Three days in Berlin are enough to feel its contrasts, as long as you don’t rush from monument to monument. We arrived with the image of a lively yet somewhat grey city. We left touched by its history, its neighbourhoods, and the space it leaves for unexpected uses.
This account proposes a simple itinerary for a first visit. It follows the places we actually travelled through and keeps time for walking, stopping, and changing plans. If your cycling trip starts from the German capital, these three days can also precede a cycling journey towards northern Europe.
A simple itinerary to visit Berlin in 3 days
The first day can connect the Brandenburg Gate, the memorial sites in the centre and Museum Island. The second lends itself to visits around Mitte, then an evening devoted to the music scene. For the third, we chose the East Side Gallery and street art before a final museum visit. The distances are considerable: grouping visits by neighbourhood avoids spending the day in transport.
Berlin, a city full of contrasts
Berlin is a very sprawling city, rather flat and well served by public transport. Cycling also seemed practical to us for connecting nearby places. On this trip, we had arrived via the former Schönefeld airport. Flights use Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), connected to the centre by train and S-Bahn.
I started with the Brandenburg Gate. Much photographed, it deserves taking the time to look at it: long placed near the border between the two Berlins, it became one of the symbols of German reunification. This first stop set the tone for the visit, between traces of the past and the actual city.
Brandenburg Gate ©️ Julie Marienval
The past at every street corner
I continue to Checkpoint Charlie. This control point was at the crossing between the American sector of West Berlin and the Soviet sector of East Berlin; it was notably the scene of a face-off between American and Soviet tanks in 1961. The historical plaques also tell of escape attempts to the West.
Around the site, the tourist staging takes up much space: souvenirs presented as fragments of the Wall, Trabant vehicles and commercial attractions sit alongside memorial landmarks. This contrast made me uneasy and invites distinguishing reconstructions from preserved remains.
American border and remains of the Berlin Wall ©️ Julie Marienval
Trabant limousine ©️ Julie Marienval
Local curiosities ©️ Julie Marienval
I then walk to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The concrete stelae, of different heights, gradually alter the perception of noise and space as one moves between them. I felt the weight of history and the visible place Berlin gives to the memory of the Holocaust.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe ©️ Julie Marienval
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Varied architecture
I end the day by walking towards Museum Island. Architectural styles change rapidly from one street to another, from socialist architecture to religious and contemporary buildings. Around the city centre, you can link Gendarmenmarkt, the Berliner Dom, the Bode Museum, Alexanderplatz and its television tower, then the Rotes Rathaus.
Alexanderplatz ©️ Julie Marienval
Stalinist building, Gendarmenmarkt and Berliner Dom ©️ Julie Marienval
A Currywurst Break in Kreuzberg
We end the day in Kreuzberg over a currywurst and a beer. This culinary detour above all gives us the chance to rest after several hours of walking.
Typical local dish, Currywurst ©️ Julie Marienval
Second Day: Memory and Cultural Life in Mitte
My second day is dedicated to three memorial sites around Mitte: the New Synagogue, a guided tour of Berliner Unterwelten about the tunnels dug under the Wall, then the Anne Frank Centre.
I went to the New Synagogue for its history as much as for its architecture. Its golden dome is visible from far away and the building bears witness to the Jewish presence in Berlin before, during and after the Nazi period.
Berlin Synagogue ©️ Julie Marienval
Berliner Unterwelten offered several tours of the city’s underground. I chose Tour M, dedicated to the tunnels dug during the Cold War in attempts to cross from East to West. For nearly two hours, the guide connected the places to the accounts of those who had prepared or attempted these crossings. Since the tours can change, it’s better to check the schedule before visiting.
The Anne Frank Centre is located in Rosenthaler Straße, within the Haus Schwarzenberg. I had read Anne Frank’s diary a few months earlier. The exhibition placed her family’s story within that of Nazism and the Holocaust. The route presented today, entitled All About Anne, also connects her story to questions of discrimination and freedom that remain current.
Anne Frank Centre ©️ Julie Marienval
An Evening in Berlin’s Electronic Music Scene
Berlin is also known for its electronic music scene. Accompanied by Berlin friends, I spent part of the night at Berghain after a döner kebab. Mobile phone cameras were covered at the entrance during our visit; this rule preserved the atmosphere of the place. I especially remember the music and an evening very different from the daytime visits.
Third Day: East Side Gallery and Street Art
The last day starts later. We head to the East Side Gallery, a 1,3 kilometre stretch of the Wall painted in 1990 by artists from 21 countries. Among the most famous works is the Fraternal Kiss by Dmitri Vrubel. The site can be visited as both an open-air gallery and a remnant of Berlin’s division.
We finished with the German Historical Museum. For a visit today, you need to check its programme: the Zeughaus, which housed the permanent exhibition, is closed for renovation, while temporary exhibitions are offered in the neighbouring Pei building.
Berlin Street Art (Fraternal Kiss on the left) ©️ Julie Marienval
Various street art works in Berlin ©️ Julie Marienval
Julie in front of the remains of the Berlin Wall ©️ David Praire
What we remember from these three days
Three days are short for a city as extensive as this one, but this first itinerary gave us time to alternate between memorial sites, vibrant neighborhoods, and some unexpected detours. We left with the desire to return.
David and Julie in front of the Berlin Bear ©️ David Praire
Cyclists can also use Berlin as a starting point for longer rides: the rivers and canals lead north towards Copenhagen, while other routes head to the Baltic coast or south towards Prague.
Text Credit: © Julie Marienval
Photo Credits: © Julie Marienval & David Praire
