Berlin holidays: Plan your city break to the German capital

Getting to Berlin

Most UK holidaymakers choose to fly to Berlin. With a short flight time of under two hours from London, flying is seen as one of the most convenient options. A number of UK airports offer direct flights to Berlin throughout the year; these cities include London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol and Manchester. British Airways and Lufthansa operate this route, as do low-cost airlines like Ryanair and easyJet.

Once you arrive at Berlin Brandenburg Airport - located 17 miles from central Berlin - the easiest way to get to the city centre is by hopping on a train. Airport express and regional trains run several times per hour, bringing you to Berlin Central Station. You could also opt for buses or private taxis.

Getting around Berlin

Berlin's public transport is extensive, affordable and easy to use. The easiest way to purchase tickets is at multilingual machines located at subway (U-Bahn) stations or at S-Bahn platforms. These tickets will be valid for all types of public transport in Berlin, from trains and subway trains to buses and ferries. Just check the length of your ticket validity while in transit.

To save even further, you may want to consider buying either a 24-hour single ticket, or a 7-day ticket - depending on the length of your stay! Concessions are available, and children under the age of five years travel for free.

If you're unsure about the best routes for your plans, check the BVG website, especially for the most up-to-date maps and information.

Brandenburg Gate

One of the most central tourist attractions in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is impossible to miss while wandering around the heart of the city. The gateway and the square in front of it, Pariser Platz, together with the renowned Hotel Adlon, all have played a key role in the city's history.

📍 S/U-Bhf. Brandenburger Tor

Holocaust Memorial

Within walking distance from Brandenburg Gate you'll find the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The 2,711 columns, as well as the exhibition space beneath, commemorate the murder of approximately 6 million Jews during the Nazi dictatorship.

📍 S/U-Bhf. Brandenburger Tor or S/U-Bhf Potsdamer Platz

East Side Gallery

Located on the banks of the Spree River, you'll find the several hundred metres that remain of the Berlin Wall. This wall once divided West Berlin from East Berlin and, after the fall of the wall, several international artists came here to decorate what remained, creating the longest open air art gallery in the world.

📍 S/U-Bhf. Warschauer Straße or Ostbahnhof

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral dates back to the 19th century and is located on Museum Island. During the Second World War, the cathedral was badly damaged, but was fully restored by 2002. It is worth visiting, especially during the Festival of Lights, when it's illuminated with colour in time to music.

📍 U-Bhf. Museumsinsel or Alexanderplatz

TV Tower

From the top of the TV Tower, you can see Berlin in its entirety. At 368 metres high, the TV Tower is the tallest building in all of Germany. At the 207-metre mark, you'll find a rotating restaurant; if you want to dine here, you'll need to book well in advance!

📍 Alexanderplatz Station

Kaiser-Wilhelm Church Memorial

The Kaiser-Wilhelm Church Memorial has become one of Berlin's most iconic monuments. Located in Breidscheidt Square, the original church was heavily bombed during the Second World War; its ruins now stand as a memorial to freedom.

📍 Zoologischer Garten station

Museum Island and the Reichstag building

From Museum Island, walk through the famous Gendarmenmarkt square and then the long street of Unter den Linden to get to Brandenburg Gate, after which you will arrive at the Reichstag building. Half a day should allow enough time to see the main attractions of this area; if you'd like to visit the glass dome of the Reichstag building (which is free of charge), make sure that you book well in advance and bring along a valid ID.

📍 U-Bhf. Museumsinsel or Alexanderplatz

Charlottenburg Palace

Built at the end of the 17th century, Charlottenburg Palace was used as a summer residence by the Hohenzollern family. It's the largest castle in Berlin, and its garden is much loved by the inhabitants of the city. On summer days, it's the perfect place for picnic or, if you're on the way to see the picturesque Lietzensee lake nearby, make sure you stop by the palace first.

📍 Bus stop Schloss Charlottenburg, or a 900-metre walk from S-Bhf. Westend or U-Bhf. Sophie-Charlotte-Platz

Pergamon Museum

Not only is it the most visited museum in Berlin, but the Pergamon Museum is also considered to be one of the most beautiful and interesting. Completed in 1930, it is divided into three main sections, covering Western, Asian and Islamic archaeology.

Whatever you do, don't miss out on seeing the Ishtar Gate and the Gates of Babylon.

📍 U-Bahn. Museum Island

Natural History Museum

Berlin's Natural History Museum is home to many dinosaur skeletons, including the largest in the world, a 13-metre-tall Brachiosaurus skeleton. You'll also find Tristan Otto, the most complete T-Rex skeleton in the world and one that's very dear to Berliners, which was recently returned to the Natural History Museum. In the taxidermy department, you can find numerous animals, such as hippos, gorillas, a dodo and Knut, a polar bear.

📍 U-Bahn. Natural History Museum

Topography of Terror

From 1933 to 1945, this was the headquarters of several key groups within the Nazi regime. This included the Gestapo with its own prison, the SS command, the SE security service (SD) and the Reich Chancellery. It's here that terrible persecutions and murders were ordered, as well as the organisation of the genocide of the European Jews, Sinti and Roma. This museum has a document centre where you can retrace the various stages that defined world history during this time.

📍 Potsdamer Platz Station

Humboldt Forum

The Humboldt Forum was given the tricky task of uniting cultural and scientific history within a single space. So this is where you'll find the Ethnological Museum, the Museum of Asian Art, the Berlin Exhibition and the Humboldt Laboratory. At present, entry to the Forum is free, as is the admission for all the other museums located here.

📍 U-Bahn Museum Island