Berlin, Germany is home to an array of fascinating sights. Historic attractions timestamp the city, making the past palpable and bringing the story of Berlin to life.
We were mesmerized by the city’s long-standing landmarks, gorgeous architecture and poignant memorials. Even during our bitterly cold wintertime visit, we explored Berlin on foot.
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To help fellow travelers – especially first-time visitors – route their way to the top things to see, we created this easy-to-follow Free Berlin Self-Guided Walking Tour.
About Our Self-Guided Berlin Walking Tour
Berlin is very walkable – and many of the must-see attractions are clustered together in the city center. We recommend taking this Berlin Tour on first day of our 3 Day Itinerary.
For walking directions, use the pin drop provided for each stop. You will find a map featuring our complete Berlin Walking Tour Self-Guided Route later in the article.
Some of the attractions we list on this Berlin Walk can be entered, so it’s noted whether or not there is an admission charge. If it’s not indicated whether a sight requires a ticket or is free, it is open public space.
Want an ad-free tour? You can purchase this Berlin, Germany Self-Guided Walking Tour PDF for less than a cup of coffee!
Berlin Self-Guided Walking Tour
This Self-Guided Walk in Berlin is about 4 miles in length. So, grab your best pair of travel shoes and let’s get to it!
While the walk could take as little as 2 hours, we recommend allowing at least 3-4 hours – longer if you want to visit multiple sights along the route.
Before setting off on your city walk, note the hours of operation for places you want to enter and adjust your Berlin travel schedule accordingly. It will also be helpful to read all our Berlin Travel Tips before your trip!
#1 Brandenburg Gate
MAP. Start your Self-Guided Tour of Berlin in Pariser Platz at Brandenburg Gate. It is, perhaps, Berlin’s most famous landmark and one of the best places to visit in Berlin.
The Brandenburg Gate has marked the entrance to the city since 1791, although it was blocked by the Berlin Wall that surrounded West Berlin from 1961 until 1989.
The gate, with six columns and topped with a horse-drawn chariot carrying Victoria, has served as the backdrop for historical speeches and political demonstrations.
The square that the gate opens onto is Pariser Platz. It is home to both the US and French embassies, as well as the iconic – and high-priced – Adlon Hotel.
The property opened in 1907 and, today, the Royal Suite fetches almost $30,000 a night. Many dignitaries and celebrities have been guests of the hotel – including Queen Elizabeth II, Michael Jackson and President Obama.
#2 Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
MAP. This haunting memorial acknowledges and remembers the estimated 6,000,000 Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. The expansive Holocaust memorial, which was completed in December 2004, is unusual and striking.
Comprised of 2,711 concrete slabs of various heights, the arranged grid covers more than 4.5 acres. The pathways allow visitors to walk through and contemplate the terrible events.
On the east side of the memorial, stairs descend into the Information Center. The space may be small, but the exhibitions are powerful.
Visitors can review a timeline of the events and terrors that occurred between 1933 and 1945 at the hands of the National Socialist Party (Nazis). Letters and diary entries left from victims are also on display.
Not to be missed is the room that features the stories of 15 Jewish families. It details how they were impacted by the Holocaust.
In another room, the names of the victims, along with a short biography, are read for every known Jewish Holocaust victim. To listen to the names and stories of every victim on the list in its entirety would take 6 years, 7 months and 27 days.
The Information Center is free to enter, but it is important to be aware opening times.
#3 Fuhrerbunker
MAP. While we hesitate to call this one of the must-see Berlin tourist attractions, it is certainly hard to argue that it’s a significant location in history.
The Fuhrerbunker was Hitler’s bomb shelter. It is where he spent the last months of his life and ultimately committed suicide. After his death, the bunker was partially destroyed and sealed.
In an effort to dismiss the notion that the area was of any particular significance. apartment buildings and a parking lot were constructed over it. In 2006, a small plaque was erected at the corner acknowledging the site.
#4 Potsdamer Platz
MAP. Next up on our Self-Guided Walking Tour in Berlin is Potsdamer Platz. The contemporary square with sleek, soaring high-rises has come a long way since it was a trading post in the 1600s.
In the 1850s, a railway ran through the center of Potsdamer Platz and, in the 1920s, it was the buzzing center of Berlin.
However, the square was destroyed in World War II. It laid a wasteland during the Cold War when the Berlin Wall divided it.
You can see where the wall once stood, as it is now marked by a double line of bricks and a few remaining panels of concrete.
