48 Hours in Berlin: The Ultimate Guide to Europe’s Coolest City
Berlin is, today more than ever, the true capital of Europe. It doesn’t matter whether the European Parliament is based in Brussels or Strasbourg, whether the ECB is in Frankfurt, or whether London is the most populous city on our continent: since the end of the Cold War, Berlin has grown and constantly renewed itself, attracting young people from all over the world who constitute, every day, the lifeblood of this city.
It’s no surprise that, in recent times, Berlin has surpassed our Rome in terms of annual visitors. The variety of tourist attractions, functioning services, and the vibrant energy are three compelling reasons to visit. Culture, art, and history for those who want to discover the more traditional aspects of the city go hand in hand with parties, experimentation, and every form of artistic contamination—from music to urban sharing experiences. It’s no coincidence that many Italians moved here during times of economic crisis: fair rents, excellent transport, affordable living, and job opportunities attract tens of thousands from all over the world seeking a new beginning.
What to See in Berlin
Visiting Berlin requires time. The sheer number of fascinating sites means you could stop at every corner to delve into a new facet of this metropolis of 3.8 million people. Assuming a few days to explore, certain landmarks are essential: the Brandenburg Gate, the remains of the Wall at the East Side Gallery, Museum Island (Museumsinsel), Alexanderplatz—the heart of the old GDR that Franco Battiato sang about in 1989—the Reichstag, or the lively neighborhoods of Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg.
In the very central Mitte district, once part of East Berlin, you can stroll from the museums on Museumsinsel (a visit to the Pergamonmuseum is a must) along Unter der Linden avenue, where you’ll find, one after the other, Humboldt University, the National Library, Bebelsplatz (where the Nazis burned books in 1933), and the Opera House.
Walking west, you reach the Brandenburg Gate and the nearby Reichstag, behind which opens the expansive Tiergarten park. The impressive Holocaust Memorial, with its 2,711 concrete steles, the Jewish Museum, the futuristic Potsdamer Platz, and the ancient St. Nicholas Church are just a few more examples of places of interest in the neighborhood.
Kreuzberg and Neukölln: The Heart of Berlin’s Alternative Scene
South of Mitte lies the eclectic area of Kreuzberg, once the poorest part of West Berlin, now a temple of alternative life. The area has seen a huge influx of young people in recent years, filling its bars, ethnic restaurants, and clubs at all hours. Here, concert halls, squats, and diverse humanity revolve around Kottbusser Tor and along Oranienstrasse, or along the banks of the Landwehrkanal.
Extending south, Neukölln Nord is also transforming into an emerging neighborhood filled with artists and students. Checkpoint Charlie, the famous checkpoint for access to the American sector of the city, is also located in Kreuzberg. Unfortunately, today it has turned into a rather tacky tourist attraction, complete with fake marines for photo ops. Instead, just a few hundred meters further west, a more interesting spot awaits—the Topography of Terror exhibition, located in the former headquarters of the SS and other Nazi security organs.
Tempelhofer Park: From Airport to Urban Oasis
Tempelhof-Schöneberg is another district south of Kreuzberg, famous for the Berlin Airlift, which saw almost 280,000 flights land with supplies between 1948 and early 1949. Today, the airport is no longer in operation, and the runways and surrounding meadows have become Tempelhofer Park—a massive urban park loved by Berliners for biking, rollerblading, or simply relaxing in an almost surreal open space in the heart of the city.
East Side Gallery: The Longest Stretch of the Berlin Wall
Along the northern bank of the Spree river runs the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall—the East Side Gallery, 1,300 meters of original concrete from the GDR era adorned with murals painted by artists from around the world after the Cold War. Despite vandalism and fading, it remains the world’s largest open-air art gallery and costs nothing to visit, even if just for a sunset stroll across the Oberbaum Bridge from Kreuzberg.
Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg: Tradition Meets Modernity
To the north of the Spree lies Friedrichshain, the least classifiable and perhaps most vibrant area of Berlin. Bars, clubs, squats, occupations, and graffiti cover a neighborhood that never sleeps. For a taste of the city’s socialist past, walk along the majestic Karl Marx Allee, a 2.3 km avenue built in the 1950s to showcase socialist architecture.
Further north, Prenzlauer Berg is an elegant neighborhood that has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, becoming trendy and filled with a mix of vintage boutiques, outdoor cafés, and young families. Though it lacks traditional tourist attractions, the pleasure of a walk through its streets, with stops at quaint bars and visits to the Sunday flea market at Mauerpark, makes this area worth exploring.
Berlin’s Endless Surprises
Everything mentioned here barely scratches the surface of what Berlin offers. During our visit, we realized how essential it is to follow your instincts and let the city guide you. Every street hides a surprise, a detail, a perfect snapshot. Leaflets, posters, word of mouth, and your curiosity will take care of the rest.
Berlin’s 27 million overnight stays annually show how well this city attracts tourists of all kinds. Affordable attractions and meal prices further attract young people. In neighborhoods like Kreuzberg or Friedrichschain, you can enjoy a meal for under ten euros, and with a 24/7 metro on weekends, you can get around the city easily.
Events in Berlin
Berlin’s event calendar is endless. Besides thousands of daily private and informal events, many recurring ones attract large audiences year after year: the Christmas markets (dozens of them scattered across the neighborhoods), the Festival of Lights in October, the Berlinale (International Film Festival) in February, and numerous music festivals—electronic, classical, punk, jazz—plus theater, dance, art, beer, and more. Berlin has it all.
How to Get to Berlin
On October 31, 2020, the new Berlin-Brandenburg “Willy Brandt” airport (BER) was inaugurated, coinciding with the closure of the city’s two previous airports: Tegel (northwest of the center) and Schönefeld (now incorporated as Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport).
