The best things to do in Berlin this year

💎 Verdict: The top thing to do in Berlin this year 

If you want the city’s trademark ‘I'm coming back from a night out’ look, Berlin's flea markets are where to start. Expect a mix of club cleanouts, unusual artisanal jewellery, bundles of Weimar-era photographs, tables of GDR homewares, and the odd latex fetish mask or six.  

Mauerpark is perhaps the city’s most famous and busiest ‘flohmarkt’. Held where the  Berlin Wall once divided the city, the former death strip transforms each Sunday with  tons of stalls, ear-wrenching sessions at Bearpit Karaoke, and roving bands of all  genres. Got more time? There’s plenty of other flea markets; the RAW Gelände  reclaimed industrial site, and the vintage furniture at Boxhagener ‘Boxi’ Platz gets  particular love.  

🤫 Insider tip: When your pocket money runs out at Mauerpark, take a short walk to the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a community torn in half.  

Address: Bernauer Str. 64, 13355, Berlin

Opening hours: Sundays, from 10am-6pm

➡️ Discover more of the best markets in Berlin

💎 Verdict: The most famous club in Berlin 

The Berlin clubbing scene is legendary, and the most notorious club is Berghain, a techno temple whose fame as an ‘out-there’ venue sees queues as long as six hours, with a good chance of rejection when you reach the doors. If you get a brusque  ‘nicht heute’, check out house party-like Renate, fetish-friendly KitKatClub, the queer/ sexy vibes at Kreuzwerk, and industrial Tresor.  

What's the best way of getting in? Here are four tips:

1. If you don’t like techno, learn to love it.
2. If you go to  a club ‘just to see it’ instead of genuinely liking the vibe, you probably won’t get in.
3. Learn the DJs’ names in case you’re asked.
4. Don’t turn up drunk.  

🤫 Insider tip: Politely ignore any hangers on wanting to ‘go in together’. Cool, calm  and collected groups of one to three are more likely to get past the notorious  bouncers. 

Address: Berghain is located at Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243, Berlin. 

➡️ Discover more of the best night clubs in Berlin

💎 Verdict: Most unique attraction in Berlin

After Tempelhof Airport ceased operation in 2008, the city opened the runways to the  public. Now you can stroll down the runways where Second World War Stuka dive bombers took off and where, during the Berlin Airlift of 1948 after the Soviets blockaded West Berlin, the Western Powers dropped supplies for the city’s 2.5  million residents.  

Today, Tempelhof Feld's 350-hectares of open runways and grasslands is much enjoyed by walkers, kite surfers, cyclists, runners, skaters, and wheeling goshawk birds. There are designated sections for dogs to run free, basketball courts, a  baseball field, beer gardens, and even small allotments where Berliners can grow  their own veg.  

🤫 Insider tip: The feld has plenty for history lovers too. Book a tour in the airport  itself to learn about its original construction by the Nazis and the Western ally-led  Berlin Airlift.  

Address: Tempelhofer Damm, 12101, Berlin

Opening hours: Open daily, from 9.30am-6.30pm

💎 Verdict: The best club in Berlin (and Europe) this year

If dark palettes aren’t your style, skip Berghain for the festival-inspired Sisyphos. An  outdoor summer club that is a circus-meets-street market, revellers are encouraged  to dress less effortlessly cool and more … more. Think disco-style zebra prints, ridiculously oversized fans, explosions of glitter and all the rest of it.  

Plus, this rambunctious club has everything you need to survive the whole weekend  without leaving. In fact, it’s not unusual to see bedraggled patrons sleeping on the  worn sofas, before rising for another night on the floor.  

🤫 Insider tip: Being open all the way from Friday to 10am Monday hours has a perk  - you can get a stamp, party, leave, and come back in the next day for a re-entry fee.  

Address: Hauptstraße 15, 10317, Berlin

➡️ Discover more of the best night clubs in Europe

💎 Verdict: Berlin's best tourist attraction

It might be overrun by tourists, but visiting the outdoor East Side Gallery is still a rite of passage when first visiting Berlin. It’s 1316 metres long, and can take around an hour tosee it all. The best-known part of the lot is viral on  Instagram: the Berlin Wall Kiss (actually called ‘My God, Help Me to Survive This  Deadly Love,’ by Dmitri Vrubel, which is a bit of a mouthful) featuring socialist state  leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker.  

