41 Fun Facts About Berlin

Berlin is a quirky city with an interesting history that I hope everyone gets to visit someday. From culture to history, it truly is a fantastic city. I’ve put together this list of fun facts about Berlin to show you some of the ways Germany’s capital is unique and intriguing.

Get ready to learn a few bits of trivia about Berlin.

Berlin fun facts and trivia

I hope you have as much fun learning about these pieces of Berlin trivia as I had gathering them all.

Berlin is a city of many cultures

In fact, Berlin is the most multicultural city in Germany. More than 20% of residents hold passports from other countries.

The biggest non-German populations are from Turkey and Poland, but people from 190 countries now call Berlin home.

More museums than rainy days

It rains a lot in Berlin, but even so, there are more museums than rainy days. I’ve seen anywhere from an average of 99 to 105 rainy days a year.

But still there are around 175 museums in the city, so if it’s too rainy for outdoor activities, you can always find a museum to enjoy and stay dry. And there are several free museums in Berlin too.

It rains more often than it snows in the winter, so it’s always good to know what to do in Berlin in winter.

Opera houses in Berlin

Berlin is the only city in the world with 3 opera houses that still show performances. They are:

• Deutsche Oper at Bismarckstraße 35
• Staatsoper Unter den Linden at Unter den Linden 7
• Komische Oper at Behrenstraße 55-57

UNESCO Sites

Berlin has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is pretty impressive considering most cities that have any are at just one or two.

Most people know about Museum Island and the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, but you might not know about the third UNESCO site. It is the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates UNESCO Site, which is a collection of housing complexes representing an innovative way of building multi-family homes in the early 1900s.

That tower again

October 3rd

The TV Tower was built during the Cold War by the Soviets, and it was inaugurated on October 3, 1969. It was supposed to represent the strength of communist East Germany.

Oddly, October 3rd became Germany’s reunification day in 1990, almost a year after the Berlin Wall fell. It’s a national holiday.

Chinese garden

Berlin is home to the largest Chinese garden in Europe. You can find it at Gardens of the World, a gorgeous park with gardens representing many different cultures.

More bridges than Venice

While some of the things Venice is famous for are its canals and the bridges that cross them, Berlin actually has way more bridges than Venice. I’ve seen it listed as anywhere from 1,700 to 2,100 bridges here, 600 of which cross over water.

One of the most famous bridges in Berlin is the Oberbaum Bridge, which crosses the Spree River near the East Side Gallery and connects Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

Open air art gallery

The East Side Gallery is considered the longest open-air art gallery in the world. It’s 1,316 meters long and is also the longest preserved remains of the Berlin Wall.

This attraction is probably already on your Berlin bucket list, but if not, be sure to add it now and see it while you’re in Berlin.

Fastest elevator

Berlin is home to the fastest elevator in Europe, and no, it’s not at the TV Tower. It’s actually at Panorama Punkt near Potsdamer Platz, which is another great option for views of Berlin from above.

You can see many Berlin landmarks from here, including the TV Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, and more.

Cycle or hike where the Wall stood

For nearly 30 years, the Berlin Wall separated West Berlin from East Berlin and East Germany. Today in its place you’ll find the Berliner Mauerweg, or the Berlin Wall Trail, which is a 160km (100 miles) path for cycling or hiking.

Along the path, you’ll find info signs with details about different sections and border crossings, as well as commemorative markers and info about people who died trying to cross the border. Sometimes there are Wall remains or watch towers.

This is definitely an interesting way to learn about Berlin’s Cold War history.

Berlin is very green

Despite being a rather gritty city, Berlin is the greenest city in Germany with green space and woodlands accounting for roughly 30% of the city’s 892 square kilometers (about 344 square miles). Hopefully you can check out a few of Berlin’s favorite parks while you’re here.

You can tour the Reichstag Building for free

One of the most popular free things to do in Berlin is take a tour of the Reichstag Building. You have to register well in advance, but it’s an interesting audio guide tour into the glass dome on top of the building.

Plan ahead to include this on your Berlin itinerary.

Berlin has 2 zoos

Due to the fact that Berlin was split into East and West, the city has two zoos, one on each side. Combined the two zoos have more than 29,000 animals.

The Berlin Zoologischer Garten is the more well known zoo, located in the West. It has the most diversity of species in the world, and dating back to the mid 1800s, it’s the oldest surviving zoo in Germany and the third-oldest in Europe.

Tierpark, which is the zoo in the East, is the largest parkland zoo in Europe. They also let you bring your dog (always on a leash) so if you’re traveling to Berlin with your dog, this is a fun experience.

KaDeWe shopping

KaDeWe, which is short for Kaufhaus des Westens, is the largest department store in continental Europe. If you love to shop, you can’t miss this one when you’re in Berlin.

Fresh markets

If department store shopping isn’t your thing, you might be interested to learn that Berlin has over 250 weekly markets. These markets are a great way to get a taste of local culture.

Some of my favorites are Maybachufer, Boxhagener Platz, and Winterfeldplatz.

