Which river flows through Berlin's city center?

The river that flows through Berlin's city center is the Spree. It passes major landmarks including the Reichstag, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, and the Federal Chancellery before continuing west toward Spandau.

The Spree rises in the Lusatian Highlands and runs for approximately 400 kilometres through parts of Germany and the Czech Republic. In Berlin, it becomes the city's defining central waterway, dividing and shaping historic districts while forming islands such as Museum Island.

The Spree is a tributary of the Havel, which it joins in Berlin-Spandau. The Havel then flows into the Elbe, so the Spree ultimately belongs to the Elbe drainage system rather than flowing directly to the sea. This relationship explains why the Elbe sometimes appears in discussions of Berlin's waterways, but it is not the river crossing the city center.

Another common confusion involves the Havel itself. The Havel also flows through Berlin, especially in the city's western and southwestern areas, but the central landmarks and the historic heart of Berlin are situated along the Spree.