Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, located in northeastern Germany on the Spree and Havel rivers. It is a major European center of culture, history, politics, and media.
Browse Berlin campsites Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau Photo by Felix on UnsplashBerlin became the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701 and later the German Empire. The city was heavily damaged during World War II and subsequently divided between East and West until German reunification in 1990. Today it stands as a symbol of German history and European integration.
A circular S-Bahn line looping the entire city, giving a cheap and easy way to see Berlin's varied districts, from grand Wilhelmine architecture to post-industrial areas, all from a regular commuter train.
Regional express running west from central Berlin through Potsdam and the lakes of the Havel, useful for day trips and a good look at the transition from city to Brandenburg countryside.
Regional and IC services heading south run through the Elbe valley towards Dresden, with the final approach into Dresden offering pleasant river and hillside views.
A large mixed forest in western Berlin with sandy paths, small lakes (Grunewaldsee, Krumme Lanke) and the Teufelsberg hill, popular for half-day walks close to the city.
A long-distance trail circling Berlin and Brandenburg's lake district; several stages run through Berlin's outer boroughs (e.g. Köpenick, Spandau) linking forests, rivers and lakes.
A trail connecting historic villages on Berlin's northeastern edge and into the Barnim plateau, good for a rural contrast to the city just a short S-Bahn ride away.
Follows the former path of the Berlin Wall around the entire city, passing memorials, watchtower remnants and the contrast between old East and West Berlin; can be ridden in sections.
Follows the Spree river through the city and out into Brandenburg, taking in Friedrichshain, Treptow and the wooded Spree Forest approach further east.
A route tracing the Havel river and lakes from Spandau westward into Brandenburg, good for combining a lakeside ride with a night at a campsite outside the city.
Just outside Berlin proper, home to the Sanssouci palace and park complex; easily reached by S-Bahn and worth a full day for the gardens and Dutch Quarter.
A small landscaped island on the Havel with a 19th-century summer palace and free-roaming peacocks, reachable by a short ferry from Wannsee.
A quieter old town in southeast Berlin at the confluence of the Spree and Dahme rivers, with a moated Baroque palace and easy access to the Müggelsee lake and forest.
One of Berlin's oldest districts, with a well-preserved medieval old town and the Zitadelle Spandau fortress, a contrast to the modern city centre.
A large lake on Berlin's western edge with beaches, sailing and forest walks, popular with locals for weekend escapes without leaving the city limits.
Five major museums on an island in the Spree, including the Pergamon and Altes Museum, forming one of the densest concentrations of art and antiquities in Europe.
The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, painted with murals by international artists after 1989, along the Spree in Friedrichshain.
Regular passenger boats run through central Berlin and out onto the lakes, a relaxed way to see the city and its waterside architecture.
The glass dome atop the German parliament building offers panoramic views over central Berlin; free but requires advance registration.
The former Tempelhof airport, now a vast open public park, used for cycling, skating, kite-flying and urban gardening plots.
Berlin's food scene mixes hearty Prussian/German staples with the layered influences of a multicultural city. Classic street food includes Currywurst (grilled sausage with curry-spiced ketchup) and the Berlin-style döner kebab, both practically city inventions. Traditional dishes include Eisbein (boiled pork knuckle), Bulette (a pan-fried meat patty similar to a burger), and Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in a creamy caper sauce). Berliner Weisse, a tart wheat beer often served with a shot of woodruff or raspberry syrup, is the local beer speciality, and no visit is complete without a Berliner (jam-filled doughnut, called Pfannkuchen locally).
A UNESCO-listed complex of five museums built over the 19th and early 20th centuries on an island in the Spree in central Berlin.
A cross-border UNESCO site covering Prussian royal palaces and landscaped parks, including Glienicke Palace and Pfaueninsel within Berlin's boundaries, alongside Sanssouci in neighbouring Potsdam.
Six housing estates built in the 1910s-1930s, recognised for their pioneering social housing design and use of light, air and green space in urban planning.
A large protected woodland in western Berlin with lakes, sandy trails and the artificial Teufelsberg hill, popular for walking and cycling.
A nature park straddling Berlin's northern edge and Brandenburg, with forests, meadows and wetlands offering a rural escape close to the city.
Jason Bourne's tense meeting with Nicky Parsons beneath Alexanderplatz's iconic World Time Clock, amid a staged demonstration, was filmed on location in central Berlin.
One of the world's major film festivals, held every February with premieres, red-carpet events and public screenings across the city.
A multicultural street festival and parade held over the Whitsun weekend (May/June), celebrating Berlin's diverse immigrant communities.
An annual light-art event in October when landmark buildings across the city are illuminated with projections and installations.
A major international marathon held each September through central Berlin, known for its flat, fast course and record-breaking times.
Numerous markets across the city, including Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace, running from late November through December.