Brandenburg Gate and other Berlin, Germany Things to Do Tips

As monuments go, the Brandenburg gate is pretty spectacular. It stands at the western end of Unter den Linden, near the Reichstag and the Tiergarten. During the 30's it was the scene of the Nazi's famous torchlight parade, in 1945 it was one of the few monuments in Berlin not bombed by the Allies, while from 1961-89, the gate stood in no-man's land between east and west. Of all the impressive buildings and monuments I saw during my trip, the Brandenburg Gate left the most striking impression.

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Address: Pariser Platz
Directions: Where Unter den Linden meets Strasse des 17th Juni

One of the largest remaining parts of the Berlin Wall can be found at the East-Side Gallery. Here, there is a long stretch - approx 1.5 km (thx Sabsi!) - of the wall which has been painted over by artists down the years.

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Directions: U-Bahn: Schlesisches Tor or S-Bahn: Warschauer Strasse

One of Berlin's most popular tourist attractions is the Reichstag Dome, designed by the British architect, Norman Foster. The Reichstag was built in the 19th Century, and used up until the Nazis came to power. One of the enduring images of WW2 is the Russians hoisting their flag atop the Reichstag, though in reality Hitler had little use for this building. After the wall went up, the building was not in use, though since reunification, and the German government's move back to Berlin, it is home to the Bundestag again.

The new dome was built in the late nineties and as it's free, and very impressive, it attracts many visitors. The interior of the dome consists of a large double-helix of stairs around a large structure of mirrors in the centre. The views from the top are good though my photos didn't come out too well owing to all the reflections. The most interesting part, in my view, was the sequence of panels at the bottom of the mirror-structure, which gave a pictorial and textual history of the Reichstag since its construction.

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One of the most interesting periods in Berlin's history is the Cold War period, in particular from 1961- 1989 when the city was divided by the wall.

This museum, located right beside the checkpoint charlie crossing, provides a fascinating overview of Berlin from the end of WW2 up to the fall of the wall. There are numerous stories and pictures of escapes and attempted escapes, as well as a background history detailing the reasons for the wall's construction. Additionally there are many artefacts here, including parts of the wall, cars used in the escapes, soldiers uniforms, etc.

The museum also hosts an exhibition based on struggles against various regimes around the world, in particular the histories of the Russian satellite states from WW2 up to the fall of Communisim. I'd strongly recommend a visit to this museum. It costs 7.50 Euros, though there is a 25% reduction with a welcome card (see my transportation tips).

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Address: Friedrichstrasse
Directions: Nearest U-Bahn: U 6 Kochstrasse

Unter den Linden is Berlin's Champs-Elysees. It's an elegant tree-lined avenue, stretching from Museumsinsel in the East to the Brandenburg Gate in the West, and containing some of Berlin's most historic buildings.

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This is a museum detailing the horrors of the Nazi regime. It's on the site of the (now demolished) former Gestapo headquarters, beneath a surviing part of the Berlin wall in Niederkirchestrasse. Well worth a visit.

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The Nikolaiviertel is one of Berlin's oldest neighbourhood and it's elegant streets and historic buildings provide a nice contrast to the communist-style look and feel of the surrounding areas.

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This spectacular monument, at the meeting point of five large avenues, is one of Berlin's most recognisable sights. It used to be located outside the Reichstag, but was moved by Albert Speer, Hitler's architect, as it interfered with Hitler's plans for the restructuring of Berlin. There are great views from the top - you don't appreciate how green Berlin is until you see it from above.

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Berlin has so much parkland and green areas - you don't really notice this, even when walking through the Tiergarten, but when you look out over Tiergarten from atop the Siegess?ule, it becomes apparent.

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Though it's not the prettiest ever structure, the TV tower is visible all over the city and is useful for getting your bearings when you're lost.

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