Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with over 4 million people living there. It is also one of the states of Germany and is surrounded by the state of Brandenburg. The city is built along the Spree river and has many parks, gardens, rivers, and lakes. About one-third of Berlin is green space.

Berlin has a rich history, serving as the capital for many different German states and empires over the centuries. After World War II, the city was divided until German reunification in 1990, when it became the capital of a united Germany again.

Today, Berlin is a famous global city known for its culture, politics, media, and science. It has many universities, famous landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building, and important industries such as technology and healthcare. The city is also a popular place for tourists to visit and has a busy public transportation system.

History

Main article: History of Berlin

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Berlin.

Etymology

Berlin lies in northeastern Germany, in an area formerly settled by Slavs. The word Berlin has roots in the language of the West Slavs, and may be related to an old word meaning "swamp."

Prehistory

People have lived in the area of Berlin for thousands of years. Ancient tools and a deer mask show that people were there as far back as 9,000 BCE. Later, around 2,000 BCE, many villages grew along rivers like the Spree and Havel.

12th century to 16th century

In the 12th century, German leaders took control of the area. The first records of towns like Spandau and Köpenick date from this time. Two small towns, Berlin and Cölln, grew close together and became important for trade. By the 1300s, they worked together, though they kept their own governments.

17th to 19th centuries

Wars and changes brought many new people to Berlin. Leaders built up the city, and by the 1700s, it became the capital of Prussia. Later, as industry grew, Berlin expanded quickly, becoming a big, busy city.

20th to 21st centuries

Further information: Greater Berlin Act, 1920s Berlin, West Berlin, and East Berlin

In the early 1900s, Berlin was a center for art and science. After World War I, the city grew larger and became very busy.

After World War II, Berlin was divided. A wall separated the city for many years, but in 1989, the wall came down, and Germany reunited. Since then, Berlin has grown and changed, becoming a major city once again.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Berlin

Berlin is located in northeastern Germany. It sits in a flat, marshy woodland area that is part of the large Northern European Plain. This plain stretches from northern France all the way to western Russia. The land in Berlin was shaped long ago during an ice age, creating a valley where rivers now flow. The Spree River runs through this valley, and in the western part of Berlin, it meets another river called the Havel. The Havel flows through a series of lakes, and the Spree also connects to lakes in the eastern part of the city.

Much of Berlin lies on low flat areas on either side of the Spree Valley. Some parts of the city sit on higher ground called plateaus. The highest point in Berlin is in the Arkenberge hills, which reached their current height in recent years due to construction debris being added. The lowest point is a lake called Spektesee.

Berlin has an oceanic climate, which means its summers are warm and its winters are cold but not extremely so. The city experiences mild to warm summers and cold winters, with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Snow usually falls between December and March. Because Berlin is a large city, its buildings and roads can trap heat, making it sometimes warmer than the areas around it.

Cityscape and architecture

Berlin has many different kinds of buildings because of its rich history. The city's look today was mostly shaped by events in the 1900s. About 17% of buildings are from older styles, and nearly 25% are from the 1920s and 1930s when Berlin helped start modern building designs.

Wars and changes over time changed the city. After big damages during World War II, many buildings were torn down. Later, after Germany became one country again, many important old buildings were rebuilt.

Berlin has tall buildings in different parts of the city, like Potsdamer Platz, City West, and Alexanderplatz. The city also has lots of green spaces, with Großer Tiergarten being one of the biggest and most popular parks.

Main article: Architecture of Berlin

Further information: List of sights in Berlin and List of tallest buildings in Berlin

The Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz in Mitte is one of the tallest structures in Europe at 368 meters (1,207 feet). Built in 1969, it can be seen from most of central Berlin. You can see the city from its observation floor 204 meters (669 feet) up. From here, Karl-Marx-Allee goes east, a street with big residential buildings designed in the Socialist Classicism style. Next to this area is the Rotes Rathaus (City Hall), known for its red-brick look. In front of it is the Neptunbrunnen, a fountain with statues of sea gods and rivers. Nearby is the Nikolaiviertel, the rebuilt oldest part of the city.

The Brandenburg Gate is a famous symbol of Berlin and Germany, standing for peace and unity through history. The Reichstag building is where the German Parliament meets. It was redesigned in the 1990s by British architect Norman Foster and has a glass dome that lets people watch the parliament and see great views of the city.

