Berlin Things to Do Tips by Helga67

The Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin's most photographed landmarks. The gate was once the boundary between West and East Berlin and inaccessible. When the wall was knocked down, the gate became an important symbol of German reunification.

It is located at the end of the famous alley "Unter den Linden". On the other side you will find the Tiergarten.

On top you can see the Quadriga, a chariot pulled by four horses and driven by the goddess of victory.

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Address: Pariser Platz, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: S-Bahn: Unter den Linden, Bus 100

Before World War II, the Potsdamer Platz was the heart of Berlin and a very busy square. During the war it was heavily damaged, and when the Wall was built next to the square, remaining buildings were pulled down to make way for the Wall's death strip. The place was neglected for many years. After the reunification it was renovated and became back a vibrant square, full of shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and many modern buildings. If you like modern architecture, don't miss this square.

One of the modern buildings that I liked most was the Sony Center. It consists of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard which is covered by an amazing tent-like roof made from steel and glass. Come here at night to see the impressive lighting.

The square is located about 1 km south of the Brandenburger Tor.

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Address: Potsdamer Platz, Berlin-Tiergarten
Directions: U-Bahn: Potsdamer Platz

The Fernsehturm (TV tower) is the tallest tower in the city. It is 368 metres high. There is an elevator that takes you to an observation platform and a restaurant, which revolves slowly. From here you can see all across the city.

It is located in the middle of Alexanderplatz.

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Address: Alexanderplatz, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz

During the Cold War Checkpoint Charlie was an important Allied checkpoint tower. It got its name from the third letter of the military alphabet (it was the third checkpoint). After the border reopened in 1989, the tower was removed and replaced by a replica guardhouse. Nearby there is a famous sign that is written in English, Russian, French and German and warns - 'You are now leaving the American sector'.

Don't miss the Mauer museum (wall museum) nearby. In the museum you can find a lot of information on the history of the wall and read many stories on escape attempts and successful escapes. The Wall was a tragedy for many families in Berlin who got separated. Take your time for the museum because there is a lot of text to read and pictures to look at. I found it very interesting.

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Address: Friedrichstraße, Corner Kochstraße
Directions: U-Bahn: Kochstrasse
Website: www.mauer-museum.com

In the middle of Berlin lies a large green park, called Tiergarten. In the 1600s, it was the hunting ground of the Great Elector. Now it is a nice park where you will find the Victory Column (Siegessäule).

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Directions: West of Brandenburger Tor

The major attraction in former West Berlin is the Gedächtniskirche. The church was destroyed during World War II. Only the destroyed tower of the old church survived and now serves as a remembrance of those days. Next to the tower stands a modern chapel.

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Address: Breitscheidplatz, Berlin-Charlottenburg
Directions: U-Bahn: Zoologischer Garten
Website: www.gedaechtniskirche.de

This monumental neoclassical building serves as parliament since the reunited German governement returned to Berlin in 1999.
You can visit the glass dome on the roof where pictures document the building's history. The dome is an amazing structure of two ramps that spiral up the side of the dome. From the rooftop, you can witness some wonderful panoramic views.

Admission is free, but be aware that there is always a long queue waiting. Come early or late at night, otherwise you will have to queue for about 1 to 2 hours.

Open from 8 am to 12 pm (last admission at 10 pm).

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Address: Platz der Republik, Berlin-Tiergarten
Directions: north of Brandenburger Tor
Website: www.bundestag.de

On this small island in the middle of former East Berlin, you will find several museums: the Pergamon Museum, Altes Museum, the Nationalgalerie and the Bodemuseum.
Also the Berliner Dom, church of the Hohenzollern family, can be found here. It houses the remains of 90 family members.

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Address: Bodestraße, Berlin-Mitte
Directions: U-Bahn: Friedrichstraße

The Jewish Museum is housed in an impressive building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The permanent exhibition traces the high and low points of German-Jewish history from the Middle Ages to the present day.

It is an huge museum. There is so much to see that you should reserve at least three to four hours to see it all.

Two special rooms are the "holocaust room": a triangular darkened room with a huge high ceiling with one small light and a ladder. Here can really feel the isolation. And there is the "void", a room where thousands of iron sculpted human faces are laid out. They form a long path in another huge high ceilinged “void” in the building. When you walk on the sculpted faces a high pitched clanging reverberates around the room. It's a strange experience.

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Address: Lindenstraße 9-14, Berlin-Kreuzberg
Directions: U-Bahn: Hallesches Tor
Website: www.jmberlin.de

The Holocaust Memorial is situated in the city centre, near the Brandenburger Gate. It was designed by Peter Eisenman, a New York architect. There are 2,711 concrete blocks of different heights, structured in a grid pattern and covering nearly 19,000 m2 of gently sloping ground. There is also an underground Information Centre, similarly designed by Eisenman in an equally impressive style, housing an exhibition with background information on the victims and detailing other historical memorial sites.

Free access.

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Address: Cora-Berliner-Strasse 1, Berlin Tiergarten
Directions: Close to Brandenburg Gate
Website: www.holocaust-mahnmal.de