A. Week in Berlin

We were the about 3 days and felt it was good, though we did not see many of the museums (and we did visit christmas markets)... Me personally there are so many places to see I would not spend 7 days in one place, but lots of people like to take it slow, and that's good too. how long are you in Prague?

We will be there for a week and also will do a day trip to Cesky krumlov..and of course check out all the Christmas markets

We will be there for a week and also will do a day trip to Cesky krumlov..and of course check out all the Christmas markets

I find it a little bit much unless you're a museum fanatic or deeply interested in some historical aspects of the city. Why not have a few days between Berlin and Hamburg on the island of Rügen? It gives you a chance of scenery between all those cities. I once stayed a few days in Sassnitz, from where it is a nice walk to the famous white cliffs of Königsstuhl. Or to the nice and quiet former Hansa city of Wismar. Or, closer to Hamburg, my preferred city in northern Germany: Lübeck.

Hi,

Good that you differed from this guy's view. Of course, Berlin is worth a week or more. Since you set aside 7 days, bravo! Lots of sights in Berlin and Potsdam to hold your interest. Both places are great to explore. This June I'll be there for 14 nights.

I spent 6 days in Berlin (not counting a day trip to the Spreewald) in 2015, and missed a lot of places I wanted to go, including Potsdam. It's a sprawling city, so you'll use a good bit of time just moving from one sight to the next.

I'd agree that if you have no or little interest in World War II and Cold War sights (which I found universally fascinating), a week would be a bit much. The core of Berlin is pretty modern, so don't expect to spend a week wandering around looking at gorgeous old buildings. It's a city for museums (there are several fine art museums, and the Pergamon is chock-full of magnificent things collected by the acquisitive early German archaeologists) and historical sites. Pick up a good guidebook and see how long a list you'll have. If it looks like 7 days will be too many, Germany has many other fine places to visit.

Hi,

Part 2 here....There are numerous areas not swamped by tourists in Berlin if you want to see these lively areas. You'll find the tourists are concentrated in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Charlottenburg. True that Charlottenburg has some nice areas to walk and explore but you can do likewise in Köpenick, (see Schloss Köpenick), Zehlendorf (the rizzy area), go to Jannowitz Brücke S-Bahn station, couple blocks down is a liveluy neighborhood, or even better Berliner Alexanderplatz and the area around the U-Rosenthaler Strasse. One tour that offers viewing Berlin differently is to see the place from the Spree, ie a boat tour. (Schiffrundfahrt) .

If you decide to get a rental car, you can see the villages in the immediate Brandenburg, get out to towns being refurbished as far it pertains to their cultural sights, such as Rheinsberg, Neuruppin (the great novelist's Fontane's birthplace), historical museums in Neuhardenberg and Wustrau.

I spent 5 nights in Berlin a couple of years ago and I would certainly have enjoyed 2 or more add'l nights. There's so much to see and great day trips if you run out of things in Berlin proper (not likely).

I have been to Berlin 5 times and still am not tired of it. I usually go on at least one themed walking tour and visit a couple of museums each time. You can also include day trips to either one (or both) of the 2 near-by concentration camps, Ravensbruck or Sachsenhausen, the town of Potsdam with Sans Soucci, or the Spree Wald.

I'm with Fred. I think Berlin is well worth a week. I spent a week there last May and am returning for another week this May. Other than visiting a couple of restaurants again, there is very little that I am repeating this year.

If you have interest in how I filled my week in Berlin last year, you can read the trip report here.

(Hmmmm... html works in the preview window but not on the board???? The link = https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/2-5-week-trip-to-germany-and-austria)

We're making our third visit to Berlin this summer, 5 days, and we are currently prioritzing what we're going to do, as there are so many things of interest. Dave's wonderful trip report gave us a couple of new ideas. Some things that we'll be doing in those fi e days: Wanasee Conference Center, Berliner Unterwelten (a Tour of Nazi bunkers) taking in a perfermance at the Philharmonic, Jewish Museum, Museum of Film and Televion, Gemäldegalarie (German masters), Ravensbrück (women's concentration camp). Is a week in Berlin too much? I say go for it!

Depends on your traveling style. I've been there and would do 3-4 nights and the others somewhere else - but I like to visit different places.

For repeat and extended stays in Berlin, I heartily recommend "The Rough Guide Berlin" It provides information on historical sites related to Prussian history, Berlin in the Weimar period, Nazi era in the Greater Berlin area, Jewish history, such as in Berlin-Pankow, since it was the city which had the number one largest population of Jews in Prussia and later on in Germany, Cold War and the DDR Zeit.

There is certainly enough in Berlin to fill a week. If you don't want a full week in a big city, you may not like a full week there - but it won't be because you ran out of things to see and do.

I love Berlin, and have been three times. I would go back tomorrow and stay for a week in a heartbeat!

The best way to answer this for yourself: how would you feel about 7 days in London, or New York, or Paris? Treat Berlin the same.

Thank you all for your great replies..7 days in Berlin here we come for sure..