The Deutschlandmuseum Berlin is like no other museum we have ever experienced. You get 2000 years of German history presented interactively and educationally as 12 epochs. You leave feeling as if you’ve truly lived the history.
Berlin
Where will your dreams take you?Berlin is not just the capital of Germany. It is a cosmopolitan city of many diverse neighborhoods, each offering something special for foodies, photographers, historians, shoppers, nature seekers, museum lovers and so much more. Berlin has been the stage for world-changing events throughout history, including the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is a city full of artists, musicians, chefs, designers, students, beatniks, entrepreneurs, adventurers … frankly, it is a city for everyone and everyone is made to feel welcome. Discover Berlin with us through our photographs and stories. And, when you are ready to visit, be sure to download our free Berlin Travel Guide.
PASSPORTS: Citizens of European Union countries simply need a valid identity card. Citizens of any other country seeking to enter Germany will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the intended departure date from Germany with at least two blank pages. Click on the banner below to determine if you will need a visa for your visit.
Arriving By Train – It is easy to get to Berlin on either the fast train (InterCityExpress) or the other lines (InterCity, EuroCity, and InterRegio). For booking information, go to the Deutsche Bahn website here. Trains will depart or arrive primarily from the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin’s central train station and also its newest station), Ostbahnof (the east train station connects with S-Bahns going to Friedrichstraße, Alexanderplatz, or Bahnhof Zoo), and Südkreuz (north-south trains pass through here), Bahnhof Spandau (the ICE train from Hamburg / Hannover stops here).
Arriving By Plane – Most international travelers will arrive at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) as of Oct. 31, 2020, after nearly 10 years of opening delays. The former TEGEL (TXL) airport is now closed while the former Schoenefeld (SXF) airport – formerly used primarily for intra-Europe and domestic flights — is simply “Terminal 5” at BER. BER is Terminals 1 and 2. To travel to and from Berlin’s main train station (“Hauptbahnhof”) and the airport (“Flughafen BER”), you will take either the airport express (FEX) train or regional trains (RE7 or RB14). The “Flughafen BER” station is below Terminal 1. The S-Bahn S9 and S45 also travel the route and also stop at “Terminal 5,” formerly SXF. Use these routes to transfer between Terminals 1/2 and 5. Refer to the links below in “Getting Around in Berlin” or above in “By Train” to check schedules.
Getting Around In Berlin
The official Berlin website offers detailed information regarding transportation, including ticket, fare and route map information. This is also the clearest way to understand the various tariff zones that Berlin is divided into — AB, BC and ABC.
U-Bahn, Bus, Tram – (operated by BVG — bvg.de) Use the company’s Journey Planner to find the best routes combining all forms of public transportation, including the S-Bahn, between point A and B. Be sure to download the BVG app to use on your Android or iPhone.
S-Bahn – The local railway and a subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn (the German railway system), and an often faster and more direct way to get places that are farther apart. It also runs mostly above ground.
Renting a car – Travel by car is very easy in Germany and renting a car relatively uncomplicated. But there are a few things to keep top of mind. First, many German towns and cities have designated low emission zones, meaning only certain vehicles meeting established low emission standards and bearing a color-coded sticker are permitted. Learn more about the emission stickers here. Second, while the autobahn has only suggested speed limits in places, in other places and on most other roads speed limits are strictly enforced, often with cameras. And those speed limits can change in a blink of an eye, typically right before a speed-trap camera catches you flying by. If you rent a car, stay within the speed limits at all times and drive carefully!
Language – The main language in Germany is indeed German (Deutsch). Many Germans, especially younger ones and those living in larger cities speak English sufficiently well that tourists and visitors who do not speak German or only “nicht sehr gut” (not so good) will be able to communicate just fine. Still, it’s always a good idea to learn a few German language basics so that you feel more comfortable shopping and in a restaurant.
Learn to speak a bit of German so you can get around more easily and don’t stand out as a tourist! Read our story Start to learn languages – Top language learning apps and websites.
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Time Zone — UTC (+01:00)
Currency — Euro (€)
Best time to visit — May through September the weather is typically ideal.
