How to Spend a Sunday in Mitte, Berlin (Day Guide to Mitte)
Last updated: September 2, 2024
Berlin has plenty of beautiful and intriguing neighborhoods to explore. Although I love seeing as much of the city as I can, taking the time to explore a single neighborhood and all its curious corners is just as - if not more! - rewarding.
As a lover of Berlin, food in Berlin, and Sundays in Berlin, these are my recommendations for a perfect Sunday in Mitte, Berlin. I’ve included a map with all locations tagged and find my favorite Sunday combinations at the end of this post.
I include a variety of choices to fit more preferences and many of these activities can be enjoyed throughout the week. You can pick one or two fun activities from this list to have a great afternoon in the neighborhood or include more to have a wonderfully busy day in Berlin’s central district. Whatever suits your mood, timing, and budget! This post focuses mostly on Mitte the neighborhood, rather than the district of Mitte (which is significantly larger), although there are options for making your way to the outskirts of the neighborhood as well.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Zionkirschplatz
Brunch
A perfect Sunday starts with some brunch. What’re you craving?
If it’s a sunny day then Father Carpenter is a lovely choice. Their courtyard is both classic and picturesque, and their food is quite good. They’re more pricey, making them a perfect ‘treat yourself’ kind of spot. Sofi also has a sweet courtyard and specializes in baked goods like croissants and sweet rolls, as well as sandwiches. Distrikt Coffee offers similar vibes and tasty food, however, they’re indoor only, making them an especially great spot if the weather’s a bit sour. Daluma is also a trendy spot for health foods that taste amazing! Their green noodle bowl is incredible, as is their iced matcha.
If you’re with company that has dietary restrictions Aera is a safe bet. They’re fully gluten-free and also offer great vegan options (their rosemary plant-based grilled cheese is delish). The interior walls are painted a radiant blue color, creating quite an aesthetically pleasing look. If you’re looking for a healthier breakfast (all that Schnitzel and Currywurst can get to you) then Lucy’s is a stellar choice, they’re primarily plant-based as well.
If you can’t decide on sweet or savory look no further than Puffle Bees. I like to go for a savory main and enjoy a delectable egg drop sandwich, then share a croffle (croissant waffle) with whoever I’m with. The salted peanut banana caramel one is incredible. Café de Luna is another sweet spot, they’ve also got egg drops, as well as delightful drinks and crepe cakes. I think my favorite egg drop sandwich has to be from The Rabbit Cafe though, the brioche and bulgogi they use is amazing, plus they’re home to two adorable café shibas.
For a breakfast of baked goods, I would recommend either Zeit für Brot or Frea Bakery, both are great representations of Berlin’s modern baking scene. Zeit für Brot has several locations throughout Germany, and although they didn’t start in Berlin, they grew to be quite popular here. They use no additives, focus on sourdough, and create high-quality freshly baked bread. Frea also focuses on sourdough, in addition to offering fully plant-based baked goods, although their main dishes are a mix of vegan and vegetarian. Their ingredients are locally sourced and everything they serve from cardamom buns to napkins is fully compostable. They compost their waste and food scraps themselves, which is then transformed into fertilizer, and given back to their suppliers.
Museum
If you’re lucky it’s the first Sunday of the month and you’re just in time for Museum Sunday. Museum Sunday is a city-wide initiative to make museums more accessible by offering free museum admission at dozens of museums on the first Sunday of each month. I recommend you reserve a ticket in advance (tickets become available one week in advance but they drop more throughout the week, oftentimes on Wednesdays), although many museums also allow walk-ins on this day.
Even if it’s not Museum Sunday, an after brunch museum is a nice way to spend a few hours, after all when in Mitte you’re in the museum hub of Berlin. Feel free to skip ahead if you want a less committed Sunday or are shorter on time.
