Berlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berlin
Capital city, state and municipality
Spree river, Museum Island, Berlin TV Tower and Berlin Palace in Mitte Brandenburg Gate Reichstag Gendarmenmarkt Berlin Cathedral Potsdam Square
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Grey City "Spreeathen", or Athens on the Spree River
Berlin highlighted in Germany
Berlin Location in Germany Show map of Germany Berlin Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
Government
• Body	Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Area
• City/State	891.3 km2 (344.1 sq mi)
• Urban	3,743 km2 (1,445 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population  (2022 census)
• City/State	3,596,999
• Estimate  (Dec 2024)	3,897,145
• Rank	5th in Europe 1st in Germany
• Density	4,109/km2 (10,640/sq mi)
• Urban	4,679,500
• Urban density	1,250/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
Demonyms	Berliner(s) (English) Berliner (m), Berlinerin (f) (German)
GDP
• City/State	€207.058 billion (2024)
• Per capita	€53,131 (2024)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Area code(s)	030
Geocode	NUTS Region: DE3
ISO 3166 code	DE-BE
Vehicle registration	B
GeoTLD	.berlin
HDI (2022)	0.967 very high · 2nd of 16

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. It is big both in land area and population. With about 3.7 million people, it is the most populated city within its borders in the European Union. Berlin is also one of Germany's 16 states. It is the third smallest state by area. The state of Brandenburg surrounds Berlin, and its capital, Potsdam, is very close. The larger Berlin area has over 4.6 million people, making it Germany's most populated urban area. The Berlin-Brandenburg region has about 6.2 million people. It is Germany's second-largest metropolitan area.

Berlin was built along the Spree River. This river flows into the Havel in the western part of the city called Spandau. Berlin also has lakes in its western and southeastern areas. The largest lake is Müggelsee. About one-third of Berlin is covered by forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals, and lakes.

Berlin was first mentioned in the 13th century. It was located where two important trade routes crossed. Berlin became the capital of several German states over time. These included the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1417–1701), the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). Berlin was a center for science, art, and new ideas during the Age of Enlightenment and other periods. After World War II, Berlin was divided into West Berlin and East Berlin by the Berlin Wall. East Berlin was the capital of East Germany, while Bonn was the capital of West Germany. After Germany reunited in 1990, Berlin became the capital of all of Germany again. Because of its location and history, Berlin is sometimes called "the heart of Europe."

Berlin is a global city known for its culture, politics, media, and science. Its economy relies on high tech and service industries. These include many creative industries, startup companies, research centers, and media companies. Berlin is a major hub for air and rail travel. It has a complex public transportation network. Tourism in Berlin makes Berlin a popular place to visit worldwide. Important industries include information technology, healthcare, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, the automotive industry, and electronics.

Berlin has several universities, like the Humboldt University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, the Berlin University of the Arts, and the Free University of Berlin. The Berlin Zoological Garden is the most visited zoo in Europe. Babelsberg Studio was the world's first large movie studio. Many films are set in Berlin. Berlin is home to three World Heritage Sites: Museum Island, the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, and the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates. Other famous places include the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, Potsdamer Platz, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and the Berlin Wall Memorial. Berlin has many museums, galleries, and libraries.

Berlin's History

What's in a Name?

Berlin is in northeastern Germany. This area was once home to Slavic people. Many place names there, including Berlin, come from Slavic languages. The word Berlin might come from an old Slavic word meaning "swamp."

Five of Berlin's twelve boroughs have Slavic names. These are Pankow, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Treptow-Köpenick, and Spandau. Also, 22 of the city's 96 neighborhoods have Slavic-rooted names.

Early History of Berlin

People have lived in the Berlin area for thousands of years. A deer mask from 9,000 BC shows early human presence. Around 2,000 BC, many settlements grew along the Spree and Havel rivers. Later, Germanic tribes settled here. In the 7th century, Slavic tribes arrived.

From the 12th to 16th Century

In the 12th century, the area became part of German rule. This was the Margraviate of Brandenburg, founded in 1157. Early signs of medieval settlements in Berlin date back to the late 1200s. The towns of Spandau and Köpenick were first mentioned in the late 1100s and early 1200s. The year 1237 is considered the founding date of Berlin.

The two towns grew close economically. They benefited from trade routes, including the Via Imperii. In 1307, they formed an alliance. In 1443, Frederick II began building a new royal palace. Citizens protested this in 1448. From 1486, the palace became the home of the Hohenzollern rulers. Berlin-Cölln lost its status as a free Hanseatic League city. In 1539, the rulers and the city officially became Lutheran.

From the 17th to 19th Century

The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) badly damaged Berlin. One-third of its homes were destroyed, and half its population was lost. Frederick William, the "Great Elector," became ruler in 1640. He encouraged people to move to Berlin and allowed different religions. In 1685, he offered safety to French Huguenots.