Berlin is the street art capital

Street art is a big deal in Berlin, and it’s one of the reasons why you should go to Berlin. You’ll find it all over the city, but especially in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

One of the best ways to see a bunch of pieces of street art and learn about them along the way is by taking a tour. I’ve taken this one and it was really wonderful.

Ubahns in Berlin

Berlin has 9 Ubahn lines, numbered 1 through 9. Until recently, the U5 line was the only one operating entirely in the former East, but it has been extended to Berlin Hbf and now has a couple of stops in the West.

The U4 line is the shortest Ubahn with only 5 stops. The U7 has the most number of stops with 40.

Most Ubahns run underground – after all, that U stands for Unter, which means under. But there are sections of several lines that run above ground, for example, the U2 pictured above.

Read more about how to get around Berlin using public transport.

Berlin Central Train Station

Berlin Hbf is fairly new to the city. When Berlin was split, the main station in the West was Berlin Zoo, and the main station in the East was Ostbahnhof.

After reunification, efforts to have only one central train station began, and in May 2006, Berlin Hbf opened. You can still catch long distance and regional trains from several different train stations in Berlin.

Public transport ferries

Berlin’s public transport system includes Ubahns, Sbahns, trams, buses, and a total of six ferry lines. The ferries aren’t very central, so you’re unlikely to use one, but seek one out if you enjoy the novelty of it.

Berlin’s widest street

The widest street in Berlin is Straße des 17. Juni, which is 85.2 meters (279.5 feet) wide. It’s the large street that starts at Brandenburger Tor and runs through the middle of Tiergarten park. The Berlin Marathon starts and end on this street.

Berlin the city-state

Germany has 16 states, 3 of which are technically city-states. They are Bremen, Hamburg, and Berlin, so Berlin is not only a city and the capital of Germany, but it’s also its own state.

Berlin’s boroughs

The city of Berlin is divided into 12 districts, which encompass smaller districts and neighborhoods. So while you might hear about Prenzlauer Berg or Wedding or Friedrichshain, they are each just part of their larger boroughs.

Prenzlauer Berg is actually part of the Pankow borough, and Wedding is part of Mitte. Friedrichshain is one half of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough.

Brandenburg Gate

Definitely one of the most famous landmarks in Germany and Berlin, Brandenburg Gate is a must-see attraction while you’re here.

On top of Brandenburg Gate, you’ll see a chariot being pulled by horses, called the Quadriga statue. When Napoleon invaded Berlin in the early 1800s, he had the statue removed and transported back to Paris.

When he abdicated the throne a few years later, the statue was returned.

However, the one you see today is not the original. The original suffered damage during World War II and was replaced with this replica during reconstruction in the 1950s.

Oldest pub in Berlin

Zur letzten Instanz claims to be Berlin’s oldest pub, dating back to 1621. You’ll find it at Waisenstraße 14-16, serving German food and beer.

Fancy food

You can definitely travel to Berlin on a budget in part because of all the cheap food here. But Berlin also has 24 restaurants that, combined, have been awarded a total of 31 Michelin stars. There’s even a 3-star restaurant, called Rutz.

>>Read: Best German Restaurants in Berlin: Where to Eat German Food

The Berliner donut

Many have joked about the JFK speech when he proclaimed “Ich bin ein Berliner” since a Berliner is a donut filled with jam. And while it is called a Berliner in most of Germany, in Berlin it is called a Pfannkuchen (pancake).

Berlin craft beer

Germany is well known for its beer, in part because of the Reinheitsgebote. This is the German beer purity law from centuries ago that governs what ingredients can be used to make beer – anything else, and it’s not beer.

This made craft beer a bit of a misfit in Germany, even as it became more popular in other parts of the world. But what better place for a misfit than Berlin?

Berlin is definitely the capital of the German craft beer scene, and you’ll find many interesting types to try here.

First traffic light

Germans love rules and order, so it’s fitting that the first traffic lights in Europe were put into operation in Berlin. They were installed at Potsdamer Platz in 1924, and today you can see a replica of the traffic light tower there.

They lied about the Ampelmann

The Ampelmann is the cute crosswalk signal man with the little hat from the days of the DDR. Because yes, even the crosswalk signals were different from one side of the city to the other.

Many travel blogs will claim that you can tell which side of the city you’re on by looking at the crosswalk signals, but this isn’t true anymore. I’ve been living here since 2015, and I’ve seen these cute little men on both the east and the west.

In fact just the other day, I was in Steglitz, a district firmly in the west, and while waiting to cross a street, I noticed the DDR Ampelmann in red telling me not to cross. When it turned green, it was the boring western version – both types on the same signal.

Victory Column was moved

Originally the Victory Column, or Siegessäule in German, was located on Königsplatz, which today is Platz der Republic in front of the Reichstag Building. But in the late 1930s when Hitler was trying to transform Berlin and his vision of the German empire, the column was moved to its current location 1.5km (just under 1 mile) away.

It’s a fantastic place for views of Berlin, if you’re willing to climb up 285 stairs. Read more about visiting the Victory Column for details.