The East Side Gallery is art painted on the last remaining part of the Berlin Wall. It is a big open-air gallery.

Gendarmenmarkt is a big square with two cathedrals and a concert hall between them.

Museum Island in the River Spree has five museums built between 1830 and 1930. It is a place chosen by UNESCO for its importance. Work has been done to restore and build new entrances to the museums, and the Berlin Palace has been rebuilt. On the island, next to Lustgarten and the palace, is Berlin Cathedral, which was built to match a famous church in Rome. There is also St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin's main Catholic church.

Unter den Linden is a street with trees that goes from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Palace. It has many important buildings and part of Humboldt University. Friedrichstraße was a famous street in the 1920s and still mixes old and new styles.

Potsdamer Platz is a whole area built new after the Berlin Wall came down. West of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum, home to art galleries and music halls. North of this area is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, remembering those lost during the Holocaust.

Around Hackescher Markt is a lively area with shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the Hackesche Höfe, a group of buildings around several small squares, rebuilt in the mid-1990s. The New Synagogue nearby is a center for Jewish culture.

The Straße des 17. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate to Ernst-Reuter-Platz and marks the spot of events in 1953. In the middle of this street is the Siegessäule (Victory Column), moved in the late 1930s to remember Prussia's wins.

Kurfürstendamm has many fancy shops and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was damaged in World War II and left partly in ruins. Nearby is KaDeWe, one of Europe's biggest department stores. The Rathaus Schöneberg is where John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech.

West of the city center is Bellevue Palace, home to the German President. Charlottenburg Palace, burned during World War II, is the largest historic palace in Berlin.

The Funkkturm Berlin is a tall radio tower built between 1924 and 1926. It has a restaurant and an observation deck reachable by elevator.

The Oberbaumbrücke over the Spree river connects Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. Built in 1896 in a brick gothic style, it had a special role during times of division and is now used by cars, people on foot, and the U-Bahn train line.

Panorama of the Gendarmenmarkt, showing the [Konzerthaus Berlin](/wiki/Konzerthaus_Berlin), flanked by the German Church (left) and French Church (right)

[James Simon Gallery](/wiki/James_Simon_Gallery)

• .JPG)

  Berlin Palace/Humboldt Forum

The Berlin Cathedral at Museum Island

The TV Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm)

Brandenburg Gate at night

[Breitscheidplatz](/wiki/Breitscheidplatz) with Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is the center of City West.

• .jpg)

  Schloss Charlottenburg, one of the largest palaces in the world

View over Unter den Linden

Reichstag building

Nikolaiviertel, one of the oldest parts of Berlin

Kurfürstendamm

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. At the end of 2024, it had about 3.9 million people living in it, spread over an area of 891 square kilometers. Berlin is the most crowded city in the European Union. In 2021, the area around Berlin had over 4.6 million people, and in 2019, the larger region had about 5.2 million. The whole Berlin-Brandenburg area has more than 6 million people.

In 2014, Berlin saw 37,368 births and 32,314 deaths. There were almost 2 million homes, with 54% of them lived in by just one person. Over 337,000 families with children under 18 lived in Berlin. That same year, about 40,000 more people moved to Berlin than left.

Nationalities

Berlin has always been a place where people from many countries live. In 1685, after rules changed in France, Berlin welcomed French refugees. In 1920, many nearby areas became part of Berlin, growing its population from 1.9 million to 4 million.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many people moved to West Berlin. Today, Berlin has large communities from Turkey, the former Soviet Union, and many other places. After 2015, many people from Syria and other countries also came to live here. By November 2022, about 85,000 people from Ukraine had settled in Berlin.

Languages

German is the main language spoken in Berlin. Many people also speak other languages at home, such as Turkish, Polish, English, Arabic, and many more.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Berlin

In 2022, most people in Berlin—about 71%—did not follow any particular religion. Around 15% were Protestant, and 9% were Catholic. About 4% followed Islam, and 1% followed Jewish beliefs. There were also smaller groups following other religions.

Berlin has many important religious buildings, including Berlin Cathedral, St. Nicholas Church, the New Synagogue, Şehitlik Mosque, St. Hedwig's Cathedral, and several Hindu temples.