By 1700, about 30 percent of Berlin's people were French. Many other immigrants came from Bohemia, Poland, and Salzburg.

In 1701, the state of Prussia was formed. Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, crowned himself King Frederick I. Berlin became the capital of this new kingdom. This helped centralize the far-reaching state. In 1709, Berlin merged with four other cities. It became "Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin" (Main and Residence City of Berlin).

In 1740, Frederick the Great became ruler. Under him, Berlin became a center of new ideas. The Russian army briefly occupied Berlin during the Seven Years' War. In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin. But he allowed the city to govern itself. In 1815, Berlin became part of the new Province of Brandenburg.

The Industrial Revolution changed Berlin in the 1800s. The city's economy and population grew a lot. It became a major railway and economic center in Germany. New suburbs were added to Berlin. In 1861, areas like Wedding and Moabit became part of Berlin. In 1871, Berlin became the capital of the new German Empire. In 1881, it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.

From the 20th to 21st Century

In the early 1900s, Berlin was a hub for the German Expressionist art movement. New art styles emerged in architecture, painting, and film. After World War I in 1918, a republic was declared at the Reichstag building. In 1920, the Greater Berlin Act added many surrounding towns and villages to Berlin. This made Berlin much larger. Its population almost doubled to about four million. During the Weimar era, Berlin faced economic problems. But it also became a famous center of the "Roaring Twenties." The city was a major world capital, known for science, technology, arts, and film. Albert Einstein became famous during his time in Berlin.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. Hitler wanted to rebuild Berlin with huge buildings to show their power. These plans were never fully carried out. The Nazi rule caused Berlin's Jewish community to shrink. Many Jewish people left Germany. After 1938, thousands were sent to camps. Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics. The Olympic stadium was built for these games.

During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed by Allied air raids and the 1945 Battle of Berlin. Around 125,000 civilians died. After the war ended in May 1945, Berlin received many refugees. The winning powers divided the city into four parts. The United States, United Kingdom, and France controlled West Berlin. The Soviet Union controlled East Berlin.

All four Allied powers shared control of Berlin. But in 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all access to West Berlin. This was called the Berlin Blockade. The Berlin airlift helped West Berlin by flying in food and supplies. In 1949, West Germany was formed, and East Germany was formed. West Berlin was connected to West Germany, even though it was surrounded by East Germany. In 1961, East Germany built the Berlin Wall around West Berlin. This divided the city completely. John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in 1963, showing US support for West Berlin. Most people from East Germany could not travel to West Berlin.

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. On October 3, 1990, the two parts of Germany reunited. Berlin became a unified city again. The city then saw a lot of new building and development. The East Side Gallery preserves a large part of the old wall. In 1991, the German Parliament voted to move the capital from Bonn back to Berlin. This move was finished in 1999.

In 2001, Berlin's administrative reform reduced the number of boroughs from 23 to 12. The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was held in Berlin. The "Berlin Wall Trail" was completed in 2006. In 2016, a terrorist attack happened at a Christmas market. In 2018, over 200,000 people protested racism in Berlin. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) opened in 2020. The Humboldt Forum museum, in the rebuilt Berlin Palace, was fully completed in 2022.

Berlin-Brandenburg Fusion Attempt

In 1996, there was an attempt to combine Berlin and Brandenburg into one state. Both areas share history and culture. Many people from Brandenburg commute to Berlin for work. Most leaders and groups supported the idea. However, voters in Brandenburg did not approve it. They worried about Berlin's large debt and losing their own identity.

Berlin's Geography

Land and Water

Berlin is in northeastern Germany. It is in a flat area of low-lying marshy woodlands. This area is part of the large Northern European Plain. The Berliner Urstromtal (an ice age valley) was formed by melting ice. The Spree River flows through this valley. In western Berlin, the Spree flows into the Havel River. The Havel looks like a chain of lakes, with the largest being the Tegeler See and the Großer Wannsee. Lakes also feed into the upper Spree, which flows through the Großer Müggelsee in eastern Berlin.

Much of Berlin is on low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Parts of Reinickendorf and Pankow are on the Barnim Plateau. Most of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Neukölln are on the Teltow Plateau.

The highest point in Berlin is the Arkenberge hills in Pankow, at 122 meters (400 feet). The lowest point is the Spektesee in Spandau, at 28.1 meters (92 feet).

Berlin's Climate

Berlin has a climate with mild to warm summers and cold, but not very harsh, winters. It gets some rain throughout the year.

Winters often have frost. Temperatures in the city can be warmer than in the surrounding areas. This is because buildings and roads store heat. Summers are warm and sometimes humid. Average high temperatures are 22–25°C (72–77°F). Winters are cold, with average high temperatures of 3°C (37°F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. Snow usually falls from December to March.

Cityscape and Architecture

How Berlin Looks

Berlin's history has given it a mix of old and new buildings. The city's look today was mostly shaped by events in the 20th century. Many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s show modern architecture.

