Early western slavic settlements from the 12th century may have been the beginning of an early Berlin. The first written records of towns appear later that century. The year 1237 is considered the founding of todays Berlin. It benefited and grew from being on trade routes from eastern to western Europe. Successors to Frederick I established Berlin as the capitol of Bradenburg and the Hohenzollern’s ruled in Berlin until 1918. Berlin continued to grow and gained power and recognition throughout Europe. By the end of the 19th century it was one of Europe’s powerhouses. Being a seat of power palaces where built, great institutions established and municipal infrastructure built to reflect its growth.
Wars have taken their toll on the city during the Thirty Years War , Seven Years War, Napoleon’s occupation, World War I, World War II and then the Cold War which separated the city into East and West. This history makes visiting Berlin a unique experience. Berlin has changed in the past few decades since the wall came down and a unified Berlin has so much to offer todays traveler. A visit to Berlin surpasses everyone’s expectations.
Regions of Berlin…
Mitte
- Unter den Linden
- Friedrichstadt
- Museumsinsel
- Alexanderpaltz & Atl-Berlin
- Spreebogen & Regierungsviertel
- Tiergarten
- Spandauer Vorstadt
- Potsdamer Platz and Kulturforum
- Oranienburger Vorstadt
- Steglitz-Zehlendorf
City West
- Charlottenburg
- Charlottenburg-Nord
- Westend
- Wilmersdorf
- Grunewald
- Schöneberg
- Moabit
- Reinickendorf & Spandau
- Spandau
- Reinickendorf
- Tempelhof & Neukölin
- Tempelhof
- Neukölin
East Central
- Kreuzberg
- Friedrichshain
- Prenzlauer Berg
- Gesundbrunnen
- Wedding
East
- Marzahn and Hellersdorf
- Pankow
Treptow-Köpenick
- Müggelsee
- Treptow
- Köpenick
Points of Interests in Berlin…
Listed are some of the most interesting places to visit and see in Berlin.* UNESCO World Heritage Site. You may sort the table below by alpha name, type of site, classification of site, area and district of Berlin
| Name | Type | Class | Area | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alte National Gallery | Museum | 19th century Art | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Altes Museum | Museum | Old Antiquities | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Bebelplatz | Landmark | Square | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Berliner Dome | Landmark:Religious | Cathedral | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Bode -Museum | Museum | Art & Sculpture | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Brandenburg Gate | Landmark | Gate | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Deutscher Dom | Landmark:Religious | Cathedral | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| Deutsches History Museum | Museum | History | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| French Dom | Landmark:Religious | Cathedral | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| Friedrichswerder Kirche | Landmark:Religious | Church | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Gendarmenmarkt | Landmark | Square | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| KunstHalle | Museum | Exhibition | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Memorial to Persecuted Homosexuals under Nazism | Landmark | Memorial | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe | Landmark | Memorial | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| Museum for Communication | Museum | Communication | Mitte | Friedrichstadt |
| Neue Wache | Landmark | Memorial | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Neues Museum | Museum | Egyptian Antiquities | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Pariser Platz | Landmark | Square | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Pergamon Museum | Museum | Classical Antiquities | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
| Place of Tears | Museum | Historic | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| St. Hedwig's Kathedrale | Landmark:Religious | Cathedral | Mitte | Unter den Linden |
| Statdschloss | Landmark | Re-constructed City Palace | Mitte | Museumsinsel |
Day Trips from Berlin…
- Brandenburg
- Dresden
- Hamburg
- Lehnitz Sea
- Leipzig
- Pfaueninsel
- Potsdam
- Rüdersdorf
- Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
- Saxon Switzerland National Park
- Spreeworld
- Wandlitzsee
- Wannsee
Transportation in Berlin…
✈️ Airports
Berlin currently has two main airports with Tegel and Schönefeld. The new BER Berlin-Brandenburg Willy Brandt is still under construction and when open it will become Berlin’s main airport. It is located on the south side of the current Schönefeld airport.
