Safety in Berlin: What Visitors Need to Know

Berlin sometimes has a wilder reputation in the international press than reality actually warrants. Visitors arriving from Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Vienna will find a city operating at a broadly similar level of safety. Those coming from New York or London may well be surprised by how relaxed things are here. That said, a few things are worth knowing.

Day-to-Day Life in the City

Tourists in Berlin are not specifically targeted as victims in the way that is known to occur in some southern European cities. Violent crime against travellers is rare. The vast majority of visitors spend a week in Berlin without encountering a single security-related incident.

That does not mean you should switch off your awareness entirely. As in any large city: stay alert, do not leave valuables lying in plain sight, and avoid isolated areas late at night. These are not Berlin-specific rules — they are simply standard urban common sense.

Pickpocketing — the Most Common Risk

The one noteworthy concern for tourists is pickpocketing. On busy U-Bahn lines during rush hour and in the evenings — the U1 and U8 are better known for this than others — experienced thieves can disappear into the crowd before you notice anything is wrong. The same applies at busy tourist spots: the Museumsinsel, Hackescher Markt and Alexanderplatz are places where Saturday markets and large crowds create favourable conditions for theft.

The countermeasures are straightforward: do not keep your phone in your trouser pocket, and store your wallet in a front pocket or a zip-fastened bag. Travelling with an anti-theft backpack puts you in a very secure position from the outset.

Certain Neighbourhoods — a Realistic Assessment

Some districts sound more threatening on a map than they are in reality. Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg is a square where drug dealing takes place — that is no secret. Nevertheless, walking through is no problem at all, and during the day the square is as lively and bustling as any other junction in the city. Görlitzer Park is similar: a weekday afternoon there with children is perfectly fine. Being alone in the darker part of the park at two in the morning is something you would avoid in parks across any European city.

Alexanderplatz can feel a little rougher late at night, particularly at weekends. Simply walking on causes no issues. The square is well-lit and busy.

What is often overlooked: even Neukölln and Wedding — both districts with a historically poor reputation — are today no concern whatsoever for ordinary tourist visits at normal hours. Berlin has changed enormously in these areas.

Emergency Numbers

Two numbers are worth knowing:

110 — Polizei (Police). For all non-medical emergencies, theft, and accidents without injuries.

112 — Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst (Fire and Ambulance). For medical emergencies, fires, and road accidents with injuries. Both numbers work from any phone, including without a SIM card or credit.

Medical Care

Germany has one of the finest healthcare systems in the world, and Berlin is no exception. The Charité, with its main site at Charitéplatz 1, is the largest university hospital in Europe and has multilingual staff. In a serious medical situation, you are in the best possible hands here.

For minor complaints — a cold, an upset stomach, forgotten medication — every Berlin neighbourhood has at least one Apotheke (pharmacy), recognisable by the large red letter A. There are also 24-hour pharmacies; the current directory can be found at aponet.de.

Drinking Tap Water

A tip that rarely appears in travel guides: Berlin tap water is not merely safe to drink — it is among the highest quality in all of Germany. It is regularly tested against more than a hundred parameters and meets all drinking water standards with ease. If you have a bottle with you, simply refill it at the tap — it saves money, avoids plastic waste and tastes good.

Berlin is, in short, a city where visitors can get around very comfortably with ordinary levels of awareness. Most stories about dangerous neighbourhoods are outdated or exaggerated. Having a good base from which to explore the city is the best start you can give yourself. bevoflats offers apartments in quiet, well-situated Berlin neighbourhoods — so you can arrive and get going straight away.