Many buildings were destroyed during the bombing of Berlin in World War II. After the war, some surviving buildings were torn down. Since Germany reunited, many important historic buildings have been rebuilt. These include the Berlin State Opera, Charlottenburg Palace, Gendarmenmarkt, and the Berlin Palace.

The tallest buildings in Berlin are found in areas like Potsdamer Platz, City West, and Alexanderplatz. Over one-third of Berlin is green space. The Großer Tiergarten is one of the largest and most popular parks in the city center.

Famous Buildings and Places

The TV Tower at Alexanderplatz is one of the tallest buildings in the European Union, at 368 meters (1,207 feet). It was built in 1969 and can be seen from most of central Berlin. You can go up to its observation deck for views of the city. The Karl-Marx-Allee is a large avenue with monumental buildings. Nearby is the Rotes Rathaus (City Hall), known for its red-brick style. In front of it is the Neptunbrunnen fountain. The Nikolaiviertel is the rebuilt oldest part of the city.

The Brandenburg Gate is a famous symbol of Berlin and Germany. It represents European history, unity, and peace. The Reichstag building is where the German Parliament meets. It was redesigned by Norman Foster in the 1990s. It has a glass dome that allows visitors to see inside and offers great city views.

The East Side Gallery is an outdoor art exhibition. It is painted on the last parts of the Berlin Wall. It shows the city's past division.

The Gendarmenmarkt is a beautiful square with two similar cathedrals: the Französischer Dom and the Deutscher Dom. The Konzerthaus (Concert Hall) is between them.

The Museum Island in the Spree River has five museums. They were built between 1830 and 1930. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Berlin Palace was rebuilt on the island. The Berlin Cathedral is also on the island. It was an attempt to create a Protestant church like St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. St. Hedwig's Cathedral is Berlin's Roman Catholic cathedral.

Unter den Linden is a tree-lined avenue from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Palace. Many classical buildings are along this street, including part of Humboldt University. Friedrichstraße was a famous street during the "Golden Twenties."

Potsdamer Platz is a whole area rebuilt after the Berlin Wall fell. West of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum, with the Gemäldegalerie and Neue Nationalgalerie. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a Holocaust memorial, is to the north.

The area around Hackescher Markt is known for its trendy culture. It has shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the Hackesche Höfe, a group of buildings around several courtyards. The nearby New Synagogue is a center of Jewish culture.

The Straße des 17. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate and Ernst-Reuter-Platz. Its name remembers the uprisings in East Berlin on June 17, 1953. The Siegessäule (Victory Column) is on a large traffic island along this street.

The Kurfürstendamm has many luxury stores. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is at its eastern end. The church was destroyed in World War II and left in ruins. Nearby is KaDeWe, one of Europe's largest department stores. The Rathaus Schöneberg is where John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech.

West of the city center, Bellevue Palace is the home of the German President. Charlottenburg Palace is the largest historic palace in Berlin.

The Funkturm Berlin is a 150-meter (490-foot) radio tower. It has a restaurant and an observation deck.

The Oberbaumbrücke is Berlin's most famous bridge over the Spree River. It connects the boroughs of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. It carries cars, people, and the U1 Berlin U-Bahn line.

Berlin's People

At the end of 2023, Berlin had 3.66 million registered people. It is the most populated city in the European Union. In 2021, the urban area had over 4.6 million people. The entire Berlin-Brandenburg region has more than 6 million people.

In 2014, Berlin had 37,368 births, a record since 1991. There were 32,314 deaths. Almost 2 million households were in the city. 54 percent of these were single-person households. Over 337,000 families with children lived in Berlin. In 2014, Berlin gained about 40,000 new residents from other places.

Different Nationalities in Berlin

Residents by citizenship (31 December 2023)

Country	Population
Germany	2,931,731
Turkey	107,022
Ukraine	62,495
Poland	54,099
Syria	48,301
Russian Federation	37,815
Italy	33,732
India	33,257
Bulgaria	33,256
Romania	28,843
Vietnam	25,851
Afghanistan	22,172
United States	21,743
Serbia	21,305
France	19,484

People from many countries have moved to Berlin over a long time. In 1685, Berlin offered safety and tax benefits to French Huguenot refugees. The Greater Berlin Act in 1920 brought many suburbs into Berlin. This greatly increased the city's population.

In the 1960s and 1970s, West Berlin welcomed immigrants. Berlin has a large Turkish community, one of the biggest outside of Turkey. In the 1990s, people from the former Soviet Union also moved to Germany. Today, ethnic Germans from these countries make up a large part of the Russian-speaking community. Recently, people from Western countries and some African regions have moved to Berlin. Young Germans, Europeans, and Israelis have also settled here.

In December 2019, 777,345 residents had foreign citizenship. Another 542,975 German citizens had a "migration background". This means they or their parents moved to Germany after 1955. Foreign residents in Berlin come from about 190 countries. In 2017, 48 percent of residents under 15 had a migration background. Boroughs like Mitte, Neukölln, and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg have many migrants. Berlin has many Arabic speakers. Berlin has received many refugees, especially after the 2022 events in Ukraine. As of November 2022, about 85,000 Ukrainian refugees were in Berlin.

Berlin has a lively community of people from other countries. Many speak English.

Languages Spoken in Berlin

German is the main language spoken in Berlin. It is a West Germanic language. German is one of the 24 languages of the European Union.

Berlinerisch is a local way of speaking German in Berlin. It comes from a regional dialect. Today, it is more like a social way of speaking. Many educated people now speak standard German.

The most common foreign languages in Berlin are Turkish, Polish, English, Persian, Arabic, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian, Kurdish, Serbo-Croatian, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, and Serbo-Croatian are heard more in western Berlin. This is because of large communities from the Middle East and former Yugoslavia. Polish, English, Russian, and Vietnamese are more common in East Berlin.

Religion in Berlin

In 2011, about 37 percent of Berlin's people belonged to a recognized church or religious group. The largest group in 2010 was the Protestant Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO). About 18.7 percent of the population were members. The Roman Catholic Church had 9.1 percent of residents as members. About 2.7% of people belonged to other Christian groups.

In 2009, about 249,000 Muslims were members of mosques in Berlin. By 2016, some estimated about 350,000 Muslims observed Ramadan in Berlin. In 2019, about 437,000 residents had a migration background from countries with many Muslim people. The Muslim population almost doubled between 1992 and 2011.

About 0.9% of Berliners belong to other religions. There are about 30,000–45,000 Jewish residents. About 12,000 are registered members of religious groups.

Berlin is home to the Roman Catholic archbishop of Berlin. It is also the seat of many Orthodox churches. People of different faiths have many places of worship in Berlin. There are over 80 mosques, ten synagogues, and several Buddhist and Hindu temples.

Government and Politics

Berlin as a City-State

Since Germany reunited in 1990, Berlin has been one of Germany's three city-states of Germany. The Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin (House of Representatives) is Berlin's city and state parliament. It has 141 seats. Berlin's executive body is the Senate of Berlin. The Senate includes the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to ten ministers. Two of these ministers are also called "Mayor" and help the Governing Mayor.

In 2015, Berlin's annual budget was over €24.5 billion. The city-state owns many buildings, real estate, and shares in public companies. Berlin also has a website to advertise commercial spaces.

From 2016 to 2023, the city government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party, the Greens, and the Left Party. Since April 2023, the government has been a coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats.

The Governing Mayor is both the Lord Mayor of Berlin and the Minister President of the State of Berlin. The Governing Mayor's office is in the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall). Since 2023, Kai Wegner of the Christian Democrats has been the Governing Mayor. He is the first conservative mayor in Berlin in over two decades.

Berlin's Boroughs

Berlin is divided into 12 boroughs. Each borough has several neighborhoods. These neighborhoods were once older towns before Berlin grew larger in 1920. Many residents feel a strong connection to their neighborhoods. Berlin currently has 96 neighborhoods.

Each borough has a council and a mayor. However, the boroughs are not fully independent. They report to the Senate of Berlin. The borough mayors form a council that advises the Senate. The neighborhoods do not have their own local governments.

City Partnerships

Berlin has official partnerships with 17 cities around the world. These "sister city" relationships began in 1967 with Los Angeles.

Germany's Capital City

Berlin is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. The President of Germany lives at Bellevue Palace. The German Chancellor (Prime Minister) works in the Chancellery building. The Bundestag, Germany's Parliament, is in the Reichstag building. The Bundesrat (federal council), which represents Germany's 16 states, is in the former Prussian House of Lords.

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  The Federal Chancellery building, seat of the Chancellor of Germany

• 

  The Reichstag, seat of the Bundestag

• 

  Schloss Bellevue, seat of the President of Germany

• 

  Prussian House of Lords, seat of the Bundesrat of Germany

• 

  Headquarters of the Federal Intelligence Service

The German government and Parliament moved to Berlin in 1999. Some government ministries and departments stayed in Bonn, the former capital.

Berlin is home to 158 foreign embassies. Many think tanks, unions, and other groups also have their headquarters here. This means many official visits and meetings happen in Berlin.

Berlin's Economy

In 2018, Berlin's economy produced €147 billion, a 3.1% increase from the year before. Berlin's economy is mostly based on the service sector. About 84% of companies in Berlin are in services. In 2015, 1.85 million people worked in Berlin. The unemployment rate was 10.0% in November 2015, the lowest in 24 years. From 2012 to 2015, Berlin had the highest job growth rate among German states. About 130,000 jobs were added.

