Berlin's Top 10 Attractions
Are you on a whistle-stop tour of the capital or just looking for the Berlin Top 10? Well look no further, because we've picked the top ten things to see and do in Berlin so you don't have to. The choice of the top 10 Berlin attractions was by no means easy - this city has so much to offer! But here are the top 10 attractions and places you do have to visit in Berlin.
Top pick 1: Reichstag & glass dome
When the decision was made to move the Federal Government to Berlin, it was time to reawaken the Reichstag building from its long years of slumber on the Mauerstreifen, the military zone between the two sides of the Wall. The building has since been completely modernised, and today's visitors to the Reichstag can look out from the building's glass dome to get a bird's eye view of the hustle and bustle in the city. There are also a number of government buildings in the vicinity of the Reichstag, for example the Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery) and the Brandenburg Gate.
Experience the government district and many other highlights from the water with a boat tour:
Top pick 2: Brandenburg Gate - Berlin's signature attraction
Without a doubt, the Brandenburg Gate is Berlin's signature attraction. Built in 1791, it was just one of many old city gates around the city of Berlin which, at that time, was still a manageable size. The decorative Pariser Platz was laid at the foot of the gate and is now home to many of the city's important buildings, for example, the Hotel Adlon with its wealth of history and the Akademie der Künste (Academy of the Arts).
Top pick 3: Berlin Television Tower (Fernsehturm) - Berlin's highest attraction
The Berlin Television Tower, which is known to locals as the Fernsehturm, and is instantly recognisable from the distance, stand outs of the skyline at 368m, making it the tallest building and by far highest tourist attraction in Berlin. Built in the 1960s, visitors to the tower can enjoy a unique 360° panorama of the city. Tip: Visit the TV Tower with the Berlin Welcome Card and save up to 25 per cent. The Berlin WelcomeCard enables free travelling with all public transport services to the Berlin visitors. With over 200 partners and outstanding discounts the Berlin WelcomeCard offers you a complete „carefree“ package.
Tickets for TV-Tower & Restaurant Sphere
SKULLMAPPING PROJECTED ART - Light art and 3D animation
Skeletons begin to dance, Rubens' angel slips out of his painting and a thumb-sized chef hops straight onto the visitor's plate - all works of art made of light. The Belgian artist duo SKULLMAPPING presents entertaining and fascinating projections as well as impressive video art in an innovative exhibition.
Tickets & datesTop pick 4: Humboldt Forum - always a great place to visit
Directly opposite Berlin's Museum Island, a new cosmopolitan forum for culture, art and science has opened in the heart of the capital: the Humboldt Forum. Visible from afar, it covers an area of around 30,000 square metres. The reconstructed baroque palace facades shine in bright quince yellow. State-of-the-art interactive exhibitions await you under one roof and spread over five floors. Since September 2021, the world-famous collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art are also on display here.
Also take a look around the corner from the Humboldt Forum: The Friedrichswerder Church, built by Schinkel, is now a very special museum, displaying sculptures of classicism in the high neo-Gothic church hall.
Top pick 5: Gendarmenmarkt - Berlin's most beautiful attraction
The Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most stunning squares in the city, located close to Friedrichstraße, Berlin's exclusive shopping street in the central Mitte district. Three of the most impressive examples of architecture in the capital city are to be found here: the Concert House designed by Schinkel and the German and French Cathedrals (the Deutscher Dom and the Französischer Dom).
Combine your visit to Gendarmenmarkt with a city tour and discover other top sights:
Tickets for Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
Top pick 6: Kurfürstendamm - Berlin's most famous shopping street
Extending all the way from the ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz to Berlin's elegant Halensee neighbourhood, the affectionately termed Kurfürstendamm is the most expensive address in the capital city and home to the most exclusive brands. Europe's biggest department store KaDeWe is also situated on the extension of the Ku'damm, on the street known to locals as the Tauentzien (short for Tauentzienstrasse). You will find many sights and top attractions along this famous shopping street. The little ones will just love the Zoo Berlin, Germany's oldest zoo.
Top pick 7: Charlottenburg Palace
The magnificent Charlottenburg Palace is located just out of the centre of the city. The beautiful palace hosts fine collections of china and paintings and is situated in the middle of a picturesque palace garden right next to the river Spree. If you don't fancy a walk in the park, you can feed your mind instead in the Charlottenburg museums located directly opposite. Make sure to go on a stroll through the extensive park after visiting this very royal Berlin attraction.
Top pick 8: Museum Island
Berlin's Museum Island is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites and home to the city's most important exhibition centres: the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum) the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum and the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery). The collections in these buildings encompass over 6,000 years of art and cultural history.
Just opposite Berlin's Museum Island, the magnificent monumental Berlin Cathedral, an important landmark of Berlin whose history dates back to the 15th century, is also located on the Museum Island.
Tip: Visit Berlin's museums with the 3-day Berlin Museum Pass. For €29 (reduced €14.50), the museum pass guarantees free admission for all Berlin visitors on three consecutive days to many museums. Order now in the visitBerlin-Shop
Top pick 9: The Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Centre
The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial) is located between the districts of Wedding and Mitte on Bernauer Straße, consisting of the Memorial to the Victims of the Wall, a Documentation Centre and the Chapel of Reconciliation. The surviving section of the wall and watchtower enable visitors to get a real feel for the reality of the border facilities. A must see Berlin attraction, not only for visitors interested in Beriln's history.
Get to know more about the Berlin wall at the East Side Gallery.
Top pick 10: Victory Column - magnificent view on Berlin
The Berlin Victory Column is one of the most famous landmarks of the German capital.
The 67-metre-high column, crowned by the golden Berlin Peace Angel, the "Goldelse", visible from afar, stands in the middle of the Tiergarten. From the platform you have a magnificent view over the parklands of the Tiergarten and over the whole of Berlin.
The Victory Column was erected in the 19th century and originally commemorated Germany's wars of unity. Today it has become a symbol of peace.
From the Victory Column you can walk in the Tiergarten but also walk to the nearby Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz or the Berlin Reichstag.
More about sights in Berlin:
Do you know what is planned in the historic centre of Berlin and which new openings are coming up? Find out on our infographic:
