For many years a city divided by the Wall, Berlin is packed with things to see, a few of which I've listed below. Along with input from friends, I've also included below some tips on where to eat, drink and stay. If you have any tips of your own and would like to share them, I'd be happy to add them here. Please just e-mail me at footballingermany@gmx.de.

To keep this page uncluttered, I've not included any photos. Instead, I've put together a selection in this Berlin City and Stadium Gallery.

You'll also find plenty of photos and countless ideas for things to do over at GetYourGuide.

For hard copy guide books, see my Books page.

Getting to Berlin

If you're flying into the city from the UK, see my UK Airports page for departure airport information and my Berlin Airport page for details of your arrival airport. If you're travelling to the Euros by rail, an Interrail pass will cover all your train journeys, while for individual trips within Germany see this page for Deutsche Bahn times and fares. And if your'e coming by coach, then FlixBus have you covered.

Eat

Kartoffelkeller (Potato Cellar) 
Perhaps second only to pork, the staple ingredient of hearty German food is the good old spud. This basement restaurant located just across the river from Friedrichstrasse station offers a whole menu of dishes based on the mighty potato. As the website linked to above is in German only, here's the Kartoffelkeller Tripadvisor page in English.

Treffpunkt Berlin
Also not far from Friedrichstrasse station, in this case a couple of blocks down the road of the same name walking towards Unter den Linden, this bar-cum-restaurant has a nicely authentic German feel to it despite being in a very touristy area. You can sit on stools at the bar to enjoy a beer or two, or take your place at one of the tables for some solid German cooking. All in all, I find it a good place to go if thirsty or hungry in that part of town. A good, friendly atmosphere. As the website linked to above is in German only, here's the Treffpunkt Berlin Tripadvisor page in English.

Lemke
Just outside Alexanderplatz station and across the road from the TV tower, this bar/restaurant is recommended by Liverpool fan John for its "VERY strong stout" and, he says, "they even serve fish and chips". Oxford fan Mark was less complimentary about the standard of service, but then Berlin waiting staff are renowned for being surly. More reviews here in English on the Biermeisterei by emke Berlin Tripadvisor page. You'll also find Lemke at Hackescher Markt (the S-Bahn station between Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstrasse) and near to the Schloss at Brauhaus am Schloss in Charlottenberg.

Maharadscha India
If you like curry, I can highly recommend this place. It's nearer the airport than the city centre, but well worth the detour. The German palate generally doesn't like food to be too hot and spicy, so what few Indian restaurants there are in the country tend to serve fairly mild curries. I like mine hot and that's exactly what I've enjoyed at the Maharadscha India in Adlershof on a regular basis for over 12 years. My tip: chicken jalfreizi and a large dark beer! As the website linked to above is in German only, here's the Maharadscha India Tripadvisor page in English.

Drink

Prater Beer Garden
A large beer garden with a few trees for shade and usually a big marquee too. I and my Berlin mates watched several England games here during the last Euros. A good mix of German and international fans. Lots of screens.

Panenka
Cosy pub with lots of football memorabilia on the walls, plenty of screens and good beer. Very popular, so arrive early if you want to sit down to watch a game. But also a good place just to have a beer or two when there's no game on the box.

FC Magnet Bar 
A bar that exists to show football on various big screens. Sit on a raised bench at the back of the main room, watch from a seat at a table or peer in from the pavement. Very much a football fans' pub, as the name suggests! As much of the pub's website linked to above is in German, here's the FC Magnet Bar Tripadvisor page in English.

The Lir
If you fancy fish and chips while watching a game on TV, this is the place to go! A couple of minutes' walk from Belle Vue station, The Lir is an Irish pub slightly off the beaten track. I've been in there a few times while in Berlin to watch Bristol City games on Sky. And nearly always had the fish and chips!

Blarney Pub
Don't you just love a pub where the landlord not only remembers your name, but also what you drink and who you support! Despite by no means being a regular in here, that's now always my experience in this long and narrow pub with two screens for the footie and a small raised area for occasional live music. It's located between the Mehringdamm and Platz der Luftbrücke stops on the U6 underground line.

Bar Victoria Stadler 
How best to describe this bar? Bohemian, perhaps. It's quite spartan, but somehow has a great aura about the place. The landlord delights in wearing a long, black leather coat and spikey 'dog collar'! During the pandemic, they even did on-site Covid tests with a free paper cup of mulled wine outside while you waited for the result. You won't find any TV screens here or any other modern frills, but you just might have one of the best evenings of your trip! For more about the pub in English, see the Bar Victoria Stadler Google reviews here.