Important economic areas in Berlin include life sciences, transportation, information technology, media, music, advertising, design, biotechnology, and construction. E-commerce, retail, hotels, and medical engineering are also key.

Research and development are important for Berlin's economy. Big companies like Volkswagen, Pfizer, and SAP have innovation labs in the city. The Science and Business Park in Adlershof is Germany's largest technology park by income. Berlin has become a center for businesses and international investments in Europe.

Year	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Unemployment rate in %	13.6	13.3	12.3	11.7	11.1	10.7	9.8	9.0	8.1	7.8	6.4	8.6	9.1

Companies in Berlin

Many German and international companies have offices in Berlin. Berlin is known as a major center for new businesses. In 2015, Berlin attracted the most money for young startup companies in Europe.

The 10 largest employers in Berlin include the City-State of Berlin, Deutsche Bahn (the world's largest railway company), and hospitals like Charité. The German government, the public transport provider BVG, Siemens, and Deutsche Telekom are also major employers.

Siemens, a large global company, has part of its headquarters in Berlin. Other big companies based in Berlin include Deutsche Wohnen (property) and Delivery Hero (food delivery). The national railway operator Deutsche Bahn, and the large digital publisher Axel Springer are also headquartered here. Major international companies like Bombardier Transportation, Securing Energy for Europe, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, Sony, and TotalEnergies have their German or European headquarters in Berlin.

As of 2023, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, a large group of public banks, is based in Berlin. Mercedes-Benz Group makes cars, and BMW builds motorcycles in Berlin. In 2022, Tesla opened its first European factory near Berlin. Bayer and Berlin Chemie are big pharmaceutical companies in the city.

Tourism and Conventions

In 2014, Berlin had 788 hotels with over 134,000 beds. The city had 28.7 million overnight stays and 11.9 million hotel guests. Tourism has more than doubled in the last ten years. Berlin is now the third-most-visited city in Europe. Some popular places to visit include Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, Alexanderplatz, Museum Island, and the TV Tower. The largest groups of visitors come from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

In 2015, Berlin was the top city for organizing conferences globally. Many large trade fairs are held annually in Berlin. These include the consumer electronics fair IFA, the ILA Berlin Air Show, and the Berlin Fashion Week. These events attract many business visitors.

Creative Industries

The creative arts and entertainment business is a big part of Berlin's economy. This includes music, film, advertising, art, design, fashion, and publishing. It also covers software, TV, radio, and video games.

In 2014, about 30,500 creative companies were in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. Most were small and medium-sized businesses. This industry generated €15.6 billion and grew by 5.5% per year from 2009 to 2014.

Berlin is an important center for the German film industry. It has over 1,000 film and TV production companies. About 300 international films are made here each year. The historic Babelsberg Studios are near Berlin in Potsdam. Berlin is also home to the German Film Academy and the European Film Academy.

Media in Berlin

Berlin has many magazine, newspaper, and book publishers. About 20 news agencies and over 90 daily newspapers are based here. Many national publications also have Berlin offices. This makes Berlin a key place for important discussions in Germany. Many international journalists and writers live and work in the city.

Berlin is a central location for TV and radio stations. The public broadcaster RBB has its headquarters in Berlin. Many national German broadcasters have studios in the city.

Berlin has the most daily newspapers in Germany. These include local papers and national papers with different political views. The Berliner is Berlin's English-language magazine.

Major German publishing houses like Walter de Gruyter and Springer are based in Berlin. They publish books, magazines, and digital products.

Quality of Life

In 2024, Berlin ranked 19th in Mercer's Quality of Living City Ranking. Monocle magazine ranked Berlin as the 17th most livable city in the world in 2024. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Berlin 21st globally for livability. In 2019, Berlin was also ranked 8th on the Global Power City Index. That same year, Berlin was recognized for having the best future prospects among all German cities.

Transportation in Berlin

Berlin's transport system offers many ways to get around. There are 979 bridges crossing 197 km (122 miles) of waterways. Berlin has 5,422 km (3,369 miles) of roads. About 77 km (48 miles) are motorways (Autobahn). In 2013, only 1.344 million motor vehicles were registered in the city. Berlin has one of the lowest numbers of cars per person among major Western cities.

Cycling in Berlin

Berlin is known for its well-developed bicycle lane system. It is estimated that Berlin has 710 bicycles for every 1,000 residents. About 500,000 people ride bikes daily. This made up 13 percent of all traffic in 2010.

Cyclists in Berlin have access to 620 km (385 miles) of bicycle paths. This includes dedicated paths, off-road routes, and shared lanes. Riders can take their bikes on trains and trams if they buy a bike ticket.

Taxis in Berlin

Taxis in Berlin are yellow or beige. In 2024, about 8,000 taxis were in service. App-based ride-sharing services are also available, but they are limited.

