Berlin, the German capital, is a city rich in cultural and historical sites, which attracts more and more tourists every year. But beyond its museums and historical monuments, Berlin is a dynamic and avant-garde city, which has many surprises in store for its visitors.

Here is an overview from Julius Homes team of everything you can do and discover during your stay in Berlin in 2022:

The Berlin Wall

When visiting Berlin, you won't be able to miss this major historical monument of the 20th century. This wall, which was erected in just one night between 12 and 13 August 1961 by the GDR, separated the city for almost 30 years before it was finally largely pulled down in 1989.

Today, a whole part of the Berlin Wall is still standing. On the banks of the River Spree, you can discover the most iconic stretch of the wall, which is largely covered by paintings. Right next door you can also visit the Berlin Wall Memorial, to learn more about the city's history during this time.

What to do in Berlin? Discover the Tiergarten

The Tiergarten is a large park located right in the center of Berlin. At over 3 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, it is by far the largest green space in the city. While visiting this park, you can enjoy a very calming atmosphere, far away from the hustle and bustle of some parts of Berlin.

In this former hunting reserve of the nobles of the Holy Germanic Empire, you will discover trails, lakes, woods, and some emblematic monuments of the capital. The Victory Column, a tall tower that symbolizes Prussian military victories, sits in the center of one of the squares in this park. From the viewing platform located at the top of this column, you can enjoy a very nice view of the park and the city.

As well as being the perfect place for a stroll or a picnic, the Tiergarten is also where Berlin Zoo is located.

Berlin Zoo

The Berlin Zoological Garden is an integral part of the Tiergarten, it is the oldest zoo in Germany. With an area of 35 hectares, the Berlin Zoo is one of the largest in the world, and one of those which is home to the most different animal species (over 1,500), but also the most animals. (around 18,000).

As soon as you enter this zoo, you can admire the famous elephant gate, inspired by Chinese pagodas. All the different areas of this zoo have been built to respect animals as much as possible by reproducing their natural environments. You can particularly see the Bear (the emblematic animal of Berlin), pandas, lions, monkeys, or even wolves.

Leaving the zoo you can immediately reach the Berlin Aquarium, which is right next door and is home to several hundred ponds where aquatic species from all over the world live.

The Holocaust Memorial

This is one of the most famous sites in the German capital. This very large work of art made up of thousands of stone blocks pays homage to the victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust Memorial is located in the Tiergarten district, not far from the park and the Reichtag Palace. This impressive work, by artist Peter Eisenman, spans almost two hectares and forms a large labyrinth. Its 2,711 blocks of stone, higher and higher, cause a feeling of striking oppression.

Below the labyrinth, you can find a large Holocaust information center, which can be visited for free.

The Reichstag Palace

This palace, built at the end of the 19th century when the First Reich was founded, is still one of the symbols of Germany today. With its impressive glass dome and imposing facade, the Reichstag Palace is easily distinguished from all other buildings in Berlin.

Even today, this palace is the place where the German Parliament sits. You can discover it during a guided tour, and you will even have the opportunity to access the roof, to see the dome up close, and admire a beautiful panoramic view.

Museum Island

Museumsinsel, Berlin's Museum Island is a true district entirely devoted to culture. Created by King Frederick William III almost two centuries ago, this district is located on the northern part of the Spreeinsel, a small island that sits on the Spree.

Museum Island is home to several national museums:

• The Pergamon Museum, the largest archeological museum in the city, which houses a vast collection of works and objects from Antiquity. This museum is the most popular in Berlin, welcoming over a million visitors every year.
• The Bode-Museum, an art museum where the largest collection of ancient sculptures in the world is exhibited. You can also see an incredible collection of Byzantine art, with works dating from the 3rd to 15th centuries.
• La Alte Nationalgalerie, a superb museum built on the model of a Roman temple, devoted in large part to German art of the 19th century. You can also discover works by French impressionists like Manet and Monet.
• The Altes Museum, or Royal Museum, was an art and history museum that was the city's very first museum open to the public. It houses in particular the collection of the royal family of Prussia, and a collection of works of art from Roman and Greek antiquity.
• The Neues Museum, another art and history museum, is dedicated to works dating from prehistoric times, ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire.

In addition to all these museums, the island is also home to some remarkable buildings:

• Berlin Cathedral, the city's stunning historic Protestant church
• Berlin Castle, the residence of the imperial and royal family before the fall of the German Empire at the end of the First World War

If you want to discover Museum Island, I advise you to look for a Berlin pass which includes admission to all 5 museums.

Charlottenburg Palace

This Rococo palace, the former summer residence of the royal family, is the largest and certainly the most beautiful of Berlin's palaces. Charlottenburg Palace was the residence of Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Frederick III. It was on his death that he took the name Charlottenburg in his honor.