Country Code — +49
Health – Ticks are prevalent in many forested regions in Germany and carry Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Be sure to use insect repellent and wear insect repellent clothing when walking in forests and fields. Ask your doctor about needing a TBE vaccination if you plan to spend significant time walking in forested areas.
For over-the-counter medications and seeking minor health issue advice (sore muscles, cough, cold, etc.) you will go to an Apotheka. Should you need a doctor or emergency care while in Germany, be sure your health insurance will cover you internationally — and at what level. We strongly advise purchasing travel insurance that that has emergency medical coverage sufficient enough to cover you in the event of an emergency.
Vaccinations – It is very important you understand what vaccinations and immunization proof is required before travel. The CDC Traveler’s Health page is your best and most up-to-date source for finding what shots are recommended and which are required for any country in the world.
Travel Advisories – Before you travel, we would recommend checking to see if there are any travel advisories or warnings issued for your intended country of travel. Also, for U.S. citizens, we do recommend that you register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Emergencies – To reach the police, fire department or ambulance service, dial 112. Calling 112 is free from any landline or mobile phone. This is throughout Europe.
Late spring to early autumn (think May through early October) are the best times to visit if you are seeking warmer, sunnier weather — this is also the most crowded time to visit as a result.
To check the latest weather for any destination you are thinking of heading to in Germany, visit our weather page complete with weather radar and minute-by-minute forecasting.
The ultimate guide to finding the best Berlin views
Germany’s capital city of Berlin is not lacking in high places for great views of the Berlin skyline. 17 places top our ultimate list of scenic Berlin views for you to enjoy.
The ultimate guide to the 12 best Christmas markets in Berlin
When it comes to Christmas in Berlin, there are dozens of Christmas markets – so many that it can be difficult to choose the best Christmas markets in Berlin. Here are our top picks to experience among the best Berlin Christmas markets.
Best Berlin museums highlighted during Long Night of Museums Berlin
Imagine staying up all night going in and out of any number of Berlin museums. When the annual Long Night of Museums in Berlin rolled around, we joined in the fun — wandering through museums until 2 a.m. It is a great way to explore some of the best Berlin museums.
Potsdam Palace Night with artists, food, fun in Park Sanssouci
Potsdam Palace Night lets you stay out late with your friends in Park Sanssouci enjoying artists, illuminations, food, and drink – sans curfew – just fun in the dark at a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Iconic Berlin TV Tower promises best views in Berlin
The Berlin TV Tower’s distinctive needle and giant sphere is visible throughout Berlin, and it is still the tallest building in Germany. From the panoramic floor or restaurant inside the sphere high above Berlin, visitors enjoy some of the best views in Berlin.
Berlin one-hour sightseeing cruise on the Spree River
A one-hour historic sightseeing cruise along the Spree River is a perfect introduction to some of the most important historic sites and buildings in Berlin.
Berlin gasometer: best sunrise to sunset views of Berlin
Take a Berlin gasometer tour to experience what could arguably be one of the best views of Berlin, sunrise to sunset. View a photo gallery and video of our gasometer tour to get a look at the adventure of a lifetime you could have. The 360-degree views of Berlin from the top of the gasometer are stunning, night or day.
Christmas Garden Berlin at the Botanical Garden: 2021 photo tour
The beloved Christmas Garden Berlin, closed due to the pandemic in 2020, returned in 2021, for its magical, illuminated journey through the Botanical Garden Berlin. Enjoy a photo and video tour of the 2021 trail of lights and music.
Seelow Heights museum memorializes Battle of Berlin horrors
In the last days of World War II, the Battle of the Seelow Heights to the east of Berlin was a bloody massacre. The small Seelow Heights museum and memorial features exhibits, artifacts, and graves documenting the Battle of Berlin and the tens of thousands of lives lost in just three days.
Best Berlin Photos – Our favorite Berlin Instagram photos
Berlin is endlessly fascinating and remains one of our favorite cities in the world to photograph and explore. We’ve included a few of our top Berlin photos in this Best Berlin Photos – Our favorite Berlin Instagram photos post. Scroll through to discover what to see on your Berlin visit.
Visiting the Reichstag Dome – Amazing Berlin views and history
If you are planning a trip to Berlin, then visiting the Reichstag dome is an absolute must, not only for the Berlin views, but for the amazing history. The Reichstag dome and the Reichstag building along with the celebrated TV tower have become iconic symbols of Germany’s capital, Berlin.