Rail Travel

Long-distance train lines connect Berlin directly to all major German cities. Regional trains link Berlin to Brandenburg and the Baltic Sea. The Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) is Europe's largest multi-level train station. The Deutsche Bahn runs high-speed trains (ICE) to places like Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne.

Water Transport

The Spree and Havel rivers flow through Berlin. There are no regular passenger boat services to and from Berlin. Berlin's largest harbor, the Westhafen, is in Moabit. It is an important place for moving goods by boat.

Intercity Buses

More and more intercity bus services are available. Berlin has over 10 bus stations that serve destinations throughout the city. Buses connect Berlin to places across Germany and Europe from the Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin (Central Bus Station).

City Public Transport

The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) and the state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB) manage Berlin's public transport systems.

System	Stations / Lines / Net length	Annual ridership	Operator / Notes
S-Bahn	166 / 16 / 331 km (206 mi)	431,000,000 (2016)	DB / Mostly above-ground train system
U-Bahn	173 / 9 / 146 km (91 mi)	563,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Mostly underground train system / Runs 24h on weekends
Tram	404 / 22 / 194 km (121 mi)	197,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Mainly in eastern boroughs
Bus	3227 / 198 / 1,675 km (1,041 mi)	440,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Wide service across all boroughs / 62 Night Lines
Ferry	6 lines		BVG / For transport and fun

Berlin's public transport has a complex history due to the city's division in the 20th century. Since 1989, the network has grown a lot.

Airports

Berlin is served by one international airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). It is just outside Berlin's southeastern border. It opened in October 2020. It replaced Tegel Airport and Schönefeld Airport. BER's initial capacity was about 27 million passengers per year. Plans are to expand it to about 55 million by 2040.

Before BER opened, Berlin used Tegel Airport and Schönefeld Airport. Both airports handled 29.5 million passengers in 2015. In 2014, 67 airlines flew to 163 destinations from Berlin. Tegel Airport was a hub for Lufthansa. Schönefeld was important for airlines like easyJet and Ryanair. Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008. Its grounds are now a city park.

Rohrpost (Pneumatic Tube System)

From 1865 to 1976, Berlin had a large pneumatic postal network. At its longest in 1940, it stretched 400 kilometers (about 250 miles). After 1949, the system was split into two networks. The West Berlin system was used by the public until 1963. It continued for government mail until 1972. The East Berlin system, which included the main telegraph office, worked until 1976.

Energy in Berlin

Berlin's two largest energy providers for homes are Vattenfall (Swedish) and GASAG (Berlin-based). They provide electricity and natural gas. Some of Berlin's electricity comes from power plants in nearby Brandenburg.

As of 2015, Berlin's five largest power plants are Heizkraftwerk Reuter West, Heizkraftwerk Lichterfelde, Heizkraftwerk Mitte, Heizkraftwerk Wilmersdorf, and Heizkraftwerk Charlottenburg. These plants produce both electricity and heat. This helps manage energy use during busy times.

In 1993, the power grid in the Berlin-Brandenburg region was updated. In most central Berlin areas, power lines are underground. Only a few high-voltage lines run above ground. The Berlin 380-kV electric line is a key part of the city's energy system.

Health in Berlin

Berlin has a long history of medical discoveries. Many scientists from Berlin have greatly influenced modern medicine. Rudolf Virchow founded cellular pathology. Robert Koch developed vaccines for diseases like tuberculosis. Koch is seen as one of the founders of modern medicine.

The Charité hospital is Europe's largest university hospital. It started in 1710. More than half of all German Nobel Prize winners in medicine have worked at the Charité. It has about 3,000 beds, 15,500 staff, and 8,000 students.

Telecommunication

Since 2017, Berlin and Germany use the DVB-T2 standard for digital television. This system sends digital audio, video, and other data.

Berlin has installed hundreds of free public Wi-Fi spots since 2016. These are mostly in central areas. There are 650 hotspots.

The UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) networks allow mobile internet use across the city. These are provided by Vodafone, Telekom Deutschland, and O2.

Education and Research

As of 2014, Berlin had 878 schools. These schools taught 340,658 students. The city has a 6-year primary education program. After primary school, students go to a comprehensive school or a college preparatory school. Berlin has a special bilingual school program called the Europaschule. Children learn in German and a foreign language there.

The Französisches Gymnasium Berlin was founded in 1689 for children of Huguenot refugees. It offers German and French instruction. The John F. Kennedy School is a bilingual German-American public school. It is popular with children of diplomats and English-speaking families.

Higher Education

The Berlin-Brandenburg region is a major center for higher education and research in Germany and Europe. Historically, 67 Nobel Prize winners have been connected to Berlin's universities.

The city has four public research universities. It also has over 30 private colleges. These offer many different subjects. A record 175,651 students were enrolled in winter 2015/16. About 18% of them were international students.

The three largest universities have about 103,000 students combined. These are the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin. The Charité Medical School has about 8,000 students. These four institutions form the Berlin University Alliance.