Government and politics

German federal city state

Since German reunification on 3 October 1990, Berlin has been one of the three city-states of Germany among the present 16 federal states of Germany. The Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin (House of Representatives) functions as the city and state parliament, which has 141 seats. Berlin's executive body is the Senate of Berlin (Senat von Berlin). The Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin (Regierender Bürgermeister), and up to ten senators holding ministerial positions, two of them holding the title of "Mayor" (Bürgermeister) as deputy to the Governing Mayor.

The total annual budget of Berlin in 2015 exceeded €24.5 ($30) billion including a budget surplus of €205 ($240) million. The German Federal city state of Berlin owns extensive assets, including administrative and government buildings, real estate companies, as well as stakes in the Olympic Stadium, swimming pools, housing companies, and numerous public enterprises and subsidiary companies. The federal state of Berlin runs a real estate portal to advertise commercial spaces or land suitable for redevelopment.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Left (Die Linke) took control of the city government after the 2001 state election and won another term in the 2006 state election. From the 2016 state election until the 2023 state election, there was a coalition between the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Party. Since April 2023, the government has been formed by a coalition between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats.

The Governing Mayor is simultaneously Lord Mayor of the City of Berlin (Oberbürgermeister der Stadt) and Minister President of the State of Berlin (Ministerpräsident des Bundeslandes). The office of the Governing Mayor is in the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall). Since 2023, this office has been held by Kai Wegner of the Christian Democrats. He is the first conservative mayor in Berlin in more than two decades.

• -2025-09-msu-7221-7546.jpg)

  Red Town Hall

[Charlottenburg Town Hall](/wiki/Charlottenburg_Town_Hall)

[Rathaus Spandau](/wiki/Rathaus_Spandau)

Boroughs

Main article: Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin

Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs or districts (Bezirke). Each borough has several subdistricts or neighborhoods (Ortsteile), which have roots in much older municipalities that predate the formation of Greater Berlin on 1 October 1920. These subdistricts became urbanized and incorporated into the city later on. Many residents strongly identify with their neighborhoods, colloquially called Kiez. At present, Berlin consists of 96 subdistricts, which are commonly made up of several smaller residential areas or quarters.

Each borough is governed by a borough council (Bezirksamt) consisting of five councilors (Bezirksstadträte) including the borough's mayor (Bezirksbürgermeister). The council is elected by the borough assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung). However, the individual boroughs are not independent municipalities, but subordinate to the Senate of Berlin. The borough's mayors make up the council of mayors (Rat der Bürgermeister), which is led by the city's Governing Mayor and advises the Senate. The neighborhoods have no local government bodies.

City partnerships

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Berlin to this day maintains official partnerships with 17 cities. Town twinning between West Berlin and other cities began with its sister city Los Angeles, California, in 1967. East Berlin's partnerships were canceled at the time of German reunification.

Capital city

Berlin is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. The President of Germany, whose functions are mainly ceremonial under the German constitution, has their official residence in Bellevue Palace. Berlin is the seat of the German Chancellor (Bundeskanzler), housed in the Chancellery building, the Bundeskanzleramt. Facing the Chancellery is the Bundestag, the German Parliament, housed in the renovated Reichstag building since the government's relocation to Berlin in 1998. The Bundesrat ("federal council", performing the function of an upper house) is the representation of the 16 constituent states (Länder) of Germany and has its seat at the former Prussian House of Lords. The total annual federal budget managed by the German government exceeded €310 ($375) billion in 2013.

The relocation of the federal government and Bundestag to Berlin was mostly completed in 1999. However, some ministries, as well as some minor departments, stayed in the federal city Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. Discussions about moving the remaining ministries and departments to Berlin continue.

The Federal Foreign Office and the ministries and departments of Defense, Justice and Consumer Protection, Finance, Interior, Economic Affairs and Energy, Labor and Social Affairs, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Food and Agriculture, Economic Cooperation and Development, Health, Transport and Digital Infrastructure and Education and Research are based in the capital.

Embassies

Berlin hosts in total 158 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many think tanks, trade unions, nonprofit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations. Frequent official visits and diplomatic consultations among governmental representatives and national leaders are common in contemporary Berlin.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Berlin

In 2018, Berlin's total money from all its jobs was €147 billion, which is 3.1% more than the year before. Most companies in Berlin work in services, making up around 84% of all businesses. In 2015, there were 1.85 million people with jobs in Berlin. By November 2015, the jobless rate was at its lowest in 24 years, at 10%. Between 2012 and 2015, Berlin added around 130,000 new jobs. By 2025, about 330,000 people in Berlin were getting help because they had no job.

