Travel to Berlin now happens through Berlin Schoenefeld, SXF, located in the southeast corner of the city. 

The airport express train is the fastest way to reach Berlin city center from the Flughaten Berlin-Schoenefeld station (the station itself is around 10 minutes’ walking distance from the airport terminal). The train runs every 30 minutes between around 4:00 am and 11:00 pm and costs €3.30 each way.

The former top international airport, Berlin Tegel, TXL, located in the northwest, close for good during the pandemic and Schoenefeld, after delays and cost overruns, expands into Berlin’s main airport. 

Top Things to Do in Berlin

Berlin, Germany’s capital, is also its largest city. It’s a major center of politics, media, culture and science. As well, it’s also rich in culture and history, being home to iconic landmarks, buildings, galleries, shopping centers, and a variety of sports and other institutions. Berlin also has a vibrant nightlife. Some of the top things to do in Berlin gave below.

Brandenburg Gate

This attraction and its site is one of the most famous and recognizable in Berlin — a must-see for first-time visitors. Brandenburg Gate was built in the late 18th century by the Prussian King Frederick William II. Of course there was an existing gate. But Frederick William II commission the new gate to represent peace. Settle on top of the gate: the Quadriga, a sculpture by Johann Gottfry Schadow, representing a chariot drawn by four horses abreast — as in ancient times. The entire sculpt apparatus is support by 12 Doric columns which, in turn, form five passageways. The goddess represents is Victoria, the goddess of victory. 

The Reichstag: Travel to Berlin

This is perhaps the most important landmark to visit in Berlin if you’re interest in learning more about the city’s history. The current Reichstag site, the meeting place of the German parliament, well sums up and encapsulate the drama of the 20th century in Berlin. The building was built in Neo-Baroque style in 1894. It house Imperial Diet before it was damages by the historic fire of 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power as chancellor. After the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War largely pass, the building was carefully restore by architect Norman Foster to symbolize a new, gratefully unify Germany. One of the best ways to explore this building: take the audio-guide tour, which happens also to offer memorable views of the Berlin cityscape. 

Museum Island: Travel to Berlin

Locate on the Spree, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to five world-class museums. It’s yet another Berlin destination that reveals so much about the city’s own history and culture. The museums include the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte National Galerie, the Pergamon Museum, and the Bode-Museum. These centers give tourists an opportunity to soak up and savor the richness and sophistication of the Prussian royal collections. For example, the Altes Museum was originally intend, when first built, to house really all of the city’s fine art collections. 

The TV Tower

The TV Tower, also known as the Fernsehturm, is the tallest building in Berlin. It was built in 1960. Although the communist regime in the old East Germany praise the edifice for decades as a fitting symbol of East German “socialism,” it is now consider as a unique symbol of a unify Berlin and, by extension, a unified Germany. The tower does give tourists a chance to capture and relish 360-degree panoramic views of the city.

Berlin Cathedral Church

Close to Museum Island, standing at a height of 75 meters, the church is perhaps the most imposing, as well as the largest, building in Berlin. It has three main sections—namely, the memorial church, the parish church, and the baptismal and nuptial church. One of its main highlights is the imperial staircase. It’s has bronze cornices and is adorned with dry-pigment, tempera paintings. If you visit the Hohenzollern Crypt, you can glimpse sarcophagi — that is, stone coffins — from that German historical era. Do get up the gumption to climb the 270 steps to the Dome. There you will get some great views of Museum Island.

Best Times to Travel to Berlin

The largely summer period from May to September is normally consider the best time in which to visit Berlin, since the weather is most ideal for touring and exploration, whether that involves, say, strolling around the city or having a picnic in the park. On the other hand, winter is also a very good time to visit Berlin, especially if you’re on a strict budget, since the airfare and hotel rates are very much lower during that season.

Getting Around Berlin: Travel to Berlin

The city’s well-known, extensive BVG public transportation system consists of the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. Indeed, they’re probably the best ways to get around the city. While the city also offers a variety of bus and tram lines, their service is sometimes slow. Another option for travelers are the city’s metered taxis. These roam pretty much all over the city. Or one can rent a bike. Especially if that person thinks they can use a little exercise, he or she can peddle along/within the city’s expanding network of bike lanes.

+ Always carry enough cash with you — many restaurants and cafes do not accept credit cards. 

+ Be prudent and keep a watchful eye on your wallet in tourist areas such the U-Bahn, so as to avoid pickpockets or other robbers/thieves.

+ If you can spare the time, tour Berlin’s kulturforum — a collection of mid-century, architecturally and culturally significant buildings erect in the 50s and the 60s on the edge of West Berlin. 

+ You can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city by exploring the old town of Berlin in Nikolaviertel.

 

Map of Berlin