The obvious choice is of course Museum Island, a collection of five renowned museums, clustered together in the heart of Berlin. These museums are the Bode Museum, the Pergamonmuseum, the Altes (old) Museum, the Altes Nationalgalerie (old national gallery), and the Neues (new) Museum. They’re all very refined museums so it’s easy to discover which one is most suitable to your interests. Their exteriors are just as notable so it’s totally worth walking around and admiring the buildings even if you don’t plan on visiting their exhibits. Note that the Pergamon will be closed until 2027.
If you prefer modern art, consider visiting The Berlinische Galerie. Their permanent exhibit showcases art from 100 years in Berlin (1880s to 1980s) that gives insight into the kind of art being created during this very historical century in Germany (WWI, WWII, GDR, Berlin Wall, etc.). Their temporary installations typically exhibit art from the past decade or so. The KW Institute for Contemporary Art is a smaller museum that highlights the works of three artists each season. They frequently feature lesser-known artists. There’s also a nice café in the same courtyard, Café Bravo.
I’ve also had a fantastic time at the Museum für Naturkunde. This is the city’s natural history museum and they do a great job at showcasing the exhibits in an intriguing and raw way. You’ll find dinosaur fossils, preserved animals, meteorites, minerals, an astronomy exhibit, and more. They’re also home to the world’s tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton, a whopping Brachiosaurus that measures to be 13.27 meters (43.5 feet) tall. For reference, giraffes are on average around 4.8 meters (16 feet) tall.
If you’re looking for a free museum to save a buck after brunch then Mitte is still a great place to be. A few recs:
The Jewish Museum is the largest Jewish museum in Europe. I appreciate that it discusses Jewish history throughout the ages rather than solely focusing on the trauma their community went through. When tragedies are discussed it’s done in a very powerful and informative way. One of my favorite exhibits is in this museum: a room listing every law and order put in place that eventually ended with 6 million Jews being murdered Holocaust. The room commands your attention and illuminatingly demonstrates that tyranny doesn’t happen overnight. The core exhibit is free, and you also get a discount to the neighboring Berlinische Galerie (tickets from €6 to €12 depending on the season) so long as you show them your ticket.
The Tränenpalast is a former border crossing point active during the time the city was divided. Now, it’s a museum with exhibits about the people who lived through divided Berlin, the Cold War, and a reunified Germany. If you don’t know much about this subject, it’s an excellent place to dive deep.
Futurium is a nice museum if you want more of a hands-on experience. This museum revolves around all things relating to the future: new technology expected to be created, how to preserve our Earth, and what things like diseases or vacation days could look like in a hundred years. The museum also focuses on how much has changed and developed in just the past hundred or so years. It’s fascinating and does a great job of balancing information so you leave the museum feeling inspired and motivated. Be sure to head to the rooftop at the end to get a view of the city.
The Humboldt Forum is home to a collection of museums with rotating and permanent exhibitions. All but two of their exhibitions require a timed ticket, and only one comes at a cost. Their free permanent exhibitions include a listening space combining 3D videos and sounds from around the world, as well as artifacts and historic remains from the Berlin Palace.
The Reichstag is a brilliant building that is home to the German Bundestag (parliament). Book a visit in advance and bring along your official ID (passport if you want to be safe), as this is an official government building and they will check. Once inside you’ll be ushered into the glass elevator to the rooftop where you can pick up a free audio guide (available in a dozen or so languages) and make your way to the dome where the audio guide will automatically start playing as you walk up. The guide will point out different buildings that come into view as you walk and tell you the history behind them and Berlin.
Cafés
After spending some time in a museum you might appreciate a little sitting and chill time. Germans love their Kaffee und Kuchen time so you can get a cheeky slice of cake with your coffee. You can hit up one of the bakeries, like Frea or Zeit für Brot, you missed during brunch or take a look at the next few recs.
If you’re a coffee connoisseur then ever popular Tunisian Ben Rahim or hip roastery Five Elephant are good choices (although you’ll find fantastic coffee all over Mitte), plus they both have some tasty pastries. If you want to chill for a while then fans of tea will love Tadshikische Teestube, a Bohemian tea room serving Russian and Eastern teas. Their tea ceremony for €8.50 is a fun choice.
