When to visit Berlin: Summer brings long daylight hours, open-air bars and festival season across the city's parks
When is the best time to visit Berlin?
Avg Temp
14–24°C
Rainfall
Moderate, ~65mm/month
Best Time
Summer brings long daylight hours, open-air bars and festival season across the city's parks
Packing Tips (3)
- Light layers, as evenings cool down noticeably
- A rain jacket for scattered summer showers
- Comfortable shoes for a city best explored by bike or foot
What does Berlin cost?
Typical prices
- Budget meal€10.00
- Mid-range meal€25.00
- Cappuccino€3.50
- Domestic beer€4.50
- Taxi (per km)€2.20
- Public transport ticket€3.50
- Museum entry€12.00
- Mid-range hotel (night)€130.00
Local currency: EUR
Food & Drink
Curry 36
Iconic currywurst stand near Mehringdamm, serving Berlin's classic curry-sauce sausage to queues of locals at all hours.
Prater Garten
Berlin's oldest beer garden, in Prenzlauer Berg, a shaded outdoor spot for pretzels and pork knuckle under chestnut trees.
Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap
Perpetually queued kebab stand near Mehringdamm, famous for grilled vegetables and feta piled into a doner wrap.
Restaurant Tim Raue
Two-Michelin-star restaurant near Checkpoint Charlie serving Raue's Asian-influenced fine dining, one of Berlin's top tables.
Rutz
Three-Michelin-star restaurant near Friedrichstraße known for an exceptional wine list and refined German-influenced tasting menus.
Markthalle Neun
Historic market hall in Kreuzberg hosting the weekly Street Food Thursday and a permanent food market with local vendors.
Zur Letzten Instanz
Berlin's oldest restaurant, dating to 1621, serving traditional Berlin dishes like Eisbein in a historic half-timbered building.
Berghain
World-famous techno club in a former power station in Friedrichshain, notorious for its strict door policy and marathon weekend sets.
Watergate
Club on the Spree River in Kreuzberg with a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the water, known for electronic music and its terrace.
Klunkerkranich
Rooftop bar atop a Neukölln shopping center, popular for sunset drinks with skyline views and a relaxed, garden-like vibe.
Kater Blau
Riverside club and art space near the Spree, part of the loose Holzmarkt collective, known for eclectic electronic lineups.
Culture & History
Pergamon Museum
Museum Island landmark housing the reconstructed Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (partially closed for renovation).
Neues Museum
Home to the bust of Nefertiti and Egyptian antiquities, rebuilt by David Chipperfield after WWII damage.
East Side Gallery
1.3km stretch of the Berlin Wall covered in murals by international artists, including the famous 'Fraternal Kiss'.
Gemäldegalerie
Old Masters painting collection including Vermeer, Dürer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio at the Kulturforum.
DDR Museum
Interactive museum near the Berlin Cathedral letting visitors experience everyday life in East Germany, from a Trabant car to a recreated apartment.
Topographie des Terrors
Free outdoor and indoor exhibition on the site of former Gestapo and SS headquarters, documenting Nazi terror.
Babylon Berlin
Historic cinema near Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz built in 1929, screening classics with live organ accompaniment for silent films.
Sony Center CineStar (Potsdamer Platz)
Major multiplex under the Sony Center's iconic canopy roof, host venue for the Berlinale film festival.
Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
One of the world's 'Big Three' film festivals, screening premieres across Potsdamer Platz cinemas each winter.
Karneval der Kulturen
Multicultural street festival and parade through Kreuzberg celebrating Berlin's diversity with music, costumes and food.
Christopher Street Day Berlin
Berlin's major Pride parade and festival, one of the largest in Europe, running through the city center.
Nature & Outdoors
Strandbad Wannsee
One of Europe's largest inland beaches, a sandy lakeside lido on the Wannsee popular with Berliners for summer swimming.
Teufelsberg
Artificial hill built from WWII rubble, topped by an abandoned Cold War-era NSA listening station now covered in graffiti art.
Active & Fun
McFit / John Reed
Widespread German gym chains with numerous 24-hour locations across Berlin.
Stadtbad Neukölln
Ornate Art Nouveau public swimming hall with marble columns and mosaic tiling, an architectural landmark as much as a pool.
Cities in Germany
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