TXL Berlin Tegel International Airport – Located on the northwest side it was, with Tempelton before it was closed, West Berlin’s airport. A majority of international flights arrive at Tegel . TXL Express bus takes about 22 minutes to Berlin Hauptbahnhof station. X9 Express bus takes 20 minutes to the Zoologischer Bahnhof.
SXF Berlin Schönefeld Airport – This as East Berlin’s primary airport. It is now where most of the low cost carriers fly into Berlin. Many of the old Soviet block areas still use Schönefeld. It will become terminal 5 for the new BER Berlin-Brandenburg when it opens. S9 & S45 S Bahn service is available to the city.
🚇 Public Transit
Berlin has ten U-Bahn (subway) lines and 22 tram lines that service the city.
U-Bahn Lines
- U1 – Uhlandstraße – Warschauer Straße
- U2 – Pankow – Ruhleben
- U3 – Krumme Lanke – Warschauer Straße
- U4 – Nollendorfplatz – Innsbrucker Platz
- U5 – Alexanderplatz – Hönow
- U6 – Hauptbahnhof – Brandenburger Tor
- U7 – Alt-Tegel – Alt-Mariendorf
- U8 – Rathaus Spandau – Rudow
- U9 – Wittenau – Hermannstraße
- U55 – Rathaus Steglitz – Osloer Straße
M Tram Lines
- M1 – Mitte, Am Kupfergraben – Niederschönhausen, Schillerstraße / Rosenthal Nord
- M2 – Alexanderplatz/Dircksenstraße – Am Steinberg (- Heinersdorf)
- M4 – Hackescher Markt – Hohenschönhausen, Zingster Straße / Falkenberg
- M5 – Hauptbahnhof – Hohenschönhausen, Zingster Straße
- M6 – Hauptbahnhof – Landsberger Allee/Petersburger Straße – Ahrensfelde/Stadtgrenze
- M8 – Hauptbahnhof – Landsberger Allee/Petersburger Straße – Ahrensfelde/Stadtgrenze –
- M10 – Hauptbahnhof – Warschauer Straße
- M13 – Wedding, Virchow-Klinikum – S Warschauer Straße
- M17 – (Falkenberg -) Hohenschönhausen, Gehrenseestraße – S Schöneweide
- 12 – Mitte, Am Kupfergraben – Weißensee, Pasedagplatz
- 16 – Frankfurter Allee – Ahrensfelde/Stadtgrenze
- 18 – S Springpfuhl – Hellersdorf, Riesaer Straße
- 21 – Lichtenberg/Gudrunstraße – S Schöneweide (via Eldenaer Straße, Frankfurter Tor, Boxhagener Straße)
- 27 – Krankenhaus Köpenick – Weißensee, Pasedagplatz
- 37 – Lichtenberg/Gudrunstraße – S Schöneweide (via Rhinstraße, Treskowallee)
- 50 – (Wedding, Virchow-Klinikum -) Prenzlauer Berg, Björnsonstraße – Französisch Buchholz, Guyotstraße
- 60 – Johannisthal, Haeckelstraße – Friedrichshagen, Altes Wasserwerk
- 61 – Adlershof, Karl-Ziegler-Straße – Rahnsdorf/Waldschänke
- 62 – Wendenschloß – S Mahlsdorf
- 63 – Adlershof, Karl-Ziegler-Straße – Mahlsdorf, Rahnsdorfer Straße
- 67 – Krankenhaus Köpenick – S Schöneweide
- 68 – S Köpenick – Alt-Schmöckwitz [/su_tab]
🚍 Buses
Berlin has 300 city bus lines that cover the Berlin metro and outlying areas. Many of these are double decker buses like those in London. Each bus line has a 3-digit number. The second digit indicates the borough in which the line runs:
- 0 = across more than 1 or 2 boroughs
- 1 = for the former boroughs of Wilmersdorf and Zehlendorf
- 2 = for the district of Reinickendorf
- 3 = for the district of Spandau
- 4 = for the districts of Mitte and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
- 5 = for the district of Pankow and the former one of Hohenschönhausen
- 6 = for the district of Treptow-Köpenick
- 7 = for the districts of Tempelhof-Schöneberg and Neukölln
- 8 = for the former district of Steglitz
- 9 = for the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf and the former one of Lichtenberg
In Addtion there are Express buses that use fewer stops linking the airports to suburbs and city center.