If you prefer matcha then Matchasome is an aesthetically pleasing spot for all things matcha, plus the offerings are mostly plant-based. Daluma, mentioned in brunch, also presents a heaping serving of green brew. Mamecha doesn’t have too many plant-based items, but they’ve got some very good matcha, onigiri, and Japanese small plates. Yum!
For some time in the sun visit Café Bravo and chill in their courtyard. Princess Cheesecake is a little more pricey but great for cake, and Du Bonheur has lovely French pastries, although they have limited seating. If you’re vegan and looking for a sweet treat head on over to Soi. Their cakes are absolutely gorgeous and made from ingredients like silken tofu, soy, vegan butter cream, and nut milk. Be sure to try something with black sesame or matcha. Sakura is also good, they offer more classic cakes, also fully plant-based.
If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up on a budget head to Lois for 90 cents espresso. LAP Coffee is also so fun, they’re home to a mix of creative drinks, memorable branding, and tasty baked goods. They also offer third-wave coffee at pretty solid prices!
Flea Market
After some revitalizing time at a café, it’s time to visit a flea market! Now most shops won’t be open on Sundays in Berlin, but flea markets certainly will be available! If you’re around northeast Mitte then the flea market at Arkonaplatz is a sweet spot for lovers of second-hand items like art and jewelry. I especially love the rings table here. Some of these beautiful and funky pieces will set you back just €3 or €4 or so. If you’re looking for even more goodies you can even venture into the neighboring Prenzlauer Berg and find Berlin’s most popular flea market at Mauerpark. This market offers food, as well as a mix of new and old clothing, crafts, and art. about a ten minute walk from Arkonaplatz. At 3 PM karaoke in the park begins at the amphitheater where you can experience a fun and free show put on by locals. Highly recommend!
If you’re in more central Mitte I highly suggest you head over to the Berlin Art Market. This weekend market sells some fantastic art, which is primarily made by locals, plus created within Berlin. You’ll find things that fit practically every budget from €1 postcard-size prints to tapestries to original pieces. You can find art and prints from some of my favorite local artists here including Peter Wood, U.Berlin, and Ryoko Nagara. Plus there’s a neighboring book and trinket market just down the street. This market doesn’t typically have very interesting stuff, but it could be worth a gander if you’re strolling that way.
View
I love a good skyline! If you’re looking for a nice view of Berlin’s buildings then the Humboldt Forum is a nice choice. It’s €5 to enter (it used to be free which is annoying) and you have to reserve tickets prior to visiting. You can easily make a reservation just fifteen or so minutes before you head in if you want to remain more flexible with your timing. Once inside, scan your ticket with the attendant and take the elevator up to the fourth-floor terrace to enjoy a panoramic view of Mitte. As previously mentioned, they’re also home to a few free museums.
If you find yourself deeper in Tiergarten you can walk up the Victory Column for €4 for an excellent view of the city. This view is especially rewarding when the trees are full of leaves or fall foliage has commenced.
Walk: Monuments, Art & Greenery
After some revitalizing time at a café, spending some time wandering Berlin’s pretty streets is the perfect follow-up. Here are some self-guided tours you can follow:
For a shorter walk packed with art and historical buildings start at Ebertsbrücke and snap a pic with the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and Bode Museum in the background. From the Bode Museum make your way around Museum Island and admire the incredible architecture of some of the city’s best museums. Pause at Friedrichsbrücke to get a view of the Berlin Cathedral. If you want to hang around this area a little longer you can pay to enter or chill at Lustgarten or James-Simon-Park. Then make your way to Rosenthaler Straße via Hackescher Markt where you’ll find Hackesche Höfe, a courtyard filled with shops and art nouveau buildings. Walk one courtyard down and stop at Dead Chicken Alley to check out the outdoor street art gallery. From here walk east-side along the river Spree and head to the Neptune Fountain to get an unobstructed view of the TV Tower, Rotes Rathaus (mayor’s house), and Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church). Rotes Rathaus and Marienkirche are both free to enter. Now you’re just steps away from Nikolaiviertel, Berlin’s oldest neighborhood, which was first founded in the year 1200, although much of the neighborhood was destroyed in WWII. It’s a quaint micro-neighborhood and nice to wander through. If you happen to be visiting on a day other than Sunday pop into Ick bin Berliner, an amusing store selling items that originated from or manufactured in Berlin. Finish up at the Humboldt Forum where you’ll find free museums (that don’t have to be booked in advance) and a wheelchair-accessible rooftop terrace (that you can visit for €5 and book shortly before) that offers sweeping views of Mitte.
