopping centres, markets, and individual design shops and boutiques.
- Berlin's shopping district and shopping streets with individual shops
- Shopping centres with a large selection
- Traditional German Christmas decorations, items from the Erzgebirge in central Germany, and hand-painted products from their own design studios at Käthe Wohlfahrt on Kurfürstendamm
- Fashion, jewellery, accessories, and more at Holy Shit Shopping (online only in 2021)
- Merry Markthalle: culinary delicacies
Don't forget: Berlin's shops are open for business on 5 and 19 December 2021
3) Christmas events in Berlin
When it's cold outside, there's still so much going on inside. In Berlin, this means enjoying the massive cultural offerings, whether it's opera, a Broadway or Vegas-style show, concert, or something else. Top events for Winter 2021/22 include:
- Deutsche Oper: The Nutcracker
- Tips for children: Disneys Beauty and the beast
- A spiritual experience with Gospel music concerts in Berlin's Schöneberg district or Irish Christmas with the Kelly Family
- Festive sounds at the Organ Year
- The prettiest Christmas and winter shows, including PALAZZO, Stars in Concert Christmas-Special or ARISE at Friedrichstadt-Palast
Find more events for the christmas season in our Events Calendar.
To the Berliner Events Calendar
4) Exhibition Highlights in Berlin
Berlin's museums are also gearing up for winter. Next to the Humboldt Forum and the Neue Nationalgalerie you can expect many more Highlights in Berlin this christmas season. We recommend these exciting exhibitions:
- Ethnological museum and museum for asian culture
- ANOHA: The children's world of the Jewish Museum
- Bröhan total
- Dinosaur World in Museum of Natural History
- documenta politics & art at the Deutschen Historischen Museum (German Museum for History)
5) Cosy restaurants for Christmas dining
Spoil yourself and your family at Christmas time. Go out for a cosy meal together. There are many restaurants in Berlin that prepare special Christmas and holiay menus for you - from vegan festive dishes to fondue and roast goose. Here are our tips:
- Over 200 years of tradition: Lutter & Wegner
- Delicious roast goose: 11 tips
- Great scenery: Restaurant Volt
- For cosy hours by the fireside: 11 tips from our blog
- Tip for a trip to the winter forest: Châlet Suisse
You want even more choices:
All restaurants for the holiday season
Christmas & Holiday season in Berlin