Christmas at the Tierpark in Berlin – a shining Christmas wonderland
While we can’t promise falling snow, Christmas at the Tierpark in Berlin (also known as Christmas at the Zoo and Weihnachten im Tierpark) comes as close as you can get to a perfectly illuminated Christmas wonderland.
Christmas Garden Berlin – Christmas lights and mulled wine
There is something very magical about Christmas lights at the Christmas Garden Berlin. Add in equal parts of Christmas music and servings of hot glühwein (German spiced mulled wine), and you have the recipe for an enchanting evening at the Berlin Botanic Garten.
Fall of the Berlin Wall 30th anniversary celebration
Berlin commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall with a 30th anniversary celebration in 2019. We have complete Berlin Wall links and information for your next visit to Berlin.
Berlin October days filled with a festival of lights
The Festival of Lights in Berlin and Berlin Leuchtet (Berlin Illuminated) provide a delightful bright diversion for anyone visiting Berlin in October. The two light festivals illuminate hundreds of Berlin buildings, parks, monuments and facades with dancing lights, often moving to music.
Enchanting Botanical Nights at the Berlin Botanical Gardens
Botanical Nights in the Botanical Garden Berlin make visiting a botanical garden something full of mystery, magic, intrigue, musicians, lightshows and fun. Plants, trees, greenhouses and ponds come alive during Berlin’s Botanical Nights. The cover photo for this story was awarded a Gold Medal by the North American Travel Journalists Association for travel photography.
Things to do in Berlin: The best travel guide to Berlin sights
Wondering what to do in Berlin? Berlin is cosmopolitan, worldly, quirky, exotic, bohemian, evolving, vibrant, alive. Watch a sunset from the TV Tower, visit the Reichstag, the Berliner Dom, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall Memorial, the East Side Gallery, or simply walk along the Spree.
Stasi sights in Berlin not to miss
No visit to Berlin should be without a closer look at history – specifically the horrific history of East Germany’s former secret police, the Stasi. These Stasi sights in Berlin should find a place on your to-do list.
Open-air exhibit traces fall of the Berlin wall
As a part of the developing “Campus for Democracy” at the former headquarters of East Germany’s state security or Stasi in Berlin, an open-air exhibit details the fall of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful revolution Berlin that helped bring about German unity.
Stasi archives Berlin – Stash of secret police records now open
For more than three decades, the dreaded state police (Stasi) in East Germany kept reams of secret files on its citizens. As of 2018, the Stasi archives Berlin are now open for public tours.
Urban Nation Berlin street art museum reopens with new exhibits
After being open just a year, the Urban Nation Berlin street art museum re-opened with a reinvention that truly speaks to its roots. A new street art exhibit, redesigned interior with an authentic street feel, and a number of street artists residences make this museum in Berlin a must to visit for art lovers of all kinds.
Hohenschönhausen Memorial – Reliving the Stasi prison Berlin horrors
Many hundreds died in the Hohenschönhausen Stasi memorial prison in Berlin during its operation, with several hundred thousand spending time there as prisoners over its 40+ years. You can only visit Hohenschönhausen with a guide, many of whom were former prisoners.
Stasi Museum Berlin brings alive Stasi terror
The Stasi Museum Berlin brings alive the terror lived by GDR’s residents for 41 years before the Berlin Wall fell. Inside the Stasi museum walls a visitor is reminded why the Stasi secret police force of former East Germany was one of the most feared agencies in Europe.
Teufelsberg Berlin: Abandoned spy post a Berlin street art gallery
Teufelsberg Berlin is at once bizarre, haunting, edgy, eerie, beautiful, inspiring, and unnerving. Which makes the ruins of the former National Security Agency listening post a perfect haven for street and urban artists.
Urban Nation museum showcases street art in Berlin
Urban Nation museum showcases street art in Berlin is like no other, uniting not only the nation but also the world as it turns the German capital into a giant international open-air street art gallery. Opened in September 2017, Urban Nation is just the beginning of your tour for great street art.
