Water in Berlin: public drinking fountains
Berlin is vast and the distances between districts are long, so carrying water is a good habit. Tap water is safe and of good quality, and in recent years the city has been adding more public drinking fountains. You will find them in parks, squares and near busy places.
Not every fountain in Berlin is meant for drinking: many are decorative, and some are turned off in winter because of frost. Look for a drinking-water symbol or sign, and when in doubt use a café or museum to fill your bottle.
Public toilets: automatic, paid and friendly cafés
Street toilets in Berlin are often automatic, paid units that take coins or a card. They are handy but not always near where you need them. Restrooms in U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations are rare or poorly kept, so it is wise to move a little ahead of time.
There is also a network of venues that open their bathrooms to passers-by. The initiative is called «Nette Toilette» and participating places display a sticker in the window. It is a very Berlin way of easing the pressure on public toilets without forcing you to buy something.
Sample routes: Museum Island, Tiergarten and Tempelhof
A classic day starts at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, crosses the large Tiergarten park and reaches Museum Island. In the park you can rest in the shade and look for a water point before moving on. Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower are well served by shops, so finding a bathroom is easy.
For something different, head to Tempelhofer Feld, the former airport turned into an immense park: it is wonderful but open to wind and sun, so bring water from home. In districts such as Kreuzberg and Neukölln the late-opening venues help with both water and toilets.
- If you cycle, remember that drinking fountains are not always next to the bike lanes.
- In winter some fountains are closed, so carry an insulated bottle.
- Keep a few 50-cent or 1-euro coins for paid toilets.
- Check opening times and accessibility: large museums usually have lifts and step-free restrooms.
OpenStreetMap data and the PitSpot app
The statistics at the top are drawn from OpenStreetMap, which is especially detailed in Berlin thanks to an active mapping community. The counts include both fountains and toilets mapped inside the city limits, including some in public buildings.
To search for these points from your phone we are developing PitSpot, a free Android app. You can join the waitlist from the homepage to hear when it is available.