The Spree, the Berliner Dom, the Rotes Rathaus and the TV Tower over the rooftops of Mitte in late afternoon light The Spree, the Berliner Dom, the Rotes Rathaus and the TV Tower over the rooftops of Mitte in late afternoon light The Brandenburg Gate and its Quadriga against a clear blue sky, seen from Pariser Platz The Bode-Museum on the Spree at blue hour, with the TV Tower beyond The green copper domes of the Berliner Dom above the Lustgarten under a clear blue sky in autumn

The city guide to Berlin, Germany

Best of Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island, the Berliner Philharmoniker and three opera houses, the story of the Wall, Rutz’s three stars and currywurst on the Mehringdamm: Berlin, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resort
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPrime neighbourhoods, agents, new developments and how buying works

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Berlin

Berlin runs from the Brandenburg Gate along Unter den Linden to Museum Island, west to Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm, east to Friedrichshain and the East Side Gallery, and out to the forests and lakes of Grunewald and Wannsee. Here are the grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the cafés, bars and clubs, the Philharmonie and the opera houses, the museums, the places where the city’s division is remembered, and day trips to Potsdam, the Spreewald, Dresden and Leipzig. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Berlin, the divided city: the back story

In depth

Berlin, the divided city

Berlin·In depth

From the Brandenburg Gate to Bernauer Strasse: where the Wall stood from 1961 to 1989, how it fell, and where to see its story today.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

The Berliner Philharmoniker, three opera houses, Museum Island and the Berlinale.

The golden tent-like roofs of the Berliner Philharmonie at the KulturforumArts + CultureArts & Culture in BerlinMusic, opera, museums and film

History & heritage

West Slavic fishing villages, two medieval trading towns, Huguenot refugees, Prussia and Schinkel, the imperial capital, the divided city and the reunited capital of art, music and night life.

The Brandenburg Gate in BerlinHistory & heritageBerlin: history and heritageSlavs, Huguenots, Prussia, the Wall and reunionA surviving section of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer StrasseThe back storyBerlin, the divided cityStart at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse: it explains…The red-and-gold tiers of the auditorium of the Staatsoper Unter den LindenThe back storyBerlin, the city of music and artBook the Philharmonie and the opera houses on their own websites as…

Berlin by neighbourhood

From Mitte to Grunewald: each area has its own guide.

The Brandenburg Gate and its Quadriga against a clear blue sky, seen from Pariser PlatzNeighbourhood guideMitteThe Brandenburg Gate and Museum IslandCharlottenburg Palace from its gardens, with the green dome under summer cloudsNeighbourhood guideCharlottenburg & the Ku’dammThe palace and the boulevardA courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe with blue-and-white tiled façadesNeighbourhood guidePrenzlauer BergAltbau, cafés and the MauerparkA yellow U-Bahn train crossing a steel viaduct in KreuzbergNeighbourhood guideKreuzbergCanals and star tablesA painted section of the East Side Gallery beside the path along the SpreeNeighbourhood guideFriedrichshainThe East Side GalleryThe golden tent-like roofs of the Berliner Philharmonie at the KulturforumNeighbourhood guideSchöneberg & the TiergartenThe Philharmonie and KaDeWeSkaters and walkers on the runway of Tempelhofer Feld at sunsetNeighbourhood guideNeuköllnTempelhofer Feld and CODAThe Havel and the Grunewald forest in early autumn, seen from the Grunewald TowerNeighbourhood guideGrunewald & WannseeForest, lakes and villas

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go.

The Reichstag Building and its glass dome at night, with a Christmas tree in frontBefore you goBerlin essentialsEntry, money, etiquette and getting aroundBerlin Hauptbahnhof reflected in the Spree in the early morningGetting aroundGetting aroundBER, trains and the U-BahnThe Spree, the Berliner Dom, the Rotes Rathaus and the TV Tower over the rooftops of Mitte in late afternoon lightItineraryThree days in BerlinThe classic first visitThe Konzerthaus Berlin lit at blue hour, across the empty GendarmenmarktLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addresses

Beyond Berlin

Potsdam, the Spreewald, Dresden and Leipzig, all within reach for the day.

Sanssouci Palace above its terraced vineyard and the great fountain, from the airBeyond BerlinPotsdam & SanssouciThe palaces of the Prussian kingsA quiet waterway in the Spreewald, lined with green alder and ashBeyond BerlinThe SpreewaldPunts through the alder woodsThe Wall Pavilion of the Zwinger in Dresden under a blue skyBeyond BerlinDresdenBaroque on the ElbeSt Thomas Church in Leipzig, Bach’s church, in evening lightBeyond BerlinLeipzigBach’s city

In depth: Berlin’s back stories

The divided city, music and art, eating, the grand hotels, rail and where to buy.

