The capital and metropolis Berlin invites you to linger and really has something to offer for every visitor. Whether historic locations, landmarks such as the Berlin television tower, the Brandenburg Gate or the Reichstag, culture, museums and art or just nightlife with bars and clubs. Berlin is colorful, Berlin is big, Berlin is never boring! Here you will find our compilation of the top sights in berlin.
Landmarks, attractions, UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Berlin Sights
The German capital Berlin with around 3.7 million inhabitants is the most populous and with 892 square kilometers also the largest municipality in Germany. And it is also the most populous city in the European Union. The metropolis Berlin is considered to be a European metropolis. It is known for culture, politics, media and science. Berlin architecture, but also the many festivals and nightlife are known worldwide.
Berlin | Divided and reunited
Berlin has a long history: Berlin was first mentioned in 1237. In its history it was the residence and capital of Brandenburg, Prussia and Germany. It is world-famous due to the division into east and west after the end of the Second World War by the victorious powers and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the associated German reunion in 1990.
The top sights in berlin & attractions of Berlin
Anyone visiting Berlin has plenty of sights and attractions to choose from. There are sights that should not be missed when visiting the capital. The landmarks in particular should not be missing on any list.
You can be sure that one visit will not be enough to see all the important sights. To make your choice easier, we have put together our top 10 sights in berlin that you shouldn’t miss.
- Berlin tv tower
- Brandenburg Gate
- Reichstag in Berlin
- The Berlin Wall with East Side Gallery, memorial and documentation center Berlin Wall
- Museum Island Berlin
- Berlin Cathedral
- Tierpark in Berlin
- KaDeWe – Department Store of the West
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
- Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin
- Gendarmenmarkt
- Potsdamer Platz
- Listening Station Teufelsberg
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Berlin tv tower
The Berlin tv tower is one of the ten most popular sights in Germany and therefore one of the must-see sights in Berlin. It is one of the hallmarks of Berlin and, as Berlin’s landmark, shapes the city skyline. You can discover the whole city from the television tower.
Brandenburg Gate
Another landmark of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate. This early classicist triumphal gate, which stands on the west flank of the square Pariser Platz in Berlin’s Mitte district, is the symbol of the division that has been overcome and is therefore an important landmark for the reunion. With the Quadriga sculpture on top of the gate, it is one of the city’s most popular sights. Don’t miss it.
Reichstag in Berlin
Have you ever watched the German Bundestag at work? This is possible when you visit the Reichstag in Berlin. The Reichstag building on Platz der Republik in Berlin has been the seat of the German Bundestag since 1999. The dome and roof terrace of the Reichstag building can be visited free of charge. The Reichstag, built between 1884 and 1894, is undoubtedly one of the important sights in the capital.
The Berlin Wall
Nothing stands for the division of Berlin and for the reunion as much as the Berlin Wall itself. They started building August 13, 1961 to hermetically seal the GDR from West Berlin. In the night from Thursday, November 9th to Friday, November 10th, 1989, after more than 28 years of existence, the Berlin Wall was reopened. Parts of the wall can still be seen today. For example in the Berlin Wall Memorial, which is now the central place of remembrance of the division of Germany. Or visit the East Side Gallery in Berlin-Friedrichshain. This permanent open-air gallery is the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall and can be found Mühlenstraße between Berlin Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke along the Spree. If time permits, we recommend visiting the Glienicke Bridge. The bridge was the scene of spectacular agent exchanges between the USA and the Soviet Union.
Museum Island
Anyone looking for culture cannot avoid Museum Island. This building complex consisting of five museums in the northern part of the Spreeinsel in the historical center of Berlin is one of the most important sights of the city. These include the Old Museum, the New Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. In the five museums you can mainly visit the archaeological collections and the art of the 19th century.
Berlin Cathedral
The Berlin Cathedral is located on Museum Island, at the Lustgarten. The building, built between 1894 and 1905, is an Evangelical church and dynastic burial site. It contains the Hohenzollern crypt, which occupies almost the entire basement of the Berlin Cathedral. The largest Protestant church in Germany is one of the most important sights in Berlin.
Tierpark in Berlin
With almost 8,000 animals on 160 hectares and around 1.5 million visitors annually, Tierpark in Berlin is the largest adventure zoo in Europe. It is one of the biggest sights in Berlin. The zoo, founded in 1955, is located in the Friedrichsfelde district of Berlin, in the eastern part of the city.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Another important church that is one of the sights that should not be missed is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. This church, built between 1891 and 1895, was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II to commemorate his grandfather Kaiser Wilhelm I. The monument is on Breitscheidplatz in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. It was badly damaged in 1943. However, there is no reconstruction, but the nave was demolished and only the 71-meter tower ruin remained as a memorial to the war. However, a four-part ensemble was built from 1959 to 1963. The church is now one of the most popular sights in the German capital.
Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin
As a former Prussian capital, Berlin also has castles to offer. Charlottenburg Palace, which was built between 1695 and 1791, is a former summer residence of the Hohenzollern family in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The castle is one of the most popular sights in Berlin and is also the most important palace complex in Berlin.
Not far from Berlin and easy to reach by public transport is Potsdam with the Sanssouci Park, Sanssouci Palace and many other sights. If there is time, you should definitely take a look at this Prussian Versailles.
Gendarmenmarkt
The “most beautiful square in Berlin” is said to be the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin‘s Mitte district. Make up your own mind. It got its name from the Gens d’armes cuirassier regiment based there. The approximately 3.3 hectare large square is home to the German and French Cathedral as well as the theater and concert hall of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Especially at Christmas time, the Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt invites you to linger.
Potsdamer Platz
If you like it more modern, you should visit Potsdamer Platz. This terrain, newly built on the historic street layout after 1990, is one of the most striking places in the city. An entire district was planned by architects on the 6.8 hectares. In 1990 Roger Waters performed the concert The Wall on the area (formerly no man’s land) between Potsdamer Platz and Pariser Platz. Today there are modern buildings like the Kollhoff Tower and the Sony Center, but also sculptures from the Daimler AG collection. You can also shop in the Potsdamer Platz arcades, visit cafes and cinemas.
In addition, the course of the former Berlin Wall can be traced by paving stones embedded in the floor.
In the vicinity of Potsdamer Platz you will also find the Martin-Gropius-Bau, the Prussian manor house, seat of the Federal Council, the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust memorial) and the Brandenburg Gate.
More top sights in berlin:
- Berlin Zoo
- Kurfürstendamm
- checkpoint Charlie
- Victory column
- Red townhall
- Madame Tussauds in Berlin, Legoland, Berlin Dungeon
- Museum for Samurai Art
Berlin with children – the top sights in berlin for children
Berlin also offers a lot for visiting with children. We have put together the best Berlin attractions for children for you.
Berlin Sightseeing tours – city tours in Berlin
To get a first overview, we recommend a guided sightseeing tour. Get an overview first and then choose from the many sights and attractions. You can do this by bus, boat, guided Segway, or bike. Have fun in Berlin.
You will find a selection of the best travel guides for your Berlin trip and tips on what to consider when making your choice here.