Berlin

Berlin is a city where history is everywhere: the Brandenburg Gate, the Wall, Museum Island, palaces and memorials, mixed with parks, beer gardens and one of the best nightlife scenes in Europe. We spent three days here.

Where to Sleep?

We stayed at the IntercityHotel Berlin Hauptbahnhof, next to the main station.

Tip: The prices and opening hours here are the ones we noted when we planned the trip. Check them before you go.

Day 1 - From Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate

1. Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower

The big square of the old East Berlin. You can go up the TV Tower (€15.50 to €17.50) and watch the sunset from the top. An alternative is the Panoramapunkt at Potsdamer Platz.

2. The Red Town Hall and the Nikolaiviertel

Berlin's red brick town hall, and next to it the Nikolai Quarter, a little corner of the old town with small-town charm and St Nicholas' Church.

3. Berlin Cathedral

On Museum Island. Climb the 270 steps to the dome for a 360 degree view, and leave the Hohenzollern crypt for last, because once you leave it you can't go back into the church. Entrance was €7.

4. Museum Island

Five world-class museums on an island in the Spree:

• Neues Museum: the bust of Nefertiti and a great Egyptian collection.

• Pergamon Museum and the Panorama: the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
• Alte Nationalgalerie: 19th-century paintings and sculpture.
• Altes Museum: Greek and Roman antiquities.
• Bode Museum: sculpture and coins. Closed on Mondays.

Tip: If you love museums, the three-day Museum Pass covers more than 30 museums, and an audio guide is included in each ticket.

5. Unter den Linden and the Humboldt Forum

Berlin's grand boulevard, with Bebelplatz, St Hedwig's Cathedral and the State Opera.

6. Gendarmenmarkt

One of the most beautiful squares in the city, with two identical churches facing each other, the French and the German cathedrals, both free to visit.

7. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

A field of 2,711 concrete blocks of different heights. Walking through it is a powerful experience.

8. The Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag

The symbol of Berlin. Come early in the morning for photos without the crowds. Next to it, the German parliament has a glass dome you can visit for free. We couldn't get a booking, so book as early as you can.

Day 2 - Charlottenburg and the City West

1. Charlottenburg Palace

The most magnificent palace in Berlin, with an audio guide included. The gardens are free.

2. Kurfürstendamm

Berlin's most famous shopping street, from Adenauerplatz to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, left as a ruin after the war.

3. KaDeWe

The most famous department store in Germany, with a huge food hall on the top floor.

4. The Victory Column

In the middle of the Tiergarten. You can climb it for an epic view of the city for about €3.

Day 3 - The Wall and Kreuzberg

1. Oberbaum Bridge

The most picturesque bridge in Berlin, with red brick towers and great views in both directions.

2. The canals

A walk along the Landwehr Canal or the Neukölln Ship Canal.

3. East Side Gallery

The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, covered in murals by artists from all over the world. The Wall was actually two concrete walls with a 'death strip' in between.

4. Checkpoint Charlie

The famous border crossing between East and West, with a museum next to it (€7.50 to €14.50).

Free museums

• Topography of Terror, a must in Berlin.
• The Allied Museum, about the Cold War.
• The German-Russian Museum.
• Museum Flat WBS 70, a real East Berlin flat as it was in 1987.

Food and drinks

• Currywurst, Berlin's street food classic.
• Markthalle IX, with a street food market on Thursdays.
• Maximilians, for a traditional German dinner with waiters in costume.
• Beer gardens: Café am Neuen See in the Tiergarten, Prater Garten in Prenzlauer Berg, Golgatha in Kreuzberg.
• At night: Hackescher Markt, Capital Beach by the main station, or the Monkey Bar at the 25hours Hotel Bikini, with a view over the zoo.

If you have more time

Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace, the summer palace of Frederick the Great, about 40 minutes away by train.