Places of interest

• Leaving from the Zoo station or Friedrichstrasse, busses with the numbers 100 and 200 are a great way to gain initial first impressions of the city. Tip: depart the bus at the Brandenburg Gate and walk along the 'Unter den Linden' boulevard to the Gendarmenmarkt - weather permitting, it is an invigorating experience (no guided tours).

• Mall of Berlin (LP12) at Leipziger Platz: more than 270 shops with food court
• Potsdamer Platz Arcades: over 100 stores and boutiques spread over 3 floors
• Friedrichstraße: Galeries Lafayette and design boutiques
• Tauentzienstraße: KaDeWe - the Kaufhaus des Westens enviably located at the Wittenbergplatz with its famous connoisseur level on the 5th floor

Berlin is the city of museums. Over 170 museums in Berlin keep the history, art and knowledge of the city alive and form a unique museum scenery - a dynamic landscape that is growing in breathtaking speed. Many of the museums also form the city's memory banks if you will. Among other things, they document the Kingdom of Prussia, the city's turbulent role in two world wars and the affects of the Iron Curtain.

25th November to 26th December 2019

Christmas shopping in the capital is a highlight of the season! More than 80 markets large and small liven up Berlin's districts and neighbourhoods. In addition to the well-known markets on the Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz and in Spandau, why not try these lesser known delights: the Nostalgic Christmas Market at the Opernpalais, for instance, the Finnish Christmas Market in Kreuzberg, the Christkindlmarkt (Christ Child Market) in Kladow, or the fairytale bazaars around the Jagdschloss Grunewald palace and against the splendid backdrop of Charlottenburg Palace.

30th May 2020

Berlin shows its most colourful side! At the Carnival of Cultures, numerous groups of many nationalities provide music, dance, performances, visual arts and acrobatics on a procession of floats. From Brazilian samba to the Chinese Lion Dance, from West African drumming to Swiss trumpet players from the Bern Winter Carnival - the groups demonstrate that diversity and internationalism are the pride of Berlin.

19th June to 19th July 2020

Around 150 fairground attractions, a French village, live music and a whole lot more welcome visitors to the German-French Folk Festival on the Zentraler Festplatz near Kurt-Schumacher-Damm.

21st June 2020

On the first day of summer, Berlin celebrates the Fête de la Musique. Musicians take part in the festivities and play their music free of charge on more than 100 stages and in many streets all over the city.

2nd to 6th July 2020

The Classic Open Air Festival began its success story in 1992 with a fantastic concert by star tenor José Carreras, in one of Germany's most beautiful squares, the Gendarmenmarkt. On five evenings in July, popular classical and modern melodies ring out under a starry sky, surrounded by the grand classical architecture of the Concert Hall and the French and German Cathedrals. These events are accompanied by light displays and fireworks.

13th September 2020

The Berlin International Stadium Festival ISTAF in the Olympiastadion Berlin has the longest tradition and is also probably the most famous German festival for track and field athletes.