I hit the cold streets of Berlin in early 2019, equipped with nothing but my camera, a small tripod and a smile (and the rest of my luggage I brought with me). With the help of some random people who I pestered to take a photo of me, and a camera with an anxiety-inducing self-timer function, I found some pretty cool places to get Instagram photos.
Victory Column
If you don't want to fork out the 3 Euros to get to the top of the Victory Column, you can grab this cool photo looking up towards it. But i'd recommend going to the top of it, the views are sick and you can grab another cool photo from the top.
Tempelhofer Feld
Not gonna lie, had a few people glance at me weirdly as I posed in this old airport pretending to be an aeroplane.
TV Tower shot off Unter den Linden
If you stray from the popular Unter den Linden, you can find this cool viewpoint which frames the TV Tower and the Berliner Dom. (If you check the map above you should be able to find this exact spot)
Teufelsberg
You used to be able to get into the domes of the old abandoned spy towers and get some amazing shots from the top, but due to health and safety they've been closed for the time being. You can try and climb your way in, or guess the 4-digit number on the door locks. (Hint: Teufelsberg is German for 'Devil's Mountain', so maybe you can work out 3 of the digits from that hint.)
Brandenburg Gate
Probably the most popular spot in Berlin to grab a photo. Just try and wait for the waves of tourists to pass so your backdrop isn't crowded with people.
Courtyard by Father Carpenter
I nipped into Father Carpenter for some food and coffee one evening and noticed it had a pretty picturesque courtyard. Didn't manage to grab a photo but here's someone else's.
House of Small Wonder
House of Small Wonder has one of those classic Instagrammable entrances. I wonder if anyone's actually made it to the top of the staircase to see if the food's any good.
East Side Gallery
There are loads of awesome pieces of street art painted onto this old section of the Berlin Wall that you can snap a photo next to. The most iconic being the 'Fraternal Kiss'.
Berliner Dom Shot
Unless you fancy a swim there's not really a feasible way to frame yourself in this shot, but it's a great angle so I just wanted to feature it as part of this list. You can walk towards to the Berliner Dom and take some photos next to that too.
Viktoria Park Waterfall
My friend Nilam told me about this spot. What she failed to tell me though is that in February there is no water in the waterfall. So yeah, top tip of taking a photo next to a waterfall, make sure there's water in it.
Oberbaumbrucke
The Oberbaum Bridge is one of the city's most popular landmarks and a symbol of Berlin's unity. The yellow train passing the iconic two towers makes for a cool photo, if you take a short walk down the riverside you'll find a few spots to frame it in the background of your photos.
Follow @sambentley and tell me about any other cool insta spots you find in Berlin.