Destination guides > Europe > Germany > Berlin > Sights, museums & tourist attractions

Berlin

Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions

Alexanderplatz & Fernsehturm TV tower

Germany's most famous city square was originally a cattle market but was developed into East Berlin's city centre after the erection of the Berlin Wall. Although this area still retains some of its drab Socialist character, it has undergone somewhat of a facelift with the contruction of the Alexa shopping centre and the Kaufhof department store. The area's main landmark is the 368m-high Fernsehturm TV tower, which is the forth-tallest freestanding structure in Europe. You can visit the tower's observation deck at 203m and 208m above street level for brilliant views of the city.

Gontardstraße, Berlin
S-Bahn Alexanderplatz U-Bahn Alexanderplatz Tram M4, M5, M6 (stop: Alexanderplatz)
Website www.tv-turm.de
Fernsehturm admission €10
Fernsehturm open Jan-Feb 10am-midnight daily; Mar-Oct 9am-midnight daily; Nov-Dec 10am-midnight daily

Brandenberg Gate (Brandenburger Tor)

Berlin's remaining city gate is one of Berlin's most well known landmarks. During the period when Berlin was a divided city, the Brandenberg Gate was located in no man's land behind the Berlin Wall and it was made famous when it was reopened on 22 December, 1989 after the fall of the Wall. It is a sandstone construction dating from 1791 and supported by 12 Doric columns and it is now the centrepiece of Pariser Platz.

Pariser Platz 1, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
S-Bahn Unter den Linden

East Side Gallery

This open air art gallery features graffiti artwork on a 1,316m stretch of what remains of the Berlin Wall between Ostbahnhof station and the Oberbaumbrücke. During Berlin's days as a divided city the western side of the wall sported most of its famous graffiti, however this section of graffiti is now featured on the Wall's eastern side. It is also a relatively recent attraction, having opened in September 1990 after the fall of the Wall.

10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S-Bahn Warschauer Straße
Tel (030) 251 71 59
Website www.eastsidegallery.com

Haus am Checkpoint Charlie

Divided Berlin's most well known border crossing was Checkpoint Charlie. The original border post on Friedrichstraße between former East and West Berlin remains complete with a soldier's post and border crossing sign and the Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie has exhibits on the history of the Berlin Wall along with displays about people who had attempted to escape to the West.

Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg
U-Bahn Kochstraße
Website www.mauermuseum.de

Potsdamer Platz

In the 1920s, Potsdamer Platz was the busiest square in Europe, but destroyed in World War II and divided by the Berlin Wall. After German reunification it became the largest building site in Europe as it has been transformed into a showpiece of the new Berlin with modern architecture including offices, hotels, cinemas, shopping centres and the massive Sony Center.

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin
U-Bahn Potsdamer Platz S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz Tram M41, M48 (stop: Potsdamer Platz)
Website www.potsdamerplatz.de

Reichstag

The Reichstag is Germany's new parliament complex south of the new Hauptbahnhof. Although the building was contructed from 1884 to 1894, it is considered a symbol of the new Berlin as it was reconstructed in the 1990s with an iconic glass dome by architecht Norman Foster.

Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin-Tiergarten
S-Bahn Unter den Linden
Website www.bundestag.de
Open 8am-midnight daily (last entry 10pm); tours 10.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm 6.30pm on days when parliament is not sitting

Schloß Charlottenburg

Berlin's largest palace is a massive example of baroque architecture dating from 1699. It is comprised of several buildings including the Great Orangery, belvedere and mausoleum as well as the main palace, which is home to impressive rooms such as the Golden Gallery and the Porcelain Room, with its extensive collection of Asian porcelain.

Spandauer Damm 10-22, 14059 Berlin-Charlottenburg

U-Bahn Sophie-Charlotte-Platz
Tel (030) 96 94 202
Website www.spsg.de
Admission €6-10
Old Palace open Jan-Mar Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm); Apr-Oct Tue-Sun 10am-6pm (last entry 5.30pm); Nov-Dec Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm) Neuer Flügel open Jan-Mar Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm); Apr-Oct Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-6pm (last entry 5.30pm); Nov-Dec Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm)

Tweet

Follow us:    +Tim Uden

the backpackers' ultimate guide