TEN THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN, GERMANY

berlin is bursting with history. on every corner you can see monuments and signs which remind you of the time when berlin was still parted by its famous wall. thus when traveling to berlin you should be prepared to dig deep into the history of world war II and the impact it had on not only the city of berlin but all of germany. however berlin also has a lot more to offer than just its historical sites, so here are ten things you absolutely have to see/do if you ever get the chance to visit germany’s capital city:

---

1. GET AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY (LITERALLY)

without a doubt the FERNSEHTURM in berlin defines the silhouette of germany’s capital city like no other sight does. for 13€ per person you can ride the elevator which takes you up to the observation deck in just about 40 seconds. it sits at a hight of 203m / 668ft and offers a breathtaking view of the city. definitely a great view to check out berlin from above and get a first glance at all of the city’s sights.

pro tip: if you own a student id don’t forget to bring it ’cause you’ll get a discount!

---

2. SEE THE SIGHTS BY FOOT

i always feel like walking is the best way of eyploring a new city. there’s a number of walking tours you can book in berlin but you can also just put together your own route and explore berlin on your own. here‘s the walk my mom and i did which took us to all the famous sights in berlin like the ALEXANDERPLATZ, the BERLIN CATHEDRAL, the BRANDENURG GATE and many many more.

pro tip: if you get lost just look around and try to find the tv tower. you can see it from almost anywhere in berlin and it’ll always take you back to alexanderplatz.

---

3. WALK THE BERLIN WALL TRAIL

the huge impact the berlin wall had not only on the capital but on all of germany is omnipresent in berlin. therefore you absolutely have to walk at least part of the berin wall trail. here you can find the walk my mom and i did which will take you from EAST SIDE GALLERY to the BERLIN WALL MEMORIAL and all the important sights in between. the memorial stretches for 1,4km / 0.8mi along the actual course of the wall and was by far my favorite part of the walk because it will teach you a lot about berlin’s history.

pro tip: be sure to plan a whole day for this walk because reading  all the information provided will take some time.

---

4. EXPLORE BERLIN’S WWII HISTORY

only few cities have had such a tumultuous history as berlin. thus it can be hard to explore berlin without running into something with significant historical context relating to the war. in my opinion the two most educational sites dealing with the rise of the third reich, the holocaust, and the aftermath of the war are THE TOPOGRAPHY OF TERROR and THE MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE. even if you feel like you’ve seen, heard and read enough of world war II, these sights are an absolute must-see!

pro tip: please a.l.w.a.y.s be respectful when visiting memorials. don’t run around, sit or climb on statues or do anything else disrespectful to the people the memorial was dedicated to.

---

5. BERLIN IS FOR SHOPPING

berlin offers so many great opportunities for you to literally shop till you drop. no matter if you decide to go to the MALL OF BERLIN – a huge shopping mall located right in the center of berlin, to the hidden HAKESCHE HÖFE – a warren of eight beautifully restored courtyards or to KADEWE – europe’s second largest department store, i promise you you won’t be disappointed.

MALL OF BERLIN

HACKESCHE HÖFE

KADEWE

pro tip: make sure to have enough room in your suitcase to bring back all the clothes & souvenirs you bought in berlin. because i promise you – you will buy a lot!

---

6. HUNT DOWN BARGAINS IN MAUER PARK

the mauerpark, probably the most famous park of berlin located right in the penzlauer berg area, hosts a massive flea market on sundays attracting thousands of people with vendors selling bicycles, clothes, souvenirs, records, pianos, furniture and basically anything you can imagine. also the berlin wall used to be right through the area of the park.

pro tip: you should wear shoes you don’t mind getting dirty because the park is pretty muddy.

---

7. CREATE YOUR OWN RITTERSPORT CHOCOLATE

if you like chocolate (and tbh – who doesn’t?!) i’m sure you’ve heard about ritter sport, one of the most popular chocolate brands in germany. at the COLORFUL CHOCO WORLD, located right at the GENDARMENMARKT in berlin, you get the chance to design your own customized chocolate bar! in the three story building you can also find a little museum, a huge chocolate shop and a cafe where we ate a d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s chocolate fondue!

pro tip: be sure to create your own chocolate bar before exploring the store + cafe because you’ll have to wait approximately 40 minutes until your chocolate bar is done.

---

8. TAKE A PICTURE WITH A BERLIN-BEAR

it’s impossible to take a trip to germany’s capital city without spotting a bear or two (or a hundred actually). not talking about acutal, real bears but there’s a bear statue standing around (most of them with their hands in the air, painted with bright colors) at about every corner in berlin. why bears you ask? to be honest, i don’t know. and neither does anyone else really. let’s just go with the theory that the berliners love bears because berlin pretty much sounds like bearlin.

pro tip: theres literally hundrets of bears in berlin – but there’s a few really special ones (like the one in front of the egyptian embassy). try and find the most unique one!

---

9. FORGET YOUR DIET

ever since i first tried cookie dough during my high school exchange to the usa i’m absolutely in love with this dessert. sadly it hasn’t really made its way across the atlantic so it’s super hard to find good, edible cookie dough in europe. guess my reaction when i found out that a cookie dough bar called SPOONING COOKIE DOUGH opened their doors just days before my trip to berlin! the shop is a pink heaven with 10 different cookie dough flavors and many topping options. this definitely is the new must-go dessert place for your next stay in berlin!

pro tip: you can ask to try all the flavors before deciding which one to buy to make sure you get the best one!

---

10. STROLL THROUGH THE TIERGARTEN

this is absolutely mandatory if your birthday – like mine – happens to be on june 17th. but even if it isn’t you totally have to walk the “straße des 17. juni” which is approximately 2km / 1.2mi long and takes you from the BRANDENBURGER GATE through berlin’s most popular inner-city park (TIERGARTEN) directly to the VICTORY COLUMN. also don’t forget to take a picture with the street sign!

pro tip: on saturdays & sundays there’s always a big flea market on this street which is definitely worth a visit!

---

berlin is such a beautiful city and i’ll come back for sure! have you ever been to berlin? if yes what did you like best?