Berlin is one of the most interesting and valuable European cities for inquisitive tourists from a historical and artistic point of view; unfortunately, it is not cheap at all. After one day spent in museums and a night in clubs, you can think about saving. Fortunately, the city has many attractions and entertainment that you don’t have to pay for. In this article we will tell you how to get to know Berlin without extra expenses and stretch your budget.
Reichstag
To appreciate the city you are about to get to know, you can first conquer the Reichstag. From the top of the famous historic building, where the Bundestag parliament now sits, there are breathtaking views of Berlin. An elevator takes visitors to the observation deck, which is completely glazed and transparent, symbolizing political openness. It’s free, but you must register in advance and show your ID upon entry.
Berlin Wall
In November 1989, when the Berlin Wall was destroyed, one hundred artists from all over the world gathered here and painted its remains with paintings on the theme of freedom and world peace. Now this fragment of the wall is known as the East Side Gallery, located in the open air and accessible to everyone.
You can also visit the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse for free, where documentary evidence of the victims of the political regime, the wall itself and its impact on the lives of Berliners is exhibited.
Memory of War
In Berlin, it is impossible not to come across monuments dedicated to the events of the bloodiest war of the last century. The exhibition and information center “Topography of Terror” is located on the site of the main buildings of the Gestapo, SS and other fascist units during the Second World War. This is a large gloomy complex, around which there is no greenery, only gray sand: the whole appearance of this place should evoke horror and fear of the history lesson that was presented to humanity.
“Warrior-Liberator” – a monument depicting a Soviet soldier with a German girl in his arms, is located in Treptower Park, at the burial site of 7 thousand Soviet soldiers who died during the Battle of Berlin.
In the Berlin suburb of Oranienburg, the tragically famous Sachsenhausen concentration camp was located. Now the preserved and restored buildings house a museum. A visit to it, and especially to Station Z, where executions took place, cannot be called entertainment, but it is important to visit there.
Museum Island
The museum complex on the island of Spreeinsel has been awarded the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. And in the last century, thanks to Museum Island, the whole of Berlin received the title “Athens on the Spree”.
If you have to pay to visit museums on the island, then walks among the architectural and sculptural masterpieces that abound on the island are free and no less impressive.
Picnic in the park
Berliners like to spend warm days in parks: sunbathing, having picnics and drinking a couple of bottles of beer. In the very center of the city there is one of the largest and oldest parks in the world, the Tiergarten, where there are many different alleys, lawns, shady corners and sports grounds. There are monuments to emperors and chancellors, famous German poets and composers, paths lead to the Charlottenburg and Belew palaces, and the most famous place in the center of the park is a triumphal column with a statue symbolizing Victory, which is popularly called “Golden Elsa”.
Another famous park is Tempelhof, built on the site of a former airfield, which at one time was an “air corridor” to West Berlin. There’s something romantic about grilling German sausages next to the runway, or rollerblading down it.
Mauerpark is located where the Berlin Wall used to stand. This is a special place where there are flea markets on Sundays, where you can find clothes from local designers, antiques and other interesting things, take part in a karaoke competition that usually draws crowds of onlookers, attend a free concert of young musicians seeking fame and feel free, creative and friendly spirit of Berlin.
Good music
Every Tuesday at 1 pm the famous Berlin Philharmonic gives a free concert performed by students or aspiring musicians, as well as classical music stars. Students at the Eisler Hochschule für Musik Berlin give demonstrations several times a week and demonstrate their skills. Jazz clubs, such as A-Trane, b-flat and others, periodically invite you to free jam sessions, which can be found in the program.
A couple more life hacks for saving money in Berlin: events that you can attend are freely published on websites, and every first Monday of the month entrance to all state The city’s museums are free. Willkommen!
