Berlin 3-day itinerary

Start at the Brandenburg Gate — Berlin's most iconic landmark, once trapped in no-man's-land between East and West. Walk to the Reichstag — the glass dome (free, pre-book online) offers city views and an audio guide about German democracy. The graffiti from Soviet soldiers in 1945 is still visible inside. Walk to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe — the underground information centre is free and devastating.

The Topography of Terror (free) occupies the former Gestapo and SS headquarters — an unflinching documentation of Nazi terror with a preserved section of the Berlin Wall. Walk to Checkpoint Charlie for the outdoor exhibition about escape attempts. Skip the overpriced private museum. Lunch at Curry 36 on Mehringdamm — Berlin's best currywurst (€3.50), a genuine Berlin institution since 1981.

Kreuzberg (Kreuzberg 36 specifically) is Berlin's most vibrant neighbourhood. Dinner at Markthalle Neun (Street Food Thursday 5–10pm, stalls €4–8) or Hasir for the kebab that started Berlin's döner culture (1971, mains €8–12). Walk the Landwehr Canal, then drinks at Kneipe bars on Oranienstraße — Luzia, Roses, or the anarchic Südblock with its outdoor beer garden.

Museum Island (UNESCO) holds five world-class museums. The Pergamon Museum (partially closed for renovation — check ahead, €14) has the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the Pergamon Altar. The Neues Museum (€14) has the bust of Nefertiti. A combined day pass (€22) covers all five. Even from outside, the architecture and Spree riverside setting are impressive. Allow 3 hours for two museums.

Metro to the East Side Gallery — 1.3km of murals on the longest remaining Berlin Wall stretch. The Fraternal Kiss, the Trabant breaking through the wall, and dozens more. Walk across the Oberbaumbrücke — Berlin's most beautiful bridge connecting Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. Lunch at Burgermeister under the U-Bahn tracks (gourmet burgers, €7–10) at Schlesisches Tor.

Friedrichshain is Berlin's young, student-heavy neighbourhood. Simon-Dach-Straße is lined with bars and restaurants at student prices — beers from €3, burgers from €7. For something different, RAW Gelände is a former railway repair yard turned art and nightlife complex — Cassiopeia beer garden, street art, and a Saturday flea market. Clubs here open after midnight.

Neukölln is where Berlin's creative class lives now — Turkish bakeries next to third-wave coffee shops, vinyl stores next to kebab joints. Breakfast at Two and Two (Australian cafe, avocado toast €8) or Café Engels for German pastries. Walk the Weserstraße and Sonnenallee strip — the multicultural energy is palpable. Visit the Tempelhofer Feld — a massive former airport runway turned public park.

If it is Sunday, Mauerpark flea market (10am–6pm) is unmissable — vintage clothing, records, street food, and the legendary outdoor karaoke. Prenzlauer Berg around Kollwitzplatz is beautiful — tree-lined streets, pre-war apartment buildings, and excellent cafes. The Kulturbrauerei (free) is a converted brewery complex with a GDR museum (€6) and cultural events.

Berlin's Spätis (late-night kiosks) are the city's unofficial living rooms — buy a €1.50 beer and sit on the pavement with locals. It is the most authentically Berlin thing you can do. For a farewell dinner, try Cocolo Ramen in Mitte (€10–13) or the Vietnamese on Kottbusser Damm. If it is the weekend, Berlin's legendary techno clubs (Berghain, Tresor, Sisyphos) go until Monday morning.