Date ideas in Berlin: 18 ideas for expats and visitors

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst date, cheap
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WhereOberbaumbrücke, between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain

A Späti is a Berlin corner shop that stays open late and on Sundays, and picking up a drink there before a walk is a local ritual. Take yours to the Oberbaum Bridge, a red-brick double-decker bridge with the U1 rattling across the top and turrets that look like a small castle. From the middle you can see the Spree in both directions and, to the southeast, the giant aluminum Molecule Man sculpture standing in the river.

Tip: Meet on the Kreuzberg side at Schlesisches Tor, walk across and decide on the other side whether you head for dinner in Friedrichshain or keep walking along the river. Drinking outdoors is legal in Berlin, but bring your empty bottles back to a shop: most have a deposit.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forfirst date, foodies
• Time2 hours
• WhereEisenbahnstraße, Kreuzberg

Markthalle Neun is a 19th century market hall in Kreuzberg that's become one of the city's favorite food spots. On Thursday evenings it hosts Street Food Thursday, with rotating stalls from cooks all over the world. You queue, choose, share and try each other's picks, which is a much easier first date than a silent restaurant table.

Tip: Arrive early, as it gets crowded later in the evening, and bring some cash. The hall also has a regular market on other days if Thursday doesn't work.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forfirst or second date, Sunday
• Timehalf a day
• WhereMauerpark, Prenzlauer Berg

Mauerpark sits on a strip where the Berlin Wall once stood, and on Sundays it becomes one of the city's liveliest places. There's a big flea market with vintage clothes, records and food, and in summer, when the weather plays along, Bearpit Karaoke usually takes over the stone amphitheater on the hill. Strangers sing in front of hundreds of people, the crowd cheers everyone on and you'll have something to talk about for weeks.

Tip: Karaoke depends on the weather and isn't guaranteed, so treat it as a bonus. Dare each other to sign up only if you both agree. Afterwards, the cafés around Kastanienallee are a short walk away.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, cheap
• Time2 hours
• WhereTempelhofer Feld, between Neukölln and Tempelhof

Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008, and instead of building on it, Berlin turned the airfield into a public park. You can walk, cycle or skate down the old runways, watch kites and kite-skaters, and look across a sky so wide it's hard to believe you're in a capital city. At sunset it's simply beautiful.

Tip: Bring a blanket and a picnic and find a spot on the grass between the runways. The park closes its gates at night, so check the closing time and plan which gate you'll leave by.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forromantic, summer
• Time2 hours
• WhereTiergarten

The Tiergarten is Berlin's huge central park, and tucked into its southwest corner is the Neuer See, a small lake with a beer garden on its bank. In the warmer months you can usually rent a rowing boat and drift around little islands under the trees, then sit down for a pretzel and a drink at Café am Neuen See.

Tip: Let the less confident rower take the oars first: it's funnier that way. If you want a view afterwards, climb the Victory Column in the middle of the park.

• Budgetlow
• Best foradventurous, third date
• Timehalf a day
• WhereGrunewald, west Berlin

Teufelsberg is a hill built from rubble after World War II, and on top stands an abandoned Cold War listening station with white radar domes. Today the ruins are covered in street art, and there's a platform with a wide view over the city and the Grunewald forest. The walk up through the woods makes it feel like a small adventure.

Tip: Entry is ticketed and run privately, so check opening details online first. Wear sturdy shoes and combine the visit with a forest walk.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forsummer, relaxed
• Timefull day
• WhereFriedrichshagen, Köpenick

The Großer Müggelsee is Berlin's largest lake, on the city's southeastern edge. Take the S-Bahn to Friedrichshagen, walk down the little main street, Bölschestraße, to the water and spend the day swimming, walking along the shore or renting a boat. It feels like a weekend away for the price of a transit ticket.

Tip: Pack a picnic and a towel. Many expats only know the lakes in the west. Telling your date about this one makes you look like you've lived here for years.

• Budgetlow
• Best forcheap, sunny day
• Timehalf a day
• WhereWannsee to Kladow

Berlin's public transport network includes ferries, and the F10 crosses the Wannsee lake to the village of Kladow. It's a short but beautiful ride on the Havel with sailboats all around, and it's covered by a normal transit ticket. In Kladow you can walk along the riverbank and stop for a drink by the water before heading back.

Tip: Sit outside on the upper deck. Check that your ticket covers the right fare zones before you board.

• Budgetlow
• Best forsummer, playful
• Time2 hours
• WhereEichenstraße, Treptow

The Badeschiff is a swimming pool built into a former barge, floating in the Spree next to the Arena in Treptow. You swim in clean, heated water while looking out over the river and the city. It has a beach bar feel in summer and is one of Berlin's most unusual date spots.

