Berlin Holidays

Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the picturesque green paths of the Tiergarten, the city's answer to New York's Central Park. Pack a picnic and enjoy by the small lake and then check out the monuments and memorials scattered across the spectacular park. Slow things down with a boat ride on the Neuer See Lake, stop by the Schleusenkrug beer garden near the pretty canal or combine your visit with a trip to the Berlin Zoo!

Step back in time and visit the thought-provoking ruins of the Berlin Wall. Begin at Checkpoint Charlie, a tourist centre that once functioned as the border crossing when Berlin was divided. View a restored mile-long stretch of the wall along its southern border of Wedding and Mitte, along the banks of the river Spree. The East Side Gallery is the largest remaining section of the Berlin Wall and a popular spot for sightseers. This landmark is covered in graffiti painted by local and international street artists during reunification.

Museumsinsel (Museum Island) is a unique ensemble of five museums located in the middle of Berlin's river Spree. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is definitely worth a visit for those that want to tap into the city's cultural scene, with its unique collections spanning over 6,000 years. It's also incredibly picturesque! View the Egyptian bust of Nefertiti at the Neues Museum, catch a glimpse of the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and look out for the Islamic Art collection at the Pergamon Museum.

Steeped in history, Berlin is eclectic mix of old and new . Visit the glass-domed Reichstag building and take a guided tour to the top where you can also book into the rooftop restaurant and enjoy panoramic views of the city. Step back in time at the Brandenburg Gate. For an emotional journey into Jewish history, take a walk through the Holocaust Memorial or visit the concentration camp memorial at Sachsenhausen. Other sights to consider include the Olympic Stadium, the Fernsehturm and the Pergamonmuseum.

You don't need to visit a gallery to spot this city's creative side, with many of Berlin's neighbourhood streets boasting some of the best street art in the world. Look out for sketches from local artists El Bocho and Alias alongside work from Italian artist Blue Aurreal and French artist Victor Ash, including the famous cosmonaut wall stencil in Kreuzberg and sketches of Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson and Adolf Hitler.

Berlin has a broad range of luxury department stores, local lively markets and designer boutiques to browse through. If you're looking for a bargain, potter around the flea market at Prenzlauer Berg Mauerpark on a Sunday and you'll find a diverse selection of souvenirs including handmade articrafts, records, clothes, musical instruments and even furniture. Other flea markets active on the weekends include Arkonaplatz in Mitte which is great for vintage discoveries, Nowkoelln Flowmarkt for all of your fashion finds and Markthalle IX, for its microbrewery, meats and European cheeses – visit on a Thursday evening and indulge in its spectacular street food.

Explore the city at your own pace on a guided Hop-On Hop-Off boat tour, learn more about Berlin's history by bike or embark on one of the three-hour walking tours around the Kreuzberg District, where you can feast your eyes on your vibrant surroundings and your stomach on the street-food stands!There are also beer tours, food dinner parties hosted by local Berliners and art walking tours.

The Oberbaum bridge sitting pretty over the river Spree, is the most picturesque of Berlin’s 900-plus bridges. Once closed to civilians in the days when it served as the border between East and West Germany, it now separates the districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshainers. The barbed wire is now replaced with a sandy beach in the summer. The double-deck bridge is the perfect spot to take pictures and enjoy the graffiti and street art painted on its surface too.