After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the square was revitalized with contemporary buildings. Panoramapunkt – a viewing platform accessed by Europe’s fastest elevator – is located in Kollhoff Tower and worth a quick look if you have time.
#5 Topography of Terror
MAP. Free Entry. The Topography of Terror is the best place in Berlin to learn about the totalitarian Nazi regime.
The site was chosen with great purpose. It once housed the Secret State Police Office (Gestapo), the SS (Protection Squad), the Reich Security Main Office and a prison.
Inside is a permanent exhibition documenting the rise of the Third Reich, the crimes they committed once they established power and the consequences at the end of the war.
From spring until fall, a second exhibit is displayed outdoors in front of the remaining cellar walls. Above, on the ground level, a 650-foot portion of the Berlin Wall still stands.
#6 Checkpoint Charlie
MAP. Checkpoint Charlie – or Checkpoint C (as there was also Checkpoint A and B, among other crossings) – was the best-known transfer point between East and West Berlin.
Today, Checkpoint Charlie is a bit of a tourist ruse, but it does help to illustrate how former East German residents were kept from entering West Germany in the heart of Berlin.
A replica Checkpoint Charlie hut stands near the original border crossing – complete with actors holding American flags. (They pose with visitors for photos in exchange for a few euros.)
The shack sits under an image of a Russian soldier…with the image of an American soldier facing the opposite direction.
On the northwest corner of the intersection is The Wall Museum Panorama. The Yadegar Asisi Panorama exhibition is an immersive experience that transports guests to the Cold War era (ticket required).
The adjacent Black Box Museum is an outdoor exhibition with a small entry fee. It details the history of East-West confrontation through multi-media displays, photographs and even a model of a Soviet tank.
Free Walking Tour Berlin Food Break
If you need a bite to eat, there are several restaurants between Checkpoint Charlie and Gendarmenmarkt, which is the next stop on this free walking tour.
For fast food, go to Teras (MAP) where they make one of the best kebabs in Berlin. Alternatively, try the excellent currywurst from Frittenwerk (MAP).
If you want to sit down for your meal, see if seats are available at the always popular Restaurant Maximilian (MAP). It’s a mainstay for traditional German Bavarian food.
#7 Gendarmenmarkt Berlin
MAP. Origins of Gendarmenmarkt date to the late 1600s when the square was used as a marketplace.
It wasn’t until 1773 that the surrounding structures were enhanced with grandiose architecture. The centerpiece is the Concert Hall (or Konzerthaus Berlin).
Known as one of the best acoustical halls in the world, it is home to the German Orchestra (or Konzerthausorchester). They offer free tours on most days.
The Concert Hall is flanked by two nearly identical churches: The French Church on the north side and German Church on the south side.
A statue of German poet Friedrich Schiller stands in the middle of Gendarmenmarkt and at Christmas, it is the site of one of Berlin’s best holiday markets.
#8 St. Hedwig’s Catholic Cathedral
MAP. St. Hedwig’s Cathedral is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome…just on a smaller scale. After a recent renovation, the space is sparse and bright, but well worth a peek inside.
St. Hedwig’s was the first Catholic church built in (then) Prussia, post-Reformation. The building itself was completed in 1773, but the incredible dome was not added until 1887.
The interior is minimalist in design. The centerpiece is the organ, which clings like a barnacle to the wall above the entrance. Short organ concerts are held (for free) throughout the week.
Be sure not to miss the lower church, as the crypt hosts several small chapels and artifacts. The whole site is free to enter.
#9 Bebelplatz
MAP. Bebelplatz is a large square that is ringed by St. Hedwig’s Catholic Cathedral, Humbolt University and the Opera House. It was designed in the 1740s.
Humbolt University was founded in 1811 and is one of Berlin’s oldest universities. The institution has produced or employed 40 Nobel Prize winners – including Albert Einstein.
Today, the library holds 6.5 million volumes, making it one of the largest university libraries in Germany.
The Berlin State Opera House (Staatsoper Unter den Linden – or Lindenoper) was first built in 1741. Over time, the building suffered damage by fire and war. As a result, there’s been several reconstructions as well as a number of name changes.
It was in 1933 that Bebelplatz gained infamous status. It’s widely known as the site of a Nazi book burning ceremony. Here, 20,000 books by authors such as Heinrich Mann, Karl Marx and Einstein were burned.
In the middle of the square, a subterranean memorial (which can be viewed through a glass pane) features a room of empty shelves. The space is large enough to hold 20,000 books.