Tip: It usually works with booked time slots in summer, so check the official website and book ahead. Go in the evening for the best light over the river.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forrainy day, culture lovers
• Time2 hours
• WhereMuseum Island, Mitte

The Neues Museum on Museum Island is home to the famous bust of Nefertiti, which has its own room and is even more striking in person. The building itself is a highlight: it was badly damaged in the war and rebuilt in a way that keeps the scars visible next to the restored halls. One museum is plenty for a date, so skip the idea of doing all five on the island.

Tip: The Pergamonmuseum is closed for a long renovation, so don't plan your date around it. Afterwards, walk along the Spree past the Berlin Cathedral for a coffee.

• Budgetlow
• Best forrainy day, curious couples
• Time2 hours
• WhereInvalidenstraße, Mitte

Berlin's natural history museum is home to one of the tallest mounted dinosaur skeletons in the world, a Giraffatitan that fills the main hall. There's also a famous Archaeopteryx fossil and a wall of thousands of specimens in jars. It's playful, a bit nerdy and perfect for couples who like to wonder about things together.

Tip: Each pick your favorite animal in the museum and explain why it's the best. The worse the argument, the better the date.

• Budgetlow
• Best forrainy day, second date
• Timeevening
• WhereKarl-Marx-Allee, Mitte

Kino International opened in 1963 on Karl-Marx-Allee as East Berlin's premiere cinema, and its modernist lobby with big windows and chandeliers is a date in itself. Like many Berlin cinemas, it often shows films in their original language. Look for OV (original version) or OmU (original with German subtitles) in the listings, and you'll never have to sit through dubbing.

Tip: Walk along Karl-Marx-Allee before the film to see the grand socialist architecture. In summer, outdoor cinemas in Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain also show many films in the original language.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forromantic, rainy evening
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WhereAlexanderplatz

The Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz is Berlin's tallest structure and you can see it from almost everywhere. The viewing floor near the top gives you a full circle view over the city, and the restaurant above it turns slowly, so the view changes while you eat. At night, with the city lit up below, it's genuinely romantic.

Tip: Book a time slot online, especially for sunset. On very cloudy days the view may disappear, so check the weather first.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forsecond date, romantic
• Timeevening
• WhereAuguststraße, Mitte

Clärchens Ballhaus opened in 1913 and is one of the last historic ballrooms in Berlin. It hosts dance evenings and classes in styles like swing, salsa and tango, and the upstairs mirror hall with its old, faded walls is one of the most atmospheric rooms in the city. Even if neither of you can dance, learning a few steps together makes for a memorable evening.

Tip: Check the program and pick a beginner-friendly evening or class. Laughing about stepping on each other's feet is half the fun.

• Budgetlow
• Best forspontaneous, cheap
• Time30 minutes
• WhereEberswalder Straße, Prenzlauer Berg

Currywurst is Berlin's most famous snack, and Konnopke's Imbiss under the elevated U2 tracks at Eberswalder Straße has been serving it since 1930. It's simple, quick and cheap. Standing at the counter with trains rumbling overhead is a fun little stop before or after a night out in Prenzlauer Berg.

Tip: Order a currywurst with fries and share. Then walk over to Mauerpark or Kastanienallee to keep the evening going.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forspecial occasion, third date
• Timefull day
• WhereSanssouci Park, Potsdam

Potsdam is right next to Berlin and easy to reach by S-Bahn or regional train. Its highlight is Sanssouci Park, a huge landscape of palaces, terraces, fountains and paths created for the Prussian kings. Walking through the park is free, and you can pick one palace to visit inside. Afterwards, the red-brick Dutch Quarter in the town center is lovely for coffee and cake.

Tip: Go on a weekday to avoid crowds, and wear comfortable shoes: the park is big. In spring and early summer, the gardens are at their prettiest.

• Budgetfree
• Best forfall, evening
• Timeevening
• WhereBrandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, TV Tower and more

For about ten days in October, the Festival of Lights usually projects colorful light art onto Berlin's landmarks. The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Cathedral and many other buildings glow after dark, and it's free to walk between them. It's a perfect excuse for a long evening walk through the center.

Tip: Pick a handful of spots close together in Mitte instead of crossing the city. Bring a warm layer, as October evenings are already chilly.

• Budgetlow
• Best forwinter, cozy
• Timeevening
• WhereKulturbrauerei, Charlottenburg Palace and more

From late November, Berlin is full of Christmas markets with mulled wine, roasted almonds and fairy lights. The Lucia market at the Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg has a Scandinavian theme in an old brewery courtyard, and the market in front of Charlottenburg Palace has a royal backdrop. Every neighborhood has its own smaller ones too.

Tip: Your mug usually comes with a deposit. Return it for the money, or keep it as a souvenir of the date. Try a Feuerzangenbowle, a hot punch with a flaming rum-soaked sugar cone, if you see it.