Disabled Travel in Berlin
The capital's top 10 barrier-free attractions
Berlin is a great city to visit no matter what your level of mobility. Many of the city's sights can be accessed by wheelchair and there are many hotels in the city which cater very well to disabled travellers. Berlin's public transport network is generally very good and includes wheelchair accessible buses, as well as lifts at many train stations. In addition to the public transport there are also a number of taxis which offer wheelchair access.
Berlin is a very flat city, making sightseeing in Berlin very accessible. There are also fewer cobblestones than many other historic cities, making navigating the generously wide footpaths hassle free.
Unfortunately, not all of Berlin's attractions are wheelchair accessible. There are a couple which are completely inaccessible, most notably the Fernsehturm (TV Tower). In addition there are also a number of attractions that are only partially wheelchair accessible. To help you get started, we have put together a list of the best attractions in Berlin offering access for all.
Berlin Cathedral
Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
A UNESCO world heritage site, the Museumsinsel offers five world class museums, must sees are for example the Neues Museum (New Museum) with Egyptian bust of Nefertiti and the Pergamon Museum , one of the world’s major archaeological museums – the museum exhibitions are mostly wheelchair accessible.
Sightseeing Tours
A very good way to learn more about the city is to take part in a sightseeing city tour. Insider Tour Berlin run a number of great tours around Berlin - contact them before hand to check for any mobility issues. For dedicated disabled tours check out Berlin 4 All. They are a great Berlin company that can arrange the perfect tour to suit your needs and aim to make Berlin accessible for all. As an added treat, take advantage of Berlin's extensive waterways for a unique view of the German capital with a boat tour.
Oranienburg Palace and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial
Located just outside Berlin in the nearby town of Oranienburg is the former Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Now a memorial and museum site, it is well worth a visit to learn about a very dark time in Germany's history. The vast majority of the site is wheelchair accessible including the visitor's centre. Our favourite companies running tours to Sachsenhausen are Insider Tour Berlin, Mosaic Tours and Berlin 4 All. Travel to the site is undertaken by public transport so please check with the tour operator before hand to see if they can cater to your level of mobility. It may be necessary to organise private transportation.
The oldest Baroque palace of Brandenburg is the Oranienburg Palace. There is a well worth seeing collection of unique artworks. This complex is wheelchair accessible.
Potsdam
Potsdam is the former centre/capital of Prussia and a very historic and beautiful city near to Berlin (40 min by S-Bahn or bus). It is home to a number of palaces which can be visited like Sanssouci (mostly wheelchair accessible) and Cicilienhof (wheelchair accessible) along with beautiful parks that were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990. The historic city centre is also worth a trip.
Charlottenburg Palace - Schloss Charlottenburg
The Charlottenburg Palace, located in the West of Berlin, is the largest and most important remaining Hohenzollern residence in Berlin. A landscaped park and a unique baroque garden surround the complex. Currently only the ground floor of the Palace can be accessed by Wheelchair, but an elevator is planned for the end of 2014. Wheelchair accessible bathroom facilities are available.
Madame Tussauds
The world famous wax museum was established in Berlin in 2008 and offers lots of national and international stars and politicians. The complex is equipped with a lavatory for handicapped and is wheelchair accessible.
Berlin - Schloss Charlottenburg
The Humboldt Box
The futuristic looking building that sits across the road from the Lustgarten on Museumsinsel was erected to provide visitors with information about the reconstruction of the City Palace which is currently taking place. There is an oberservation deck which provides a nice view of the site as well as the Lustgarten and there is also a cafe where you can get tea and coffee and a bit to eat. Disabled Parking is located in front of the building and the building is wheelchair accessible.
The Jewish Museum Berlin
The Jewish Museum Berlin, designed by Daniel Liebeskind, is a favourite of many visitors to Berlin. The stunning zinc-clad building is worth visiting for the architecture alone, but the museum also gives a fascinating overview (past and present) of the history of the German Jews and is one of the most visited and loved museums in Berlin. Accessibility: two lavatories for handicapped, nearly full wheelchair accessible. Only one little part is not accessible because of a few steps.
The Topography of Terror
More than 600,000 people visit the Topography of Terror each year, making one of the most frequently visited places of remembrance in Berlin. During the “Third Reich”, the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were located there. The site now houses a free exhibition detailing the dimensions of the Nazi reign of terror. The exhibition is wheelchair accessible.
Panoramapunkt
Since it is not possible for wheelchair users to visit the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) at Alexanderplatz because of safety reasons, the Panoramapunkt is the best way to enjoy fantastic views over the city at an altitude of about 100 m. You can see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstagsgebäude, the Bellevue Palace, the Federal Chancellery, the Berlin Cathedral, the TV Tower, Gendarmenmarkt, the Holocaust Memorial and much more.
The Reichstagsgebäude
The German parliament building known as the Reichstagsgebäude has developed into a major visitor attraction. Since the transfer from Bonn as the former capital of Germany to Berlin the Reichstag has been visited by 15 million people. Inside the glass dome visitors can enjoy the view over the parliamentary and government quarter. The building is wheelchair accessible. To visit the dome you will need to book in advance and enter your identity document information... Please see our listing for more information on how this is done.
The Brandenburger Tor
A former city customs gate, The Brandenburger Tor is one of the most famous landmarks of Berlin and since re-unification has become a powerful symbol of united Germany. It is also the monumental entry to the famous boulevard “Unter den Linden” and is within close proximity to the Reichstagsgebäude as well as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
Berlin Wall Memorial - Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
This memorial is the central memorial site of German division right in the middle of the capital. It contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with a preserved section of the death strip and offers the best insight into how the border fortifications developed and the effect they had on the city of Berlin. The memorial with its information centre, the panorama tower and its outdoor installations is wheelchair accessible.
Potsdam Palaces and Parks
We wish to thank our friends at Berlin 4 All for helping us put together this list. Berlin 4 All are the experts in barrier free travel options in Berlin and can help you with anything from concert tickets, tours and accomodation to all inclusive package holidays.
All images © Berlin 4 All
The Berlin Wall Memorial
