Top Free Things to do in Berlin

Wondering what to do in Berlin for free? Take a look at all these free things to do in Berlin so to have affordable and fun trip.

I was at the fag end of my Europe trip after traveling to Netherlands, France and Belgium!

I planned the vacation in Berlin because of a friend whom I had not met in many years and who promised to host me and show around all the places to visit in Berlin.

After reaching Berlin I realized that there are so many free things to do in Berlin that it’s hard to choose where to go. I chose to explore Berlin on foot with walking tours so as to travel to Berlin on a budget. If you are short on time, here’s 2 days Berlin itinerary.

BERLIN FREE WALKING TOUR

Walking Tours have received massive support from tourists all across Europe due to its authentic nature. Free Walking Tours are a volunteer-based group which takes a group of 15-20 people to most popular Berlin places for free! Of course, it is decent to tip the volunteer as they do this tour for free.

There are a number of Berlin free walking tours, with different timings and starting points. Google it and you can decide what’s best for you. The duration is 2.5-3 hours and they generally start from Brandenburg gate. I chose Sandeman’s Tour and had a lovely time. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fluent in English.

Here are the places I covered through the walking tours and otherwise in Berlin for free!

FREE THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN

This guide about places to visit in Berlin for free covers all the major highlights in Berlin. Check them all out here.

Photograph the Brandenburg Gate

Visiting and clicking the Brandenburg Gate is obligatory for anyone visiting Berlin. Posed as the landmark during the destruction of the Second World War, this gate was erected in 1790s. Since 1989, it stands for the reunification of Germany.

The area has many embassies in the area and the guide would certainly point out to Aldon Hotel on the square where Michael Jackson infamously showed his baby daughter.

Site of Hitler’s bunker

The walking tour group led us to a parking lot which did not have any signages when I visited. Under the parking lot was one entrance to Hitler’s former bunker, the so-called “Führerbunker” (“Leader’s bunker”). This is the same place where he committed suicide along with some of his most ardent followers.

The bunker is inaccessible to the public but makes for a great story. There was really nothing to click a photo but you can visit his recreated bunker.

Holocaust Memorial

A memorial build to commemorate the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust is created near the Brandenburg Gate. It is 2711 concrete slabs of varying heights. There is also an underground gallery which offers background on Jewish victims of the holocaust, with biographies, letters and personal effects of some of the victims. You need to visit it separately if you are brave enough to!

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie is located on the corner of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße and acted as the official crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War mainly for diplomats. It was not only an important Cold War site but also witnessed numerous attempts to escape from East Berlin.

An exhibition on the corner of Schützenstraße and Zimmerstraße tells the story of those that failed and those that succeeded to cross this checkpoint.

There is much more to know about Checkpoint Charlie which is now surrounded with gift and souvenir shops and selfie clicking crowds which click photos with the armed soldiers in uniform (they are not real soldiers). It is advertised as of the must-visit places in Berlin and one of the tourist attractions in Berlin because the barrier, checkpoint booth, the flag and the sandbags are all collected from the original site.

It’s no wonder that Checkpoint Charlie is one of the sights of Berlin that you really should see but our walking tour guide did not really encourage it and we simply clicked photos of the checkpoint from across the road.

The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. The Wall cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany, including East Berlin. Our walking tours took us to the original Berlin Wall and not on the east side gallery which is Instagram famous for various paintings.

The East Side Gallery is an open-air gallery in Berlin. It consists of a series of murals painted directly on a 1,316 m long remnant of the Berlin Wall, located near the centre of Berlin, on Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. The gallery has official status as a Denkmal, or heritage-protected landmark.

Topography of Terror

Right behind the Berlin wall is an exhibition of documents.  It highlights the changes in the life of local people after the Nazi took over. You need to visit this later if you want to read all about it. The walking tour does not have enough time to accommodate.

Book burning memorial

Located in the middle of the square, next to Humboldt University, is a tiny see-through hole in the ground. This is the square where the Nazi’s burned all the books written by Jewish authors in 1933.

Fernsehturm (TV Tower)

Next to Alexanderplatz is the Fernsehturm (Television Tower) is the highest building in entire Europe. No matter where you are in Berlin, you can see the TV tower from literally anywhere and makes for an amazing view. You can climb up the tower to get a view of the city but be warned it comes with a fee!

Alexanderplatz

It is the largest and most happening squares of Berlin. It was a former parade ground which has now completely transformed into Berlin’s happening shopping and art display. I had fun recounting the number of movie shootings conducted here!

Reichstag building (Parliament)

The Reichstag houses the German parliament. You can actually watch German politicians from a glass dome which is at the top of the building. Be ready to wait in a long line to do it or just laze in the garden. If you really want to go, book ahead online.

Visit the Berlin Cathedral

Known as the Berliner Dom, it is the largest church in Berlin. Admire the details of the exterior which was a former royal court.

Volksbühne

Volksbühne is one of the oldest and iconic theatres of Berlin. Started as Free people’s theatre before World War, it now hosts amazing shows and plays, of course at a cost. The architecture is, however, worth a visit.

Konzerthaus

The Konzerthaus is a concert hall situated at the Gendarmenmarkt square. It was severely damaged during WWII, but reopened in 1984, following restoration as a concert hall.  The amazing architecture of Konzerthaus Berlin speaks for itself and one can enjoy great acoustic music if you attend an actual concert.

The Konzerthaus Berlin offers space for music programmes, concerts, chamber music, music theatre productions, children’s concerts, country festivals and tributes to great musical personalities.

Visiting Konzerthaus is certainly one of the free things to do in Berlin but one will have to shell out many euros to actually attend a concert and get awed by its internal architecture.

If you want to save money, just step on the red carpet and feel like a celebrity, albeit for a moment 🙂

Sustainable tips for Free things to do in Berlin

• Germany is known for its cars! But try avoiding them by using the extremely efficient public transport – metro and bus.
• Walking tours are amazing – they tell you the history and walk you through popular places. All this for a small tip! Also, you lose some calories off currywurst and beer.
• Do tip the walking tour guides, they are generally part-time students and that is the only way they earn. Ideally, 10 euro per person is the least you should give.
• Respect the memorials and walls by not sitting on them for a photo opportunity or having a picnic. Remember what happened there.

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