17 Top Sights in Berlin From a Local Who Knows

With so many impressive sights in Berlin, it might be overwhelming to figure out what to see with limited time. I’ve lived in Berlin since 2015, so I’ve had a lot of experience exploring the city and showing other people around. This is my list of what I consider to be the top sights in Berlin.

If you’re visiting Berlin for 3 days, or even longer, it’s worth experiencing even more fun things to do in Berlin. But if your time is limited, or if this is your first time visiting Berlin, these are the top attractions in Berlin you should see.

What are the top sights in Berlin?

Berlin’s top sights are famous for a reason, so you should really try to see as many of these as you can on your trip. These are especially good for first time visitors to Berlin.

TV Tower

The Berlin TV Tower, or Fernsehturm in German, can be seen from almost anywhere in Berlin. So even if you don’t go out of your way to see it up close, you’re very likely to see it at some point anyway.

It’s 368 meters (1,207 feet) tall, is one of the tallest structures in Germany and the European Union. Originally intended to represent the strength of communist East Germany, the tower was inaugurated on October 3, 1969.

The TV Tower is one of the best places to go for views of Berlin since it’s so tall. The elevator takes you to the viewing platform at about 200 meters high for 360 degree views of the city, and there’s also a revolving restaurant on a different level.

Holocaust Memorial

The official name of the Holocaust Memorial is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and it honors the large number of Jewish people who were murdered by the Nazis. It’s one of the most important World War II sites in Berlin.

The memorial consists of 2,710 concrete blocks of varying heights, and the ground they sit on is an uneven slope similar to a wave. The information center showcases letters, diaries, photographs, and biographies of the victims to help personalize the experience.

Entrance is free. Photography is allowed (no flash inside) but please be respectful. This is one of the top sights in Berlin, but it is a somber sight.

Do not sit on or climb on the cement slabs or take selfies. This is a place to reflect and remember those who were murdered.

For more information, check out my guide to visiting the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate, or Brandenburger Tor in German, is one of the most famous landmarks in Berlin. It was built in the late 1700s and served as one of the gates to the city.

During the Cold War, Brandenburg Gate fell just to the east of the border between East and West Berlin, and the Wall was built around it. The Gate was then inaccessible to people on both sides of the divide.

President Reagan gave his famous “Tear down this wall!” speech from the western side of the gate, where people on the eastern side could hear. Today this gate represents a reunited Germany.

Stop by Brandenburger Tor for some pictures, and read my guide to visiting Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Museum Island

Museum Island is one of the most famous landmarks in Germany due to the gorgeous and important museums here. Collectively the five major museums here are one of Berlin’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Museum Island includes five museums to browse around in total: The Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum, and the New Museum. You’ll probably also see the museum names listed in German, which are: Pergamonmuseum, Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Neues Museum.

If you only have one day in Berlin, you might not have time to go inside the museums, but strolling around here and soaking up the architecture is still rewarding.

Visiting a lot of museums on your Berlin trip? It might be worth getting a Welcome Card.

Berlin Cathedral

The Berlin Cathedral, or Berliner Dom in German, is a gorgeous Protestant cathedral located on Museum Island. It’s one of the most well known attractions in Berlin.

Tours are available (not while church services are going on) and included with the admission fee if you are interested in hearing about the history of the cathedral. You can also climb 270 stairs for lovely panoramic views of Berlin.

In front of the cathedral, you’ll find a gorgeous park called Lustgarten where people often relax on warm, sunny days.

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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.

East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is probably already on your Berlin bucket list, and with good reason. It’s one of the places where the Berlin Wall still stands, and it’s covered in artwork.

At 1.3km (0.8 mile) this is considered the longest open air gallery in the world. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, artists from 21 countries came here to paint murals on the Wall to celebrate the reunification of Germany and to remind the world of terrible things that occurred.

Visiting the East Side Gallery is one of the things you must do in Berlin if you’re interested in the Berlin Wall. This popular attraction is open 24/7 but is best enjoyed during daylight hours.

Check out our full guide to visiting the East Side Gallery for tips, directions, things to do nearby, places to eat nearby, and more.

Oberbaum Bridge

Not far from the East Side Gallery, you can admire the Oberbaum Bridge, or Oberbaumbrücke in German. This bridge spans the Spree River and connects the districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

Sadly the bridge was badly damaged in WWII. Later it served as a pedestrian crossing once the Berlin Wall went up since the bridge sits at the border between East and West Berlin.

A few years after reunification, the bridge was once again used by cars, pedestrians, and the U-bahn to cross the river. Today both the U1 and the U3 lines run here.

The bridge offers great views of the river and surrounding parts of the city. You can also get nice views of the bridge itself from the nearby river banks or by taking a Spree River cruise tour.

Check out our full guide to visiting the Oberbaum Bridge.

Tiergarten Park

Tiergarten is a large inner-city park often compared to Central Park in New York City. It was originally a royal hunting ground, dating back to the 1500s.

Today it’s one of the prettiest parks in Berlin, loved by both locals and tourists alike. You can almost forget you’re in the middle of a huge city here.

