Best Landmarks in Berlin"

"Best Landmarks in Berlin"

Created by: Cityseeker

11 Locations Bookmarked

Fernsehturm "Towering Landmark"

Located in Alexanderplatz in the heart of eastern Berlin, this 1960s structure towers over the whole city. Built during the Communist era, this landmark offers views from the top that are hard to beat. The revolving restaurant situated 207 meters (680 feet) up the tower is a pleasant spot to stop for a coffee or meal and to admire the scenery of the city. by dronepicr +49 30 247 5750 www.berlinerfernsehturm. info@berlinerfernsehturm. Panoramastraße 1A, de/ de Alexanderplatz, Berlin

Berlin Cathedral

"Monumental Cathedral"

Throughout the centuries, many churches have stood on the location of the current Berliner Dom. The first one was erected in 1465 for the reigning royal family, the Hohenzollerns, and was little more than a chapel at that time. In 1747, it was replaced by a Baroque cathedral designed by Johann Boumann, before being transformed once again in 1822 by Karl by Thomas Wolf, www.foto- Friedrich Schinkel. Today's Dom was built between 1894 and 1905 during tw.de King Wilhelm II's reign. Almost completely destroyed in World War II, the Berliner Dom remained a ruin until restoration work finally began in 1973. Some of the cathedral's highlights include the mosaics covering the cupola, the crypt, the altar and the altar windows. The Dom also enshrines over 80 members of the Hohenzollern family. Those visiting must take a look at the Sauer organ within the cathedral, one of the largest in Germany, and take in the views from the roof promenade.

+49 30 20269136 www.berliner-dom.de/ [email protected] Am Lustgarten 1, Berlin

Unter den Linden "Boulevard of Treasures"

Berlin's grandest boulevard stretches east to west for just over a mile between Schlossplatz and the Brandenburg Gate. Originally conceived as a simple riding path between Berliner Schloss palace and the royal hunting ground in Tiergarten, Unter den Linden was transformed into a splendid regal boulevard by the 18th-century Prussian kings. Named after by VollwertBIT the linden trees which line its median, the road contains many of Berlin's landmark buildings like the Brandenburg Gate, Zeughaus, Kronprinzenpalast, State Opera House and Humboldt University. The Statue of Frederick the Great also sits here; one of Rauch's masterpieces, it depicts the king riding on his favorite horse, Condè, wearing his coronation robes, three-cornered hat, riding boots and holding a stick. Amazingly, the statue took nearly 70 years, 40 artists, and 100 designs to determine the final plan.

www.unterdenlinden.de/ Unter den Linden, Berlin Gendarmenmarkt "Berlin's Architectural Treasures"

Gendarmenmarkt is considered by many to be Berlin's most exquisite square. Flanked by the twin churches of Deutscher Dom and Französischer Dom, the square is crowned by Schinkel's neoclassical masterpiece, the Konzerthaus. The name of the square comes from the 'Soldier King' Frederick William I, who housed his cavalry (gens d'arms) by valentinsan here in the early 18th Century. The Französischer Dom (French cathedral) offered refuge to the French Huguenot community who fled to Prussia to escape persecution in 18th-century France. The ground floor now houses a museum, while the dome offers fantastic panoramic views of the city. Sheltering some of the most spectacular architectural wonders of the city, the square comes alive with gleaming golden lights and the bustle of enthusiastic locals and tourists with the renowned Christmas market.

+49 30 2091 2631 www.gendarmenmarktber info@weihnachtsmarkt- Markgrafenstraße, Berlin lin.de/ berlin.de

The Berlin Wall "The Famous Berlin Wall"

Anyone visiting Berlin today would find it hard to imagine that this vibrant and cosmopolitan city was once divided and through its heart ran a wall made of concrete and barbed wire, patrolled by armed guards. Erected on 13 August 1961 to halt the outflow of disaffected East German workers, the Berlin Wall divided Germany. No one will forget the night of 9th by Public Domain November 1989 when it came crashing down. In the months following its fall, it was bulldozed to the ground and the land where it stood auctioned off to the highest bidder. Not much of the original Wall is left today, with only one or two sections saved as a permanent reminder of the past. The longest and most impressive stretch can be seen at the East Side Gallery, while another section, which is full of chisel holes and graffiti, runs along Niederkirchner Straße just south of Potsdamer Platz. Hordes of tourists still flock to Checkpoint Charlie but there is not much left to see except a gripping exhibition at Haus am Checkpoint Charlie. The Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße is well worth a visit while a more somber moment could be spent contemplating the line of white crosses on Ebertstraße behind the Reichstag.

