Where to stay in Berlin?

Staying in Mitte: the historic center

The Mitte district is clearly the ideal place to set down your suitcases if you're coming to stay in the German capital. As Berlin's historical and cultural center, you'll find plenty of places of interest to visit, including some of the most emblematic of the city. For anyone coming to spend a few nights or just one in Berlin, this is the perfect place to stay. One of the main advantages is its location. Being central, it's right next to the main train station, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which connects you to Berlin's suburbs and other German cities.

It should be noted that the district is not the borough of the same name, which is much larger. The historic district is framed by the Reichstag and Alexanderplatz from west to east, and extends as far as Checkpoint Charlie to the south. Between these monuments, there are many places that are a must-see and will give you plenty to learn about Berlin's past:

• Brandenburg Gate: Berlin's symbolic gate, with 6 Doric columns topped by a quadriga, 4 horses and the goddess of Victory.
• Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Denkmal): Symbolic memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, near the Great Gate.
• Reichstag Palace: Imposing building with glass dome, symbol of democracy, today home to the German Parliament.
• Berliner Dom Cathedral: Magnificent 19th-century building with 5 domes, including a main dome offering a panoramic view of the city.
• Pergamon Museum (Pergamonmuseum): Museum of ancient Greek and Roman art, renovated since its construction at the turn of the century.

The Mitte district is one of the richest in terms of cultural visits, but not necessarily the liveliest in the evening. You can, however, stay here with the advantage of being able to visit the city's most emblematic monuments without having to take the subway for a moment. If you choose to stay here, you'll be sure to make the most of your time in Berlin. You'll find many hotels and apartments that are generally more expensive than elsewhere. But on a nightly basis, it's perfectly possible to find accommodation that offers excellent value for money.

Choosing to stay in West Berlin: Tiergarten Park

The Tiergarten park to the south can be reached in 15 minutes by city train or bus from the main station. Slightly eccentric from Mitte, it offers a pleasant environment thanks to the strong presence of the park's vegetation, which acts like a bubble of oxygen in the urban landscape. The park offers lakes, streams, flower gardens and wide lawns for picnics in fine weather.

You can also take advantage of the park's cross-country paths, making it easy to get around. At the center of the park, one of Berlin's most important monuments is theSiegessäule column , in reference to the Prussian victory over Denmark, which offers a magnificent panorama of the city if you climb the 280 steps inside. You can also visit the Berlin Zoo and Aquarium, both in the park itself. It's a great place to stay if you're a family and want to stay close to places of interest that will appeal to your children, for example.

You'll also find plenty of museums in and around the park, so you can take full advantage of Tiergarten's cultural offerings:

• Neue Nationalgalerie (Museum of Modern Art): a rich exhibition of 20th-century works, mostly German. A must-see in Berlin.
• Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand (German Res istance Memorial): a museum with a detailed and lengthy presentation of the various German resistance groups against Nazism at the time.
• Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts): Houses works from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau, costumes and period furniture.

If you want to stay close to these points of interest and avoid being at a disadvantage during your stay in Berlin, the best place to stay is east of Tiergarten. This will enable you to reach the city center and Mitte in particular more easily. To the west, you'll be a little more out of the way.

Staying in Kreuzberg

In the south of Mitte, you'll find a lively and well-known part of Berlin that promises festive evenings in the image of the capital. Its nickname of “little Istanbul” stems from the fact that it is home to a large part of the Turkish community, and you'll find many Turkish restaurants here. The advantage of staying in Kreuzberg is its proximity to the cultural centers of Mitte, which are just a few metro stops away, and its livelier nightlife.

It's best suited to those looking for a real nightlife experience, as there will be a lot of noise, especially to the east of Kreuzberg. You'll find plenty of bars, restaurants, concert halls and nightclubs, which will be ideal for finding out what to do in Berlin in the evening. To keep you busy during the day, you can visit the Jewish Museum, south of the historic center. TheEast Side Gallery, adjacent to Friedrichshain, is another interesting place to visit.

If you're looking for a place to stay in this part of Berlin, private rentals are in the majority and affordable. There are few, if any, hotels to choose from, and we recommend a more upmarket district if you're only in Berlin for a short time.

Friedrichshain: East Berlin

On another note, Friedrichshain is one of Berlin's liveliest and most underground areas. Here, the young Berlin population is at its most active, in search of trendy bars, alternative cafés and nightclubs. If you're curious and open-minded, we recommend a visit to the Berghain or Sisyphos nightclubs, some of the most famous in the world! Be warned, though, that getting in can be tricky, and you won't be allowed to film or take photos inside, which makes it a very special attraction in the capital!

Here, you'll find the East Side gallery, which corresponds to the remainder of the Berlin Wall still standing, and where you'll see some famous street-art works. If you're a fan of vintage arcade games, there's also the Computer Games Museum, which will take you back in time. Apart from that, there's not much to see in this part of town.

The main advantage is its relatively easy accessibility, thanks to the Berlin Ostbahnhof train station serving the historic center, and the very affordable prices of accommodation. In fact, you'll find plenty of affordable hotels and youth hostels to stay in Friedrichshain.

Accommodation in Prenzlauer Berg: north-east Berlin

On the northeast side of Berlin's capital, 15 minutes from Alexanderplatz station, you'll find a trendy bobo area called Prenzlauer Berg. Slightly off the beaten track from the heart of Berlin and its tourist hotspots, here you'll find a more upscale vibe that's gaining in popularity thanks to its extensive offering of art galleries, vegan and organic restaurants and bars that cater to the same alternative-but-chic vibe.

But don't confuse it with Friedrichshain, which boasts a very active nightlife. Here, it's quite the opposite: rather residential, you'll find very few places to go out late at night. This makes it the perfect place to stay in peace and quiet. As a result, prices are higher than elsewhere.

For entertainment in this area, after a good vegetarian restaurant, you can visit the Mauerpark, which hosts a flea market every Sunday. Not far from this little park, you'll find the Zeiss Planetarium, a place of learning about the cosmos that will delight young and old alike. To the south of Prenzlauer Berg, don't miss Friedrichshain Park, a pleasant natural interlude with some historic buildings to observe.

Prenzlauer is home to a wide range of hotels at a variety of price points. You'll find mostly mid-range accommodation, with a few exceptions in hostels, which we've selected to help you find a place to stay.

Accommodation in the outlying areas: Charlottenburg and Wedding

In this category, we've grouped together 2 much more out-of-the-way areas that still have their advantages: Charlottenburg and Wedding.

Charlottenburg, although located an average of 20 minutes by train from the main station, has the advantage of offering an elegant residential landscape, thanks in particular to the strong presence of its turn-of-the-century bourgeois buildings. It's also a special place, featuring modernist villas that break away from the overall pre-war architecture, such as Villa M in the Grunewald district. A curiosity you'll want to discover if you like quirky architecture. The chic, sophisticated ambience that dominates this area of Berlin is the antithesis of Friedrichshain.

Charlottenburg Palace is just one of the Baroque buildings to be seen in this part of the capital, and you can also visit the Museum für Fotografie, dedicated to photography.

When it comes to accommodation in this part of Berlin, you'll find that prices are higher than elsewhere, and it's mostly upmarket 5-star hotels that can be found here.

Wedding is a lesser-known area, an average of 25-30 min from the main station, which echoes the previous one in its modernist feel and offers a pleasant environment in which to stay. With its many parks, trendy restaurants and bars, it's a great place to relax. The advantage is that, despite its more remote location, it's well served by public transport.