Churches and places of worship in Berlin: the most beautiful ones to visit

Berlin's places of worship at a glance

Berlin's churches fall into three families. The oldest, in Gothic brick, date from the Middle Ages: the Marienkirche and the Nikolaikirche. Then come the great churches of Prussia, from the time of Frederick II to the 19th century: St. Hedwig's Cathedral, the churches of the Gendarmenmarkt, the Protestant cathedral. Finally, the places marked by war: the Memorial Church, a preserved ruin, or the synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, destroyed and then partly rebuilt.

Most of these churches are Protestant, but the city also has a Catholic cathedral and, since the 2000s, a large Ottoman-style mosque. Almost every place on the list is in the centre, within walking distance; only the mosque and the Memorial Church require a trip by public transport.

The five places of worship to see in the centre

Berlin Cathedral, the imperial church

Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) is the largest Protestant church in Germany. It dates from 1905, with its four towers and green dome, and is visited with a €15 ticket that includes the church, the Hohenzollern Crypt, the museum and the dome walkway. It is the most complete visit, and the only one on this list to offer a panoramic view from its top. Despite its name, it is not a bishop's seat.

St. Hedwig's Cathedral, white calm

A few steps away, on Bebelplatz, St. Hedwig's Cathedral is the church of Berlin's Catholics. Frederick II had it built from 1747 on a circular plan inspired by the Pantheon. Reopened at the end of 2024 after years of works, it offers a white, pared-back interior, very different from the heavy decoration of Baroque churches. Admission is free, and the cathedral is open from 11:00 to 18:00 (13:00 on Sunday, 20:00 on Friday). In the crypt lies Bernhard Lichtenberg, provost of the cathedral who died in 1943 after opposing the persecution of the Jews.

The Marienkirche, Berlin's oldest

The Marienkirche stands at the foot of the TV Tower, on the Alexanderplatz esplanade. It is the oldest Berlin church still used for worship, with origins in the 13th century. It is free and open every day from 10:00 to 18:00. People come for its late 15th-century "Dance of Death", painted in the tower hall, and for Andreas Schlüter's Baroque pulpit. Nearby, the Nikolaikirche, in the Nikolaiviertel, is no longer a place of worship: it is the museum of the church and of the city in the Middle Ages, open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 for €7.

The Gendarmenmarkt and its two churches

On the Gendarmenmarkt, the Deutscher Dom and the Französischer Dom face each other on either side of the Konzerthaus. The Französischer Dom, built for the Huguenot community, houses a Huguenot museum and a panoramic platform 40 metres up (€8). The Deutscher Dom has a free Bundestag exhibition on the history of parliamentarism, open Tuesday to Sunday.

The New Synagogue, the golden dome

The New Synagogue, on Oranienburger Straße, was built between 1859 and 1866 in a Moorish style. Only the façade and the golden dome have been rebuilt, and the Centrum Judaicum presents the history of Berlin's Jewish community there. It is closed on Saturday, admission is €7 and a security check takes place at the entrance. For context, read our route through Jewish Berlin.

Two places apart: the Memorial Church and the Şehitlik Mosque

The Gedächtniskirche, the deliberate ruin

In the west of the city, the Memorial Church, on Breitscheidplatz, was kept as a ruin after the bombing of 1943 as a reminder of the war. Beside it, the new church, with its blue stained glass, is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 and free. The memorial hall in the ruin has been closed for works since 29 August 2026, with no reopening date announced.

The Şehitlik Mosque, in the south

The Şehitlik Mosque, in Neukölln, is one of the largest mosques in Berlin. Built in the 2000s in the classical Ottoman style, it stands next to an old Turkish cemetery. It can be visited outside prayer times, in clothing that covers the shoulders and knees; check before you go.

Summary to compare

Tips for a good visit

• Dress and respect: these are active places of worship. Avoid visiting during services, speak quietly and keep your shoulders covered at the mosque.
• Hours: churches close or limit access during services and concerts, especially on Sunday. Saturday is the synagogue's closing day.
• Security: a metal-detector check takes place at the New Synagogue; leave large bags at the hotel.
• Grouping visits: the three places around Unter den Linden and Alexanderplatz fit into a morning on foot. Our guide to Mitte suggests the route.

Going further

After the places of worship, continue with Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island, then with our guides Berlin in one day and public transport in Berlin to reach the mosque and the Memorial Church.