Throughout the park there are statues, memorials, ponds, tree-lined thoroughfares, and lawns. When the weather’s warm in Berlin, it’s here that people flock for strolling, picnicking, and generally hanging out.

Read my full guide to visiting Tiergarten Park in Berlin.

Victory Column

I definitely think the Victory Column, or Siegessäule in German, is one of the top sights in Berlin. The column sits at a roundabout in the middle of Tiergarten Park, and was initially constructed as a monument to Prussia’s victory over Napoleon in the Franco-German war.

Today this is a popular tourist attraction, but many people don’t realize you can climb it. The column stands at 67 meters (about 220 feet) high and has an observation deck you can reach by paying a small entrance fee.

It’s one of my favorite cheap things to do in Berlin since it only costs 4 euros. The trade-off is there’s no elevator, so you’ll have to climb all 285 stairs to get these fantastic views.

Check out my full 7 Tips for Visiting the Victory Column in Berlin

Reichstag Building

The impressive Reichstag Building is the seat of the German government, located just a few steps away from Brandenburg Gate. It’s topped by a unique glass dome, which is accessible to the public.

You can actually take a free tour with audio guide, and you’ll learn about Germany’s government, the building, the surrounding areas, and more interesting facts. This is one of the most popular free things to do in Berlin, and you must book your tour in advance.

Tempelhof Park

Another beloved park in Berlin, Tempelhof actually used to be an airport. It was the base of the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War, and it’s a fascinating place to visit in Berlin.

The airport ceased operations in 2008, and in 2010 it reopened as a huge park. The airport terminal building still stands and offers tours, and you can now walk (or run, cycle, roller blade, etc.) on the former runway.

This unique park is also home to bird sanctuaries, fenced dog runs, BBQ areas, a beer garden, and much more. If you have time, I really think this is one of Berlin’s top sights and deserves a visit.

Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse

The East Side Gallery gets more attention, but I think the Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse is better. This outdoor memorial is loaded with information about the Wall, especially this particular section, how it affected the people who lived there, how many tried to escape, and more.

There is a stretch of the Wall standing here, and you can go to a viewing platform to see over it into the former death strip. At the visitors center, I highly recommend watching the two short films (alternating German and English) about the Wall in Berlin and out in the countryside between East and West Germany.

For more information, read my full guide to visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse.

Gendarmenmarkt

Gendarmenmarkt is a pretty square in Berlin where you’ll find an array of important buildings. It’s one of the most attractive and historic squares in the city, and it’s one of the more interesting places to visit in Berlin.

The three impressive buildings here are: the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral), the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral), and the Konzerthaus Berlin (Berlin Concert House). You can climb the French Cathedral for views, as pictured above.

This square also hosts one of the most popular Christmas markets in Berlin.

Charlottenburg Palace

This Baroque palace was built in 1695, and it was named for Sophie Charlotte who resided here as her summer palace. It’s one of the most gorgeous palaces in Berlin, with ornate interiors and excellent gardens.

Today you can visit the museums inside to learn more about the palace’s history. Even if you don’t feel like going inside, you can enjoy the gardens and surrounding park for free.

Topography of Terror

The headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS between 1933 and 1945 is now the Topography of Terror Museum. This is where they organized the persecution and killings of Nazi opponents, and where they coordinated the genocide of Jews, Roma, and Sinti.

It now serves as one of the top sights in Berlin to remember history and warn us from repeating the horrible mistakes of the past. The exhibits here use photographs and documentation to tell visitors about the crimes that were organized here, plus there are excavation sites you can view through glass windows.

Check out my full guide to visiting Topography of Terror.

A quick word about Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie often makes it onto many people’s lists of top sights in Berlin. And while there is some interesting history attached to this sight, I’m telling you, as a local, you really can skip this one.

You may have even seen pictures of people posing next to uniformed guards. Well, those fake guards aren’t even permitted to be there anymore. It’s kind of just a cheesy little hut in the middle of the street.

If you’re super into Berlin’s Cold War history and Checkpoint Charlie is on your bucket list, don’t let me stop you. But otherwise, if this sight isn’t important to you, save time for other things.

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Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was an important concentration camp during the Holocaust. Even though it’s not technically in Berlin, it’s in zone C of the public transport system, and I consider it one of Berlin’s top sights due to its importance.

Coming here will teach you about an important piece of Germany’s history. Though this is a somber site, it’s important to learn about those who suffered and died here.

Entrance is free, however tours like this one will provide valuable information and help with getting there from Berlin if the logistics are stressful for you.

Potsdam

This is another place I’m including on my list of top sights in Berlin even though Potsdam is another city. It’s just across the Berlin line, and it’s one of the most popular day trips from Berlin.

Potsdam is home to many gorgeous and historic palaces, and the most well known of them is Sanssouci Palace, which was Prussian King Frederick the Great’s summer home. The surrounding gardens are especially gorgeous in the spring and summer.

Other attractions include a the New Palace, Charlottenhof Palace, Babelsberg Palace, and a handful of other palaces and parks. Collectively they are known as the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this list of top sights in Berlin is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!