Berlin presents a different side away from the usual landmarks. This selection features lesser-known places where history blends with modern creativity. The former Tempelhof Airport transformed into a public park, Teufelsberg built on war debris with its old American listening station, or the Boros Collection housed in a Second World War bunker, reflect the city's turbulent past. The Spreepark, an abandoned amusement park from the GDR era, and the Monster Cabinet with its mechanical installations offer unusual experiences. These sites tell Berlin in a different way. From the Spy Museum detailing espionage during the Cold War to Badeschiff, a swimming pool built on the Spree, to the radio tower Funkturm with views of the German capital, each location has its unique character. Local markets, underground galleries, and stands like Curry 36, a Berlin institution since 1980, complete this exploration of a city with many faces, where each neighborhood retains its own features.
Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
Tempelhofer Feld is a public park created on the site of the closed Tempelhof Airport, now used for sports and recreational activities.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
The Spy Museum Berlin presents surveillance equipment, cipher systems and tools from the Cold War era through hands-on demonstrations and historical artifacts.
Treptow-Köpenick, Berlin, Germany
The Badeschiff is a floating public pool built inside a converted cargo ship that operates on the Spree river during summer months.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany
The Funkturm Berlin is a 150-meter steel lattice tower built in 1926, serving as a landmark of the exhibition grounds and housing an observation platform and restaurant.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
This private collection of contemporary art occupies a former World War II air-raid bunker with five floors and 3000 square meters of exhibition space.
Treptow-Köpenick, Berlin, Germany
This closed amusement park from the GDR era opened in 1969 and now features corroded rides and a 45-meter tall Ferris wheel in Plänterwald.
Berlin, Germany
The Monster Cabinet is an underground gallery featuring mechanical art installations and robot figures that move through space and produce sounds.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany
An artificial hill made of war debris with a former NSA listening station at its summit, now covered in street art.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
This red brick Anglican church was built in 1885 and provides regular English language services for the international congregation in Berlin.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This food stand has served traditional Berlin currywurst with homemade sauce and french fries at affordable prices since 1980.
Spandau, Berlin, Germany
This 16th-century fortress contains four bastions, a 35-meter tower and an inner courtyard with a military history museum.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This community garden features mobile planting beds, a café and educational programs focused on sustainable agriculture and urban gardening practices.
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This techno club occupies a converted heating plant and features multiple dance floors along with rotating art exhibitions.
Berlin, Germany
Viktoriapark sits atop Kreuzberg hill and features a 24-meter artificial waterfall along with the National Monument commemorating the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon.
Beelitz, Brandenburg, Germany
This hospital complex was built in 1898 and served as a military treatment facility and sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This central square hosts a Sunday flea market and a Saturday food market, surrounded by numerous restaurants and cafés.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
St. Hedwig's Cathedral is a neoclassical church featuring a dome modeled after the Roman Pantheon.
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
This park was the first municipal green space in Berlin, featuring sports facilities, ponds and two hills constructed from Second World War rubble.
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
This pub has been operating since 1913 and retains its original interior while serving German cuisine and beers.
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
The Gethsemane Church was built in 1893 and served as an important meeting point for opposition movements and peaceful protests during the GDR era.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This museum presents collections on aviation, railways, maritime transport and industrial development, featuring historical vehicles and machinery from different periods of technological progress.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
Bergmannstraße is a shopping street lined with restaurants, cafés, antique dealers and independent boutiques housed in 19th-century buildings.
Pankow, Berlin, Germany
This 18th century residence contains painting collections, historical furniture and a park with old trees.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
This tavern was established in 1893 and preserves its historic interior from the founding era along with traditional German dishes.
Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin, Germany
This neo-renaissance villa was built in the 19th century and now houses exhibition spaces for modern art alongside a public park.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany
This memorial commemorates over 2800 people executed here during the National Socialist regime, including members of the resistance against the dictatorship.
Moabit, Berlin, Germany
The Arminiusmarkthalle was built in 1891 and now houses restaurants and food stalls under a glass roof within its industrial architecture.
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
Radialsystem V is a former 19th century pumping station that now serves as a venue for dance, theater and music performances.
Westend, Berlin, Germany
The Olympic Stadium was constructed in 1936 for the Summer Olympic Games and provides seating for 74,475 spectators at sporting and cultural events.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
The Nikolai Quarter is the medieval city center with restored buildings from the 18th century and Berlin's oldest church.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
This gallery for contemporary art occupies a former factory building and presents rotating exhibitions along with cultural events.
Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany
St. Mary's Cemetery was established in the 18th century and contains historical tombstones along with a baroque chapel.
Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany
The neoclassical building from 1786 serves as the German Federal President's office with three wings and a central domed structure.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
The Landwehr Canal extends over 11 kilometers and offers pedestrian and bicycle paths along its banks, which were constructed in the 19th century.
Mitte, Berlin, Germany
A 1.4 kilometer original section of the wall with documentation center and viewing platform about German division history.