Bernauer Straße 111, Berlin

Brandenburg Gate "Symbol of Freedom"

Germany's most recognizable symbol is not as large as many visitors expect, yet its history is rich and fascinating. Built in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate was modeled on the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. The Quadriga statue on top of the Gate, designed by sculptor Gottfried Schadow, represents Victoria, the Goddess of Peace, riding a by noxoss four-horse chariot. This was one of Berlin's original 14 city gates, yet the only remaining evidence of the other gates are the names of underground stations such as Kottbusser Tor and Schlesisches Tor. The Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz have played center stage to numerous turbulent historical events. The south wing houses a tourist information office.

+49 30 25 0025 (Tourist Information) www.berlin.de/sehenswuerdigkeite Am Pariser Platz, Berlin n/3560266-3558930-brandenburge r-tor.html Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe "A Stirring Tribute"

Sixty years after World War II, Berlin unveiled the Holocaust Memorial, known officially as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in memory of victims of those who lost their lives during Holocaust. An international symbol of a somber chapter in World history, this memorial, by Public Domain located next to the Brandenburg Gate and near the buried remains of Adolf Hitler's underground bunker, was designed by U.S. architect Peter Eisenman. The memorial's grid of 2711 gray concrete slabs covers a vast area in the heart of the city. The slabs, or stelae, stand at varied heights of up to 4.5 meters (15 feet), creating the sense of a stark concrete forest, through which visitors can wander on uneven cobblestone pathways. The design of the memorial is relatively abstract and has been interpreted in several ways. A poignant reminder of German history's dark chapter, the memorial's information center offers detailed archives and stories of the victims.

+49 30 2639430 www.holocaust- info@stiftung_denkmal.de Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, Berlin mahnmal.de/

Reichstag "Old & New Parliament"

Constructed between 1884 and 1894, the imposing Reichstag stands witness to Germany's past and present. It was established as a parliamentary house for the German Empire under Otto von Bismarck and has since seen more than a century of European history unfurl. After World War II, the Reichstag was neglected until the fall of the Berlin Wall by Public Domain in 1989, at which time, work began on returning the building to its original purpose. This new attention led to such additions as the iconic glass dome, which was added by British architect Sir Norman Foster. Today, visitors can climb up to the dome and enjoy panoramic views of brilliant Berlin from the terrace.

+49 30 2270 www.visitberlin.de/en/reichstag-in- Platz der Republik 1, Berlin berlin

Potsdamer Platz "The Heart of New Berlin"

After the fall of the Wall in 1989, Potsdamer Platz turned into Europe's biggest building site, as urban planners worked to create an ultra-modern city center in the middle of a reunited Berlin. The only remnants of old Potsdamer Platz are the historic Haus Huth and the majestic Hotel Esplanade ballroom, which has been cleverly incorporated into the Sony by Berlinuno Center. Approximately half of the area contains offices; the rest is divided between entertainment complexes like the IMAX movie theater and a fantastic shopping mall.

+49 30 688 3150 www.potsdamer-platz.net/ [email protected] Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

Victory Column

"Berlin's Awe-inspiring Victory Column"

Familiar to many from Wim Wenders' 1987 film "Wings of Desire," the view from the top of the 69 meter-high (226.37 feet) Victory Column is well worth the 285-step climb! Built in 1873 to commemorate Prussian military victories against Denmark, Austria and France, the Victory Column originally stood in front of the Reichstag, but was moved to its current by Randy Tarampi on location in the middle of the Tiergarten by the Third Reich in 1938. The Unsplash golden statue of the Goddess Victory can be seen from all over the city and is one of Berlin's most eye-catching landmarks.

+49 30 3339509 www.berlin.de/orte/sehenswuerdig Großen Stern, Tiergarten, Berlin keiten/siegessaeule/

Schloss Cecilienhof "Venue of 1945 Potsdam Conference"

Situated in the lovely Neuer Garten in Potsdam, Schloss Cecilienhof was built in 1913-17 as a residence for Crown Princess Cecilie. Although the Prussian royal family was deposed in 1918, Cecilienhof remained in the family's hands until the outbreak of the Second World War. While extremely pleasant, Cecilienhof's popularity is also due to its unique place by ernstol in history. For it was here, in the heart of the Third Reich, that the four Allied powers met in July and August 1945 to determine the future of Europe. The negotiations culminated in the signature of the Potsdam Agreement which demilitarized Germany and divided the country into different sectors, a precursor of Germany's later division into East and West. Visitors can now view the delegates' chambers and the conference room—complete with an enormous round table made in Moscow especially for the event.

+49 331 969 4200 (Tourist www.spsg.de/schloesser- Im Neuen Garten 11, Potsdam Information) gaerten/objekt/schloss-cecilienhof/

JOIN US AT: cityseeker.com