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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Berlin

138 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Berlin, Germany

Updated May 13, 2024

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Explorer’s Guide to Winter in Germany

Sponsored by The German National Tourist Office and Lufthansa

In Germany, the winter holidays are a gift that never stops giving. From Christmas markets to skiing adventures in the Alps, the country’s main seasonal attractions are well known, but the cooler months of December to March also offer much more off the beaten path. Hidden snowscapes, markets, and manors straight out of the Brothers Grimm books promise a unique turn to the wintertide. Here are some of the best, lesser-known places for outdoor fun and indoor warm-ups across the country. And if you’re ready to book your next trip, Lufthansa operates direct flights from 20 U.S. cities to Germany, making it easier than ever to plan the perfect German winter adventure.

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Unusual Attractions in Berlin

See All 138 Things To Do in Berlin

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Berlin

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Explore Berlin, Germany

Military 25
World War Ii 23
Museums 19
Architecture 19
Memorials 16
Nazis 12
Architectural Oddities 11
Collections 11

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Recent Berlin Activity

Stories About Berlin

Berlin is home to more than half the world's working gas streetlamps. They first illuminated Unter den Linden, Berlin’s central boulevard, almost two centuries ago.

The Last Days of Berlin's Gas Streetlamps

Looking at the German city in a different light.
by Alex Rennie
The shadow of Count Orlok is long.

A New Look at Nosferatu’s Bloody Legacy

An exhibition in Berlin celebrates a century of one of the most famous, and complicated, vampire stories.
by Diana Hubbell

The Overlooked History of Berlin's Black Community

New memorials honor Afro-German victims of the Nazis.
by Jennifer Neal
Many escape tunnels were dug under the Berlin Wall in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, including the famous Tunnel 57.

Remembering a Daring Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall

Nearly 60 years after he fled East Berlin, Andreas Springer shares a story of risk, freedom, and the deepest tunnel beneath the Cold War's most infamous border.
by Jordan Todorov
Retirement for this 707 means being parked beside a forest.

The Last Plane at Tegel Airport Has Survived Hijackers and Cold War

Parked far from the runway, the dilapidated 707 is an artifact of Berlin's divided past.
by Susannah Edelbaum
Mnyaka Sururu Mboro, of nonprofit Berlin Postkolonial, holds a sign for a street renamed to commemorate a rebellion in German East Africa.

How Berlin Is Reckoning With Germany's Colonial Past

It starts with renaming streets and landmarks, but will take much more than that.
by Jennifer Neal
The volunteers were given suitcases to check in and pick up. The bags didn't always make it to carousel.

What It's Like to Stress-Test Berlin's Brand New, Much Maligned Airport

A little stressful, by design.
by Andrew Curry
German authorities with a 500-pound bomb discovered during construction work. Such discoveries are regular occurrences in cities that were bombed during World War II.

What Happens When They Find a World War II Bomb Down the Street

In German cities, it means alerts, traffic, evacuations, and at least a little anxiety.
by Andrew Curry

Lists Featuring Berlin

Gesundbrunnen Bunker - Entrance from inside
Peaks of the Tempodrom

Berlin's 4 Top Wonders in 2018

The strange and unusual places Atlas Obscura readers wanted to visit most in Germany's capital in 2018.

4

Including Berliner Unterwelten (Subterranean Berlin), Monsterkabinett, and Spreepark

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