Berlin's Top Sights

Charlottenburg Palace The impressive Charlottenburg Palace gave a whole district its name. It all began in 1695, when a palace was build in Lietzow, a village outside Berlin, for the Prussian queen Sophie Charlotte. After Sophie Charlotte`s death in 1705 Lietzow was renamed Charlottenburg. The palace was rebuilt and enlarged several times. Enjoy the beautiful grounds to walk and relax! Charlottenburg Palace Spandauer Damm 10-22 14059 Berlin How to get there: Train: S41,S42 (Westend) Bus: M45, 109, 309                                                                          ...

Museum Island  The Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here five museums invite you to explore great treasures.   The  Altes Museum (Old Museum), completed in 1830, is a work of Schinkel and houses the antiquities collection.   The  Neues Museum (New Museum), built 1841-59 by August Stüler, is the second oldest building on Museum Island. After the destruction in  Second World War, the museum is now completely restored.  Since 2009 the Museum of Prehistory  and Early History and the Egyptian Museum are housed here. In the Egyptian Museum you should definitely visit the bust of Queen Nefertiti.   The   Bode Museum is home to the Museum of Byzantine Art and has also a good coin collection. The Pergamon Museum is the most visited museum in Berlin. Its main sight the Pergamon Altar is unfortunately not   accessible  for several years, but two gates,  the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ischtar ...

The Gendarmenmarkt is the most beautiful place in Berlin! It has a special athmosphere that attracts Berliners and tourists alike. Like twins seem the French and the German Cathedral.   view of Gendarmenmarkt The Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) was built 1701-1708. The imposing dome was added in 1780-85 by Carl von Gontard. The Deutscher Dom houses an exhibition about the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany. The Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) was built in 1701-1705 for the Huguenot community. Like the German Cathedral the dome was added 1780-85 by Carl von Gontard. The Huguenot Museum inside the church shows the history and the life of the French immigrants. The Konzerthaus (concert hall) was built in 1821 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel as a theater. In front of the Konzerthaus you will find an imposing monument depicting the great German writer Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805). Konzerthaus  Tip: Magical and exclusive in Dec...

A wall  divided Berlin from 1 3. August 1961 - 9 . November 1989. On this night the wall fell.  Nevertheless,  it  took several months before it was completely demolished. Completely? No, not quite! Individual traces and pieces of the wall can still be found in many places in Berlin. Plaques and plaster stones markes the course of the wall all over Berlin The East Side Gallery is 1.5 kilometers long and is so the longest piece of wall in Berlin that still exists. Shortly after the fall of the wall, artists from all over the world painted this remaining wall. East Side Gallery on 9 November 2014. The 25 th  anniversary of the fall  of the Berlin wall was celebrated with a chain of ballons, that marked the course of the wall. In Friedrichstraße lies Checkpoint Charlie . In divided Berlin it was the border crossing for allies and diplomats. You can learn more about Checkpoint Charlie and the wall in the Mauermuseum . Che...

 The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) The Brandenburg Gate is the best known and the most popular building in Berlin. It is also a symbol of the division and reunification of Berlin. From 1961-1990 it lay in no man's land - in East Berlin close to the wall. The Brandenburg Gate was built 1788-1791 by Carl Gotthard Langhans, as one of the 14 city gates which were part of the customs and excise wall. In 1794 the statue of the goddess of victory (the Quadriga) was placed on top. In 1806 Napoleon entered Berlin, kidnapped the Quadriga and brought it to Paris. Only in 1814 it returned to Berlin. Tip: If you need to rest and want to get away from all the sightseeing, visit the Raum der Stille (Room of Silence).  The Brandenburg Gate If you pass through the Brandenburg Gate from west to east you will come to Pariser Platz . The place was founded in 1734 and was initially named after its shape Quarre (rectangle). In 1814 the place was given its present n...

Under den Linden and Berlin Cathedral Unter den Linden is one of the oldest streets in Berlin. In 1647 the Great Elector created a road that was planted with lime trees (Linden). Unter den Linden has many historic buildings, souvenir shops and restaurants. The Armory (Zeughaus), built 1695-1706, is the oldest building in the street. It was originally used as an arsenal. Today it houses the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum). Permanent and changing exhibitions explain the history of Germany. The famous Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel built the New Guard House (Neue Wache) 1816- 1818. Originally it was a guardhouse for the troops of the crown prince of Prussia . Today the New Guard House serves as the “Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Victims of War and Tyranny” (open 10.00-18.00). Neue Wache and Zeughaus The Humboldt Universität (Humboldt University) was built 1746-66, formerly as a palace for prince H...

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 ...