Berlin is the EU’s biggest city and the capital of Germany, and while that may lead you to believe that it will be expensive to visit, nothing is further from the truth. There are plenty of free things to do in Berlin, and I’m here to show them to you.
Before you go any further, take a look at my 3-day Berlin solo itinerary.
Now, let’s take a look at those free Berlin activities!
My favourite free things to do in Berlin
Join an alternative walking tour
One of my favourite free things to do in Berlin — or in any city, for that matter — is to join a free walking tour.
These tours are usually guided by locals, who will show you things you’ll never find in the guidebooks.
And the best part is, there are so many different kinds of free walking tours in Berlin that you’ll be sure to find something you’re interested in.
Street art? Berlin highlights? Cold War? Whatever it is you’re looking for, chances are you’ll find it in Berlin.
Do keep in mind that free walking tours are often tip-based, meaning that they won’t be completely free.
Hang out at Tempelhof Field
Tempelhof was Berlin’s main airport until 2008, when it was closed and flights started operating from the city’s other airports, Tegel and Schönefeld, instead.
Today, Tempelhof Field (the runway and its surrounding area) have been converted to a public park where locals go jogging or rollerskating, or even share a picknick on a warm summer day.
More information: Tempelhofer Feld
Visit Teufelsberg
One of my favourite things to do in Berlin – as in any other city, to be honest – is to find some little-known, abandoned buildings and explore them. And, as you might have guessed, Teufelsberg is one of those.
Related: Why I visited an abandoned children’s hospital in Berlin
Teufelsberg is an abandoned spy station on a man-made hill, which has been turned into a street art sanctuary.
You’ll have to face a little bit of a hike (which took me about 30 minutes) and there’s a small fee (€5,50) to enter the grounds, but it’s more than worth it.
Insider tip: don’t bother trying to find a way to climb the towers and get to the domes. It can’t be done, unless you want to risk your life.
More information: Teufelsberg
Stroll through Bergmannkiez
If you’re ever looking for free things to do in a new city, a safe bet is always to find a cool neighbourhood and walk around for a few hours.
In Berlin, one of those neighbourhoods is Bergmannkiez, a small area in the southern part of the city with charming cobble-lined streets and unique shops and bars to explore.
Some possible highlights for your visit to this area are the Marheinekeplatz flea market, Another Country bookstore, PICKNWEIGHT vintage kilo store and Marheineke Markthalle.
Walk along the East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is, without a doubt, one of the most popular and best free things to do in Berlin.
As you may or may not know, the East Side Gallery consists of a series of graffiti murals painted directly on remnants of the Berlin Wall.
Fun fact: with its length of 1,4 km, the East Side Gallery is often considered to be the world’s biggest (and longest-standing) free open-air art gallery.
More information: East Side Gallery
Do a self-guided architecture walk
As a city that flawlessly combines historic facades and futuristic buildings, Berlin has plenty of impressive architecture for you to discover.
So why not organise your own self-guided architecture walk?
For the specifics on what to see on your walk, I’ll let Julie from The Gap Year Edit do the talking in her article (linked below).
Visit an abandoned children’s hospital
Yeah, I know. It’s a little out there. When you’re looking for free things to do in and around Berlin, your mind probably doesn’t race to an abandoned children’s hospital.
But you should at least consider it.
I did it when I was travelling solo in Berlin, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting things I did there.
(It was also one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, but let’s not talk about that right now)
Here’s some more information about how I did it, and how you can do it too:
Check out Urban Spree
Arts and culture are a very popular area for many cities regarding free things to do. Of course, Berlin is no different.
One of my favourite artsy spots in the city is Urban Spree, a free gallery where exhibitions, workshops, concerts and live events take place.
The exhibitions on display at Urban Spree feature contemporary art by modern artists – both German and international – and usually run for about one month.
More information: Urban Spree
Visit the Holocaust Memorial
The Holocaust Memorial is one of the most-visited monuments in Berlin, and for good reason.
This elegant installation serves as a humble reminder to the millions of murdered Jews and their suffering in concentration camps in and around Germany during World War II.
Additionally, an underground information centre holds the names of over 3 million Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust.
More information: Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Get lost
One of my favourite free things to do in any destination is just walking around without having a specific destination in mind.
Let the cobbled streets envelop you, lose yourself in tight alleys and big shopping streets. Take in the atmosphere.
It doesn’t have to be a whole day, either. Just take an hour or two and go where the wind takes you. You’d be surprised at what you’ll discover.
Check out the flea markets
If you’re someone who gets joy out of hunting vintage posters, collecting stamps or hoarding war memorabilia, Berlin really is the place to be.
Since the city’s flea market culture is hardly a secret, you could possibly spend your entire holiday in Berlin browsing its many flea markets.
The biggest and most famous flea market in Berlin is at Mauerpark, but that’s definitely not the only one worth checking out.
Read this article about nine awesome flea markets that aren’t Mauerpark by the people from EXBERLINER.
Admire the Brandenburg Gate
For architecture and history nerds, monuments like the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor in German) are a sight to behold.
Constructed in 1791 on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II, it has been the scenery for many significant events from German history.
Today, the Brandenburg Gate is considered a symbol of both the stormy history of Germany and Europe and unity and peace across the European continent.
More information: Brandenburg Gate
Climb the Reichstag Building
One of the city’s most historically significant buildings is the Reichstag, which has housed the German parliament since 1999.
The building stands steady in the Berlin skyline as a symbol of European and German democracy.
For visitors, one of the most interesting things to do is to climb up to the roof of the Reichstag building and enjoy the free panorama. Keep in mind that you have to register online to climb the building. (But it’s completely free!)
More information: Reichstag Building
Visit Museum Island
Berlin’s Museum Island (Museumsinsel in German) is home to five museums, where you can find impressive collections besides the eye-catching exteriors of the buildings.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to purchase a ticket to actually get into the museums, but you can freely walk around Museum Island without a ticket.
One ticket costs €19 (€9,50 for reduced price tickets) and will get you into the following museums:
- Pergamonmuseum (Pergamon Museum)
- Bode-Museum
- Neues Museum (New Museum)
- Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery)
- Altes Museum (Old Museum)
More information: Museum Island
Visit Topographie des Terrors
Given its status as one of the most-visited war-related places in Berlin, Topography of Terror is definitely a documentation centre worth visiting.
The aptly-named Topographie des Terrors exhibition serves as a humble reminder to the terrors of the Second World War, including information about the Gestapo, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office.
Admission to the site is free and every exhibition is fully accessible for people who use wheelchairs.
More information: Topographie des Terrors
Note: the information in this post is loosely based on a Twitter thread with free things to do in Berlin that I made last year, just after I came back from my own trip to Berlin.
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