Berlin’s significance is not limited as the capital of German. Its spirit is deeply rooted to the Germans and at the same time, it is cosmopolitan. There are so much to love about Berlin and things to do in Berlin that you can’t imagine. This is the city that never sleeps. Here people come to seek nothing but some good time. It’s a multicultural vibrant city that never ceases its festive look.
You may call Berlin a party paradise but if you observe it quietly, you will find it with complete serenity. There is no disruption in personal freedom. In a word, it is a hedonistic hub with a rich cultural and historical background. There is no way to forget that some of the greatest mind in last century lived in this city.
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Things to Do in Berlin:
Let’s find, what to do in Berlin?
10. Tiergarten
There is no need to tell you why Tiergarten is in the list of top things to do in Berlin. When you go, you will know. Tiergarten, once a hunting ground of the Brandenburg elite, is now the most popular and largest inner city park. Its centrality gives it a specialty and makes it favorites with locals and visitors. Who does not love to stroll and breathe fresh air in this wonderful park?
For outdoor activities like sports and football games and picnic or grilling on Sundays, Tiergarten is one of the best places to visit in Berlin. The park is huge and contains a lot of memorials. To take a lovely walk and to relax and contemplate, visiting this unique park is one of the best things to do in Berlin.
9. Check Point Charlie
Check Point Charlie has historical and emotional attachment to the German people. It was the best known crossing points of the Berlin Wall in the time of Cold War. It should always remain in the list of best things to do in Berlin. It served as the main entry and departing point for journalists, diplomats and non-German visitors between 1961 and 1990. After the fall of the wall, it became one of the tourist attractions in Berlin and a symbol of Cold War.
This point is the testimony of many bitter histories during the Cold War like the death of a teenage East German, Peter Fechter, by East German guards while trying to escape from East Berlin. It is now an open air museum. Visiting Check Point Charlie is one of the top things to do in Berlin.
8. Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an art, entertainment and shopping hub and without a doubt one of the places to visit in berlin. The area is regarded as symbolic reconnection of East Berlin and West Berlin. It is the most evident example of the urban renewal that turned Berlin into the “New Berlin” after the fall of the wall. After the complete destruction in the war, the square has been rebuilt into a modern plaza with a shopping arcade and landmark towers.
Visiting the square is one of the top things to do in Berlin. It was a mammoth task to wake Potsdamer Platz up from 40 years long slumber and make it one of the major tourist attractions in berlin. It has wonderful mixture of American and European city design. Visiting it is one of the top things to do in Berlin.
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7. Unter den Linden
Named after its beautiful linden trees lining the pedestrian mall, Unter den Linden is the prestigious boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin. The trees that give the boulevard its name, were first planted in the mid-1600s and is enough to take it in the list of the best things to do in Berlin. It was part of an attempt of Duke Frederick William’s development and beautification of Berlin.
About a century later, King Frederick II built many cultural buildings like the national opera house and the national library and made it worthy to be in the list of one of the top things to do in Berlin. The boulevard has a wonderful display of architectural sights reminding the heyday of the Prussian Kingdom. It is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Berlin.
6. Memorial Church
Nicknamed by Berliners “der Hohle Zahn” which means “The Hollow Tooth“, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is undoubtedly on top of the list of the best things to do in Berlin. Originally built in the 1890s, it was badly damaged in a bombing raid in the 2nd World War. It was rebuilt between 1959 and 1963. An attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel were added to the present church.
The ground floor was turned into a memorial hall. It is now one of the best places to see in Berlin. The building was built in neo-Romanesque style. The New church building is covered 20,000 panels of stained glass. It was designed by Egon Eiermann, a famous German architecture. Vising Memorial Church is one of the top things to in Berlin.
5. Museum Island
There is no way to complete your Berlin tour without visiting Museum Island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site should always on top of the list of best things to do in Berlin. Five museums comprise Museum Island. These are the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. The museums are located between the Spree River and Kupfergraben. Built in 1830, he Altes Museum is the oldest of all.
The Pergamon Museum is the latest, built in 1930, exactly one century later to the first one. Each museum has a vast amount of collections. The prominent collections are the Ishtar Gate, the Processional Way, the Market Gate of Miletus, arts of different eras and so on. Visiting these world class museums are one of the best things to do in Berlin.
Also Read: Top 10 most famous museums in the world
4. East Side Gallery
East Side Gallery is not some places that you can shake off from your list of one of the top things to do in Berlin. It is a 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall still in existence as an international memorial for freedom. All of its 105 paintings were painted in 1990 on the east side of the Berlin Wall by artists from all over the world. No other open air gallery in the world did not enjoy such period of endurance.
It also may be the largest open air museum in the world. The objectives of the paintings are mainly to hope for a better world with much more freedom. Some of the paintings were damaged by erosion, graffiti, and vandalism and restored lately. It is one of the best places to visit in Berlin.
Also Read: Top 10 remarkable walls in history
3. Holocaust Memorial
Holocaust Memorial will remind you one of the greatest atrocities in the history conducting by Nazi on Jews people during 2nd World War. This simple but powerful tribute to the Jews should be on the list of one of the top things to do in Berlin. It served as a central place for remembering and reminding people of the Holocaust. This memorial is not very old and inaugurated on May 10, 2005, sixty years after the end of World War II.
It is without a doubt one of the top places to see in Berlin. It is a great representation of modern architecture and has an admirable interpretation. It is wonderful but at the same time mournful. Visiting Holocaust Memorial should be always on top on your list of top things to see in Berlin.
2. Reichstag
This historic landmark should be always on the list of what to see in Berlin. This one of the major tourist attractions in Berlin is the seat of the German Parliament. It was originally built in the end of 19th century. It was heavily damaged in a fire in 1933 and further worsened during the Battle of Berlin in 1945. After that it was restored but not fully. In fact it got proper attention after the fall of Wall.
Visiting Reichstag should never be missed from the list of one of the top things to see in Berlin. If you see it, you will comprehend its elegance and unquestionable beauty. The special attraction of Reichstag is its large glass dome. It has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin city escape. It should be always on top of what to do in Berlin.
1. Brandenburg Gate
This 18th-century neoclassical monument is undoubtedly one of most remarkable landmark in Germany and should be on top of the list of what to see in Berlin. Although the gate stands as a separation between East and West Berlin, it is now a symbol of unity to Berlin. King Frederick William II of Prussia built this gate as a sign of peace.
Designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, this master was completed in 1791. Visiting it is one of the top things to do in Berlin. It was the center place of protest during the division of Germany. The gate is full of contrast. It represents the tumultuous period of Europe as well as a symbol of peace, unity and a quest for beauty.