🤫 Insider tip: Go before 10am, and 9am on weekends, to have the spot to yourself.  That’s especially if you want to snap a good photo, as things get seriously packed  out after that.  

Address: Mühlenstraße, 10243, Berlin

Opening hours: Open 24 hours, daily

➡️ Discover more of the best attractions in Berlin

💎 Verdict: The best spa in Berlin

In pretty much every spa in Berlin, clothes are forbidden and are mixed-gender.  While this might sound intimidating, it is perfectly normal in Germany - the origin of  the Freikörperkultur (FKK) nudism culture. And the exquisite Vabali is a good place  to start.  

For anything from two hours to a full day, you can visit  its sweat lodges, panoramic laconium saunas, infusion and herbal and birch saunas,  as well as outdoor and indoor pools, an outdoor restaurant and a bar. Whether  you’re simply wanting to lounge by the fire or want to book a massage, you’ll see  people from all over Berlin, in every shape and size, doing the same.  

🤫 Insider tip: After some hardcore sauna-ing, lounge at the day beds where you  can order an Aperol Spritz to your seat. 

Address: Seydlitzstraße 6, 10557 Berlin

Opening hours: Open daily, from 8am-12am

Expect to pay: From €27.50) for two hours, and from €51.50 for the full day.

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💎 Verdict: The best way to learn about Berlin

Taking a tour when you first arrive in Berlin is the best way to get up to speed with its  districts, neighbourhoods, museums and cultural hideaways. There are tons to  choose from, including the Discover Berlin Tour and the WWII and Third Reich Tour by the award-winning Original Berlin Walks. You can also get out of the centre with a  Street Art Tour from Alternative Berlin Tours, whose tours include tips on local art,  and clubbing.  

Insider tip: For a gentle introduction to one of residents' favourite ways to get  around - cycling - Berlin On Bike runs tours across the city. 

➡️ Discover more of the best tours in Berlin

💎 Verdict: Berlin's best public square

Gendarmenmarkt is Berlin’s grandest square and,arguably, the cultural centre for the  city’s high brow outdoor performances. Today, it’s the backdrop for Classic Open Air  concerts in summer, and in winter, the much-loved Christmas market fills the square  with Glühwein, fairy lights and a properly festive buzz. Even when performances  aren’t on, there’s its layers of 18th-and-19th-century grandeur, with the German  Cathedral, French Cathedral (which, despite their names, are both churches), and  Konzerthaus — much of it painstakingly rebuilt after heavy World War II damage.  

🤫 Insider tip: Climb the French Cathedral’s tower for some of the best views over  the square. 

Address: Gendarmenmarkt, 10117, Berlin

💎 Verdict: The best green space in Berlin

Ask any local Berliner what their favourite thing to do in the city is, and you can bet your bottom euro that many of them will say relaxing in the plentiful green spaces. Tiergarten by the Brandenburg Gate is the most famous and makes a refreshing break from your sightseeing. In its lifetime, it has been a hunting area for wild animals, a public park as created by Frederick the Great, and a site of destruction during and post-WW2, where much of the greenery was destroyed.  

Today, newer trees have been grown, and it is once again a relaxing park to while away your summer days. Staying in the east? Visit Volkspark Friedrichshain and Treptower Park for sunbathing and nature vibes.  

🤫 Insider tip: Café am Neuen See has a seriously scenic beer garden on the water,  and you can hire a row boat for about €14 in the warmer months. 

Address: Tiergarten is located at Straße des 17. Juni 100, 10557, Berlin.

💎 Verdict: The most impacting museum in Berlin

Going to the Jewish Museum can make for a challenging, and full-on experience, but  a visit here should certainly be high on your things to visit in Berlin. Since 2001, the  largest Jewish museum in Europe has showcased the vast experiences of the  Jewish people, both their past and present, covering everything from the  documentation of Jewish German families to Jewish history from the Middle Ages to  today. Admission to the core exhibition and ANOHA - The Children's World of the  Jewish Museum Berlin is free. A block away from Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to  the Murdered Jews of Europe where you can walk among the imposing concrete stelae.  

