German filming locations: Private day trip from Berlin

Step into a century of German cinema at a museum housed in the very building that stands at the entrance to the legendary Babelsberg Studios.

What to see

• Original props and costumes from Fritz Lang's groundbreaking 1927 masterpiece "Metropolis", one of cinema's most influential films, made at the Babelsberg Studios directly next door
• Archive footage and behind-the-scenes material documenting how classics from "The Blue Angel" to contemporary blockbusters were created here
• Interactive displays tracing German filmmaking from silent cinema to the digital era, including the remarkable story of how Babelsberg survived two world wars and four decades of division

What to do

• Discover the directors — from Billy Wilder to Wes Anderson — who worked at the adjacent studios where "Inglourious Basterds", "V for Vendetta", and "Cloud Atlas" were filmed
• Browse the museum shop for rare film memorabilia and archival editions unavailable elsewhere

Take note

• Book your tickets in advance for the best experience: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/filmmuseum-potsdam

Explore one of the most cinematically atmospheric locations in Europe, a vast complex of abandoned sanatoriums where the genuine decay that no CGI can replicate has drawn filmmakers back again and again.

What to see

• The sprawling Beelitz-Heilstätten complex, where crumbling corridors, peeling paint, and overgrown operating theatres create an unsettling beauty
• The specific buildings used as the bombed-out Warsaw backdrop in Roman Polanski's "The Pianist", and the eerie interiors featured in "A Cure for Wellness"
• The innovative treetop walkway, which reveals the extraordinary scale of the complex from above

What to do

• Join a guided tour through the safely accessible sections of the complex
• Climb the treetop walkway for aerial views over the rooftops and overgrown courtyards below

Take note

• Opening hours vary seasonally; check before visiting: https://baumundzeit.de/en/start\_en/

Walk through a living archive of world cinema in one of Germany's most beautifully preserved historic cities, where seemingly every corner has appeared on screen.

What to see

• The Görlitzer Warenhaus, the Art Nouveau department store that became the fictional Mendl's Patisserie in Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel", its ornate staircases even more striking in person than on screen
• Untermarkt square, where Tarantino staged scenes from "Inglourious Basterds"
• Demianiplatz, where Kate Winslet filmed tram conductor scenes for "The Reader"
• The cobblestone streets where Jackie Chan raced through in "Around the World in 80 Days"

What to do

• Collect a self-guided film location tour map from the Görlitz tourist information office and follow in the footsteps of the directors
• Simply wander, the city is compact enough that every street reveals another filming location, making Görlitz feel like a living museum of cinema