Research in Berlin

Berlin has many famous research institutions. These include the Fraunhofer Society and the Max Planck Society. In 2012, about 65,000 scientists worked in research and development in Berlin.

Berlin is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This group focuses on developing IT industries. It works with big companies like Siemens and SAP.

The WISTA Science and Technology Park in Berlin-Adlershof is a successful research and business area. It has over 1,000 companies and scientific groups.

Besides university libraries, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin is a major research library. There are also 86 public libraries in the city. ResearchGate, a social network for scientists, is based in Berlin.

Berlin's Culture

Berlin is known for its many cultural places. Many of them are famous worldwide. The city's lively atmosphere has made it a trendsetting place. A new music, dance, and art scene has grown in the 21st century.

Young people, artists, and business owners have moved to Berlin. This has made it a popular entertainment center. In 2005, UNESCO named Berlin a "City of Design."

Many German and international films have been shot in Berlin. These include M, One, Two, Three, Cabaret, Christiane F., Possession, Octopussy, Wings of Desire, Run Lola Run, Good Bye, Lenin!, The Lives of Others, Inglourious Basterds, Hanna, Unknown, and Bridge of Spies.

Galleries and Museums

As of 2011, Berlin has 138 museums and over 400 art galleries. The museums on Museum Island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area was set aside for art and old objects in 1841. The Altes Museum, Neues Museum (which has the bust of Queen Nefertiti), Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon Museum, and Bode Museum are all there.

Besides Museum Island, Berlin has many other museums. The Gemäldegalerie shows paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries. The Neue Nationalgalerie focuses on 20th-century European painting. The Hamburger Bahnhof has a large collection of modern art. The Deutsches Historisches Museum shows German history. The Bauhaus Archive is a museum of 20th-century design. The Museum Berggruen has works by Picasso and other famous artists. The Kupferstichkabinett Berlin is a large museum of graphic arts.

The Jewish Museum shows two thousand years of German-Jewish history. The German Museum of Technology has many old technical items. The Museum für Naturkunde (natural history museum) has the world's largest mounted dinosaur skeleton.

In Dahlem, there are museums of world art and culture. These include the Museum of Asian Art and the Ethnological Museum. The Brücke Museum has a large collection of early 20th-century expressionist art. The Stasi Museum is in Lichtenberg, at the former headquarters of the East German secret police. The site of Checkpoint Charlie, a famous crossing point of the Berlin Wall, is also preserved. A private museum there shows how people tried to escape from East Berlin.

Berlin's cityscape shows a lot of urban street art. It has become an important part of the city's culture. Its roots are in the graffiti scene of Kreuzberg in the 1980s. The Berlin Wall itself became one of the world's largest outdoor art canvases. The remaining part along the Spree River is the East Side Gallery. Berlin is known as a major world city for street art. Berlin has many galleries with modern art.

Nightlife and Festivals

Berlin's nightlife is famous for being very diverse and lively. In the 1970s and 80s, the SO36 in Kreuzberg was a center for punk music. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many old buildings were used by young people. These became places for underground gatherings. The central boroughs have many nightclubs, including the Tresor and the Berghain. Clubs do not have to close at a fixed time on weekends. Many parties last all night or even all weekend.

Berlin has a long history of gay culture. It is an important place for the LGBT rights movement. Today, the city has many queer clubs and festivals. The most famous are Berlin Pride and the Lesbian and Gay City Festival.

The annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) is the world's largest public film festival. The Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) is a multi-ethnic street parade. Berlin is also known for the Berliner Festspiele cultural festival. This includes the JazzFest Berlin and Young Euro Classic, a festival for youth orchestras. Several technology and media art festivals are held in the city. The annual Berlin Festival focuses on indie rock and electronic music. Every year, Berlin hosts one of the world's largest New Year's Eve celebrations. Over a million people attend at the Brandenburg Gate.

Performing Arts

Berlin has 44 theaters and stages. The Deutsches Theater was built in 1849–50. The Volksbühne was built in 1913–14. The Berliner Ensemble is famous for performing plays by Bertolt Brecht. The Schaubühne was founded in 1962. The Friedrichstadt-Palast is Europe's largest show palace. For independent dance and theater, places like the Sophiensäle and the Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) are important. Many shows there are also for English speakers.

Berlin has three major opera houses: the Deutsche Oper, the Berlin State Opera, and the Komische Oper. The Berlin State Opera is the oldest, opened in 1742. Its music director is Daniel Barenboim. The Komische Oper specializes in operettas. The Deutsche Oper opened in 1912.

The city's main places for musical theater are the Theater am Potsdamer Platz and Theater des Westens. Contemporary dance can be seen at the Radialsystem V. The Tempodrom hosts concerts and circus-like shows. The Admiralspalast has many variety and music events.