For a longer monument walk (with a little nature thrown in) pick up where the previous walk ended and carry on to Unter den Linden. Once on this street turn left onto Bebelplatz to see the state opera house and the Memorial to the 1933 Nazi Book Burning. From here walk to the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square before continuing along Unter den Linden. Tip: If you need a pick-me-up you can stop for excellent hot chocolate at Rausch (which is also the largest chocolate shop in the world). At the end of the street, you’ll find several more historical sites including the Brandenburg Gate, the Jewish Memorial, and the Reichstag. At this point, you’re free to roam Tiergarten, Berlin’s largest park, until you’re content. If you walk deep enough you’ll find the Victory Column which you can walk up for €4 to get a fantastic (and well-earned) view of the city. If you’re feeling resilient enough to walk the whole way back head north towards Schloss Bellevue and stroll along the Spree until you’re back in central Mitte. On the way back you can visit the Futurium. Alternatively, you can keep walking through the park ‘til you eventually make your way to Cafe am Neuen See (a beer garden within the park) or just outside of the park for an afternoon drink in neighboring Charlottenburg’s Monkey Bar (a rooftop bar with a great view that is best visited in early the afternoon before there’s a line to get in).
If you’re not looking for anything in particular and just want to take in the neighborhood feel free to just wander. Torstraße is a busier street that runs horizontally through the most central part of Mitte so if you’re within a few blocks north or south of that street you’re sure to be surrounded by some very pretty streets and a very lovely part of the neighborhood.
If you’re looking for a guided tour, I have to recommend Matti, a born and bred Berliner, and seasoned tour guide who offers unique, historical, and engaging tours of the city. I went on one of his tours earlier this year, specifically tailored to the Mitte neighborhood, and I was super impressed with his keen eye for details, endearing storytelling, and vast knowledge of Berlin’s rich history. His tours are private and priced between €50 to €100 per hour for your group, rather than priced per person. You can pick between ready-made tours or even create a custom one. If you’re looking for hidden gems and exploring topics/places that are rarely encountered in other tours, I can vouch for this being a memorable and informative experience.
Snack
Feeling peckish? Depending on your earlier choices throughout the day you might be stuffed or craving a little something extra.
You can always catch up on Kaffee und Kuchen now if you didn’t get the chance to before. If it’s summertime cool off with shaved ice at Shave Ice Berlin or delicious gelato at Cuore di Vetro. If it’s in the colder season head to Tadshikische Teestube or Rausch and cozy up with a warm drink.
If you’re craving something savory head back to central Mitte and grab a bite at Magic John’s or Curry 61! Magic John’s is a NY-style pizza joint that now also offers Detroit pizza slices. You can optionally add some garlic knots or key lime pie to your meal. If you want to try some German wurst then Curry 61 is a solid spot! Enjoy fries and grilled sausage served with ketchup and curry powder. Both spots offer plant-based versions of their food as well! You can also visit one of the best bánh mì spots in the city and head over to Banh Mi Stable, which has just three options, all for around €6: tofu, pork, egg, and chicken. Alternatively pick up a snack at The Sanctuary, a fully plant-based Italian artisanal bakery. For a sugary snack try Sammy’s Donuts or Cinnamood.
Mix and match.
