Berlin in one day

Berlin in one day – Tour summary

For who: Berlin visitors with little time/ First time visitors

Distance on foot: 7 km (can be shortened by public transport at differnt points)

Start: S/U-Station Warschauer Straße or Alexanderplatz

End: Potsdamer Platz

Sights: Oberbaumbrücke, East Side Gallerie, Spreeufer, Alexanderplatz, Fernsehturm, Rotes Rathaus, Berliner Dom, Museumsinsel, Monbijou-Park, Friedrichstraße, Tränenpalast, Regierungsviertel, Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor, Holocaust-Denkmal, Potsdamer Platz, Sony Center

Districts: Friedrichshain, Mitte

Optional additional route: Route
Main route with Google-Maps: Route

Berlin in one Day – Tour-description

For this tour there are two possible startingpoints: Warschauer Straße or Alexanderplatz . If you choose the second option you will missout on Berlins most stunning bridge (Oberbaumbrücke) and the longest still standing part of the Berlin Wall. On the other hand you will save 1-1,5 hours and almost 2 km of walking. If you have time and are in good shape start with Warschauer Straße. If you want to start at Alexanderplatz you can skip the next paragraph.

Warschauer Straße is accesible through city-train-lines (S-Bahn ) S3, S5,S7, S75, metro (U-Bahn) U1 and U3, tram M10 and bus 248 and 347. Here lays the touristic heart of the district Friedrichshain (be aware of pickpockets). If you turn right (from the train station) respectively north you will soon arrive at the RAW-Area and the Simon Dach Straße. Here you will find countless bars, restaurants and clubs to dive into the berlin nightlive. But for our our we will turn left/south and head downhill towards the river Spree. After a few hundred meters passing a few nightclubs you will arrive at the imposing Oberbaumbrücke. The brick-construction with its two castle like towers and viaduct leads directly into the lively district of Kreuzberg. But we will turn right before the bridge into Mühlenstraße. Here begins the East Side Gallery, the longest standing part of the Berlin Wall. Over 100 artist have contributed to turn the remaining 1300 metres of wall into one of the biggest and most impressive streetart projects in the world. If you follow the Gallery till the end you will automatically come to Ostbahnhof. From here you can comfortably take the train to Alexanderplatz.

At Alexanderplatz you will find depending on the time of the year, weekday and time a wholly differnet picture. On a grey tuesday morning mid january the place may seem deserted and the cold wind doesn’t light the mood either. In summer on the other hand lively would be an understatement for the place bursting with all kinds of people. Furthermore there are besides christmas and easter markets a ton of other events year round at Alexanderplatz. Around here you can find everything a shopping enthusiast can desire. Direct next to Alexanderplatz the nearly 370 m high TV-Tower can’t be missed. If you want to enjoy the highest view Berlin has to offer you have to spend 17.50 € for a ticket. If you want to skip the waiting line or even eat in the turning Restaurantsphere should book online in advance. Beneath the TV-Tower there are also other sights like the historic red town hall and the pretty Marienkirche.

Berliner Fernsehturm blauer Himmel

On we go following the Karl-Liebknecht-Straße west passing the official DDR-Museum and crossing the Spree river. Immediately you will notice the impressive Berliner Dom on the right side and the nearly finished City Palace on the left. The Lustgarten in front of the Berliner Dom is the perfect place for a summer picnic. Next to the Dom you will find Museumsinsel with the Old Museum directly neighbouring. Behind it there are the New Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Pergamonmuseum and on the tip of the island the Bode-Museum. Now there are two options for the way to the next destination Friedrichstraße. Either we go along the Spree on Weidendamm or along the arches of the train tracks. Under the train tracks hungry travelers can find restaurants from all over the world. The prices here are a bit higher than most other places in Berlin but the lunch menus are affordable. Arriving at Friedrichstraße you can find a lot of possibilities for luxury shopping and renowned theatres. Right next to the station you find the Tränenpalast which offers a look into the everyday life at the Berlin Wall free of admission.

Continue following  the Spree river through the government district and we automatically arrive at the Reichstag. If you want to visit the dome you have to book beforehand which luckily doesn’t cost anything. No we turn south towards Tiergarten passing in front of the Reichstag and we will walk to one of the most famous sights in Berlin. Therefore we trun left and the right on to Ebertstraße and within 2 minutes we are on the backside of the Brandeburger Tor (Brandeburg Gate). The best pictures can be taking from the front side on Pariser Platz. So let’s pass through the impressive monument. After the obligatory photo session we go further south on the Ebertstraße. A few minutes later we arrive at the Holocaust-Monument. Every visitor should take some time to wander around. The oppressive atmosphere is strenghtend by the uneven ground and the disorienting arrangement of the concrete pillars. Our last destination for this daytrip is Potsdamer Platz 500 metres away. One last time we follow the Ebertstraße which leads us directly to the place. Around Potsdamer Platz you can find once again a lot of shopping opportunities like the ne LP12 Mall of Berlin. But the highlight of this location is the futuristiv looking Sony Center. Here you can let this eventfull day end if you want.