This magnificent castle is particularly known for its living room and its ballroom, nicknamed the “  Golden Gallery  ” for the richness of its decoration. In the Silver Room, 100 tables are still set with gold and silver cutlery and porcelain crockery, to recall the opulence of the royal banquets of the time.

In the castle grounds, you can discover superb Baroque gardens, the impressive Mausoleum of Queen Louise, as well as the Belvedere tearoom, which offers a beautiful view of the River Spree.

Badeschiff

If the weather is right during your stay in Berlin, you might just want a swim. In front of the Kreuzberg Arena, you can reach a large floating swimming pool, set on the River Spree.

Open since 2004, the Badeschiff public swimming pool has quickly become a very popular site in Berlin. This floating swimming pool, covered during the winter and uncovered during the summer, was built from an old cargo ship.

In addition to the swimming pool, two other platforms are used as a sauna during the summer and a solarium during the winter.

The Brandenburg Gate

This is one of the other historical landmarks of the city of Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the old city gates. It was built at the end of the 18th century at the request of the Prussian King Frederick William II, inspired by the style of the Propylaea in the Acropolis of Athens.

With its 26 meters high and its copper statue of the Goddess of Victory in an ancient chariot drawn by four horses, this gate which is just a few steps from Pariser Platz is a symbol of peace.

This site is one of the must-see discoveries during a visit to Berlin. I even recommend that you go see it twice, first during the day, then at night, if possible, to also take advantage of the magnificent lighting that enhances the monument.

Unter den Linden avenue

Unter den Linden literally means “under the lime trees”. This majestic avenue in Berlin, which runs from Pariser Platz to the Castle Bridge, is one of the city's main thoroughfares. It is a bit like the Champs Élysées to Paris to Berlin.

Along this avenue, you can discover some major sites such as the Humboldt Forum, the Humboldt University, the Arsenal, or the Neue Wache. This is also where the bridge that leads to Museum Island is located.

Unter den Linden Avenue is also the perfect place for a little shopping spree, since you will be able to find there a large number of shops of big brands, often luxurious. Further on, Unter den Linden Avenue becomes Karl Liebknecht Straße, where the Television Tower is located.

Mauerpark Flea Market

The Mauerpark flea market takes place right next to the park of the same name, in the district of Prenzlauer Berg. Every Sunday afternoon, this is where you have to go if you want to be able to find objects of all kinds, often sold directly by individuals.

Clothes, records, DVDs, musical instruments, furniture... in this very popular market, you will find a very wide variety of objects, but you can also do a little karaoke session in the neighborhood amphitheater, and relax on the terraces bars and cafes, to enjoy the authentic atmosphere of Berlin.

Berlin TV Tower

The Berlin Fernsehturm is located right in the center of Berlin. This large tower, 368 meters high including its spire, is one of the most famous buildings in the city, thanks to its impressive architecture.

The Berlin TV Tower is more than just a transmission tower, which makes it one of the most popular sights in Berlin is its panoramic viewing platform, located at an altitude of 203 meters. It is the highest viewpoint open to the public in Germany, and you can also find a bar there.

The undergrounds of Berlin

Under the streets of the metropolis is a vast network of undergrounds, where many bunkers were built during World War II and during the Cold War, to protect Berliners in the event of air attacks. Today, to discover these fascinating places, you can visit the Museum of the Underworlds (Berlin's Unterwelten-Museum).

On a guided tour, you can discover the impressive bunkers of the Gesundbrunnen underground station, the escape tunnel between East and West Berlin, as well as the remains of anti-aircraft defenses.

Checkpoint Charlie

The Checkpoint Charlie, also known as "Checkpoint C," is the most famous of the border posts which allowed people to move from East Berlin to West Berlin during the period of the Cold War, at the time the Berlin Wall was still standing between 1961 and 1989.

Checkpoint Charlie was the place through which foreigners, diplomats, and political prisoners crossed the border. This checkpoint is one of the most important historical sites in the city. It was here that in 1961, Soviet and American tanks faced each other, as the whole world feared the start of a Third World War.

Today, Checkpoint Charlie is one of the most visited tourist spots in the German capital. Nearby, the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie museum is dedicated to the history of this place, including a large collection of documents relating to escapes to the West.

Tempelhof park

Since 2010, the old Berlin airport, located in the district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, has been completely converted into a huge park where many activities are offered. In the Tempelhof park, you can take beautiful walks or bike rides, as well as rollerblading, skateboarding, sand yachting, and a lot of other sporting activities on more than 6 km of tracks.

You can also do a lot of other activities, like dancing, yoga, gardening, mini-golf or even boxing.