Berlin continues to be a major draw for travelers visiting Germany and, in 2019, cultural highlights, new attractions, special anniversaries and an ever-expanding calendar of events are sure to further entice visitors.
Last year, the city saw a record number of visitors with a total of 32.87 million overnights, an increase of 5.5 percent, and the U.S. continues to be Berlin's strongest overseas market. Overnights from the U.S. exceeded the 1 million mark for the first time in 2015 and increased to nearly 1.3 million overnights last year, an increase of 5 percent.
Two major anniversaries make visiting Berlin a very special experience this year. The city will celebrate both the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus movement as well as the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Bauhaus movement was founded in Weimar in 1919, moved to Dessau in 1925 and was then shut down by the National Socialists in 1933, existing for just 14 years. However, it had a great impact on German culture despite existing for only a short period of time and now is recognized as a symbol for "Made in Germany."
A series of events will honor the Bauhaus Centenary that includes art exhibitions, walking tours, architecture and design galleries, workshops, festivals and more. Highlights include the 100 Years of Bauhaus exhibitions. The four-part series includes Alfred Ehrhardt-Painting, Drawing, Prints" and "100 Years of Bauhaus II," which presents historic photographic prints of his first work.
The "100 Years of Bauhaus III" presents selected photos and original student works from the preliminary classes taught by Fritz Schleifer at the Landeskunstschule Hamburg between 1930-33. "100 Years of Bauhaus IV" depicts Alfred Ehrhardt's New Objectivity-inspired photographs.
"Avanti-Avanti" is another series of exhibitions that celebrate the art of Bauhaus, and "Bauhaus imaginista" tells the transnational story of the Bauhaus movement and looks at its reception in Asia.
These just skim the surface of what's available for art and design enthusiasts in the city. A year's worth of events can be found on the VisitBerlin website.
Fall of the Wall
Recognition of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will also be prominent in the city throughout 2019. A series of events, commemorations and festivities are planned to mark this important milestone for Berlin.
Most important, from November 4-10, 2019, a large, city-wide festival will be held over the course of the seven days at seven historical sites that will transform the city into an open-air exhibition and event location.
Berlin Welcome Card
Exploring Berlin and all the city has to offer is easiest with the Berlin Welcome Card. The pass can be purchased for two to six days of travel and offers a flexible way to explore the city with discounts of up to 50 percent on more than 200 tourist attractions, cultural events and services. It also serves as a ticket for local transportation and starts at just €20 for 48 hours.
Getting to Berlin
A new nonstop flight from Philadelphia to Berlin will make reaching the city from the U.S. even easier. The new flights will be offered four times per week with American Airlines and will begin operation in June of 2019.
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also offer flights to Berlin from New York City.
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