15 Truly Special Photo Spots in Berlin

Siegessäule

The Siegessäule is one of the top highlights in Berlin. From the observation platform at roughly 50 meters (165 feet) up, you get a stunning view of the Tiergarten and the Berlin skyline.

You’ll have to earn that view, though. A spiral staircase with 285 steps leads to the top. It’s a bit of a workout, but totally doable — and the view more than makes up for the effort!

Admission costs 4 euros, and tickets can only be purchased on-site. Don’t forget cash!

All sightseeing buses in Berlin stop at the Siegessäule, by the way, so you can get here easily even without public transit.

Photo tip: Fall is especially beautiful for photos here! The Tiergarten turns into a sea of warm, colorful autumn hues, and the sun sits lower in the sky — perfect for stunning sunset shots.

Panoramapunkt Berlin

If you want to go high, you can’t skip the TV Tower. At 386 meters (1,266 feet), the Berlin TV Tower is unquestionably the tallest structure in the city, and the view from the observation platform at 203 meters is spectacular.

So why do we recommend the Panoramapunkt in the Kollhoff Tower as one of the best photo spots in Berlin? Simple: for the perfect Berlin shot, the city’s iconic landmark needs to be in the frame!

From the Panoramapunkt at Potsdamer Platz, you get a 360-degree view of Berlin with the TV Tower right in the middle.

And the fastest elevator in Europe whisks you up to the observation platform at 100 meters in just a few seconds. If the weather isn’t cooperating, you can warm up in the panorama café up top.

Admission costs 9 euros. Grab your ticket online in advance to skip the line at the box office:

Skip-the-line ticket for the Panoramapunkt Berlin

Photo tip: The Panoramapunkt’s observation terrace has no glass barrier — so you get completely unobstructed views with zero reflections to deal with.

Grunewaldturm

The Grunewaldturm is an under-the-radar pick among Berlin’s viewpoints — probably because the tower sits right in the middle of the Grunewald forest and isn’t exactly centrally located.

The observation platform is at 36 meters (118 feet), and you’ll need to climb 200 steps to get there. From the top, you’ll enjoy a great view over the Havel river and the Grunewald, and on a clear day you can even see all the way to Potsdam.

The trip out is especially worth it in summer — you can really kick back in the beer garden, and it’s usually refreshingly quiet there.

Even though it’s far from the center, you don’t need a car. From the Wannsee S-Bahn station, Bus 218 takes just 15 minutes to the Grunewaldturm stop.

Admission costs 3 euros, usually paid directly at the café.

Photo tip: Bring a telephoto lens. From here you can get great shots of the former radar station on the Teufelsberg — this kind of unobstructed view of it is rare in Berlin.

Viktoriapark in Kreuzberg

Viktoriapark in Kreuzberg sits on the highest natural elevation in inner Berlin — and the view from the top of the Kreuzberg hill is correspondingly beautiful. Yes, the hill shares the same name as the neighborhood: Kreuzberg.

In summer, the park is always packed with Berliners and their families. But don’t worry — you’ll always find a nice spot to relax.

The waterfall is the real highlight here. It’s man-made, but that doesn’t matter one bit. It’s simply beautiful to look at, and if you’re visiting Berlin with kids, it’s a fantastic stop.

Best of all: this photography location is completely free!

Photo tip: The waterfall is a great place to practice long-exposure photography. With an ND filter, you can achieve that classic silky-water effect even in broad daylight. We explain exactly how in our article: How to photograph waterfalls.

RAW Gelände

The RAW Gelände is one of the coolest photography locations in Berlin. This is where you experience alternative Berlin at its most raw.

It’s colorful, lively, and hip — but also gritty and loud. Which, come to think of it, describes Berlin pretty well too.

RAW stands for Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk — a mouthful that nobody can remember, which is probably why the area is simply known as the RAW-Gelände.

If you’re into street art, love to dance, or want to photograph urban Berlin, this is your place.

On Sundays, a great flea market also takes place here — another reason to visit.

Photo tip: A wide-angle lens lets you capture even large building facades or murals in a single shot.

Holzmarkt 25

Holzmarkt 25 is a pretty unconventional project — and honestly, what it actually is isn’t easy to describe. Best to just come and see for yourself!

On the grounds you’ll find restaurants and bars, studios, a marketplace, apartments, and even a daycare center. You can sit by the Spree and relax during the day, or dance the night away — whatever you’re in the mood for, you won’t be bored.

The Spree-side setting makes this a truly unique and exciting place to shoot. Everywhere you look, charming little details catch your eye.

Photo tip: The best shots happen at dusk, when the sun slowly sets over the Spree and everything is bathed in warm, colorful light.

Café Moskau

During the GDR era, Café Moskau was a popular restaurant; in the 2000s it was a hotspot of Berlin’s club scene; today it’s primarily an event venue.

For architectural photography, Café Moskau is a fantastic pick among Berlin’s photography locations! The architecture is extraordinary, the GDR-era lettering is still intact, and it’s a seriously popular subject for photos.

Fun fact: directly across from Café Moskau is the Kino International — also a beautiful place to photograph and, above all, to catch a movie.

