Germany's capital is the venue for 10 European Football Championship matches, with fans from Austria, Spain, Poland, Croatia and The Netherlands expected for the first-round games of the tournament. Berlin will also see three elimination-round matches, in addition to the championship final on July 14.
But whether you're in Berlin for just one of the matches or for the whole summer, there's plenty for fans to see and do. Where can you soak up the tournament atmosphere away from the stadium? And what else is on offer besides football? Here are some tips:
1. Public screenings
There will be public viewing and fan zones all around the city. The biggest of them is the "Fan Mile", where a grass-coloured carpet has been rolled out along the long boulevard leading up to the historic Brandenburg Gate.
There will likely be a lot of action as well at the Kulturbrauerei, a former brewery turned nightlife hub in the Prenzlauer Berg district - a perfect choice for partying into the night after a match.
The city's official berlin.de website provides an overview of public viewing events (in English). Many of the city's restaurants and beer gardens will also be putting screens outdoors for fans looking to eat and drink while watching.
2. Stadium
Matches will be played at the historic Olympiastadion in the western part of the city. The most practical way to get there is the U2 subway line - from Potsdamer Platz the ride is about 25 minutes - or two commuter trains (S-Bahn), the S3 and S9. From the main train station the ride to the stadium is about 20 minutes.
Good to know: Due to strict security precautions, virtually no vehicles will be permitted around the European Championship stadium. Anyone travelling by car will therefore have to park away from the arena and then continue their journey by public transport.
3. Pilgrimage sites for football fans
The local pub culture is just as much a part of Berlin as the Brandenburg Gate. There's scarcely a neighbourhood in the city of 3.5 million that does not have a cozy corner pub with such local brews on tap as Schultheiss, Kindl or Engelhardt, and where the first guests can be seen arriving already before noon.
Many of the pubs also have a football connection, one of them being the "Bierbrunnen an der Plumpe" near the Gesundbrunnen subway station in the Wedding district north of the city centre. It is a place full of football history, as it is located opposite football club Hertha BSC's former stadium, the "Plumpe," which was demolished long ago. But four sculptures on a meadow are a reminder of those times.
If you want to immerse yourself in Berlin's football culture and discover the city at the same time, you can follow one of the three football routes, an initiative of the Berlin Football Association. The tours lead to a former home of the late national coach Sepp Herberger (coach of West Germany's 1954 World Cup championship team) or to the Schlosshotel Grunewald, where the German national team resided during the 2006 World Cup. In Germany, that event is dubbed the "summer fairy tale" because of the joyous summertime and party atmosphere that prevailed. Details (in English): fussballrouteberlin.de/en/.
Fans keen on delving more deeply into Berlin's football culture might certainly make a point of visitng the historic old stadium "Alte Foersterei" in the Koepenick district, the home of Berlin's only Bundesliga club FC Union. The special relationship of the fans and club was evidenced in 2008-2009 when around 2,300 supporters provided 140,000 hours of labour to help in the stadium's renovation. Guided stadium tours can be booked on the union-zeughaus.de website.
4. Besides football, what else to see and do in Berlin
Where to start? The TV Tower and Siegessäulie ("Victory Column") give visitors panoramic views from up on high, while Bernauer Strasse, Checkpoint Charlie and the Eastside Gallery bring the time of The Berlin Wall and the long division of the city to life.
Art and culture awaits on the so-called Museum Island in the city centre and in the many other large museums scattered throughout the capital. One recommendation: the German Museum of Technology in Kreuzberg. Families, as well as aviation and railway fans in particular, will get their money's worth here.
Summer in Berlin can also be very hot. But visitors may cool off in some of the lakes on the outskirts, such as the Strandbad Wannsee, the Schlachtensee and the Krummer Lanke. These are all within walking distance of the U3 subway line and S1 commuter rail line.
The Berlin Swimming Map on tourist platform Visit Berlin provides a list of lakes, beaches and outdoor pools in the capital, including public transport connections (in English).