Berlin is important for many kinds of work, like health science, moving things around, technology, movies, music, design, building things, shopping, and more. Many big companies have special labs in Berlin to create new ideas, such as Volkswagen, Pfizer, and SAP. The Science and Business Park in Adlershof is Germany’s biggest technology park.

Companies

Deutsche Bahn, the world’s biggest train company, has its main office in Berlin. Many big German and international companies have offices or centers in the city. Berlin is known for helping new businesses start, and in 2015, it had the most money from investors for new companies in Europe.

Among Berlin’s biggest employers are the city itself, Deutsche Bahn, hospitals like Charité and Vivantes, the German government, the local bus and train service BVG, Siemens, and Deutsche Telekom. Other big companies with headquarters in Berlin include Deutsche Wohnen, Zalando, and Delivery Hero.

Tourism and conventions

Main article: List of tourist attractions in Berlin

In 2014, Berlin had 788 hotels with 134,399 beds. That year, there were 28.7 million nights stayed by visitors and 11.9 million guests. Tourism has more than doubled in the last ten years, making Berlin the third most-visited city in Europe. Popular spots include Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburger Tor, the Berlin wall, Alexanderplatz, and many more.

Berlin is also a top place for big meetings and events, hosting 195 international meetings in 2015. The city has big places for events like CityCube Berlin and the Berlin Congress Center (bcc). The Messe Berlin organizes many big fairs each year.

Creative industries

For a more comprehensive list, see List of films set in Berlin

Creative work like music, movies, art, and design is a big part of Berlin’s economy. In 2014, about 30,500 creative companies helped make 15.6 billion Euro, which is 6% of all private business money in the area. Berlin is a key place for movie making in Europe, with many film companies, theaters, and co-productions each year.

Media

Main article: Media in Berlin

Berlin has many magazines, newspapers, and book publishers. It also has offices for big news agencies and many newspapers, both local and national. The city is home to TV and radio stations, including public broadcasters like RBB and commercial ones like MTV Europe. Berlin also has many publishing houses, such as Walter de Gruyter, Springer, Suhrkamp, and Cornelsen.

Quality of life

Berlin is known for being a great place to live. In 2024, different groups ranked Berlin among the top cities in the world for how nice it is to live there. One group placed it at 19th, another at 17th, and a third at 21st. Berlin also did very well in 2025 for its importance in the world, and in 2019 it was recognized for having great opportunities for the future.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Berlin

Berlin has many ways to get around, including roads, bicycles, taxis, trains, buses, and even rivers. The city has many bridges over its waterways and lots of roads, including some motorways.

Cycling is very popular in Berlin, with many bike paths and special lanes just for bicycles. Riders can even take their bikes on trains and buses if they have a ticket. There are also yellow and beige taxis, and app-based sharing services. Berlin has a big central train station that connects to many cities in Germany and beyond. The city also has many bus stations and a large airport outside the city. Public transport has grown a lot since the city joined together again in 1989.

Energy

Berlin gets its energy mainly from two companies: the Swedish firm Vattenfall and the Berlin-based company GASAG. Both provide electricity and natural gas to homes in the city. Some electricity also comes from power plants in southern Brandenburg.

As of 2015, the five biggest power plants in the area are Heizkraftwerk Reuter West, Heizkraftwerk Lichterfelde, Heizkraftwerk Mitte, Heizkraftwerk Wilmersdorf, and Heizkraftwerk Charlottenburg. These plants make electricity and heat at the same time to help during busy times.

In 1993, the power lines in Berlin and nearby Brandenburg were updated. In most inner parts of Berlin, the power lines are buried underground, except for two lines that run above ground from the Reuter substation to the urban Autobahn. The Berlin 380-kV electric line is the main part of the city's power network.

Health

Berlin has made many important discoveries in medicine and created new medical tools. Famous scientists from Berlin include Rudolf Virchow, who started the study of cells in disease, and Robert Koch, who made vaccines for dangerous sicknesses.

The Charité is the biggest university hospital in Europe. It began in 1710 and has helped many important doctors, including some who won Nobel Prizes. The hospital has many rooms for patients, lots of doctors and students, and operates from four different places.

Education and research

Main article: Education in Berlin

As of 2014, Berlin had many schools with hundreds of thousands of students. Children in Berlin start with six years of primary school, then move to either a comprehensive school or a college-preparatory school. Some schools, like the Europaschule, teach lessons in both German and another language.