Photo tip: A good telephoto lens lets you get in closer and focus on special details.

Olympiastadion Berlin

First and foremost, the Berlin Olympic Stadium is the home ground of Hertha BSC — though Hertha tends to hover somewhere between average and poor when it comes to soccer.

You can still check out the stadium during a Hertha match, of course. As long as they’re not playing Union Berlin or FC Bayern, you can usually snag a last-minute ticket for a Hertha game.

That said, we’d suggest visiting outside of a match day. The Olympic Stadium is a place steeped in history with genuinely fascinating architecture — worth taking your time to explore either on your own or with a guide.

Admission costs 11 euros. You can buy tickets at the visitor center on-site or online. Guided tours start at 15 euros.

Photo tip: The Olympic Stadium offers a wide variety of photographic opportunities. Don’t just go for wide panoramic shots — turn your attention to the details too, like the empty rows of seats or the colonnade running around the stadium.

Regierungsviertel

The government district isn’t just the political heart of Berlin — it’s also architecturally fascinating. Even if the Federal Chancellery does strongly resemble a washing machine, the rest of the government quarter is actually quite attractive.

If you’re into architectural photography, you’ll find plenty to point your lens at: modern buildings, reflections in the water, and some really compelling perspectives.

A boat trip on the Spree is also seriously worth it here. You’ll cruise right through the government district and enjoy a fantastic vantage point from the water.

Photo tip: Come very early in the morning, when at most a few joggers are out and the rest of Berlin is still asleep. That’s when you can capture the architecture at its best, with no distractions.

Museumsinsel

Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some of the best museums in Berlin are located here in the historic heart of the city.

If that’s not reason enough to put it on your Berlin itinerary, maybe this will do it: Museum Island is also one of the most beautiful photo spots in Berlin.

The colonnades at the Alte Nationalgalerie are perhaps the most popular Instagram spot in all of Berlin. That colonnade makes for a stunning backdrop for portrait photos.

One thing is certain, though: plenty of other people will be here too. Stay calm and watch out for wandering selfie sticks.

Photo tip: The best light for portrait photos is at sunrise or in the early evening. Get up early enough and you might even have the place to yourself.

Elsenbrücke mit Molecule Men

The best view of Berlin’s skyline at sunset is from the Elsenbrücke in Treptow.

From here you can photograph the TV Tower and the Oberbaumbrücke, ideally right as the sun goes down. The perfect Berlin shot, in our opinion.

You also get a great view of the Molecule Men from the bridge. These sculptures are a seriously popular subject, and the perspective from the Elsenbrücke is the best you’ll find.

Photo tip: With a prime lens and a wide aperture, you can also take beautiful portraits here — the Berlin skyline in the background will be beautifully blurred.

Oberbaumbrücke

Another great sunset photography location in Berlin is Warschauer Straße station — specifically the subway platform, which offers a fantastic view of the Oberbaumbrücke.

If the U1 happens to be pulling away at that moment, get your phone or camera out fast. The shot of the subway crossing the Oberbaumbrücke is one of the most popular Instagram spots in Berlin.

Photo tip: Come in the evening, when the setting sun lights up the Oberbaumbrücke. Those warm sunset tones put the finishing touch on the shot!

Schöneberger Südgelände

The Schöneberger Südgelände nature park is a large park on a former railway yard in the south of Berlin.

Here you can explore relics of railway history while also enjoying wild, untamed nature. This combination makes the park a really worthwhile day-trip destination within Berlin.

Highlights include the water tower, the locomotive hall, and a steam locomotive. There are two loop trails through the grounds, both manageable even with kids.

The Priesterweg S-Bahn station is right next to the park, so getting there by public transit is easy. Admission costs just 1 euro.

Photo tip: Switch up your perspective and try shooting from a different height. Getting low gives your subjects at Schöneberger Südgelände a whole different kind of charm.

Tempelhofer Feld

Tempelhofer Feld is part of the decommissioned Tempelhof Airport and Berlin’s largest open space. Nowhere else in the city do you get this much open sky and sense of freedom right in the middle of it all.

You can relax here, work out, or of course shoot some great photos. The old runway makes for a fantastic backdrop for portrait or group shots.

It’s most beautiful in spring, when everything slowly blooms and turns green. In summer it can get very hot quickly since there’s very little shade.

Photo tip: Avoid midday! That’s when the sun is at its highest and the harsh light makes photography really tricky.

Gärten der Welt

The Gärten der Welt is a vast park complex in the eastern part of the city, in the Marzahn neighborhood. It’s not exactly around the corner, but by subway it only takes about 30 minutes from Alexanderplatz to Kienberg station, where one of the park entrances is located.

There’s also a cable car here, built for the International Garden Exhibition in 2017.

Plan to spend a full day here — there’s a lot to see and you could easily spend several hours exploring.

The many themed gardens are especially great for photography. In the Oriental Garden or the Japanese Garden, you’ll find no shortage of beautiful subjects to shoot.

Admission costs 7 euros. If you also want to ride the cable car, a combo ticket for around 10 euros is worth it.

Photo tip: The most beautiful subjects appear in spring during cherry blossom season — that’s when the Gärten der Welt are truly in full bloom.