🤫 Insider tip: If you're looking to museum hop, visit the World Heritage-listed Museum Island in central Mitte. It holds the Altes Museum (Old Museum), with its displays from classical antiquity; the Neues Museum (New Museum), which focuses on Egyptian history and prehistory; and the Bode-Museum, with its Byzantine art – there are plenty of others to choose from.  Lesser-known picks include the Schwules Museum, dedicated to queer history; and the Deutsche Kinemathek (German Film Archive), which covers everything from  Metropolis to Nazi propaganda to contemporary German TV.

Address: Lindenstraße 9-14,10969, Berlin

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am-6pm (last entry at 5pm); closed Mondays

Expect to pay: Free general admission

➡️ Discover more of the best museums in Berlin

💎 Verdict: The best stop for history lovers in Berlin

This neo-Baroque edifice housing the German Bundestag (Parliament) survived  wars, Nazis, fire, bombing and the country’s division, only to return as a symbol of a  new era in German politics. A trip to the top of this open, playful and defiantly democratic space, designed by Sir Norman Foster, is a must, but note that you can’t just visit on whim. You must now book in advance via the Reichstag website. 

🤫 Insider tip: Some things, like the glass dome and roof terrace, can be seen on  your own, but more extensive free guided tours are also on offer.  

Address: Platz der Republik 1, 11011, Berlin

💎 Verdict: The rainy day activity in Berlin

When it comes to art in the capital, there are the classics: the Alte Nationalgalerie on Museum Island – a space dedicated to 19th-century art, and the contemporary collection at Hamburger Bahnhof. But there are plenty of other artistic heavy hitters around the city.  

The Boros Bunker houses a private art collection in a converted bunker, kinetic works hypnotise at Dark Matter, and KW Institute for Contemporary Art champions  experimental art. Then, there are rotating photography exhibitions at C/O Berlin, KÖNIG GALERIE in the former St Agnes Church, and the emotionally confronting work of graphic artist Käthe Kollwitz in her museum in Charlottenburg Palace.  

🤫 Insider tip: Boros Bunker caught your eye? You better get on it: a low number of  tickets means you almost always have to book weeks in advance.  

➡️ Discover more of the best art galleries in Berlin

💎 Verdict: The best thing to do in Berlin in the summer

The wider Brandenburg region has around 3,000 lakes. Many are accessible by public transport and are a gorgeous way to cool off in summer or exhilarating spots  to ‘ice dip’ in winter. Overwhelmed? Wannsee to the city’s west and Müggelsee to the east are the classic destinations, but there are plenty of others to discover. You can grab some cold radlers and take the S-Bahn to the Schlachtensee Lake in southwestern Berlin for forest vibes. There are more to choose from than you could swim in in your lifetime: check out our list of the best lakes in Berlin for our full guide.  

🤫 Insider tip: Plotzensee in north-western Berlin charges €10 for entry … but  it’s worth it. There’s play equipment for children, currywurst, pizza, a dance floor,  volleyball courts, a bar… and a naked-only sauna and beach, of course. 

Address: Plotzensee lake is located at Nordufer 26, 13351, Berlin.

💎 Verdict: The best pool in Berlin

The Badeschiff pool in Treptow is a floating barge pool, right next to the River Spree.  You can sip Aperol spritzes from its bar and lean back in the various deckchairs  overlooking the Instagram-worthy pool in front of you. But don’t be tempted to take a  quick snap. Badeschiff is one of the many venues where photos are limited -  particularly around the pool itself. Just note it’s not open all year round, so check its  website for opening times. 

🤫 Insider tip: It might appear to be somewhere you can rock up to whenever you  feel like it, but booking is actually essential to avoid disappointment, particularly on  those hot summer days.  

Address: Eichenstraße 4, 12435, Berlin

Opening hours: Badeschiff closes for the winter season, so make sure to check for its reopening in 2027.

💎 Verdict: The best way to discover German film

Kinos make up a large part of the creative heart of Berlin – and there are plenty to  choose from. Wait outside the paper-pasted walls outside the Kino Intimes (built 1909), to watch art-house and foreign films. The scenic Freuiluftkino is found in  Kunstquartier Bethanien’s courtyard in Kreuzberg.  

For a slice of history, Kino Babylon was built in 1928. Since then its been a hiding  place for an anti-Nazi ring, was a specialty cinema in East Berlin, was a Berlin  International Film Festival venue, and still shows silent films with live orchestras  today. Want to get to grips with the GDR? The Kino International on Karl-Marx Allee  is a Soviet masterpiece (it even has a hidden nuclear bunker underneath). 