I think this is one of the more fun things to do in Berlin, and even some locals don’t know you can climb it.

Does size matter?

With an area of 892 square kilometers (344 square miles) Berlin is almost nine times larger than Paris.

Most populous city in Germany

Berlin also holds the title of the highest population in Germany, with roughly 3.7 million residents. Hamburg has about 1.84 million residents, while Munich has about 1.47 million residents.

Look for Stolpersteine

Berlin has a large number of Stolpersteine, or stumbling stones, which are small brass plaques on the ground. They serve as mini memorials for victims of the Nazis.

They have been placed in front of the victims’ last known address before they were taken away. Their name, date of birth, date of death if known, and where they were taken are among the details listed on these humble but meaningful memorials.

Though you’ll find more of them in Berlin and the rest of Germany, they do exist in other countries in Europe as well.

>>Read: Guide to Visiting the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

November 9th trivia

Lots of historical events have taken place on November 9th in Germany, some coincidental, some not. The day is sometimes referred to as the “day of fate” because of this.

Most recently, November 9, 1989 is the day it was mistakenly announced that the East German borders would be relaxed. This led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of the communist East German state.

But several other dark events occurred on this date before 1989.

November 9, 1923: Munich Beer Hall Putsch, which was the first, unsuccessful attempt in Munich by Hitler and the National Socialist Party to seize power.

November 9, 1938: Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, which was when SA troops and German citizens violently attacked Jewish citizens, businesses, and synagogues all across Germany. Nearly 100 German Jews were killed, and this was the start of Jews being sent off to concentration camps.

These two events, 15 years apart, were tied together on that date with intention. So even though the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 was a good thing, no one wanted to use that date to remember the reunification of Germany.

Other important November 9th events include 1918 when Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne, just a couple days before the end of World War I, leading to the start of the Weimar Republic. It’s also no coincidence that Hitler and the National Socialist Party chose this day in 1923 to stage a coup.

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Have questions about planning your trip to Berlin?

Join the Facebook group here to chat with Ali (she runs this site) and other people who have been to Berlin for tips.

First place the border opened

On November 9, 1989, when it was announced that the border between East and West would be relaxed, the first border crossing to open was at Bornholmer Strasse.

Today it’s one of the many places where you can see Berlin Wall remains, and there’s a great display about the border opening. Visit it near the Bornholmer Str Sbahn station.

There are bombs all over the city

Even though World War II ended almost 80 years ago, bombs are still discovered on a regular basis. Usually they have to be defused on site where they were discovered, causing evacuations in the area.

It might sound scary, but it’s all very controlled, and it happens frequently enough to not even be shocking. Unfortunately finding a bomb means hours and hours of disruption as people aren’t allowed to stay in their homes if they’re within a certain radius.

The airport that’s now a park

Tempelhof Airport was one of Berlin’s first airports, built by the Nazis on top of a previous small airport. During the Cold War, it was located in the West and used for the Berlin Airlift when the Soviets cut off West Berlin from receiving supplies via land routes.

Since Berlin had other airports, Tempelhof eventually became less important. Airport operations ceased in 2008, and in 2010 the field was reopened as a park.

The runway is still in tact and the terminal building still stands, making this one of the most unique parks you’ll come across.

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Berlin airport drama

For decades, Berlin had Tegel Airport in the northwest and Schönefeld Airport in the southeast, technically in Brandenburg. They were old, creaking, and bursting at the seams.

Schönefeld felt like an old warehouse building and mostly served low cost airlines. It was depressing.

At Tegel, while waiting for a flight, I once saw a pigeon walking around, and there wasn’t a door or open-able window in sight.

But if you had a flight in terminal A at Tegel, and especially if you were being dropped off by a taxi or car service, you could get from the door to your gate in about 10 minutes. It was a dilapidated airport, but it was wonderful.

No one wanted to update either airport because there were big plans to build a new fancy one to replace them both. But after years and years of delays and problems, it became a big joke.

Corruption. Bankruptcy. Bribes. Faulty construction. Escalators that were too short. Fire safety hazards. A fake engineer.

BER was originally supposed to open in 2011, but it didn’t happen until 2020. It’s still not a great airport, so if you’re flying into the BER airport to get to Berlin, I’m sorry it doesn’t feel like a brand new airport should.

Briefly not the capital

Throughout history, Berlin has been the capital of Germany with one big exception. After WWII when the city was split, it didn’t make sense to have the capital in West Berlin.

So during the Cold War, the capital of West Berlin was in Bonn, a pretty city not far from Cologne. Once the country was reunified in 1990, Berlin became the capital again.

Berlin cherry blossoms

People often think of places like Japan or Washington, DC when they think of cherry blossoms, but you can find lots of gorgeous cherry blossoms in Berlin too.

Many of them were planted in places where the Berlin Wall once stood, and they were a gift from Japan after the Wall fell. If you travel to Berlin in spring, you’re sure to see a few of them.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this list of trivia and facts about Berlin was fun to read. But there are lots more tips on the site!