Berlin – what is worth seeing in Berlin?

How many days are needed to explore Berlin, the European capital? What is worth seeing in Berlin? How many days do you need to visit the German capital? There are some people who visit very quickly, and there are others who have to look into every museum.

We did our best to visit all the top places in Berlin in one day: Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Philips Centre, Television Tower, Pergamon Museum, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, etc. Was it successful? Let’s see… The weekend in Berlin promises to be interesting :)

Sightseeing in Berlin

Some got up at the crack of dawn and were ready to start the expedition, but as happens in a larger group, even using the bathroom and eating breakfast mercilessly stretched out the time. Once we were able to leave the hotel we went to the nearest station, from which we took the train to the very center with one change. There are vending machines at the station where you can buy tickets (Polish language available). Since we were traveling in a larger group we bought a group ticket for 5 people plus bought single tickets for the others.

We traveled around Berlin itself on foot – the distances between attractions are not very long.

Our first point was Potsdamer Platz. Located here are: Philips Center and fragments of the Berlin Wall. In the large square we just happened to be at a sports happening, where there were various demonstrations, competitions and games. From there we went to one of the longest sections of the Berlin Wall at Niederkirchnerstraße. The building next door houses the Topography of Terror exhibition.

A must-see when visiting Berlin is also Checkpoint Charlie. The most famous border point during the Cold War. Aside from the McDonald’s in the background, a commemorative plaque and costumed uniformed men (with whom we can take a photo for a few euros) there is nothing special, but the place itself is worth a visit.

The next point was the Television Tower (Fernsehturm). Here entry is paid. At the entrance, it is better to go immediately to the queue, where you buy a ticket in the machine by paying with a card – it is much faster. It is also worth noting at the outset what the waiting time is. There are signs at the bottom that indicate the approximate time of entry for each ticket. In our case, this would have involved a two-hour (!!!) wait for the entrance itself….

You can also buy a more expensive express ticket, but it does not guarantee entry right away. Since we had to be at the Pergamon Museum within the hour, we opted out of standing in line. We left with the intention of returning later in the evening, when there are fewer takers (as it later turned out, we did not return there again that day).

Since we still had a while before entering the museum we decided to eat something. Near the Tower is a market (almost a Christmas market) where we bought typical frankfurters and, for dessert, doughnuts at Dunkin’ Donuts.

After this very caloric meal, we headed towards Museum Island. Before leaving Poland, we bought entry to the museum online so we could go to the entrance right away with a printout. What is important, clothes and backpacks must be left in the locker room (or we can carry them on our bellies ;) ). At the entrance you can take an “electronic guide” – there is a Polish language version, of course, included in the ticket price.

The Pergamon Museum makes a huge impression: the number and, above all, the size of the exhibits impresses all visitors. The Pergamon Altar, the Gate of the goddess Ishtar, the Facade of the throne room of Nebuchadnezzar II – these are just some of the museum’s rich collections. A minimum of 1 – 1.5h should be allotted for the tour. That’s how long it took us to explore, too, and we don’t tend to do it the slowest ;-)

From the museum, we went straight to Berlin’s most famous symbol – the Brandenburg Gate, and immediately afterwards to the Reichstag (the seat of the German Parliament). Here, too, we already had an entrance fee pre-ordered online (admission is free). Before entering there is an airport-like inspection with two differences: liquids can be brought in and they do not destroy sharp tools by committee (hammers are not welcome either ;-)). If they find something sharp one gets a number and picks it up on the way out. Entrance to the parliament is done in groups, all security measures are maintained.

At the entrance to the glass dome, everyone gets an “electronic guide.” Here, too, we have a Polish language version. Once we put on the headset we are in for a pleasant surprise because the guide automatically starts up depending on where we are and tells us exactly what is in front of us.

From the top itself there is a beautiful view of the whole Berlin – we figured that the view from the Television Tower would be very similar, so we decided that for today we had enough attractions :)

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While in Berlin, Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace are also worth seeing.