Showing 1-13 of 13 results
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Brandenburg Gate
A symbol of division during the Cold War, this landmark now epitomises German reunification. The 1791 structure by Carl Gotthard Langhans is the only surviving one of 18 city gates and is crowned by the Quadriga sculpture, a horse-drawn chariot piloted by the winged goddess of victory.
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Brandenburger Tor
The restored landmark Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), a symbol of division during the Cold War, now epitomises German reunification. It was against this backdrop in 1987 that then-US president Ronald Reagan uttered the now famous words: 'Mr Gorbachev - tear down this wall.' Two years later, the Wall was history.
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Dz Bank
Bland on the outside, this bank building packs a visual punch past those heavy doors thanks to the warped imagination of architect Frank Gehry. Filling the atrium is a conference room shaped like a bizarrely morphed sculpture vaguely reminiscent of...a fish. See it to believe it.
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Flughafen Tempelhof
This Nazi-built airport is reportedly the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon, but its ties to aviation go back to its airfield days. In 1909 Orville Wright set a world record right here when flying his aircraft 172m above ground. Tempelhof had its finest hour during the 1948 Berlin Airlift . There are plans to close it, but the decision isn't final yet.
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Gendarmenmarkt
Berlin's most graceful square was named after the Gens d'Armes, a Prussian regiment consisting of French Huguenot immigrants. Local Huguenots worshipped at the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral), where a small museum now chronicles their story. The cathedral closely mirrors the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) opposite, home to a hopelessly academic political exhibit. In the middle is Schinkel's beautiful Konzerthaus .
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Humboldt Universität
Marx and Engels studied and the Brothers Grimm and Albert Einstein taught at Berlin's oldest university, housed inside a former royal palace since 1810. Booksellers usually set up by the main entrance, below the statues of its founder, philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt, and his explorer brother Alexander.
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Marienkirche
This brick gem has welcomed worshippers since the 13th century and has a vestibule gruesomely decorated with a (badly faded) Dance of Death fresco created after the plague of 1486. Outside the church is the epic 1891 Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain) by Reinhold Begas with buxom beauties representing major rivers.
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Neue Synagogue
The gleaming gold dome of the New Synagogue is the most visible symbol of Berlin's revitalised Jewish community. The 1866 original seated 3200 and once was Germany's largest synagogue. Partly reconstructed, the building now contains displays on its history, architecture and former congregation. The dome can be climbed.
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Oberbaumbrücke
Linking Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain across the Spree, Berlin's prettiest bridge resembles a medieval drawbridge complete with towers, turrets, crenellated walls and arches. Looking south you'll spot a floating pool (the Badeschiff) and Jonathan Borofsky's giant aluminium sculpture called Molecule Man .
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Reiterdenkmal Friedrich Des Grossen
Frederick the Great cuts a commanding figure on horseback in this famous 1850 monument (near Bebelplatz), which kept sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch busy for a dozen years. A who's who of German generals, scientists, artists and thinkers parade around the plinth.
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TV Tower
The TV Tower is the tallest structure in Germany, soaring 368m above Berlin since 1969. Come early to beat the queue for the lift ride to the panorama level at 203m, where views are unbeatable on clear days. From here and the upstairs café, which makes one revolution in 30 minutes, you can easily pinpoint landmarks and study the city layout.
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Wasserturm
Nicknamed 'Dicker Hermann' (Fat Hermann), this 1873 brick water tower suffered a dark spell as an improvised concentration camp under the Nazis. After the war, the tower was converted into flats. A lively row of restaurants and bars has sprung up on Knaackstrasse opposite.
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Weltzeituhr
A popular meeting spot since 1969, this huge clock is a good vantage point for surveying the socialist buildings that frame Alexanderplatz. Look for the frieze-decorated House of the Teacher, the House of the Electrical Industry decorated with a quote from Alfred Döblin's novel Berlin Alexanderplatz and the Park Inn hotel, nicknamed 'Bed Tower.'
Showing 1-13 of 13 results