Main article: Universities and research institutions in Berlin

Berlin is a top place for learning and discovery. The city has several big universities and many smaller colleges. In the winter of 2015/16, over 175,000 students were studying there, including many from other countries.

Berlin is also home to many famous research groups and organizations. Thousands of scientists work in the city on new ideas and inventions. The city has many libraries and is a key spot for technology and business growth.

Culture

Main article: Culture in Berlin

Berlin is famous for its many cultural places, like museums and galleries, which are known around the world. The city’s mix of people and lively spirit has created a trendsetting atmosphere. In the 21st century, Berlin has developed a strong scene for music, dance, and art.

Young people, artists from many countries, and business owners have moved to Berlin, making it a popular place for entertainment.

The city’s growing cultural activities were shown when the Universal Music Group decided to move their headquarters to the banks of the River Spree. In 2005, Berlin was named "City of Design" by UNESCO and has been part of the Creative Cities Network ever since.

Galleries and museums

For a more comprehensive list, see List of museums and galleries in Berlin.

As of 2011^[update] Berlin is home to 138 museums and more than 400 art galleries. The buildings on the Museum Island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are located in the northern part of Spree Island between the Spree and the Kupfergraben. In 1841, a royal decree named this area a "district dedicated to art and antiquities." The Altes Museum was built in the Lustgarten. The Neues Museum, which displays the bust of Queen Nefertiti, Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon Museum, and Bode Museum were also built there.

Besides the Museum Island, Berlin has many other museums. The Gemäldegalerie (Painting Gallery) shows paintings from famous artists from the 13th to the 18th centuries, while the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery, built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) focuses on 20th-century European painting. The Hamburger Bahnhof, in Moabit, has a big collection of modern and contemporary art. The Deutsches Historisches Museum reopened in the Zeughaus and shows German history over more than a thousand years. The Bauhaus Archive is a museum about 20th-century design from the famous Bauhaus school. Museum Berggruen has a collection from the famous collector Heinz Berggruen, with many works by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, and Giacometti. The Kupferstichkabinett Berlin (Museum of Prints and Drawings) is part of the Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums) and the Kulturforum at Potsdamer Platz in the Tiergarten district of Berlin's Mitte district. It is the largest museum for graphic arts in Germany and one of the four most important in the world. The collection includes Friedrich Gilly’s design for a monument to Frederick II of Prussia.

Berlin has several important places for photography, showing the city’s long and current love for this art. The Museum für Fotografie, part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and home to the Helmut Newton Foundation, shows historical and modern photographic works, including a special exhibit called Helmut Newton’s Private Property. Fotografiska Berlin, which opened in 2023 in the Kunsthaus Tacheles, focuses on modern photography with shows of local and international photographers. C/O Berlin, located in the Amerika Haus near Zoologischer Garten, is a leading place for photography and visual media, showing both famous and new photographers. Photography is also important at other places such as the Berlinische Galerie, which includes photography in its modern art shows, and the Kunstbibliothek Berlin, which has a big photographic archive. Other places like the Friedrichshain Photo Gallery help Berlin’s documentary and socially involved photo culture.

The Jewish Museum has a main exhibit about two thousand years of German-Jewish history. The German Museum of Technology in Kreuzberg has many old technical objects. The Museum für Naturkunde (Berlin's natural history museum) shows natural history near Berlin Hauptbahnhof. It has the largest mounted dinosaur in the world (a Giraffatitan skeleton). A well-preserved specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex and the early bird Archaeopteryx are on display too.

In Dahlem, there are several museums about world art and culture, such as the Museum of Asian Art, the Ethnological Museum, the Museum of European Cultures, and the Allied Museum. The Brücke Museum has one of the biggest collections of works by artists from the early 20th-century expressionist movement. In Lichtenberg, at the old East German Ministry for State Security, is the Stasi Museum. The place where Checkpoint Charlie was, one of the most famous crossing points of the Berlin Wall, is still there. A private museum shows detailed plans and strategies made by people who tried to escape from the East.

