Berlin | Basic Tips for your tour of the German capital

Berlin has recently become one of the most visited European cities. Moreover, it is an ideal destination for a trip taking advantage of a bridge and in the capital of Germany you will find numerous and varied attractions. If you are making your first trip to Berlin these basic tips will be useful for your sightseeing tour which allows you to have a first look at what you are getting. These tips give you the conclusion of my last tourist trip to Berlin where I spent four days.

Berlin Museums

Berlin Dome

Berlin is a huge city. It is the largest expanse of Europe overtaking cities like London and Paris while its 3.4 million inhabitants have much lower density. Therefore, when visiting Berlin it is going to be imperative that you use public transport. In particular not very new subway lines, buses or trams that are alone in the former communist sphere of influence of the GDR. When you fly to Berlin you still have two possible airports for arrival. The Tegel, the former western part of the city located near the city center is just 6 kilometers away. Shonefeld airport is further away, outside the city center, about 18 miles.

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Berlin Museum

Despite the vastness of Berlin you can raise to at least part of your cycling tour. In Berlin there are 3.5 million bikes and just 1.2 million cars. When you get to see that it’s a town entirely designed for and taken by bicycle. The price to rent a bike in Berlin for a day ranges from 10 to 12 euros and there are many visitors who choose this means of transport to move around the tourist areas of the city. If not, we highly recommend that you buy a transport card to get around Berlin. In Berlin your visit should focus on four themes. On the one hand Berlin as capital of the German Empire during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was at war. Subsequently Berlin was the capital of Nazi Germany and home to the memorials dedicated to the Jewish people.

Berlin Dome interior

The wall that separated the east and west of the city from 1961 to 1990 should be one of the protagonists of your visit with highlights including Checkpoint Charlie and the East Side Gallery. Finally as the capital, Berlin museums and in particular the Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They say that Berlin has 170 museums but if you’re not very fond of museums you should aim an essential visit the Pergamon Museum.

Berlin photos: Valentina Perzolla, Stephen Walford Photography, Tony Smith, Dick Claesson.