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The Brandenburg Gate on Pariser Platz, Berlin

No. 16 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

Berlin

Germany

World-class museums, landmark architecture and a famously creative, round-the-clock city life.

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Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Berlin is No. 16 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. Germany's capital and largest city spreads along the River Spree, with wide boulevards, grand 18th- and 19th-century buildings and bold modern architecture. Museum Island, a group of five museums in the city centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Berlin is known for its creative scene, from galleries and street art to clubs and live music, and for neighbourhoods with distinct characters, such as Mitte, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain. Large parks and lakes make it one of Europe's greenest capitals.

The Bode Museum at the tip of Museum Island, Berlin
The Bode Museum at the tip of Museum Island, Berlin. Photo: kaʁstn Disk/Cat, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source

Best time to go

May to September is the best time for beer gardens, outdoor cafés and lake swimming, with long, mild to warm days.

Winter is cold and grey, but the Christmas markets from late November to December are a highlight, and the museums are quieter.

Top sights

  • 1

    Brandenburg Gate

    The Neoclassical gate, completed in 1791, stands on Pariser Platz at the end of Unter den Linden and is the city's best-known symbol.

  • 2

    Reichstag dome

    Norman Foster's glass dome on the parliament building has a spiral ramp and views over the city. Entry is free but must be booked in advance online.

  • 3

    Museum Island

    Five museums on an island in the Spree, including the Neues Museum with the bust of Nefertiti, the Altes Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Bode Museum.

  • 4

    East Side Gallery

    A long surviving stretch of the former Berlin Wall along the Spree, painted with murals by artists from around the world.

  • 5

    Berlin TV Tower

    The 368-metre tower at Alexanderplatz has a viewing platform and a revolving restaurant.

  • 6

    Charlottenburg Palace

    The largest palace in Berlin, with Baroque state rooms and formal gardens.

  • 7

    Tiergarten

    A huge park in the heart of the city, with paths, lakes and beer gardens, between the Brandenburg Gate and the zoo.

Getting there

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is about 25 km south-east of the centre. The FEX Airport Express and regional trains reach Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes; the airport is in fare zone C.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a major hub for ICE high-speed trains from Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and beyond, and for international trains.

Getting around

The U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses cover the whole city. Most sights are in fare zones A and B. Validate paper tickets before you travel.

Berlin is flat and good for cycling, with many bike lanes and rental schemes.

Practical tips

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted, but some cafés, bars and small shops still prefer cash.
Language
German. English is widely spoken, especially by younger people and in tourist areas.
Safety
Berlin is generally safe. Watch for pickpockets on public transport and at busy stations. The emergency number is 112.
Visa & entry
Germany is in the Schengen Area. Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) now records non-EU travellers' entries and exits at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to follow. Check the official EU site travel-europe.europa.eu and your own government's travel advice before you go.
Power
230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F.

Official information: visitBerlin (official tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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