Facts
Name of the city: Berlin
Location: Berlin, North-East of Germany
Population: 3,645,000
Next international Airport: Berlin Airport (BER)
Next Airport flying to Asia: Berlin Airport (BER)
Berlin, the capital city of Germany offers all kinds of sights, no matter if you are interest in history, culture, nightlife or alternative sides. Read here my tips for interesting landmarks, museums, art exhibitions, coupled with aioutravel tips as well as hotel and food recommendations.
The views from various vantage points are as varied as Berlin itself. The capital city offers vantage points for everyone – modern, exclusive roof top bars, tourists attractions from towers, domes, hills as well as cozy hidden places with a great view. From above, you experience the landmarks differently. I enjoy seeing Berlin from an eye birds view, so I summarize my favorite viewpoints of the city for you.
Weltballoon
The Weltballoon is one of the largest helium-filled balloon in the world. It will float 150 meters in the air. It is an incredible experience, standing in the balloon gondola and enjoying the unique view. Do not be afraid, the floating of mid-air is just an illusion, the balloon is fixed to the ground with a steel cable.
The Weltballoon floats above Checkpoint Charlie, in the middle of the city. Your ride takes about 15 minutes. During this time, you can walk freely in the balloon gondola and enjoy the views to the heart of Berlin.
Glass dome of Reichstag
The glass dome of the governmental building is open to public and you can enjoy incredible views from the top. After arriving on the dome, ask for the audio guide in different languages. Walking up a spiral ramp allows you to get to the uppermost part of the dome. While walking in the glass dome, you will hear interesting information, both cultural and technical, through the audio guide. Further, you can even enjoy a bird’s eye view down to the seats of power into the Reichstag. The admission is free, but you need to book tickets in advance with a pre-registration.
Are all tickets sold out? Another option to enjoy the glass dome and the spectacular view is to book a table at the roof garden restaurant. Coupled with excellent food and drinks from the restaurant Käfer, it allows you to tour around the glass dome.
Berlin Cathedral
The Berlin Cathedral is one of the impressive attractions within Berlin’s cityscape. After climbing 270 steps, you will be rewarded with a spectacular view. Can you see the TV tower, the Nikolai Quarter, the Mitte district and the Spree river from above? Besides the attractions on the ground, you can take a closer look to the bronze angels decorating the dome of the Cathedral.
The admission is EUR 9.00 for a normal ticket (as of July 2022). With the Berlin WelcomeCard you can enter the Cathedral with a reduced ticket price. As cash payment on site for purchasing the ticket is not possible, I recommend buying the ticket in advance online.
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Last admission in each case 60 minutes before
Deck 5
The rooftop Deck 5 claims itself to be the highest beach bar in Berlin. While enjoying the view, you can put your feet in the sand. Being at Deck 5, grab a summer cocktail and relax from the escape of the city. The vacation mood kicks in even though being in the vibrant city.
Reserve a table, see the opening hours and the directions here. The Deck 5 is located on the top of a shopping mall in Prenzlauer Berg district.
Berlin Television Tower (Fernsehturm)
The TV tower is my personal orientation strolling through the streets of Berlin. You can see it almost every time on the horizon and it helps me to find my way. The TV tower is the highest landmark in Berlin with a height of 368 meters.
The viewing platform, from over 200 meters up, is an incredible place to enjoy the bird’s eye views to the modern city. The elevator brings you in just 40 seconds to the observation platform. With the fast track online ticket, you can bypass the waiting lines.
aioutravel tip:
The revolving restaurant Sphere offers a culinary delight coupled with a 360-degree panoramic view. I was sitting on an inner circle table, as all window tables were sold. The restaurant rotates once an hour on its own axis. While sitting and enjoying the delicates, your view is changing automatically.
French Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt
The French Cathedral is located at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin Mitte district. The Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful public squares in Berlin. Climb 254 stairs and enjoy the 360-degree panoramic viewing platform. From the top of 40 meters you can see the TV Tower, the Reichstag, the Red City Hall and other landmarks of Berlin.
