Berlin's history — imperial, divided, reunified — is visible everywhere, and this itinerary follows it chronologically: central landmarks, the Wall and Cold War sites, then museums and a day trip.
Berlin's history — imperial, divided, reunified — is visible everywhere, and this itinerary follows it chronologically: central landmarks, the Wall and Cold War sites, then museums and a day trip.
Start at the Brandenburg Gate, then walk to the Reichstag Building (book the dome in advance, it's free but requires registration) and the Holocaust Memorial nearby. Continue down Unter den Linden to Gendarmenmarkt, one of the city's most elegant squares.
Walk the East Side Gallery, the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, then visit the Berlin Wall Memorial for a fuller picture of the divided city. Join a Berlin Wall & Cold War Tours in the afternoon, and consider the DDR Museum for a hands-on look at everyday life in East Germany.
Spend the morning on Museum Island at the Pergamon Museum and Neues Museum, home to the bust of Nefertiti. In the afternoon, take the short train to Potsdam & Sanssouci Palace, the Prussian kings' answer to Versailles, easily reached on a Berlin transit day pass.