Berlin Evening Sunset Yacht Cruise on the Spree

Reichstag and the government quarter from the river

Your cruise starts and ends in the government quarter, the stretch of the Spree where reunified Germany built its parliament and offices in the 1990s. The jetty sits beside the Paul-Löbe-Haus, the long concrete-and-glass building of parliamentary offices, which is linked across the river by a footbridge to a twin parliament building on the far bank. Just behind rises the Reichstag, finished in 1894 and crowned since 1999 with its glass dome.

From the water you see this ensemble the way few visitors do: the modern buildings reflected in the river, the dome glowing as the light fades and, further west, the white cube of the Federal Chancellery facing the Tiergarten. A Reichstag boat tour in the evening is one of the most photogenic ways to see the area, and it needs no security check or advance registration.

Museum Island and Berlin Cathedral

Heading east, the yacht reaches Museum Island, the northern tip of the Spree island where five world-class museums were built between 1830 and 1930. The ensemble has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The first building you meet from the river is the Bode Museum, its rounded dome rising straight from the water at the island's point, holding sculpture and a famous coin collection.

Further along, the great green dome of Berlin Cathedral, completed in 1905, towers above the riverbank. Seen from a Museum Island cruise at dusk, with the stone facades lit and the water turning dark blue, it is one of the finest views in Berlin. If you plan to visit the museums, the cruise is a good way to understand how the island fits together before you go in.

Nikolaiviertel and the Tränenpalast

The Nikolaiviertel marks the spot where Berlin began. Its twin-spired Nikolaikirche is the oldest church in the city, and the small quarter of lanes around it was rebuilt in the 1980s to recall the medieval town that stood on the Spree. From the yacht you see its riverside houses and spires against the evening sky.

On the way back west you pass the Tränenpalast, the 'Palace of Tears' beside Friedrichstrasse station. During the division of Berlin this glass-fronted hall was the departure point for travellers leaving East Berlin, and the name recalls the farewells that took place here. Today it holds a free exhibition on daily life at the border, and from the river it is a quiet reminder of how recently this city was split in two.

Central Station, Haus der Kulturen der Welt and the Tiergarten

Beyond the government quarter, the yacht passes Berlin Central Station, the huge glass and steel hub opened in 2006, and the Futurium, a museum of future ideas with a sharp-edged facade on the riverbank. Across the water stands the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, built in 1957 with a sweeping curved roof that Berliners nicknamed the 'pregnant oyster'.

Behind it the trees of the Tiergarten, Berlin's largest central park, run down to the river. As the sun sets this green stretch is the most peaceful part of the cruise, with the city lights appearing between the trees before the yacht turns back toward the Reichstag. It is also the stretch where the river is widest and calmest, perfect for photos of the skyline in the last light.

The yacht, the decks and the best time to go

The motor yacht offers three ways to enjoy the river: lounge furniture on the sundeck, shaded seating on the aft deck and the foredeck for an uninterrupted view straight ahead. If it rains, the indoor salon has room for everyone. On boarding the crew welcomes you with a soft drink, and further drinks can be bought on board; outside food and drinks are not allowed.

The yacht sails in the warmer months with an evening departure timed around sunset, so you watch the city change from golden light to illuminated landmarks. In the cooler months a 90-minute sundown cruise on a larger salon ship leaves earlier in the afternoon. Both are calm, social outings rather than guided tours, ideal as a romantic thing to do in Berlin or as a gentle start to dinner in the city.