Berlin's Top Sights

Some are big and some are small. Some are historic and some are modern. Some play a major part in the development of our town and some only a minor one. Berlin's squares - either you hate or you love them!  Three of the eldest squares have geometrical forms: they are Pariser Platz,  laid out as the Quarré, Leipziger Platz  laid out as the Octagon and Mehringplatz laid out as the Rondell. They were constructed around 1730 and got their present names later. By the way, platz is the German word for square and we are going to visit the most notables now.       Modern squares Alexanderplatz  Long ago Alexanderplatz was a cattle and wool market. Alexanderplatz was redeveloped under the GDR government into the square you see today.The other main attraction apart from the television tower (Fernsehturm) is the Weltzeituhr (world-time clock), where you can check the time all over the world. It is a p...

Unter den Linden, Kurfürstendamm and Alexanderplatz; these streets and squares are well known even outside of Berlin. But after whom are the streets and squares named and what is their story? Unter den Linden This boulevard got its name from the lime trees that have been planted there. In 1647 the Great Elector planted on a former bridle path, which led from the castle to the Tiergarten, walnut and lime trees. The walnut trees died within a short time, but the lime trees still exist. Friedrichstrasse This popular street was named after Friedrich (English Frederick) King in Prussia (1657-1713). After the death of his father, the Great Elector, Frederick became in 1688 Elector of Brandenburg. In 1701 he crowned himself as Friedrich I. King in Prussia. Friedrichstraße Alexanderplatz The former cattle - and wool market got its name during a Berlin visit of the Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1805. Alexander I was a favorite of Queen Luise and an ally agai...

The U2, (I promise it has nothing to do with the band) is one of Berlin's oldest underground lines. It was opened before World War II and runs from Pankow to Ruhleben. That means it runs throughout the city of former East Berlin to former West Berlin. On its way it passes many interesting places and is so a very comfortable and quick line for visitors . The first few stops lie in Prenzlauer Berg , a very hip district. Then it passes Alexanderplatz , where are so many things to discover.  Marienkirche und Fernsehturm The next stops : Klosterstraße, Märkisches Museum (the museum about Berlin's history), Spittelmarkt, Hausvogteiplatz, Stadtmitte and Mohrenstraße all lie in Berlins center where you will find many of Berlin's attractions. On the bustling Potsdamer Platz are many things to distract you including the shopping centers "Arcaden" and "Berlin Mall".  If you can't get enough of shopping you get into the U2 again and i...

Potsdamer Platz In the 1920's the Potsdamer Platz was the busiest square in Europe.The first traffic light in Germany was established here in 1924. You can still admire a copy of it at Potsdamer Platz. After being destroyed in World War II and the building of the Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz lay in no man's land for many years. The Potsdamer Platz was rebuilt in the 1990's. At this time it was the largest building site in Europe. Today you can admire many modern buildings like the Kollhoff Building . From the viewing platform "Panorama Point" you can enjoy fantastic views of Berlin. Potsdamer Platz is now a popular shopping and entertainment aera. In Sony Center lies the Museum für Film und Fernsehen , a museum about  German film and television. For shopping freaks, I recommend the Arkaden. Potsdamer Platz 1 10785 Berlin How to get there: Train station: S1, S2, S25 (Potsdamer Platz) Underground: U2 (Potsdamer Platz) Bus: M41, M48, M85, 20 A ...