The culturally and historically rich city of Berlin is a fantastic place to visit for any kind of traveler. There’s something for you to enjoy in Berlin, whether you’re interested in the long history of this German city or if you want to experience some of the more recent cultural landmarks. If you’re planning a trip to this fantastic German city, you might be wondering which neighborhood you should stay in and the answer is – it depends. What do you want to do when you’re visiting? If the answer is to experience the luxurious side of the city, Mitte is a great option. Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are the most fitting choices if you’re interested in a vibrant nightlife as well as historic attractions to visit during the day. Prenzlauer Berg is a relaxed, bohemian neighborhood, and Schoenberg is similarly artistic, but has the added perk of being the place within the city such as the many music venues where artists such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop played and created some of their music.
These five neighborhoods have a lot to offer anyone who’s coming to the city, but they’re particularly good for first-timers. They are all accessible and easy to visit as well.
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1. Mitte
Mitte is an exciting and luxurious neighborhood in Berlin and it’s perfect for those who want a nicer place to stay in the city but are still hoping to stay near some of the best museums and historic sites. There are many tourist attractions within the neighborhood as well, which means that you will get easy access to sites such as the Brandenburg Gate. It’s a great place to stay for first-timers who want the best of what Berlin has to offer.
One of the most famous attractions in Mitte is the incredible Museum Island. This sprawling complex of six museums is one of the most visited tourist attractions in all of Berlin. It’s also home to the Reichstag building, which was the home of the German parliament until it was destroyed in 1933.
The main thing that deters people from staying in Mitte is that the cost of accommodations tends to be high. You definitely get what you pay for and the hotels here are luxurious options, but if you’re looking for a neighborhood that will keep you well under your budget, Mitte will not have the most choices for you.
Where to Stay in Mitte:
Looking for some great places in Mitte to stay in? Here are our top favorite hotels in this neighborhood you might like:
For more hotel options available in the Mitte neighborhood, click here to see our full list of the best hotels in Mitte to stay in.
Need more things to do in Berlin? Check out all the top attractions and things to do in Berlin now.
2. Kreuzberg
The neighborhood of Kreuzberg is often described as a youthful or “hipster” place to stay and that description is largely accurate. The area is the place to stay if you want a balanced vacation that includes vibrant nightlife as well as museums, parks, and restaurants to experience during the day. It’s lively and full of people – it’s a great place to stay if you want to experience more of Berlin’s local culture. It’s also home to one of the most famous nightclubs in the world, Berghain.
One of the most famous points to visit in Kreuzberg is Checkpoint Charlie, which was likely the most well-known and significant crossing point between East and West Berlin that functioned during the Cold War. You can visit a museum to learn more about the history of this checkpoint and the city that surrounded it, or you can simply visit a reconstruction of the border house.
Where to Stay in Kreuzberg:
Looking for some great places in Kreuzberg to stay in? Here are our top favorite hotels in this neighborhood you might like:
For more hotel options available in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, click here to see our full list of the best hotels in Kreuzberg to stay in.
Need more things to do in Berlin? Check out all the top attractions and things to do in Berlin now.
3. Prenzlauer Berg
If the party vibe of Kreuzberg is appealing but you’re looking for something slightly less lively, Prenzlauer Berg might be the neighborhood for you. It’s notably cool with a relaxed, bohemian energy and you can visit exciting museums, indulge at trendy restaurants, relax in public parks, and experience some unique shopping. Mauerpark is just one of the exciting places you can visit. It was once part of the Berlin Wall, but is today a beautiful outdoor park that hosts a flea market amongst other events.
Prenzlauer Berg is a great neighborhood for those who can’t decide where they want to stay in the city. Some elements are luxurious like Mitte. There is a vibrant nightlife scene like Kreuzberg. There are live music venues and an interesting artistic culture like Schoeneberg. If you can’t make a decision between all of the incredible neighborhoods Berlin has to offer, Prenzlauer Berg allows you to not have to make that choice. You can get the best of both worlds in this exciting neighborhood.
Where to Stay in Prenzlauer Berg:
Looking for some great places in Prenzlauer Berg to stay in? Here are our top favorite hotels in this neighborhood you might like:
For more hotel options available in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, click here to see our full list of the best hotels in Prenzlauer Berg to stay in.
Need more things to do in Berlin? Check out all the top attractions and things to do in Berlin now.
4. Friedrichshain
For a taste of the alternative and grungier side of Berlin, stay in Friedrichshain. You can explore the interesting culture of this east Berlin neighborhood and visit art galleries or simply admire the varied works of graffiti and street art that are spread throughout the area. One notable example is the East Side Gallery, a stretch of the Berlin Wall that has been transformed into a permanent open-air art gallery and space for murals. Other spaces to view artwork are present throughout this exciting Berlin neighborhood.
If you’re staying in Kreuzberg but are interested in checking out what Friedrichshain has to offer (or vice versa) you can easily do that by walking across the ornate Oberbaum Bridge. This bridge connects the two neighborhoods and between the years of 1998 and 2003, they fought a friendly battle to see who would “own” it.
Where to Stay in Friedrichshain:
Looking for some great places in Friedrichshain to stay in? Here are our top favorite hotels in this neighborhood you might like:
For more hotel options available in the Friedrichshain neighborhood, click here to see our full list of the best hotels in Friedrichshain to stay in.
Need more things to do in Berlin? Check out all the top attractions and things to do in Berlin now.
5. Schöneberg
For a slice of autnethic Berlin life and a chance to walk in the footsteps of iconics like David Bowie, plan a trip to Schoeneberg. It’s relatively isolated compared to the other neighborhoods so this is not the place to stay if you want to visit famous landmarks and museums easily. Instead, spend your trip in Schoneberg exploring the local artistic culture and a taste of what local life is like. It’s also far quieter than neighborhoods like Kreuzberg and although there’s a nightlife scene, it’s nowhere near as wild as other parts of the city.
Schoeneberg is the neighborhood where writer Christopher Isherwood lived. He wrote his novel Goodbye to Berlin while living here. If you aren’t familiar with the novel, you might know the musical the book inspired: Cabaret.
Where to Stay in Schöneberg:
Looking for some great places in Schöneberg to stay in? Here are our top favorite hotels in this neighborhood you might like:
For more hotel options available in Schöneberg neighborhood, click here to see our full list of the best hotels in Schöneberg to stay in.
Need more things to do in Berlin? Check out all the top attractions and things to do in Berlin now.
Video Guide: 5 Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Berlin
Travel resources for planning a trip to Berlin
To make planning a trip to Berlin easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip to Berlin.
Flights:
Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.
CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!
Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.
JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.
Hotels:
Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.
Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.
Transportations:
Airport Transfers: KiwiTaxi, Viator
Train: EuRail, Trainline or RailEurope
Bus: Flixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.
Car Rentals: AutoEurope, EconomyBookings, or GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)
Bike Rental: BikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals)
Transportation Comparison: Omio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)
Tours & Activities:
TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.
Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.
Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.
GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities
Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.
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Need help planning a trip to Berlin?
Want to plan a trip to Berlin and other cities in Europe but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of multi-city trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!
At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a trip that include visiting multiple cities, countries throughout Europe are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city European trip and craft your European vacation package at the best price.
Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations in Europe.
To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in 5 Easy Steps” here.
Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today