BRLO craft beer bar
Stopped here for a drink after a long walk a couple of years ago. Apparently the strong craft beer quickly made me quite tiddly. I, of course, couldn't possibly comment! The place is constructed from old shipping containers, has an outside seating area and a huge range of craft beers on offer. I dare say that anyone sampling several of them might end up a little tiddly too! 

See/Do

Brandenburg Gate / Reichstag
Just like Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square top the list of sights for first-time visitors to London, so do the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag for people visiting Berlin for the first time. For many years, the Gate stood in no-man's land between East and West and is now symbolic of the unified city and country. Just around the corner, the iconic Reichstag has been the seat of the German parliament since just after the Wall came down. You can go up onto the roof and walk up the spiral walkway of the glass dome free of charge. However, you do need to book in advance, which you can do here. The guys at Berlin-based GetYourGuide also have several guided tours of the Brandendurg Gate and Reichstag area (including entry to the latter), which you can browse and book here. Maybe you'd even like to have afternoon coffee and gateau (Kaffee und Kuchen) or a posh lunch at the Käfer restaurant on the roof of the Reichstag, as I did with my mother and an aunt many years ago.

Trabi safari
For a bit of fun, why not go on a road trip around central Berlin in an old East German Trabant! It's not cheap, but split between three or four, it's not too bad. Sat at the wheel of your Trabant, you are led around in a convoy of the typical GDR-era cars via a radio link from the tour operator in the lead car. Half way around the route there is a chance to change driver. When I did it with two mates a few years ago, we let Spurs fan Tim drive the whole way round - and he got us safely back to the start, where we were each presented with a replica GDR driving licence as a souvenir. All a bit silly, but good fun nevertheless. Trabi Safari tickets.

Stasi museum
Talking about the GDR era, this place and the place listed below take you back to the dark days of that period, when the people of East Germany were monitored almost every minute of the day by the Stasi secret police and their army of informers. The museum is the old Stasi HQ building, in which many of the rooms are practically as they were left after the Wall came down. It's well worth a visit if that era interests you, with guided tours available in English. 25% off ticket prices with the Berlin WelcomeCard.

Stasi prison
While the museum (above) gives you an insight into how the Stasi operated, the prison shows you very grimly how they dealt with anyone deemed to be a dissident. Tours, in some cases led by former inmates, take you around the cells and interrogation rooms, leaving you in no doubt that the treatment meted out here was inhumane. Despite the sombre subject matter, I'd recommend going there if you want to know more about the GDR era and the city you are visiting.

Deutschland Museum
If you've done the heavy history of the Stasi museum and prison and fancy a somewhat lighter look at German history, then the brand-new Deutschlandmuseum could be just the place to go - especially if you have kids with you for the Euros. It's so new (opened late 2023) that I've not been there myself yet, but it promises to be an interactive "immersive history experience", as you can see on their website.

German Spy Museum
Another fun, interactive 'museum' practically next door to the Deutschland Museum (see above) is the German Spy Museum. It provides, they say, a unique insight into the shadowy world of espionage. You can decipher codes, hack websites and discover fascinating secret service methods from Biblical times to the present day.

City of Berlin top 10
And from the city's own 'Visit Berlin' website here's their 'Top 10 Attractions'.

There are more ideas on things to do here and elsewhere in Germany on my '100 things to do' page.

Stay

Hotels:

Motel One Alexanderplatz
“Before I moved to Berlin, I always used to stay at Motel One on Alexanderplatz”, says Liverpool and Union Berlin fan John. “It’s a 2 minute-walk from the station and has great transport links. Has a decent bar and in the evenings a bar on the top floor with views over Berlin. One train to the airport, one train to the Olympic Stadium. Also reasonable walking distance to the Nikolaiviertel, Gendarmenmarkt, Unter Den Linden, Hackeschermarkt, etc etc”

NH Hoteles Friedrichstrasse
“We used to stay at another hotel, but now always stay at the NH one on Friedrichstrasse, as it’s the perfect location for getting around”, says Palace and Union fan Huw.

Märkischer Hof
For several years before I got my own place in Berlin, this was where I stayed on my frequent visits to the city. It was a simple, if slightly tired hotel, but affordable and within walking distance of Friedrichstrasse station and much of the city centre. However, it’s changed a fair bit since then, I think.

Campsites:

Hotel & City Camping Nord
25 mins by bus away from Berlin-Spandau S-Bahn station, from which the Olympic Stadium is just 16 minutes and Zoologischer Garten station, the heart of former West Berlin, 23 minutes.

D.C.C. Camping Gatow
40 minutes to the Olympic Stadium (a 2-minute walk to General-Steinhoff-Kaserne bus stop, then the bus to Heerstrasse and the S-Bahn to the stadium).