What to Actually See in Berlin

Berlin: A City Where Half the Landmarks Need a Booking and Half Need Nothing at All

Knowing which half is which saves an entire morning. Here’s the current state of Berlin’s main sights.

  1. Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor): This 18th-century neoclassical monument sits at the head of Unter den Linden, leading toward Museum Island. Free, unticketed, and viewable at any hour.

  2. Museum Island (Museumsinsel): A UNESCO World Heritage Site with five historic houses, though one of them is currently closed. The Pergamon Museum has been shut since October 2023: its north wing reopens 4 June 2027, and the Ishtar Gate in the south wing stays closed until roughly 2037. The Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Altes Museum remain open, and the separate “Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama” installation is open now too, included in the day pass at EUR 24 adult/EUR 12 reduced. Buy tickets directly through smb.museum .

  3. PETRI Berlin: The newest addition to the Spree Island cluster, opened 24 June 2025 on Petriplatz. An archaeology lab built over the excavated foundations of a medieval Latin school, with glass-fronted conservation labs and interactive digital reconstructions. It’s included in the current Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island bundle and gets a fraction of the foot traffic the five older houses do.

  4. The Reichstag: Germany’s parliament building has a free glass dome with panoramic views, but entry needs advance registration with ID , roughly three months ahead since peak slots fill within a week. The dome is closed for maintenance 14-18 September, 28 September-2 October, and 19-30 October 2026; the roof terrace stays open through all three windows. Book a guided Reichstag visit on GetYourGuide if you’d rather skip the registration mechanics and have someone else hold the slot.

  5. Checkpoint Charlie: The outdoor guardhouse and sign are a free reconstruction, honestly a tourist trap at this point, worth a brief photo stop and no more. The Mauermuseum next door is a separate, privately-run, paid museum, not the same thing as the checkpoint itself.

  6. East Side Gallery: The longest remaining segment of the Berlin Wall, 1.3km along Mühlenstraße, painted by artists from around the world after 1990. Free, always open, and that is its only name in either English or German.

  7. Alexanderplatz: Home to the TV Tower (Fernsehturm), where dynamic pricing runs from around EUR 24.50 booked online in advance up to roughly EUR 28.50 at the walk-up counter. Check TV Tower tickets on GetYourGuide rather than pay the walk-up premium. The World Time Clock and the Alexa shopping center sit nearby.

  8. Tiergarten: Berlin’s central park holds the Victory Column (Siegessäule) and, at its southern edge, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The memorial’s Field of Stelae stays accessible 24 hours a day regardless of the underground Information Centre’s own hours, and it deserves an unhurried walk-through rather than a quick pass on the way to somewhere else.

  9. Ku’damm: Short for Kurfürstendamm, this avenue in Charlottenburg is a popular shopping stretch lined with boutiques, restaurants, and theaters.

For the Berlin Wall’s full surviving stretch at Bernauer Straße, plan a separate walk rather than folding it into a single sightseeing day.