Berlin's Top Sights

For centuries Jews have been living in Berlin - for centuries they were persecuted. From the past to the present day, traces of Jewish life in Berlin can be found at the following places... Synagogues Even from a distance shines the golden dome of the Jewish synagogue in Oranienburger Straße in Mitte. Much of the Berlin Jewish community had settled around this street.The synagogue was built in 1866 by Eduard Knoblauch. During World War II it was destroyed, reconstructed in the 1980’s and reopened in 1993. Today it houses the Centrum Judicaium , inside is a permanent exhibition about the history of the synagogue. centrum judicaium Centrum Judicaium The Jewish Synagogue in Rykestraße in Prenzlauer Berg, the largest synagogue in Germany, opened in 1904. It survived the terror of National Socialism relatively unscathed and in 1953 it was inaugurated again. Rykestraße 53 10405 Berlin   Synagoge Rykestr. U2 (Senefelderplatz) The Jewish Communi...

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...

At Christmas Berlin puts on a festive dress. Christmas Markets attract people from near and far. Berlin offers you a wide variety of them. From romantic and festive Christmas Markets up to loud and noisy ones with the latest rides. Don’t forget to try mulled wine, roasted almonds, German sausages, grünkohl and other traditional specialties. You will find the most popular Christmas Markets at: Breidscheidplatz, near Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, where you can buy handmade gifts for your loved ones and warm up with mulled wine and sausage. Bus: 100, 200 (Breitscheidplatz); Underground: Kurfürstendamm (U2, U9); S -Bahn: Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9) Christmas Market at Breitscheidplatz Alexanderplatz  Apart from the traditional German Christmas stalls, a huge funfair invites you at Alexanderplatz with a lot of exciting rides. Bus: 100, 200; Underground: U8, U5,U2; S-Bahn: S5, S7, S75; Tram: M2, M4, M5, M6 The Christmas Market at Schloss Charlot...

Everybody knows the famous Berlin wall, but the German capital  had actually four city walls. None of them still exists, but you can still find remains or discover their traces. Medieval town wall The first one was erected during medieval times, you can still find a large piece of it in Klosterstrasse, near the Restaurant “Zur Letzten Instanz".    U Bahn:  U2 (Klosterstraße)    the medieval wall in Klosterstraße is the oldest of Berlin's city walls The Fortress T he second wall belonged to a fortress that was built by the order of the “Great Elector" Frederick William (1620-1688) shortly after the 30 Years' War. Contruction of it began in 1658. The fortress was torn down in 1744. A tower of it, the Wusterhausener Bär, still exists in Köllnischer Park.  U2 (Märkisches Museum)   the Wusterhausener Bär The Customs Wall The third wall in Berlin was the Berlin Customs Wall (Berliner Zoll-und Akzisemauer). ...