Berlin has seven symphony orchestras. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the best in the world. Simon Rattle was its conductor from 1999 to 2018. Kirill Petrenko now holds this position. The Konzerthausorchester Berlin was founded in 1952. The Haus der Kulturen der Welt shows exhibitions and stages world music. The Kookaburra and Quatsch Comedy Club are known for comedy. In 2018, The New York Times called Berlin a world capital for underground electronic music.

Berlin's Food

Berlin's food scene is very varied. In 2021, 23 restaurants in Berlin received Michelin stars. This makes Berlin top in Germany for such restaurants. Berlin is known for its vegetarian and vegan food. It has a creative food scene with global flavors and local ingredients.

Many local foods come from northern German traditions. These include hearty dishes with pork, goose, fish, and potatoes. Popular street food includes Currywurst and Berliner donuts. German bakeries offer many breads and pastries. One of Europe's largest delicatessen markets is at the KaDeWe.

Berlin also has diverse food due to its immigrant history. Turkish and Arab immigrants brought foods like lahmajoun and falafel. The modern doner kebab sandwich, which started in Berlin in the 1970s, is now popular worldwide. Asian, Spanish, Italian, and Greek restaurants are found throughout the city.

Recreation and Fun

Zoologischer Garten Berlin, founded in 1844, is the older of Berlin's two zoos. It is Europe's most visited zoo and has the most diverse species in the world. It was home to the famous polar bear Knut. The city's other zoo, Tierpark Friedrichsfelde, opened in 1955.

Berlin's Botanischer Garten is one of the world's largest and most diverse botanical collections. It has 43 hectares (106 acres) and about 22,000 different plant species. Other gardens include the Britzer Garten and the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World).

The Tiergarten park is one of Berlin's largest and most popular parks. In Kreuzberg, the Viktoriapark offers views of inner-city Berlin. Treptower Park has a large Soviet War Memorial. The Volkspark in Friedrichshain is the city's oldest park. Tempelhofer Feld, the former city airport, is the world's largest inner-city open space.

Potsdam is southwest of Berlin. It was once a home for Prussian kings. The area around Potsdam is known for its lakes and cultural sites. The Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin are Germany's largest World Heritage Site.

Berlin is also known for its many cafés, street musicians, beach bars, flea markets, and unique shops. These offer many ways to relax and have fun.

Sports in Berlin

Berlin is a well-known host city for major international sports events. It hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. The World Athletics Championships were held at Olympiastadion in 2009 and will be again in 2025. Berlin also hosted basketball's Euroleague Final Four in 2009 and 2016. In 2015, Berlin was the venue for the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final. The city tried to host the 2000 Summer Olympics but did not win.

Berlin hosted the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games. This was the first time Germany hosted these games.

The annual Berlin Marathon and the ISTAF are popular athletic events. The Mellowpark in Köpenick is one of Europe's biggest skate and BMX parks. A fan fest at Brandenburg Gate is popular during international football competitions.

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, known as the "father of modern gymnastics," invented many gymnastics equipment around 1811 in Berlin. His movement led to modern sports clubs. In 2013, about 600,000 Berliners were part of over 2,300 sports clubs. Berlin has over 60 public swimming pools. Berlin is Germany's largest Olympic training center. Many top athletes train there. Berliners won many medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Several professional sports teams are based in Berlin. The oldest and most popular football team is Hertha BSC. Other professional teams include:

Club(s)	Sport(s)	Founded	League(s)	Venue(s)
1. FC Union Berlin	Football	1966	Bundesliga	Stadion An der Alten Försterei
Hertha BSC	Football	1892	2. Bundesliga	Olympiastadion
ALBA Berlin	Basketball	1991	BBL	Uber Arena
Berlin Thunder	American football	2021	ELF	Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark
Eisbären Berlin	Ice hockey	1954	DEL	Uber Arena
Füchse Berlin	Handball	1891	HBL	Max-Schmeling-Halle
Berlin Recycling Volleys	Volleyball	1991	Bundesliga	Max-Schmeling-Halle
Berliner Hockey Club	Lacrosse	2005	Bundesliga	Ernst-Reuter-Feld

Images for kids

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  The controversial 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin under the Nazi rule

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  View from Pariser Platz in June 1945, after the battle of Berlin

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  Berlin in ruins after World War II (Potsdamer Platz, 1945)

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  US and Soviet tanks face each other. Taken in 1961 at Checkpoint Charlie, during the construction of the Berlin Wall

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  The Berlin Wall (painted on the western side) was a barrier that divided the city from 1961 to 1989.

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  The Berlin Wall bordered with East and West Berlin in 1983

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  The fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989.

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  The German reunification on 3 October 1990, with flags of all German states at the Reichstag building

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  The 2006 FIFA World Cup final was held in Berlin

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  Berlin Hauptbahnhof was opened in 2006

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  The rebuilt Berlin Palace in 2022

See also

In Spanish: Berlín para niños