🤫 Insider tip: Don’t speak German? Don’t panic. Many screenings have English  subtitles – just make sure to check the website in advance. 

💎 Verdict: The best film festival in Berlin

Founded in 1951, the Berlinale (officially called the Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin) is the world’s most popular film festival in terms of sheer numbers in  attendance. On every February, it’s a major fixture on the global cultural calendar, it  sees Potsdamer Platz transformed into a glittering stage that plays host to film industry names each February. Screenings also take place in other parts of the city,  including Alexanderplatz, at the Zoo Palast cinema in Tiergarten and in a renovated  crematorium (silent green Kulturquartier) in Wedding.  

🤫 Insider tip: Online tickets usually go on sale three days in advance.

Address: Potsdamer Platz is located at Potsdamer Platz, 10785, Berlin.

Expect to pay: Around €15-20 per screening, with reduced prices available 

💎 Verdict: The best way to boogie with Berlin locals 

Berlin’s party scene doesn’t stay behind club doors. The colourful Karneval der  Kulturen brings a huge parade, food stalls, music and dancing to Kreuzberg, while  May Day sees the neighbourhood turn rowdy with parties and political  demonstrations. Come June, Fête de la Musique fills each corner with free live  music, while 48 Stunden Neukölln takes over Neukölln for 48 hours of art.  

Techno more your thing? At Rave the Planet, crowds go hard, dancing behind a  parade of slow-moving floats blaring electronic beats. Advent brings Christmas  markets: from the grand, traditional Gendarmenmarkt to the drag queens of the  LGBTQI+ Christmas Avenue in Schöneberg.  

🤫 Insider tip: May Day is madness. Expect packed streets, workers-rights  demonstrations, a significant police presence, all made more chaotic with little to no  phone signal. If that’s not your scene, it might be the best day for that Potsdam day  trip.  

Check each festival's website for upcoming dates and prices.

💎 Verdict: The best Pride celebration in Berlin

The second half of July marks the arrival of Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQI+ festivals, with an enormous parade, massive DJ sets, wild outfits and an outpouring of love in front of the Brandenburg Gate.  

The 2026 celebrations were tragically cut short by a terrorist attack near the parade  in Tiergarten, which left one person dead and dozens injured. A memorial now marks  the site in Tiergarten.  

Insider tip: Berlin’s queer community will always been strong. Pride events  continue throughout July, including the Lesbian and Gay City Festival, while  community-run parties, clubs and events take place all year round.  

Address: Brandenburg Gate is located at Pariser Platz, 10117, Berlin.

💎 Verdict: The best hangover cures in Berlin

When it comes to breakfast places, it’s easy to break out of the ‘avo on toast’ expat  scene. Our faves include the Turkish cocktails with candy floss and deep-fried oyster  mushrooms at the Michelin-starred vegan restaurant Bon Vivant. Then there are the  incomparable fried chicken waffles and steak tartare with Bloody Marys at Fruhstuck  3000. Both are in Schöneberg.  

Over Neukölln-way, you’ve got Crémant serving American-style pancakes with crispy  bacon, maple syrup and chipotle mayo at 21 Grams, in a former mortuary chapel,  and super-cheap Arabic-meets-Turkish breakfast platters with everything from  omelette, falafel and sliced meats to fruit, labneh and jams at Azzam.  

🤫 Insider tip: A wee headache from the night before might mean you don’t want  much mileage between bed and brunch. The Dean Hotel in Charlottenberg has the  Benedict restaurant and bakery downstairs.  

💎 Verdict: The best hangover preventions in Berlin

Alongside currywurst and pommes, late-night döner and dürüm kebabs stuffed with  meat, halloumi, pickles, salad and baked vegetables are the stuff of drunken dreams.  But while Germany has a reputation for meaty takeout, Berlin is considered to have  some of the best vegan, vegetarian, and international options in the world - whether  that’s take away or eat in. Less of a döner fan? Sahara Imbiss has 11 locations across the city and does a mean platter,  heaped with everything from magali to tofu, all slathered in a homemade peanut sauce.  

🤫 Insider tip: Carry some cash to avoid disappointment. While more places are  starting to take cards, many remain cash only.  

