No city in Europe carries as much 20th-century history in its bones as Berlin. Capital of the Wilhelmine Empire, centre of Weimar Republic decadence and experimentation, heart of the Nazi Reich, city divided by a concrete wall for 28 years, and then reunified overnight on 9 November 1989 in one of the greatest moments of the century — Berlin has compressed more history into fewer decades than any city on the continent. It has also, somehow, emerged as one of Europe's most creative, progressive, and genuinely welcoming places to live and visit.
The Must-See Historical Sites
- Brandenburg Gate — Berlin's most recognisable monument, built in 1791, used as a Nazi backdrop, stranded in No Man's Land for 28 years, and now a symbol of reunification. Most impressive after dark.
- Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe) — Peter Eisenman's extraordinary field of 2,711 grey concrete stelae of varying heights, adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate. Walk into the centre and let it disorient you. The underground documentation centre below is essential.
- Checkpoint Charlie — touristy but historically significant: the most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin. The museum beside it is chaotic and breathless but contains extraordinary stories of escape attempts.
- East Side Gallery — a 1.3km preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall covered in murals painted by international artists in 1990. The Domino Row mural and the "Fraternal Kiss" (Brezhnev and Honecker) are the most reproduced images.
- Topography of Terror — built on the former SS and Gestapo headquarters, this outdoor and indoor documentation centre traces the structure and crimes of the Nazi apparatus in devastating detail. Free admission.
- Pergamon Museum — the anchor of Museum Island: the reconstructed Pergamon Altar, Ishtar Gate from Babylon, and Market Gate of Miletus in one astonishing building. Book ahead.
Neighbourhoods
- Mitte — the historic centre: Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Unter den Linden boulevard. Good for sightseeing; expensive for eating and drinking.
- Prenzlauer Berg — former East Berlin neighbourhood, now gentrified and family-friendly; excellent café scene, Sunday Mauerpark flea market.
- Kreuzberg / Neukölln — multicultural, creative, the best food and bar streets in the city. Markthalle Neun (street food market) is essential. The Berlin Turkish community here has produced a döner kebab culture that surpasses Istanbul originals, according to devoted regulars.
- Friedrichshain — young, loud, the centre of Berlin's club scene. Warschauer Strasse is the axis.
- Charlottenburg — West Berlin's upscale neighbourhood. Kurfürstendamm shopping boulevard, the magnificent Charlottenburg Palace.
Food and Drink
Berlin is one of Europe's great eating cities — diverse, innovative, and honest about price. Highlights:
- Döner kebab — Berlin's adopted street food staple. The best versions use freshly baked bread, proper spiced meat, and house-made sauces. Budget 5–7 euros.
- Currywurst — sliced pork sausage covered in curried ketchup, served with fries. A Berlin invention, best at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg or Konnopke's Imbiss in Prenzlauer Berg.
- Vietnamese food — the legacy of a large Vietnamese-German community, particularly in former East Berlin. Some of the best Vietnamese food outside Southeast Asia.
- Craft beer — Berlin has a thriving craft scene; avoid the tourist-trap Augustiner in touristy areas and head to Mikkeller Berlin or Brewdog Berlin.
Getting There
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), opened in 2020 after 14 chaotic years of construction, finally works well. Two S-Bahn lines connect it to the city centre (Hauptbahnhof) in 30 minutes. High-speed trains from Munich take 4.5 hours.