Experience Berlin's fascinating history and its modern culture at diverse museums, concert halls, shops, parks, and boulevards.
More Government buildings are across the Spree River and around Reichstag. Many buildings are newer, modern, and unique in architecture. Explore the area on foot or on a boat cruise on the Spree River. In front of Reichstag stands the 227 foot high Victory Column which was erected in 1873. Walk 285 steps up the bronze, granite, and sandstone column to an observation deck and view of the city.
Another tower stands in Alexanderplatz, a square in the heart of eastern Berlin. Fernsechturm, a 1,100 foot tall TV Tower, is the second highest structure in Europe. Ride the elevator to the 610 foot high observation deck and eat at the revolving café. Museums sweep across Germany's capitol city. Over 170 history, art, science and other museums are housed in this cultural metropolis with an area even known as Museum Island.
In Friedrichstrasse visit the Museum at Checkpoint Charlie where the Berlin Wall once stood. See moving exhibits documenting how East Berliners escaped to the West. Marvel at world renowned artifacts at the large Pergamon Museum with several wings. The Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities is fascinating featuring the massive Pergamon Altar. The upper level of the "˜Near East' area houses the Museum of Islamic Art with wood carvings and rugs. Listen to informative electronic guides in your choice of languages.
Berlin is home to not just cultural attractions, but also the arts. Hear the world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philhamonie. The building is unique with all seats in a circle surrounding the orchestra in the center. Each of the 2,200 seats is within 100 feet of the orchestra pit, making the acoustics outstanding. Gendarmenmarkt is a beautiful square built in the 1740's. The arts center Konzerhaus is a neoclassical masterpiece sitting on the square. Catch an opera, ballet, or concert at Konzerhaus. Elegant bars and lounges surround the lively area for nightlife activity after a show.
Socialize or people-watch the always lively Potsdamer Platz, near to the Philharmonie. The square is a buzzing place to visit that encapsulates Berlin's diverse multicultural atmosphere. Potsdamer Platz is surrounded by a casino, a musical theater and many cinemas, restaurants, and shops. Shopping in Berlin is as diverse as its culture. Berlin is known as a fashion center of Europe showcasing designer shops and fashion shows. Berlin is also a haven for shoppers looking for bargains at secondhand stores and markets.
Shoppers delight in Fredrichstrasse, a busy boulevard boasting an enormous complex connected by underground malls. Fancy boutiques and luxurious car showrooms are housed in impressive office buildings lining the street.
Shops and cafes intermix with historic sights and structures throughout Berlin.
Old Berlin can be found in Nicholas Quarter with its cobblestone streets dating back to the thirteenth century. At Breite Strasse visit Berlin's two oldest buildings. Ribbeckhaus was built in 1624 and is the only Renaissance structure remaining in Berlin. Marstall is an old baroque building dating back to the 1660's.
Another baroque structure is the Schloss Charlottenburg, an ornate palace built in 1695. Tour the lush royal gardens and multiple buildings on the proper. Visit the museum with paintings, sculptures, and European tombs. From Schloss Charlottenburg catch a sight-seeing boat cruise in the Spree River. Drive Unter-de-Linden, a boulevard lined with opulent mansions from the eighteenth century. The State Opera House, a University, and the Brandenburg Gate all sit on Unter-de-Linden.
Take the time to walk around and observe the Brandenburg Gate, a stone gateway modeled after the acropolis and built in 1791. Once integrated into the divisive Berlin Wall, it is now restored and the scene of Unification Day and New Year's Eve celebrations. Stretching from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Zoo is one of Berlin's oldest city parks, the 630 acre Tiergarten. The park connects the eastern and western city centers. Tiergarten, meaning Animal Garden, was originally a hunting ground and in the 1700's was transformed into a landscaped garden. Enjoy the park's path, picnic areas, playgrounds or its beer garden. The beer garden is located on shore of a lake in the Southwest section of Tiergarten.
Visitors to Berlin, Germany today are fortunate enough to walk freely in Tiergarten or anywhere else, from the West to the East. Experience Berlin's fascinating history and its modern culture at diverse museums, concert halls, shops, boulevards, and parks.