💎 Verdict: The best cheap drinks in Berlin (which probably lead to the hangovers)

Ever heard of spätis? These unassuming corner stores provide an important social  function in Berlin, offering a space to grab a super-cheap drink with friends. In short,  you go in and purchase an alcoholic drink for two or three euros, the shopkeeper  opens it for you, and you take a seat at the battered table outside or get comfortable  on a doorstep. In summer, you can take these to sit by the River Spree, grab paddles  and a ping pong ball to play at free tables, head up the hill in Viktoriapark to watch  the sunset or make for Admiralbrücke Bridge, both in Kreuzberg, both popular places  to hang out in summer.  

🤫 Insider tip: Like a döner kiosk, the best späti is the one that’s closest to you – preferably with a spare bench nearby. If it’s your thing, keep an ear out for one pumping techno into the night.  

➡️ Discover more of the best bars in Berlin

💎 Verdict: The best place for foodies in Berlin

In a city full of food from all over the world, Thaipark deserves its own entry. Open on weekends in Württembergische Straße, Thaipark has a rich history. Once a meeting space for the East Asian community that developed as a way to share dishes from their homeland, today people from all backgrounds come here to eat  noodle soups, sticky rice, homemade iced lemonade and more. 

🤫 Insider tip: Thaipark not on? Kantstraße in Charlottenberg has the best Asian  food around.

Address: Württembergische Straße, 10707, Berlin

Opening hours: April to September: Open Saturdays and Sundays, from 11am-8pm. Closed for winter from October to March. 

Expect to pay: €5-20 here for dishes, but prices vary by vendor.

💎 Verdict: The best place to meet up with friends in Berlin

During the late-nineteenth century, 14 covered markets were opened to replace traditional outdoor ones and improve hygiene standards. Local residents saved this one from closure in 2009, filling it with stalls serving locally sourced veg and meats. It’s also home to the excellent Heidenpeters microbrewery and the Sironi bakery from Milan. The themed events, including the hugely popular Street Food Thursday,  get crowded but are well worth the trip.  

🤫 Insider tip: On a Thursday, grab a picnic table with a bunch of mates, plonk down  a bottle and some glasses from Drunk by Nature, and plenty of plates to share.  

Address: Eisenbahnstraße 42/43, 10997, Berlin

Opening hours: Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am-8pm; closed Sunday

💎 Verdict: The best views of Berlin

Winding through the centre of Berlin, the River Spree offers a different perspective  on this once-divided city. There’s no shortage of tour operators offering trips along  the river, the Landwehrkanal or across the lakes, and some services are included on  the city travelcard. There are also multiple kayak rental services for the DIY sightseeing types. A range of city-centre tours are offered to help you really get to know the city.  

🤫 Insider tip: Keep an eye on that weather app. You don’t want to spend a spicy hot  day on a deck without proper shade.  

💎 Verdict: The best places for literature lovers in Berlin

Berlin is known for its groundbreaking ideas, out-there concepts, and forward  thinkers. To experience it, start by visiting independent bookstores like Another Country, Shakespeare and Sons (home to the best bagels that the city has to offer), and She Said, a bookstore for female and queer authors. Want to connect with  further intellectual and creative types? If you have time there’s storytelling open mics  with the BEAR, Re(a)d Wedding, and Smut Slam Berlin.  

🤫 Insider tip: Take your new book or three to Monbijoupark and settle in overlooking the Spree and Museum Island for a scenic reading sesh.  

💎 Verdict: The best day trip from Berlin

Frederick the Great’s summer grounds make for an unforgettable day out in  Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg, just an S-Bahn ride southwest from  central Berlin. As well as touring the Sansouci Palace itself, guests can spend hours getting lost in its gardens and the ornate Bildergalerie and Neue Kammern (‘new  chambers’). A trip to the lush grounds is welcome after a few days of pavement pounding in urban Berlin. Not a fan of royalty? Discover the Golden Age of Berlin film at Filmpark Babelsberg, visit the Dutch and Russian quarters, and cross the Glienicke Bridge AKA the Cold War ‘Bridge of Spies.  

🤫 Insider tip: A Berlin ABC travel card includes public transport in Potsdam for no extra cost. 

Postdam is less than an hour drive, southwest of Berlin via the A115.

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