Free activities in Berlin

You want to explore Berlin, but your bank account is low? No problem, because the German capital has plenty of adventures for a few pennies – small money – or even free activities ready. Here you can read how to experience the Spree metropolis authentically without spending a fortune.

First get an overview – with the 100 buses

You would like to do a sightseeing tour with the hop-on-hop-off bus – but 30 Euros seems too expensive? Sightseeing by bus is cheaper in Berlin. The buses of the line 100 and 200 jet daily across the city center and past all important sights. Buses on line 100 leave from Bahnhof Zoo every ten minutes. The trip passes the Memorial Church and Victory Column, Bellevue Palace and Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral and Neptune Fountain to Alexanderplatz. Line 200 also runs between Zoo and Alex – but via Potsdamer Platz and Philharmonie. One ride costs 3 €. Tip: Take one of the many double-decker buses.

Just take a stroll

Admittedly, sometimes Berlin’s bus drivers are quite speedy. If you could not admire the cathedral or the cathedral extensively, make your way through the city on foot. Start at Alexanderplatz with the TV Tower and the World Time Clock and follow Karl-Liebknecht-Straße past the Red City Hall, St. Mary’s Church, the Neptune Fountain, the new City Palace and the Cathedral. When the street becomes Unter den Linden, you change to the promenade planted with linden trees and stroll past the many small shops and stalls to the venerable Hotel Adlon, through the Brandenburg Gate, briefly to the Reichstag and Holocaust Memorial and into the Tiergarten.

Between East and West

Not enough walking yet? A hike along the Wall Trail is one of the free activities in Berlin. We start at the Warsaw train station and pass the Eastside Gallery. For 1.3 km, street artists have transformed the remains of the Berlin Wall into creative works of art. The tour continues to Checkpoint Charlie, the last “border crossing” between East and West Berlin, where disguised soldiers take visitors on a trip back in time for free. Passing Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, you will reach the Berlin Wall Memorial, where you can also visit remnants of the Wall for free. The hike, which lasts about four hours, ends at Mauerpark.

A Sunday in Mauerpark

A visit to Mauerpark is a must, especially on Sunday. Then here meets half of Berlin to end the weekend for free. In the morning from 10 o’clock it goes to the popular flea market. Find vintage clothes, collector’s plates, old furniture and hidden treasures and fortify yourself with international delicacies at one of the street food trucks or get a currywurst at Konnopke on Eberswalder Straße. When the traders pack up around 6pm, enjoy the evening on the hillside in the light of the sunset; live karaoke included. Important: Do not forget a blanket.

All green

But Mauerpark is far from being the only park where you can discover the Berlin way of life for free. The extensive zoo is famous beyond the city limits. Here you can play ball or badminton, chill out and soak up the sun – in the naturist area also as God created you -, heat up the barbecue in designated zones or enjoy a cold beer. A gem in Mitte is the chic Weinbergspark, multicultural is in Rehberge, rather cozy in the park at the Weißen See. Or skate across the tarmac of the former airport on Tempelhofer Feld.

Enjoy royally

A visit to the garden of Charlottenburg Palace is also free. The spacious area attracts visitors with colorful flower fields and creative flower arrangements. Special tip: Visit the castle park between May and November and look for the sheep. In the warm season, they take over the mowing work, but are always used in other places. Among the free attractions is the Humboldt Forum in the newly built City Palace. Numerous exhibitions and events are accessible here for free. But check the conditions on the homepage beforehand – exhibitions and free admission opportunities change all the time.

Multicultural for little money

About 190 different nationalities live in Berlin and enrich the German capital with their culture. Discover these cultures and enjoy, for example, international delicacies on Sundays at the street food market in the Kulturbrauerei or on Thursdays at Markthalle neun in Kreuzberg. On Tuesdays you can find oriental specialties at the Turkish weekly market on Kreuzberg’s Maybachufer.

Party under the open sky

Party for free and outside? Goes of course! In summer, spontaneous raves often take place on Saturday nights on Boxhagener Platz – Boxi for short. On the Spree, between the Reichstag and the main train station, Berliners and Latin Americans shake a leg to salsa, bachata or kizomba on weekends. In addition, there are the really big festivals: the May festival on May 1 in Kreuzberg ensures a good mood with live bands. The Carnival of Cultures on Pentecost weekend shows the diversity and peaceful coexistence of different cultures. On the longest night of the year, bands play all over the city at the Fête de la Musique. With loud beats, LGBTQ colorfully demonstrate for tolerance at Pride on the CSD weekend.

Berlin late culture

After all the hustle and bustle, you just want to enjoy a cold beer but save yourself the pub? Berlin’s late-night culture is notorious beyond the city’s borders. Spätis or Spätshops are small kiosks that have everything you need to survive on the weekend – plus a wide range of drinks. Some Spätis even boast that they carry more types of beer than many a well-stocked pub. In addition, tables and benches in front of many Spätis invite you to linger – including a little chat with one or the other Berlin veteran. You want to stay sober? In Kreuzberg’s Bergmannkiez district, Zero Percent is the city’s first alcohol-free Späti.

This way you will be fresh and fit the next day for the numerous free adventures Berlin has in store.