Berlin: Things To Do

Alexanderplatz The place to be in the former East Germany. Take the elevator up to the top of the 656-foot TV Tower (Fernsehturm) and enjoy coffee and cake in its kitschy revolving restaurant. Then visit the World Clock and people-watch near the plaza’s fountain. Mitte; Panoramastr. 1A; www.berlinerfernsehturm.de
architecture | culinary | history

Berlin by Boat Enjoy an hour-long look at Berlin from the Spree River, or splurge on a four-hour tour. Each boat has comfortable seats and table service. Board at multiple locations, including Friederichstrasse at Weidendamm, the Nikolaiviertel, and the Berliner Dom; 011-49-30-536- 3600; www.sternundkreis.de
family | tour | smart splurge

Berlin Wall Friedrichshain’s East Side Gallery (www.eastsidegallery.com) offers almost a mile of the former dividing wall covered with generations of graffiti. The Berlin Wall Documentation Center, Memorial, and Chapel provide a thoughtful look at this history. Mitte; Bernauer Strasse 111; 011-49-30-464-1030; www.berliner-mauer-dokumentationszentrum.de
museum | history | art

Berlin Zoo Kids will love Berlin’s coolest and possibly most photographed local, Knut the polar bear, born in 2006. The 88-acre animal park’s regal sandstone Elephant Gate delights grownups. Charlottenburg; Hardenbergplatz 8; 011-49-30-25-4010; www.zoo-berlin.de
family | wildlife | zoo

Checkpoint Charlie The infamous former border crossing between East and West Berlin is a popular snapshot site. The nearby Mauermuseum documents Berlin Wall escape efforts. Kreuzberg; Friedrichstrasse 43-45; 011-49-30-253-7250; www.mauermuseum.de
museum | history

Jewish Museum Daniel Libeskind’s stunning zig-zag building itself is worth the visit, but inside you’ll find thoughtful and interactive permanent exhibition covering 2,000 years of German-Jewish history. Kreuzberg; Lindenstrasse 9-14; 011-49-30-259-9330-0; www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de
culture | museum | history

Museumsinsel Berlin boasts a huge selection of museums, but some of the finest are collected on Museum Island. A must-see is the Pergamon Museum – home of the massive Ishtar Gate of Babylon. Mitte; Am Lustgarten 1; 011-49-30-266-2987; www.smb.spk-berlin.de
family | culture | museum | history

The Reichstag Plundered by soldiers, abandoned by history, wrapped by artist Christo, and then modernized and topped with a glass dome by architect Norman Foster, the German parliament building has seen lifetimes of political and social change. Ascend the spiral ramp in the dome. Mitte; Platz der Republik 1; 011-49-30-226-2990/33; www.bundestag.de
culture | museum | history