- X7: Schönefeld – Rudow
- X9: Zoologischer Garten – Tegel Airport
- X10: Zoologischer Garten – Teltow, Rammrath-Brücke
- X11: Krumme Lanke – Schöneweide
- X21: Märkisches Viertel, Quickborner Straße – U Jakob-Kaiser-Platz
- X33: Märkisches Viertel, Wilhelmsruher Damm – Rathaus Spandau
- X34: Kladow – Zoologischer Garten
- X36: Rathaus Spandau – Haselhorst
- X49: Staaken – Messe Nord/ICC
- X54: Pankow – Hellersdorf
- X69: Marzahn – Köpenick, Müggelschlößchenweg
- X76: Walter-Schreiber-Platz – Lichtenrade
- X83: Königin-Luise-Straße/Clayallee – Lichtenrade
There are 45 night bus lines whose numbers start with “N”.
Most international or intercity domestic buses arrive and depart from Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof in Charlottenburg.
- Flixbus
- Blablabus
- Eurolines
- Pinkbus
- Polskibus
- Student Agency
🚅 Trains
Berlin has a wealth of international, intercity, DB regional, and S-Bahn metropolitan train services.
- Berlin Hauptbahnhof – The central station in Berlin where all trains arrive and depart for S Bahn trains routes for Greater Berlin and regional areas and all ICE, IC & Eurocity trains to international destinations.
- Ostbahnhof – S Bahn service and trains east to Frankurt Oder & Poland.
- Südkreuz – S Bahn service and trains South to Dresden, Leipzip & Munich.
- Gesundbrunnen – S Bahn service and trains North to Rostock, Starlsund & Angermünde
- Spandau – S Bahn service and trains west and northwest to Hannover & Hamburg
- Zoologischer – S Bahn Services and trains west to Dessau & Magdeburg
- These S-Bahn lines also service the following stations within Berlin:
- Ahrensfelde S7
- Buch S2
- Birkenwerder S8
- Bornholmer Straße
- Bundesplatz S45
- Flughafen Berlin-Schönefeld S9, S45
- Frohnau S1,
- Friedrichshagen S3
- Friedrichstraße S1,S2, S3, S5, S7
- Grünau S85, S8
- Hermannstraße S47
- Lichtenberg S5, S75
- Lichtenrade S2/
- Mahlsdorf S5
- Nordbahnhof
- Ostkreuz S3
- Pankow S9
- Potsdamer Platz S1, S25
- Shcöneweide S85, S47
- Waidmannslust S85
- Wannsee S1,
- Wartenberg S75
- Westend S46
- Westkreuz S3,
- Yorkstraße S2
- Zehlendorf S1, [/su_tab]
🚖 Taxis / cars
With the high level of public transportation available throughout the city, it is not recommended to rent or drive a car. Again, traffic, lack of parking and navigating are pitfalls.
Taxis are easily accessed and can be flagged down. Rates of taxis a very good compared to other large European cities.
🚲 Bicycles
Berlin also has a bike sharing programme LIDL-BIKE. Traditional rentals are readily available throughout the city.
⛴ Boats
Berlin has 6 Ferries that are operated by the city transport company VVB
- F10 S Wannsee ↔ Alt-Kladow
- F11 Wilhelmstrand ↔ Baumschulenstraße
- F12 Müggelbergallee ↔ Wassersportallee
- F21 Krampenburg ↔ Zum Seeblick
- F23 Müggelwerderweg ↔ Müggelhort ↔ Neu Helgoland ↔ Kruggasse
- F24 Spreewiesen ↔ Kruggasse
🛴 Alternative Transportation
N/A
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