1. From Unter den Linden to the Reichstag: the Berlin of capitals
Start: Museumsinsel or Brandenburger Tor (S-Bahn). Duration: about 2 hours.
Walk down Unter den Linden from the Palace Bridge to the Brandenburg Gate. You pass Bebelplatz, the Neue Wache and Humboldt University, described in our Mitte guide. After the gate, follow the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, then cross to the Reichstag: the dome is free with prior registration and ID. Finish in the nearby Tiergarten for a break among the trees.
2. Museum Island and the Spree: historic Berlin
Start: Hackescher Markt (S-Bahn, tram). Duration: about 3 hours.
Start from the Hackesche Höfe, eight linked courtyards, then head down to the Spree. You pass Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral and the Humboldt Forum. Across the river, the Nikolaiviertel is a rebuilt district of cobbled lanes. Continue to the TV tower and Alexanderplatz, where the World Clock is a popular meeting point.
3. From Bernauer Straße to Prenzlauer Berg: the Wall and the squares
Start: Nordbahnhof (S-Bahn) or Bernauer Straße (U8). Duration: about 3 hours.
Begin with the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße: steel rods mark the old line of the Wall, with an information centre and an observation tower. Continue to the Mauerpark flea market (on Sundays) and then to Kollwitzplatz and the water tower, in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. On Thursdays and Saturdays, the Kollwitzplatz markets let you have lunch on the spot. For the story of the Wall in a day, see in the footsteps of the Berlin Wall.
4. Kreuzberg: canal, park and food hall
Start: Platz der Luftbrücke (U6) or Mehringdamm (U6, U7). Duration: about 3 hours.
Climb up to Viktoriapark, from where you can see the rooftops of the district, then come down along Bergmannstraße, with its cafés and shops. Then reach the Landwehr Canal, its bridges and terraces, and finish at the Markthalle Neun to eat. Our Kreuzberg guide details the stops; for lunch, see also what to eat in Berlin.
5. From the East Side Gallery to Friedrichshain: street art and the Spree
Start: Warschauer Straße (S-Bahn, U1) or Ostbahnhof (S-Bahn). Duration: about 2.5 hours.
The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving section of the Wall, covered in murals. Follow it to the Oberbaum Bridge, the brick bridge across the Spree, then wander through Friedrichshain, an alternative district of cafés and street art. If the weather turns bad, the Computerspielemuseum on Karl-Marx-Allee is a good fallback.
Tips for walking in Berlin
- Shoes. Berlin's cobbles are tiring: wear comfortable shoes.
- Weather. Outdoor walks are best from May to September; see the best time to visit Berlin and, if it rains, Berlin in the rain.
- Combining. Walks 1 and 2 combine into a single day; see also Berlin in 3 days.
- Free. Almost all these walks are free: see free Berlin.
