Berlin in April: what to expect

April in Berlin is a genuine spring month, but a changeable one. Daytime highs sit around 13–14 °C and nights still drop to about 4–5 °C, so mornings and evenings feel like late winter. Snow is rare but not impossible early in the month; a warm spell in the last week can push past 20 °C.

Expect roughly 10–12 days with some rain, often short showers rather than all-day drizzle, and about 5–6 hours of sunshine a day. Wind across the open spaces of Tempelhofer Feld or the Spree makes it feel colder than the number suggests. Daylight grows fast: by the end of April it is light until around 20:30.

April is medium season in Berlin. Museum queues and the main sights are busy at weekends but manageable on weekdays, and hotel rates are well below June–August levels. The exception is the Easter period, when school holidays in several German states and neighbouring countries send families to the city and rail fares rise.

Book accommodation and any long-distance train tickets two to three weeks ahead if your dates touch Easter. Outside those days you can often decide a day or two in advance. Note that Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays: most shops close, museums may run Sunday hours, and supermarkets shut entirely on the Sunday.

Berlin's April calendar mixes Easter traditions and the start of the outdoor season. Dates move each year, so confirm before you plan around any single event.

April suits the city's outdoor and indoor mix equally, which is why it is a forgiving month: if a shower arrives you are never far from a museum.

Use the mild days for the big open spaces — Tempelhofer Feld, the Tiergarten, the East Side Gallery and the Spree riverside — and the wet ones for Museum Island, the Hamburger Bahnhof or the Berlin Wall Memorial. The Brandenburg lakes and Potsdam parks are pleasant from mid-April, though the water is still far too cold for swimming.

Pack for two seasons in one day. A waterproof shell with a hood matters more than an umbrella in Berlin's wind, and a warm mid-layer is needed after sunset. Comfortable broken-in shoes handle cobblestones and long walks.

Add sunglasses and sunscreen for the bright, cold days, a refillable water bottle, and a small day bag. If your trip touches Easter, check opening hours before relying on shops or supermarkets.

March is colder, greyer and cheaper, with trade-fair traffic lifting some hotel prices. May is warmer and greener, with beer gardens open and holiday weekends that fill trains — book those early. June brings long light evenings and the start of lake-swimming weather, at higher prices and with more visitors.