7 captivating day trips from Berlin

If you want to see more of Germany without checking out from your Berlin hotel, we’ve got the list for you.

You’ve got into the clubs, strolled down the Unter Den Linden, devoured a currywurst or two and selfied to your heart’s content in front of the Brandenburg Gate. But what is there to do next if you have a few spare days when visiting the German capital? Here are our suggestions for the top day trips from Berlin.

1. Embark on one of Berlin’s top day trips at Potsdam

You only need to take a short train trip to experience Potsdam, an architecturally lavish city destination that was once the home of Prussian royalty.

Visit the summertime residence of King Frederick the Great.

Here, explore the gardens and Versailles-like hallways of Sanssouci Palace and Grounds, the elegant summertime residence of King Frederick the Great that is today a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sanssouci Palace’s architectural design is a blend of French and Italian Rococo styles. (Image: Dana Ward)

Delve into twentieth-century history with a trip to the Cecilienhof Palace. It was here that the Allied forces worked together in 1945 to decide the future of post-war Europe.

Cecilienhof Palace was designed in the style of a country manor.

Follow that up with the Glienicker Bridge: a spot where American and Russian spies were exchanged during the Cold War in the years following.

Glienicker Bridge connects the district of Wannsee in western Berlin with Potsdam. (Image: Nadine Redlich)

Distance from Berlin: 25 minutes by the RE1 train or 30 minutes by car (30 kilometres from Berlin)

2. Make a date with nature at Spreewald

Need to break up the endless streetscapes of Berlin? Hop on the train to the southeast and arrive at the UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve of Spreewald.

Get closer to nature at Spreewald.

Densely forested and with a tangled net of rivers and wetlands, Spreewald is popular amongst visitors for its many opportunities to canoe, kayak and hike.

Kayak between lush greenery.

Come here for a hearty dose of green. Stay here for lunch – incomplete without a side of the famous Spreewald pickles.

Try Spreewald pickles.

Distance from Berlin: One hour to Lübben (Spreewald) by the RE2 or the RE7 train or by car (85 kilometres from Berlin)

3. A taste of arts and culture in Leipzig

While Berlin attracts the crowds, the city of Leipzig is fast becoming known for its vibrant arts scene, historical significance and as a cultural hub. Historian buffs should start at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Monument to the Battle of the Nations), Leipzig’s monument to Napoleon’s military defeat at the town, and learn about life in this East German town during the Cold War at the Gedenkstätte Museum.

Immerse in the vibrant arts and culture of Leipzig at Völkerschlachtdenkmal.

There is also the Bach-Museum (the famous composer lived and died here), the magnificent 12th-century St. Thomas Church, and the ornate architecture of the New Town Hall and the Mädler Passage shopping arcade.

Bach Memorial monument is a tribute to the late German composer.

Distance from Berlin: One hour and 15 minutes by Deutsche Bahn (DB) train or one hour and 45 minutes by car (190 kilometres from Berlin)

4. Marvel at the architecture in Dresden

Take a day trip to Saxony and the lovely town of Dresden. Located on the Elbe River, Dresden is perhaps most well-known for the role it played – and the damage it suffered – during WWII. But when you arrive, there is so much more to discover – for architecture lovers in particular.

Fall in love with Dresden.

For example, the Lutheran church of Frauenkirche Dresden was reconstructed after it was ruined during war bombings. There is also the enormous porcelain mural of Fürstenzug Palace, the baroque workings of the Zwinger Palace and the curiously playful designs of the courtyards of Kunsthofpassage, to uncover.

Frauenkirche Dresden was successfully restored after being destroyed in WWII.

Distance from Berlin: Two hours and 15 minutes by DB train or two hours by car (194 kilometres from Berlin)

5. Take a swim near Berlin at Wannsee and Müggelsee

If you’re looking for a way to cool off in the European summer, you’re in luck. Berlin was built on a swamp and, as such, is surrounded by many lakes. This means there are loads of options when it comes to taking a day trip to a natural swimming spot.

Take a refreshing dip in Wannsee.

But which one of the literally thousands of lakes should you pick? Wannsee and Müggelsee are arguably two of the most famous.

Wannsee is to the west, an inland lake with a beach made of white sand imported from the Baltics. To the east, you will find Müggelsee, with the seaside resort of Friedrichshafen. Both have a cheeky nudist beach if you’re feeling daring enough to even up those tan lines.

Dare to bare at Müggelsee.

Distance from Berlin: Wannsee is 30 minutes by S1 or S7 S-Bahn to Wannsee Station, and then 10 minutes by bus or 20 minutes by car (27 kilometres from Berlin). Müggelsee is 30 minutes on the S3 S-Bahn train and five minutes by tram or 30 minutes by car (21 kilometres from Berlin).

6. Discover a winter Christmas market at Quedlinburg

Nothing is quite as alluring to the winter traveller as a European Christmas market. If that mulled wine and ginger spice life is for you, take a day trip from Berlin to the Harz Mountain town of Quedlinburg: home to one of Germany’s best Christmas markets.

Shop for holiday gifts at the Quedlinburg Christmas Market.

For the whole Yuletime period, there are stalls in the historic marketplace selling ornaments, punch and other Christmas goodies. Quedlinburg even has a ‘real’ Advent calendar, with surprises behind 24 doors in hidden-away courtyards.

Find charming houses along the cobblestone streets in Quedlinburg.

Distance from Berlin: It is a three-hour and 20-minute train ride from Quedlinburg to Berlin or two hours by car (237 kilometres from Berlin).

7. Understand the history of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Oranienburg

You won’t go far in Germany without encountering reminders of the violence of World War II. For those who want to understand more about the horrors of the war and the crimes perpetrated, the former concentration camp of Sachsenhausen is reachable from Berlin by train.

It was at this camp that the Nazis interned over 200,000 prisoners, eventually murdering those from the LGBTIQ+ and Jewish communities, prisoners of war, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Freemasons and other persecuted groups.

Sachsenhausen is reachable from Berlin by train. (Image: Miguel Angel Diaz)

Distance from Berlin: 50 minutes on the S1 S-Bahn train or 30 minutes by car (39 kilometres from Berlin)