Berlin doesn't hide its history the way other capitals do, the Wall's path is marked in cobblestones through the middle of the street, bullet-scarred facades stand next to glass towers, and entire neighbourhoods still carry the memory of which side of the city they used to be on. It's cheap by European capital standards, endlessly reinventing itself, and impossible to see in one visit.
Cold War Berlin
The East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Wall, is covered in murals that turned a symbol of division into public art, walk it slowly rather than photographing your way through. Checkpoint Charlie itself is touristy and skippable, but the nearby Topography of Terror museum, built on the former Gestapo headquarters, is one of the most sobering and necessary museums in Europe.
The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse reconstructs a section of the death strip with watchtowers intact, giving a far more visceral sense of the division than the painted remnants elsewhere. Go in the morning before the tour groups arrive.
Neighbourhoods After Dark
Kreuzberg and Neukölln hold Berlin's reputation for nightlife that starts at midnight and doesn't stop, Berghain is the famous door you probably won't get past, but the neighbourhood is full of smaller clubs and bars with far better odds and just as much atmosphere. Dress plainly and don't arrive in a large group.
Prenzlauer Berg, by contrast, is Berlin gentrified, cafes, boutiques, and Sunday flea markets around Mauerpark, where an open-air karaoke session has become an unofficial weekend institution. It's the version of Berlin to see if the club scene isn't your thing.
Recommended Stay · Berlin · Charlottenburg
Hotel am Steinplatz
A restored 1900s Art Nouveau building in the quieter west of the city, with a jazz bar and easy access to the Ku'damm and Tiergarten, a calmer base than the city centre's louder districts.