The city of Berlin has many street art works. This art form is a big part of Berlin’s culture and started with the graffiti scene in Kreuzberg in the 1980s. The Berlin Wall itself is one of the largest open-air art spaces in the world. The part left along the Spree river in Friedrichshain is called the East Side Gallery. Berlin is known as an important world city for street art culture. Berlin has many galleries with contemporary art. These are found in Mitte, like KW Institute for Contemporary Art, KOW, Sprüth Magers; and in Kreuzberg, such as Blain Southern, Esther Schipper, Future Gallery, König Gallerie.

Nightlife and festivals

Berlin’s nightlife is known as one of the most varied and lively in the world. In the 1970s and 80s, the SO36 in Kreuzberg was a center for punk music and culture. The SOUND and the Dschungel became famous. In the 1990s, people in their 20s from all over the world, especially from Western and Central Europe, made Berlin’s club scene a top place for fun. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many old buildings in Mitte, the old center of East Berlin, were taken over and turned into places for underground and counterculture events. The main areas have many nightclubs, like the Tresor and the Berghain. The KitKatClub and other places are known for their wild parties.

Clubs do not have to close at a certain time on weekends, and many parties go on late into the morning or all weekend, especially near Alexanderplatz. Some places have become famous for the Neo-Burlesque scene.

Berlin has a long history of acceptance and is an important place for equal rights. People of all backgrounds have felt free here since the 1800s. Today, the city has many clubs and festivals that celebrate this spirit. The most famous are Berlin Pride, the Christopher Street Day, the Lesbian and Gay City Festival in Berlin-Schöneberg, and the Kreuzberg Pride.

The yearly Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) with around 500,000 visitors is one of the largest film festivals in the world. The Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures), a street parade celebrating many cultures, happens every Pentecost weekend. Berlin is also known for the cultural festival Berliner Festspiele, which includes the jazz festival JazzFest Berlin, and Young Euro Classic, the largest international festival for youth orchestras in the world. Several technology and media art festivals and meetings happen in the city, like Transmediale and Chaos Communication Congress. The yearly Berlin Festival focuses on indie rock, electronic music, and synthpop and is part of the International Berlin Music Week. Every year Berlin hosts one of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world, with over a million people. The main event is at the Brandenburg Gate, where fireworks light up the sky, but fireworks happen all over the city. People in Germany often celebrate the New Year with a glass of sparkling wine.

The [Berlinale](/wiki/Berlinale) is the world's largest international spectator film festival.

The [French Cathedral](/wiki/French_Cathedral,_Berlin) during the annual [Festival of Lights](/wiki/Festival_of_Lights_\(Berlin\))

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  Hanukkah festival at the Brandenburg Gate

Performing arts

Main article: Music in Berlin

Berlin has 44 theaters and stages. The Deutsches Theater in Mitte was built in 1849–50 and has been running almost nonstop since then. The Volksbühne at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz was built in 1913–14, though the theater started in 1890. The Berliner Ensemble, famous for performing the works of Bertolt Brecht, began in 1949. The Schaubühne started in 1962 and moved to the old Universum Cinema on Kurfürstendamm in 1981. With a seating capacity of 1,895 and a stage floor of 2,854 square meters (30,720 sq ft), the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin Mitte is the largest show palace in Europe. For Berlin’s independent dance and theatre scene, places like the Sophiensäle in Mitte and the three houses of the Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) in Kreuzberg are important. Most shows there can also be seen in English. Some dance and theatre groups that work around the world (Gob Squad, Rimini Protokoll) are based there, as well as festivals like the international festival Dance in August.

Berlin has three opera houses: the Deutsche Oper, the Berlin State Opera, and the Komische Oper. The Berlin State Opera on Unter den Linden opened in 1742 and is the oldest of the three. Its music leader is Daniel Barenboim. The Komische Oper has often performed operettas and is also on Unter den Linden. The Deutsche Oper opened in 1912 in Charlottenburg.

The main place for musical theater shows is the Theater am Potsdamer Platz and Theater des Westens (built in 1895). Contemporary dance can be seen at the Radialsystem V. The Tempodrom hosts concerts and circus-style shows. It also has a relaxing spa area. The Admiralspalast in Mitte has many different shows, like variety acts and music.

There are seven symphony orchestras in Berlin. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the best in the world; it plays at the Berliner Philharmonie near Potsdamer Platz on a street named for the orchestra’s longest leader, Herbert von Karajan. Simon Rattle was the main leader from 1999 to 2018, and now Kirill Petrenko holds that position. The Konzerthausorchester Berlin was created in 1952 as the orchestra for East Berlin. Christoph Eschenbach is its main leader. The Haus der Kulturen der Welt shows exhibits about different cultures and hosts world music and meetings. The Kookaburra and the Quatsch Comedy Club are known for satire and comedy shows. In 2018, the New York Times called Berlin "arguably the world capital of underground electronic music".