The admission costs EUR 5.50 for a normal ticket (as of July 2022). With the Berlin WelcomeCard you can enter the Cathedral with a reduced ticket price. Tickets with the respective time slot can be purchased here.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Berlin Palace / Humboldt Forum
The roof terrace from the Humboldt Forum offers unique views. The terrace is about 1800-square-meter large and can be accessed through an elevator. From a height of about 30 meters, you can enjoy the view to the Museum Islands, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Cathedral and the Alexanderplatz.
Visitors of the Humboldt Forum can enjoy the roof top terrace for free. Before the visit, please book a free entry ticket here.
The Restaurant Baret invites you for contemporary cuisine. It is located on the roof top terrace, so you can enjoy a warm tea and delicious food coupled with a unique view.
Monkey Bar Berlin
The rooftop Monkey Bar Berlin is located on the 10th floor of the hotel “25hours hotel bikini berlin”. The location is open to everyone, not only to hotel guests. It is called Monkey Bar for a reason – you have the best eye-birds view to the zoo’s monkey house. The atmosphere seemed stylish, young and uncomplicated to me.
See the opening hours and the directions here.
Victory Column
One of the most famous landmarks in Berlin is the Victory Column. On the top it is 69 meter high. It is fun being in the middle of the big roundabout, enjoying the view to the Tiergarten and the Bellevue Palace – even though you need to climb 285 steps for this experience.
You can take bus no. 100 to get to the Vicotry Column. For more aioutravel tips refer to Berlin highlights.
The admission costs EUR 3.50 for a regular ticket (as of July 2022).
Opening hours:
| April to October: | November to March: |
| Monday to Friday: 9:30 am – 6:30 pm Saturday to Sunday: 9:30 am – 7:00 pm | Daily: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (closed on December 24th) |
Hotel de Rome
The rooftop terrace of Hotel de Rome is a glamours location and one of the finest in Berlin. The sun terrace is equipped with lounge furniture. Sit there and enjoy top-quality cocktails, drinks and food. In the evenings live music and barbecues are offered.
See the opening hours and the directions here.
Kollhoff Tower at Potsdamer Platz
The Kollhoff Tower is the tallest building on Potsdamer Platz. It is 103 meters high and named after the architect Hans Kollhoff. You will find inside the tower mainly offices and some shops. Most interesting is the viewing platform “Panoramapunkt”. To get to the platform you take the fastest elevator in Europe that takes you from the first floor to the Panorama Café in only 20 seconds. Do you feel it is not high enough? You can climb the stairs to the 25th floor and enjoy the skyline of Berlin.
aioutravel tip:
Enjoy sitting in the all-glass Panorama Café with a delicious piece of cake and a spectacular view all over Berlin. Afterwards move to the terrace to sip on a sundowner.
The admission costs EUR 7.50 for a regular ticket (as of July 2022).
Opening hours:
Daily: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm (last admission 6:30 pm)
Olympic Bell Tower
The Bell Tower next to the Olympic Stadium provides a unique view to the Olympic area. On clear days, you can see until Potsdam city and the hills Mueggelberge. For the World Cup of Soccer in 2006, the tower was modernized. An elevator brings you to the top of the tower and shows the history of the tower.
Admission costs EUR 5.00 for a regular ticket (as of July 2022).
Opening hours:
April to October: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
The best view of berlin
I got to know Berlin from different perspectives. The choice for the best view is difficult. I really enjoyed visiting the TV tower and then having a cake in the restaurant – that was a unique experience. However, I also like the relaxed atmosphere on the rooftop Deck 5. It is very nice to spend the afternoon there with locals. Totally different is the visit of the glass dome of Reichstag, where you learn about the history, explore spectacular views and can enjoy delicates in the restaurant.
Which vantage point do you like most? Do you know another one you would like to share with me?