Sightseeing in Berlin: Budget Travel Guide

Too-too or too perfect? Either way, Prenzlauer Berg is the Berlin hood I can’t live without. Prenzlauer Berg isn’t packed with sights, but the atmosphere in this shabby-chic eastern Berlin neighborhood—especially the so-called Kollwitzkiez—is irresistible. A network of leafy lanes and avenues perched on a barely perceptible hill (“berg”) just northeast of the center, this » Read more

Berlin doesn’t warm up until May, but the first signs of spring are finally bringing a rosy blush to the snow-weary city. Now that winter is officially over, Berlin’s residents are flocking to the city’s 2,500 parks and green spaces to soak up some much-needed Vitamin D. Take part in spring fever, Cheapo-style, at one » Read more

Between World War II and the Cold War, Berlin has a lot to remember. No wonder dozens of memorials and monuments grace the city. You could spend days tracking down every one of these free-to-see reminders dedicated to bygone events. (The city’s official list of “Denkmäler,” which include buildings, cemeteries, and other locations of historic note, is » Read more

You can’t trip in Berlin without running into an art gallery stocked with eye-catching works. Every kind of “Kunstler” from established masters to “outsider” (untrained, un-establishment) artists are represented in the spaces littering the city. Most spots in town, however, display drawings, paintings, sculptures, video installations, and conceptual pieces by up-and-comers or neophytes fresh out » Read more

Cheapos know that the best things in life are free, but sometimes a city’s best sights will cost you. So that you know when it’s worth loosening those purse strings, here’s a guide to Berlin’s two most splurge-worthy museums complexes, the Museum Insel and the Kulturforum. And, of course, we’ll show you how to cut » Read more

With only a handful of sights to its name, the edgy Berlin district of Friedrichshain, which is infamous for its anti-capitalism protests, prolific graffiti artists, and rocking music venues, isn’t a jackpot in the sight-seeing department. But thanks to its free-to-see landmarks and a bevy of inexpensive and innovative eateries, this is a great day-time » Read more

With Berlin’s three public universities—Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (Humboldt University), Freie Universität (Free University), and Technische Universität (Technical University)—and dozens of private colleges, Germany’s capital is crawling with students studying everything from “Kunst” (art) to “Wirtschaft” (business). With the oldest of the three, Humboldt, in the midst of a 200th-anniversary celebration, it’s a great time to get » Read more

On November 9, thousands of Berliners, visitors, and VIPs, including Kofi Annan and Mikhail Gorbachev, will gather at the base of the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. But you don’t have to wait until the action-packed Fest der Freiheit (Festival of Freedom) to pay tribute to » Read more

It’s no secret that Berliners take a deep breath on Sundays. Shops are closed and traffic dissipates, making the already laid-back city feel completely chilled out. Capture the spirit by heading to a hip hood where part of the Berlin Wall once stood (at the Mitte-Prenzlauer Berg-Wedding border, near the U-bahn stop Bernauer Str.). Hipsters, » Read more

Berlin—Critic and curator Emilie Trice writes, “Berlin is the graffiti mecca of the urban art world.” And a recent New York Times article confirms Trice’s assertion with the observation that “The city’s skyline might be defined by a Sputnik-era TV tower, bombed-out churches and the ghost of a certain wall that once split the German » Read more

Sure, to save more money in Berlin you could just eat pretzels until you’re blue in the face. Hey, we’ve done it. They’re cheap and filling. Or, you could snag a city pass and take advantage of discounts on transport and museums, and freebies all around town. Two passes in particular, the Schaulust Museen Berlin pass » Read more

NOTE: This article was published in 2008 and is now out of date. For current information, including important new rules, see our new post about visiting the Reichstag. As the official seat of the German Parliament, the Reichstag building in Berlin affords you (at no cost!) one of the best views of the city from its » Read more

In the mid-1990s, many Berlin artists moved from the west side of the city to Auguststrasse in East Berlin. Auguststrasse, sometimes referred to as “East Berlin’s art mile,” today hosts some of the city’s most creative minds, and the Mitte gallery scene has become a haven for international talent. Spread out among the area’s hip » Read more

Berlin is one city where your euros can still pack a punch. And, perhaps even more importantly, it’s also full of art, history, sausage, and frei stuff to do. Here are six of our favorite freebies in the German capital: The Reichstag The official seat of the German Parliament, the Reichstag affords you (at no cost!) » Read more