The WeihnachtsZauber Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt at night, with the KonzerthausChristmas & New YearChristmas in BerlinThe markets and the lights, 2026 datesA surviving section of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer StrasseThe back storyThe divided cityThe Wall, 1961–1989The red-and-gold tiers of the auditorium of the Staatsoper Unter den LindenThe back storyMusic and artOpera, concerts and Museum IslandThe candlelit dining room of Borchardt on Französische Strasse, with its red columns and wine wallThe back storyEating in BerlinThe 2026 MICHELIN year and currywurstThe Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz in evening sunThe back storyThe grand hotelsFrom the Adlon to the Ku’dammBerlin Hauptbahnhof reflected in the Spree in the early morningThe back storyBerlin by railICEs and sleepersThe red rooftops of Schöneberg seen from the tower of the town hallThe back storyBuying in BerlinNeighbourhoods and the stepsThe Berlin TV Tower rising above Mitte, with the Spree and the Berliner DomFun factsBerlin fun factsThings you might not know

By rail across Europe with the ULTIMATE guides

South to Vienna by sleeper, and the great train journeys of the world.

A Deutsche Bahn ICE 4 train at speed under a blue sky (Fulda)ULTIMATE ViennaViennaBy Nightjet from BerlinBerlin Hauptbahnhof reflected in the Spree in the early morningULTIMATE Rail JourneysRail JourneysThe great train journeysThe Havel and the Grunewald forest in early autumn, seen from the Grunewald TowerULTIMATE Ski ResortsSki resortsThe Alps by train

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.Visit the guide The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.Visit the guide The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Visit the guide Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegroships & regions)ULTIMATE Cruises (linesThe world’s cruise lines for every budget, from family resort ships to yachts, expedition ships and river boats, with the cruising regions port by port.Visit the guide Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es VedràSpainULTIMATE FormenteraThe white sands of Ses Illetes, the lighthouses of La Mola and Barbaria, the craft markets and an island made for bikes.Visit the guide The Baie des Anges, NiceFranceULTIMATE French RivieraNice, Cannes, Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Èze, Menton, Saint-Tropez and Cassis: palace hotels, three-star tables, beach clubs, the Festival de Cannes and the painters’ coast.Visit the guide Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide Helsinki Cathedral above the South HarbourFinlandULTIMATE HelsinkiSuomenlinna and the South Harbour, saunas by the sea, Aalto and the Design District, two-starred Palace and day trips to Porvoo and Tallinn.Visit the guide The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sunSpainULTIMATE IbizaDalt Vila’s UNESCO walls, Es Vedrà, three MICHELIN-starred kitchens, the beach clubs and the quiet north, 30 minutes from Formentera.Visit the guide Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening lightTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behindSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the ThamesUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, great museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran VíaSpainULTIMATE MadridThe Prado and El Retiro, the Royal Palace, DiverXO’s three stars and cocido since 1870, with day trips to Toledo and Segovia.Visit the guide La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la MarSpainULTIMATE MallorcaPalma’s cathedral and palace hotels, the UNESCO Tramuntana, Deià and Sóller, nine MICHELIN-starred kitchens, and Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.Visit the guide Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunsetGozo & CominoULTIMATE MaltaValletta’s knights’ city, temples older than the pyramids, Caravaggio, seven MICHELIN-starred kitchens and the Blue Lagoon.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, MenorcaSpainULTIMATE MenorcaA UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: the coves of Macarella and Turqueta, World Heritage Talayotic sites, Ciutadella and Maó’s great harbour.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratOur sister guideULTIMATE Property (prime markets worldwide)Prime neighbourhoods, estate agents, new developments and how buying works, market by market across the ULTIMATE network.Visit the guide The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakOur sister guideULTIMATE Rail Journeys (great train journeys worldwide)The story of the train, the great rail journeys of the world and where to book them, from the Orient Express to the Glacier Express.Visit the guide The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North MacedoniaOur sister guideULTIMATE Regions (editor’s letters & regional guides)Editor’s letters and the food, markets, nature and seasons each region shares, starting with the Balkans.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Matterhorn in winter above ZermattOur sister guideULTIMATE Ski Resorts (Europe & North America)Ski resorts in Europe and North America, country by country, for every budget: season dates, hotels, mountain restaurants, après, ski schools and getting there.Visit the guide The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at nightNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening skyBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue skyAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’OrciaItalyULTIMATE TuscanyFlorence, Chianti, Siena, the Val d’Orcia, Pisa and Lucca, Versilia, Bolgheri, the Maremma, Arezzo and Elba.Visit the guide Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its poolSpainULTIMATE ValenciaCalatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences, the Gothic Lonja, paella by the sea, Las Fallas and the nine-kilometre Turia Garden.Visit the guide The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central ViennaAustriaULTIMATE ViennaThe State Opera and the Musikverein, Schönbrunn and Klimt, the coffee houses and Heurigen, and Railjets to Budapest every hour.Visit the guide St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper TownCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide
The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakOur sister guideULTIMATE Hong KongThe harbour from the Peak, the Star Ferry, Cantonese dining rooms with MICHELIN stars, dim sum in the lanes of Central and the museums of West Kowloon.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayOur sister guideULTIMATE SingaporeMarina Bay and Raffles, three restaurants with three MICHELIN Stars, the hawker centres, and the Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Visit the guide A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, KandyOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffsOur sister guideULTIMATE Thai IslandsWinter sun on two seas: Phuket, Krabi and Railay, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta on the Andaman, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf.Visit the guide

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    Berliner Philharmoniker at the Philharmonie

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    Berliner Philharmoniker at the Philharmonie

    Schoeneberg·Concert hall

    The Berliner Philharmoniker’s season is under way at the Philharmonie on the Kulturforum: book on the orchestra’s own website.

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