It’s difficult for me to pick favorites from this list, but here are a few of the best combinations:
For a sunny Sunday (assuming it’s not too warm) focus on time spent outside! Enjoy brunch in Father Carpenter’s courtyard before making your way around Museum Island and the Berlin Art Market. If you’re in the mood to soak up the sun cool off with a Späti drink or some shaved ice at James-Simon-Park or head to Café Bravo for an iced coffee while chilling in their courtyard café. If it’s not too hot then take a nice long walk hitting up a few monuments and walking through Tiergarten where you’ll be rewarded with shade from the ample trees within the park. Finish off with a drink at the park’s beer garden: Café am Neuen See.
On a colder day, you’ll want to spend more time inside. Start at a cozy bakery like Zeit für Brot or Frea before visiting a museum on Museum Island to escape the cold and immerse yourself in art. Afterward, wander through Mitte a bit before cozying up at Tadshikische Teestube for some afternoon tea. If you’re feeling up for a longer walk follow my walking path until Gendarmenmarkt then take your time roaming Rausch before heading to the chocolate café on the top floor for the best hot chocolate in Berlin. Tip: If the café is full you can also find hot chocolate being sold on the ground floor. It’s also less expensive here too!
For a history-packed Sunday in Mitte (that allows for flexibility), fuel up with a satiating breakfast at Sofi before making your way to Dead Chicken Alley, Museum Island, the Berliner Dom, and the Humboldt Forum. All of these places are captivating and can be appreciated from the outside, and you have your pick of deciding which monument or museum to take the time to visit. The museums at the Humboldt Forum don’t have to be booked in advance and are primarily free. Afterward, follow the walking tour from the Humboldt Forum to the Reichstag. Once at the Reichstag head to the Tränenpalast, a free walk-in history museum that houses an exhibition on divided Germany during the time of the Berlin Wall. After two museums and a self-guided walking tour, you’re probably in the mood to spend the afternoon relaxing. Grabbing a quick bite to eat at Magic John’s before treating yourself to an afternoon of cake at Princess Cheesecake sounds like the perfect way to end the day.
For an artsy Sunday out start with creative pastries at the trendy Sofi Bakery. Stop at Dead Chicken Alley before making your way to the Berlin Art Market. From here you can pick a museum to visit. If you’re interested in modern art and short on time try the KW Institute for Contemporary Museum and for a vast assortment of paintings ranging from Impressionism to Romanticism to early Modern Art visit the Alte Nationalgalerie. After your museum visit head to Aera to be treated to a stunning blue interior paired with coffee and a pastry. Next, get lost in the streets of Mitte before heading to Arkonaplatz flea market (check out their rings stall!) then finish up your afternoon by paying the neighboring Prenzlauer Berg’s Mauerpark flea market a visit. At 3 PM karaoke in the park begins and you won’t want to miss that!
For a vegan food-fueled Sunday start at Aera and experience the best vegan grilled cheese ever. It’s also gluten-free! Fill the day as you please, but be sure to also visit at least one of the following: The Sanctuary, Soi, or Frea. If you have extra time then Cinnamood, Sammy’s Donuts, and Sakura are also great.
For a Sunday on a budget start the day at Zeit für Brot. Although you’ll find cheaper bakeries in the area, Zeit für Brot delivers quality at a reasonable price. You can find plenty of hearty pastries for just €3 to €5. Skip the coffee here and instead get a 90-cent single espresso shot down the street at Lois. Fill your day with roaming around Mitte (from Museum Island to Nikolaiviertel is a safe bet), hitting up Arkonaplatz for some thrifty finds at their flea market, and perhaps visiting a free museum like Futurium or the Tränenpalast. On sunny days you can spend some time chilling at James-Simon-Park (or Tiergarten if you make it that far out) before ending the day with a €3 slice of pizza at Magic John’s.
Etc.
Well, there ya go!
You can use this post for a bit of inspiration or as a full-blown guide when planning your lovely Sunday in Berlin’s central district. Find a map here with all locations tagged.