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Berlin

Döner kebab

A plate of Currywurst

Created in Berlin, currywurst and modern döner are famous foods in German culture.

The cuisine and food in Berlin are very different. In 2021, 23 restaurants in Berlin were given one or more Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide, making Berlin the top city in Germany for this honor. Berlin is well-known for vegetarian and vegan food and has a creative food scene with foods from many places, local and green ingredients, pop-up food markets, dinner clubs, and food festivals like Berlin Food Week.

Many local foods come from traditions in northern Germany and include hearty dishes with pork, goose, fish, peas, beans, cucumbers, or potatoes. Popular street food in Berlin includes the Currywurst (which became famous with workers rebuilding the city after World War II), Buletten, and the Berlin-style donut, called Pfannkuchen. German bakeries have many kinds of breads and pastries. One of Europe’s biggest delicatessen markets is at the KaDeWe, and one of the world’s largest chocolate stores is Rausch.

Berlin also has a rich variety of foods from many cultures because of the city’s history with people from other places. Turkish and Arab families brought foods like lahmacun and falafel, which are now common fast foods. The modern fast-food version of the doner kebab sandwich, which started in Berlin in the 1970s, has become a favorite dish around the world. Asian foods like Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, as well as Spanish tapas bars, Italian, and Greek foods, can be found in many parts of the city.

Recreation

Zoologischer Garten Berlin, the older of two zoos in the city, was founded in 1844. It is the most visited zoo in Europe and has the most different kinds of animals in the world. It was home to the famous polar bear Knut. The city’s other zoo, Tierpark Friedrichsfelde, was founded in 1955.

Berlin's Botanischer Garten includes the Botanic Museum Berlin. With an area of 43 hectares (110 acres) and around 22,000 different plant kinds, it is one of the largest and most various plant collections in the world. Other gardens in the city include the Britzer Garten, and the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) in Marzahn.

The Tiergarten park in Mitte, designed by Peter Joseph Lenné, is one of Berlin’s biggest and most popular parks. In Kreuzberg, the Viktoriapark gives a view over the southern part of inner-city Berlin. Treptower Park, next to the Spree in Treptow, has a large Soviet War Memorial. The Volkspark in Friedrichshain, which opened in 1848, is the oldest park in the city, with monuments, a summer outdoor cinema, and several sports areas. Tempelhofer Feld, the site of the old city airport, is the world’s biggest inner-city open space.

Potsdam is just outside Berlin to the southwest. The city was home to Prussian kings and the German Kaiser until 1918. The area around Potsdam, especially Sanssouci, has many lakes and cultural places. The Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin are the largest World Heritage Site in Germany.

Berlin is also famous for its many cafés, street musicians, beach bars along the Spree River, flea markets, boutique shops, and pop-up stores, which are great places for fun and relaxation.

The Elephant Gate at the [Berlin Zoo](/wiki/Berlin_Zoological_Garden)

The [Victory Column](/wiki/Berlin_Victory_Column) in Tiergarten

Inside [Tiergarten (park)](/wiki/Tiergarten_\(park\))

Inside [Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum](/wiki/Berlin_Botanical_Garden_and_Botanical_Museum)

Sports

Main article: Sport in Berlin

Berlin is well known for hosting big international sports events. The city held the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. It has also hosted the World Athletics Championships at Olympiastadion, the Euroleague Final Four basketball competition, and was one of the hosts for EuroBasket 2015. In 2015, Berlin was the location for the UEFA Champions League Final. The city even tried to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, but Sydney was chosen instead.

Berlin also hosted the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games, marking the first time Germany held this event. The city is famous for its Berlin Marathon, which often sees record-breaking runs, and the ISTAF is another popular yearly event. The Mellowpark in Köpenick is one of Europe’s largest parks for skateboarding and BMX. During big football tournaments, a fan celebration at Brandenburg Gate draws hundreds of thousands of fans.

Many important sports clubs are based in Berlin. The most famous is Hertha BSC, a football team that was part of the start of the Bundesliga in 1963. Berlin also has many other professional sports teams.