What to see and do in Berlin - top 8

Berlin has many, many wonderful things to see and do - all achievable in just a few short days. So pack your travel plugs, water bottle, and euros and hop on a plane for a weekend of exploring! 

For more travel tips see my post on travel essentials here. 

My top 8 Berlin recommendations:

1. Charismas markets 

The best ones will be in the central areas like the Brandenburg Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and the one in Alexander Platz. They definitely get busier and have more atmosphere later in the day and are especially beautiful in the evening when all the lights are on (and are a great place for food and drink!!). So if you want to shop at them, I’d suggest early afternoon as the best time because it’s a little quieter, but if you want the Christmassy feeling then later in the day is better (but it will be busier!). Berlin can be bitingly cold at night so don't forget to wrap up warm, and take advantage of the Gluhwein on offer.

2. The holocaust museum and memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe 

Sounds a bit sombre, but it was genuinely fascinating and utterly beautiful. The museum is actually underground, but on ground level is the memorial sculpture made up of several concrete blocks all at different heights. Walking between them is an amazing experience. Each block represents a life lost and the different sizes are meant to disorientate and overwhelm you so you get lost in the feeling (which you do!). The museum then has letters and pictures from survivors and tells the story which is a big part of Berlin heritage. 

3. Parliament and the Reichstag 

I don’t recommend doing the inside of these as the queues can be hours long and it can take up quite a lot of time which it’s not necessarily worth doing if you’re only there for a weekend, but it’s still an impressive building to see nonetheless! The original building which you can see below has a modern extension made of glass which is quite iconic and is a standard Berlin landmark. 

4. Alexander Platz

The main square in East Berlin - you’ll see the difference between the east and west most clearly here with the communist influence strongest in this area. The main attractions are the uniquely designed world

 clock and the TV tower - iconic representations of the once divided city.

5. Brandenburg Tor - Brandenburg Gate 

Impressive by day and night - even if you just walk through it you have to see it! So many important historical moments have happened there including the final moments before the wall came down in 1990.

6. Berliner Dom - Berlin cathedral 

A beautiful building inside and out and worth a stop on the way from the Brandenburg Tor down to Alexander Platz in the east. 

7. Checkpoint Charlie 

Again one which is on all the tourist lists, but it is quite a fun little thing to see. It’s the main passing place between East and West Berlin which was controlled by the Americans. A lot of people tried to cross illegally here and lost their lives, so it’s become a bit of a memorial and they’ve kept it in the original as much as possible with a tank, sandbags and signs so you get a feel for how it was at the time. 

8. East side gallery 

One of the coolest things to see in Berlin!! It’s the only remaining complete section of the wall and it’s where you can get a real sense of what living in Berlin with the wall was like. As a tribute to its history many famous graffiti artists have decorated sections of the wall and you’ll recognise a lot of the artwork as it’s become very famous over the years. Definitely one to walk down!