Prenzlauer Berg Wasserturm: history, wine, and Berlin’s underground
The Prenzlauer Berg Wasserturm, an eye-catching round tower in the middle of Berlin, is for most simply a city park with a couple of nice-looking structures. If your timing is good, travelers can time-travel with area experts to the cisterns underground, plus learn more about Berlin’s water supply history.
5 great Berlin street food markets
As the burgeoning and bustling capital of Germany, Berlin offers an addicting restaurant scene with any international or trendy cuisine you may desire. But in keeping with its gritty, artistic ways, Berlin has a superior street food market scene. We show you 5 great Berlin street food markets you won’t want to miss.
Thai Park Berlin a feast for eyes and tummies
Germany’s capital of Berlin offers every international food imaginable, in restaurants, street markets or, in the case of the most authentic Thai food in the city, spread across a park. Thai Wiese (Thai Park) comes alive every weekend with arguably the best Thai food in Berlin.
Q110 Bank of the Future in Berlin by Deutsche Bank is now Quartier Zukunft
Open since 2016, this remarkable Deutsche Bank branch in Berlin has been called “Q110 Bank” or “Bank of the Future.” Now just known as Quartier Zukunft, we remain enthralled by the unique banking space with a cafe, greenhouse, meeting spaces and, of course, banking.
Haunting history on Berlin Underground tours
Underground city tours always seemed to be a tourist come-on to me, but then I discovered Berlin Underground tours. Not a for-profit business, not a tour that drops you off in a gift shop, not a tour that starts in a bar and highlights raucous partying, this is the real deal in Berlin’s Underground.
Quick Prenzlauer Berg travel guide to a Berlin hotspot
One of our favorite areas in Berlin is the artsy cool Prenzlauer Berg. Our Prenzlauer Berg travel guide will point you to the top things to do in this Berlin hot spot. Kollwitzplatz and Kastanienallee are particularly beautiful Prenzlauer Berg streets. Farmers markets, street festivals and more are regular occurrences.
Artist’s Diary – A colorful market near Cafe Anna Blume
As we sat at dinner at Café Anne Blume sipping wine on the patio on a warm summer evening, I became entranced by the colors of a small market across the street. I just had to “paint and draw” the scene using my iPad for this watercolor view from Café Anna Blume.
Artist’s war memorial at Berlin Bethlehemkirchplatz
The memorial on the Berlin Bethlehemkirchplatz (Bethlehem Church Square) is actually the work of Spanish artist Juan Garaizabel to commemorate the Bohemian Bethlehem Church. This small church was built for Bohemian evangelical refugees in about 1735 and was a center of the community. It was destroyed by bombing in 1943.
Berlin Bank of the Future by Deutsche Bank
A concierge? A gift and trinket store? A bar and coffeehouse? Waiters and fine décor? This is a bank? Yes, this is Germany’s “Deutsche Bank” — the so-called “Bank of the Future” in central Berlin, the company’s one-and-only concept bank where it tests ideas for the world.
Berlin Turkish Market: flavors, food, deals in oriental bazaar setting
I visited the Berlin Turkish Market for the first time when you bumped into the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall after walking its length, and the Kreuzberg area of town was one of the few where Turkish guest workers were allowed to live.
Discover Berlin walking tour: shortlist of top sites
Berlin is one of our favorite cities in the world. And we want to lead you on a walking tour of its top sites. Follow along as we send you on a self-guided walk of some of the top sights in Berlin.
Berlin Wall 25th anniversary commemorates fall and freedom
It’s been 25 years since the Berlin Wall came tumbling down … suddenly, surprisingly, peacefully. Memories of the wall’s horrors seem like yesterday to those of us old enough to remember it and to have personally seen the wall and its “death zone.” The Berlin Wall 25th Anniversary remembrance reminds us to never forget.
Walking the Berlin Wall by following the bricks
More than two decades after the Berlin Wall fell, walking the wall and its remains are a haunting reminder of an era that is as frightening as it is unbelievable.
Dine, Wine, Dawdle and Doze when visiting Berlin
When visiting Berlin, live like a local … with an apartment in the trendy “Mitte” area on the edge of the rather cool, somewhat gritty, but fascinating “Prenzlauer Berg” area (former East).
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