Berlin: A Local’s Culture + History Guide
Follow this foolproof plan to hit the city’s best art and history highlights.
Photography by Antony Sojka
It’s packed with storied landmarks (Brandenburg Gate, Berliner Dom) and home to UNESCO World Heritage palaces, but the big draw of Germany’s capital city isn’t only its history — Berlin also has a thriving cultural scene that’s ever-evolving. These days it’s a hub for boundary-pushing architecture and design, contemporary art, and cutting-edge fashion. Here’s a time-maximizing guide for hitting all the highlights.
Day One: UNESCO museums and a private art tour in an old air-raid bunker
Take your coffee with a dash of landmark architecture at Ben Rahim, an Arabian and Tunisian coffee shop within the historic Hackesche Höfe courtyards — they’re famous for their Art Nouveau exteriors created by August Endell in 1906. Order the cezve/ibrik, an espresso-like coffee made using a centuries-old Turkish method of brewing fine grounds in a small, long-handled copper pot over a gas flame.
Next, hop on the S-Bahn at Hackescher Markt for a quick ride to the Boros Collection, a private set of contemporary works (from 1990 to today) by Andreas Eriksson, Pamela Rosenkranz, Uwe Henneken, and other international artists. Housed in a converted air-raid bunker, the collection can be viewed only during a private guided tour offered Thursdays through Sundays, so it’s a good idea to book early.
From here, it’s a scenic 30-minute walk along the Spree to Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site made up of five museums built between 1824 and 1930. One ticket gives you entry to all; it’s impossible to view everything in a few hours, but make sure you see the 2nd-century Market Gate of Miletus at the Pergamon Museum and the bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum. (Visiting on a Saturday or a Sunday? Follow this up with a stop at the Berliner Kunstmarkt along the riverbank, where local artists and craftspeople sell their works and wares on weekends.)
After, unwind with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine at Gendarmenmarkt, one of Berlin’s prettiest squares. It’s home to Französischer Dom and Deutscher Dom, a pair of 18th-century buildings with Baroque domes that were severely damaged in World War II and eventually restored in the 1980s and ’90s. Check out the grand Konzerthaus music hall here, too; the exterior is decorated with sculptures of Apollo, God of the Arts, and other mythological figures.
End your day with an artful dinner at the counter of Michelin-starred Nobelhart & Schmutzig. (It has only 28 seats, so make reservations.) For the 10-course tasting menu, chef Micha Shäfer uses only ingredients sourced from the city and surrounding areas — and watching him at work in the open kitchen is a performance in itself.
Day Two: The Wall, the Jewish Museum, and Napoleon’s lunchtime haunt
Begin the day with a big landmark: the Berlin Wall Memorial. The open-air exhibit stretches along Bernauer Straße and includes a 200-foot section of the original wall. The Documentation Center offers a free multimedia exhibit with a detailed overview of political and social history surrounding the wall and reunification. Don’t miss the upstairs exhibit featuring historic news footage of the wall coming down in 1989. Seeing East Berliners step foot in the West — some for the first time — is an emotional reminder of just how far the city has come in the past 30 years.
Next, head to the Jewish Museum Berlin. Inside the zinc-paneled building designed by American-Polish architect Daniel Libeskind is a chronicle of Jewish life in Germany over the past 2,000 years. A particularly powerful component is the Exhibition in the Axes, which tells the story of the Holocaust in a deeply personal way, using everyday items like letters and family photos of those murdered in concentration camps.
A few blocks away is Berlinische Galerie, the state’s museum for modern art, photography, and architecture. It’s housed in a converted glass warehouse, with two floating staircases leading to the permanent exhibit of Berlin’s art from 1880 to 1980 (organized chronologically, with a focus on Dada and Eastern European avant-garde).
For a late lunch of classic German fare, try Zur Letzten Instanz, the city’s oldest restaurant. (Reservations required.) Established in 1621, this eatery was purportedly frequented by Napoleon and Beethoven. Its name translates to “The Last Chance,” and according to legend, it refers to the days when those being tried in a nearby court would come in for a final drink before being sentenced to prison. Try the Königsberger Klopse, meatballs in a rich sauce made from butter and meat broth, and order a draft beer (served from the barrel).
End the day at the Grand Hall with a symphony by the Berlin Philharmonie, one of the best in the world. Designed by Hans Scharoun in the early 1960s, the space offers a unique, up-close concert experience thanks to the orchestra placement right in the center, with the audience seated all around. If you need a late-night bite, order the Käsespätzle, a cheese pasta with onions and chives, at Clärchens Ballhaus in Mitte. This circa-1913 ballroom damaged in World War II was restored and reopened in 2005, and now it’s a popular spot to dance to the tunes of a swing band or DJ until the early hours. (Trivia tidbit: Quentin Tarantino filmed a scene from Inglourious Basterds in the venue’s antique-mirror-lined upstairs restaurant, Spiegelsaal.)
Day Three: Prussian palaces and the 18th-century Dutch Quarter
A historical tour here wouldn’t be complete without a day dedicated to the grand palaces of the Prussian monarchy. Start with the 700-acre, UNESCO World Heritage Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, which borders Berlin to the southwest. (To get there: Take the S-Bahn 7 from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, about 30 minutes, and rent wheels from Pedales, the bike shop on the station’s ground floor; then ride the bike path about 25 minutes, following signs to Sanssouci Palace.) Sanssouci was the summer residence of Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, and you can check out — and learn all about — its resplendent rococo interiors with a 45-minute audio tour.
From here, ride through the park toward the New Palace. Finished by Frederick in 1769, it’s considered the last great Prussian baroque palace ever completed. It served primarily as a guesthouse until Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany and eldest grandson of Britain’s Queen Victoria, used it as his family residence until his abdication in 1918. The interiors are marked by magnificent banquet halls and impressive galleries of 18th-century art, and the expansive grounds are dotted with gardens.
A good bet for lunch is Potsdam’s charming Dutch Quarter. Built for immigrant laborers by architect Jan Bouman between 1734 and 1742, the well-preserved 134 red-brick houses arranged on four squares are now filled with shops, galleries, and restaurants. Maison Charlotte is a local favorite for its standout French fare, including foie gras and crème brûlée. (If you can, snag a seat in the gorgeous garden in back.)
After returning your wheels, catch the S-Bahn 7 to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, and then transfer to the M10 Tram to Eberswalder Straße. Once there, it’s a five-minute walk to Prater Biergarten, the oldest beer garden in the city and still one of its most popular. Stake out a seat at a picnic table beneath one of the chestnut trees, order a bratwurst with sauerkraut and a side of German potato salad, and toast your trip with a stein of the smooth, house-brewed Prater Pils.
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About the author: Leigh Crandall is a journalist and author who lives in Berlin with her family.
