Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous of the inner-German border crossing points and a name known the world over, was where Allied border guards would register members of the American, English and French Armed Forces (and their families) before they visited East Berlin. The "Wall Museum – Museum House at Checkpoint Charlie” is right next to this major tourist spot. The museum displays an incredible number of the original means and tools that people used in their escape out of the GDR: from the hot-air balloon to a mini-submarine, plus plenty of real and fake travel documents.

The five historical museum buildings on Museum Island have been part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1999, and represent a collection that is unique in the world. Each museum building on the island was designed by famous architects of their time. Museum Island is home to collections in the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum, and the Neues Museum (New Museum). The Pergamon Museum is closed for renovation until 2037 or 2043. The exhibitions cover prehistoric times, ancient history and 19th-century art.

One of Old San Juan's remarkable cemeteries, Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis provides a peaceful respite from the bustle of the city and it has a beautiful location overlooking the ocean. There are amazing sculptures and architecture to explore, and many famous people are buried here.

Typically octagonal, the stern-looking, neoclassical St George Cathedral was where Ethiopian rulers were inaugurated ever since its construction by the order of Emperor Menelik II, who dedicated the church to Ethiopia's patron saint, St George. Adjacent to the church is a museum with religious paraphernalia.