Once you have seen the icons, these quieter and stranger places show a different side of Berlin, the abandoned, the monumental, and the local. Most see a fraction of the crowds of the headline sights.
Berlin's Hidden Gems
1
Viewpoint
Teufelsberg
An abandoned Cold War NSA listening station on a hill built from WWII rubble, now covered in street art with eerie domes and huge views.
Grunewald Forest
2
Viewpoint
Molecule Man from Elsenbruecke
Three 30-metre aluminium figures standing in the Spree where three districts meet, best seen from the Elsenbruecke.
Treptow / Friedrichshain
3
Architecture
Hackesche Hoefe
A restored maze of eight interlinked Art Nouveau courtyards in Mitte, full of cafes, boutiques, and a hidden cinema.
Mitte
4
Bar4.0
Klunkerkranich
A garden bar on a Neukoelln car-park roof, the locals' choice for an unpolished, low-key sunset over the city.
Neukoelln
5
Memorial5.0
Treptower Park Soviet War Memorial
A vast, awe-inspiring Soviet war memorial and cemetery, the largest outside the former USSR, and strikingly little-visited.
Treptow
6Must visit
Park5.0
Botanischer Garten Berlin
One of the world's largest botanical gardens, with grand Victorian glasshouses, a calm escape in the southwest.
Dahlem
7
Museum4.0
Hamburger Bahnhof
A former railway station turned contemporary-art museum, with Beuys, Warhol, and rotating shows in soaring halls.
Moabit
FAQ
- How do I get off the beaten path in Berlin?
- Head to the edges: the Teufelsberg spy station in the Grunewald, the Treptower Park Soviet memorial in the southeast, and the Botanical Garden in the southwest. All are easy by S-Bahn and far quieter than central Mitte.
- Can you visit the Teufelsberg spy station?
- Yes. The site is open to visitors for an entry fee, with guided tours available, and is now a legal street-art space. Check current opening days before you go, as they vary by season and weather.
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