About

About ULTIMATE Berlin City Guide

ULTIMATE Berlin City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Berlin, Germany. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover Mitte, Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Schöneberg and the Tiergarten, Neukölln, and Grunewald and Wannsee, with day trips to Potsdam and Sanssouci, the Spreewald, Dresden and Leipzig.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, the Berlin Wall Foundation, the Bundestag, BER Airport, S-Bahn Berlin, the BVG, Deutsche Bahn, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Germany. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Berlin and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz in evening sun, by Bahnfrend, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alte Nationalgalerie lit at blue hour on Museum Island, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-and-gold tiers of the auditorium of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, by Mbursus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brandenburg Gate and its Quadriga against a clear blue sky, seen from Pariser Platz, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curved corner building of the Babylon cinema at dusk, with its neon sign, by Christoph Preiß, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A yellow U-Bahn train crossing a steel viaduct in Kreuzberg, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bode-Museum on the Spree at blue hour, with the TV Tower beyond, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The candlelit dining room of Borchardt on Französische Strasse, with its red columns and wine wall, by Rino Porrovecchio from Palermo, Italy, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spring meadows and trees in the Tiergarten, with the Sony Center roof beyond, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Landwehr Canal in Kreuzberg, with the elevated U-Bahn and a church dome beyond, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Classic cars in the glass-roofed hall of Classic Remise Berlin, a former tram depot, by Andrzej Otrębski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Charlottenburg Palace from its gardens, with the green dome under summer clouds, by Michael.F.H.Barth, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Charlottenburg Palace from its gardens, with the green dome under summer clouds, by Michael.F.H.Barth, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Classic cars in the glass-roofed hall of Classic Remise Berlin, a former tram depot, by Andrzej Otrębski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A currywurst with curry sauce and curry powder in a white dish, by Superbass, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sanssouci Palace above its terraced vineyard and the great fountain, from the air, by Carsten Steger, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Potsdamer Platz in evening light, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The green copper domes of the Berliner Dom above the Lustgarten under a clear blue sky in autumn, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Wall Pavilion of the Zwinger in Dresden under a blue sky, by User:Kolossos, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A painted section of the East Side Gallery beside the path along the Spree, by Pudelek (Marcin Szala), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, home of the Berliner Ensemble, with its rooftop sign, by Yair Haklai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The 1950s apartment buildings of Karl-Marx-Allee in summer, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A painted section of the East Side Gallery beside the path along the Spree, by Pudelek (Marcin Szala), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brandenburg Gate and its Quadriga against a clear blue sky, seen from Pariser Platz, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruined tower of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz, with the new church beside it, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gendarmenmarkt with the Konzerthaus and the French Church under a blue sky, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Havel and the Grunewald forest in early autumn, seen from the Grunewald Tower, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Havel and the Grunewald forest in early autumn, seen from the Grunewald Tower, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe with blue-and-white tiled façades, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Berlin Hauptbahnhof reflected in the Spree in the early morning, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Havel and the Grunewald forest in early autumn, seen from the Grunewald Tower, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A surviving section of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-and-gold tiers of the auditorium of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, by Mbursus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The grey concrete stelae of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe under a blue sky, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Spree, the Berliner Dom, the Rotes Rathaus and the TV Tower over the rooftops of Mitte in late afternoon light, by ArildV, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz in evening sun, by Bahnfrend, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz in evening sun, by Bahnfrend, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Deutsche Bahn ICE 4 train at speed under a blue sky (Fulda), by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The baroque Kollegienhaus and Daniel Libeskind’s zinc-clad building of the Jewish Museum Berlin, by Marek Śliwecki, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curving escalators of the atrium inside KaDeWe, by Fridolin freudenfett, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Konzerthaus Berlin lit at blue hour, across the empty Gendarmenmarkt, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A yellow U-Bahn train crossing a steel viaduct in Kreuzberg, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A yellow U-Bahn train crossing a steel viaduct in Kreuzberg, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Thomas Church in Leipzig, Bach’s church, in evening light, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Konzerthaus Berlin lit at blue hour, across the empty Gendarmenmarkt, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A surviving section of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Brandenburg Gate and its Quadriga against a clear blue sky, seen from Pariser Platz, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Museum Island seen from the dome of the Berliner Dom, with the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Neues Museum, by Flocci Nivis, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The steel roof and glass hall of Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie, by Manfred Brückels, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skaters and walkers on the runway of Tempelhofer Feld at sunset, by mangtronix, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skaters and walkers on the runway of Tempelhofer Feld at sunset, by mangtronix, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick towers and arcades of the Oberbaum Bridge, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spring meadows and trees in the Tiergarten, with the Sony Center roof beyond, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white castle on Peacock Island, its two towers linked by a bridge, by Oberlausitzerin64, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden tent-like roofs of the Berliner Philharmonie at the Kulturforum, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New Palace in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, with its green dome, by H. Zell, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Potsdamer Platz in evening light, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe with blue-and-white tiled façades, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red rooftops of Schöneberg seen from the tower of the town hall, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red rooftops of Schöneberg seen from the tower of the town hall, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Reichstag Building and its glass dome at night, with a Christmas tree in front, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The candlelit dining room of Borchardt on Französische Strasse, with its red columns and wine wall, by Rino Porrovecchio from Palermo, Italy, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sanssouci Palace above its terraced vineyard and the great fountain, from the air, by Carsten Steger, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red rooftops of Schöneberg seen from the tower of the town hall, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden tent-like roofs of the Berliner Philharmonie at the Kulturforum, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curving escalators of the atrium inside KaDeWe, by Fridolin freudenfett, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A quiet waterway in the Spreewald, lined with green alder and ash, by Jan-Herm Janßen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-and-gold tiers of the auditorium of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, by Mbursus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The open meadows and runway of Tempelhofer Feld under a blue sky, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spring meadows and trees in the Tiergarten, with the Sony Center roof beyond, by Perituss, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Berlin Hauptbahnhof reflected in the Spree in the early morning, by Ansgar Koreng, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Berlin TV Tower rising above Mitte, with the Spree and the Berliner Dom, by ArildV, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Landwehr Canal in Kreuzberg, with the elevated U-Bahn and a church dome beyond, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The WeihnachtsZauber Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt at night, with the Konzerthaus, by Andreas Trojak, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The WeihnachtsZauber Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt at night, with the Konzerthaus, by Andreas Trojak, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Christmas market in front of Charlottenburg Palace at night, by Leonhard Lenz, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.