A plaque next to the memorial displays an ominous quote written 100 years prior to the book burning event. It reads: “That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people.”
#10 Berliner Schloss and Lustgarten
MAP. The historic Berlin Palace served as the royal residence from the mid-1400s until 1918. The monumental building was bombed during WWII and was completely destroyed in 1950.
An East German parliament building – the Palace of the Republic – was built in its place during the 1970s. Once Germany was reunited, that too was torn down.
Following years of debate, it was finally decided to rebuild the Berlin City Palace, with the exterior façade matching the original structure. The interior, however, boasts a modern design.
Completed in 2020, it now ranks as one of the world’s largest palaces. Inside, guests can visit the Humboldt Forum Museums (many of which are free).
Directly across from the rebuilt palace is the wide and spacious Lustgarten. We believe it’s one of the Best Parks in Berlin!
Formerly the palace kitchen garden (and later a parade ground, then a gathering space), the Pleasure Garden features green lawns, tree-shaded benches and a fountain.
#11 Berliner Dom
MAP. Berliner Dom – or Berlin Cathedral – is a misnomer. It is not, in fact, a cathedral, as it has never been the seat of the bishop.
The formal name of the Evangelical church is Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin – or Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church of Berlin.
The parish dates to 1451, but the structure as it stands today was built in 1905. It is the largest church in the city of Berlin.
The Dom is located on Museum Island, a small strip of land in the middle of the Spree River that is home to five magnificent Berlin museums.
In addition to attending services and concerts, visitors can tour Berliner Dom with a ticket. Top things to do include climbing up to the dome and trekking down into the crypt.
#12 Neptune Fountain
MAP. The Baroque Neptune Fountain – or Neptunbrunnen, but also called Forckenbecken by locals – is the most beautiful fountain in Berlin. As a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II, it originally stood in front of the palace.
Neptune stands at the center and the four female figures represent the major rivers that were once part of Prussia: Rhine, Elbe, Oder and Vistula.
To the west of the fountain is the Marx-Engels-Forum. At the center of the small park are two oversized statues that commemorate the authors – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – of The Communist Manifesto.
To the south is the striking red-brick Rotes Rathaus. The dazzling town hall dates to 1869. It is the seat of the local city government and there is no admission fee to take a look around.
North of the Neptune Fountain is St. Mary’s Church. It’s free to visit and don’t miss the Dance of Death painting in the western portico. The fresco dates to the year 1475.
#13 Alexanderplatz & Fernsehturm Berlin TV Tower
MAP. Originally a cattle market, today Alexanderplatz is a busy transportation hub, entertainment complex and pedestrian area.
The top attraction on Alexanderplatz is the easy-to-spot TV Tower, Fernsehturm. Standing over 1,200 feet tall, it features a viewing deck along with a rotating restaurant in the bulbous sphere.
The tower has been a symbol of Berlin since the 1960s. It still ranks as the tallest structure in Germany and the fifth tallest television tower in Europe. Tickets are required to go to the observation platform.
Before leaving Alexanderplatz, seek out the unique cylindrical World Time Clock. It displays all 24 times zones and the major cities in each zone.
#14 Hackescher Markt
MAP. Featuring boutique shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, Hackescher Market is the last stop on our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Berlin.
An outdoor market is held on the square every Thursday and Saturday, but it’s a hub of daily activity for locals and tourists alike.
Make your way to Hackesche Hofe, which is a series of eight connected courtyards featuring specialty shops. It can be accessed via the archway at Rosenthalerstrasse 40.
With your walking tour complete, give your feet a rest and hoist a pint at Das Lemke. The beer is brewed on site and pairs marvelously with their tasty currywurst!
Berlin Self Guided Walking Tour Map
Use this Google Map for an interactive version of our Berlin Tourist Map below.
Berlin Walking Tour Essentials
- Travel Camera: We use a DSLR Canon Rebel; it’s a great camera for budget travelers!
- Day Pack: Carry a zippered day bag; it will help to deter pickpockets!
- Weather Gear: Remember your sunscreen…or travel umbrella!
- Trip Planner: Get (and stay) organized for your vacation with our Travel Planner!
Start planning your trip to Germany! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing! Want additional tips? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for more advice – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!
Germany Travel Guides
- What To Do in Munich on a Layover (hint: go on our FREE Walking Tour)
- Dusseldorf Things To See (and their amazing Christmas Market)
- 1 Day in Frankfurt (plus our Self-Guided Walk)
- 3 Days in Dresden and Saxony
- Things To Do in Freiburg
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