Berlin, Germany

Berlin: A City That Has Been Rebuilt From Almost Nothing Three Times in 80 Years

Berlin was bombed to rubble in World War Two, rebuilt as two separate cities divided by a wall from 1961 to 1989, then merged and rebuilt again after reunification. The consequence of this layered destruction and reconstruction is a city with almost no intact pre-war streetscape but an extraordinary density of historical sites, memorials, and museums compressed into a relatively small area. Understanding what you are looking at requires knowing which layer of history you are in at any given moment – and the layers shift every few blocks.

The Historical Core

Brandenburg Gate was built in 1791 and became the boundary between East and West Berlin when the Wall was built in 1961. For 28 years it sat in the no-man’s land between the barriers, inaccessible from either side. Arrive at dawn or late evening for the best light and smaller crowds.

The Reichstag is the German parliament building, rebuilt by Norman Foster after reunification with a glass dome on top. Visiting the dome is free but requires a timed-entry reservation at bundestag.de; reservations open a few days ahead and fill quickly. Booking the rooftop restaurant (Kafer) for lunch or dinner gives priority dome access without the public queue.

Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe): 2,711 concrete stelae of varying heights occupying a full city block, designed by Peter Eisenman and opened in 2005. Entry above ground is free and open at all hours. The underground Information Centre documents individual families murdered in the Holocaust; this section is more affecting than the above-ground field. Free but timed.

Museum Island: Five museums on a Spree island, collectively UNESCO-listed. The most important is the Pergamon Museum, which houses full architectural reconstructions – the Pergamon Altar (2nd century BCE), the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. The Pergamon’s main hall has been under renovation since 2023 and the altar will be inaccessible until 2027; check current openings before visiting. The Neues Museum holds the Nefertiti bust; arrive at opening to see it without the surrounding crowd.

The Berlin Wall

The Wall ran for 155 km and was not a single barrier but two parallel walls with a no-man’s land between them. Most was demolished after 1989.

East Side Gallery: 1.3 km of the east-facing Wall painted with murals in 1990. The murals have been repainted multiple times as the originals deteriorated; what you see now is largely restoration work. The most photographed image is Dmitri Vrubel’s depiction of Brezhnev and Honecker kissing.

Berliner Mauer Dokumentationszentrum on Bernauer Strasse preserves a full border system (two walls, the death strip, watchtower) that gives a clearer picture of the physical reality than the East Side Gallery. Free entry. This is the section of wall that explains what the Wall actually was, not just what it looked like.

Neighbourhoods

Prenzlauer Berg in the old East survived the war better than western districts and gentrified in the 1990s. The Kollwitzplatz area has good cafes and a Saturday farmers’ market.

Kreuzberg has a Turkish-German community around Kottbusser Tor and a younger bar scene around Schlesische Strasse. The Turkish Market on Maybachufer (Tuesdays and Fridays) is one of the better produce markets in the city.

Where to Eat

Zur letzten Instanz on Waisenstrasse has been operating since 1621, one of the oldest restaurants in Germany. German standards: Eisbein (pork knuckle), sauerbraten, regional beer.

Mustafas Gemuse Kebap on Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg is the most famous doner stand in Berlin with typical 45-minute queues.

Practical Notes

The U-Bahn and S-Bahn day ticket is EUR 9.90 and covers all zones. Most major museums close on Mondays. Berlin has a cash-focused restaurant culture; many establishments still do not accept card payments.