Berlin’s opulent state opera was commissioned as the royal opera house by Frederick the Great and designed by his friend and master architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. It has graced Bebelplatz since 1742 and risen from the ashes three times. After completion of an extensive refurbishment, it's been staging grand operas under the direction of Daniel Barenboim since October 2017.
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Historic Mitte
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Frederick the Great's famous summer palace, this rococo gem was designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff in 1747 and sits daintily above vine-draped…
Nearby Historic Mitte attractions
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The heart of a cultural centre envisioned by King Frederick the Great, austere Bebelplatz is infamous as the site of the first full-blown public book…
2. St Hedwigs-Kathedrale Berlin
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This copper-domed church (1773) was commissioned by Frederick the Great, designed by Knobelsdorff, modelled after the Pantheon in Rome and named for the…
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Berlin's first library is a baroque beauty commissioned by Frederick the Great to shelter the royal book collection. Completed in 1780, its design mimics…
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6. Reiterdenkmal Friedrich der Grosse
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Seemingly surveying his domain, Frederick the Great cuts a commanding figure on horseback in this famous 1850 monument that kept sculptor Christian Daniel…
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Now occasionally used as an event space and for special exhibits, this froufrou baroque palace was blueprinted by Johann Arnold Nering as the residence of…
8. Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
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Marx and Engels studied here, and the Brothers Grimm and Albert Einstein taught here: Humboldt is Berlin’s oldest university, founded in 1810 in a palace…