Germany has inhaled so many events throughout its old and modern history, most of which are imprinted in the city of Berlin. Lots of attractions of Berlin are constantly talked about in the world, so don’t miss the chance to see them with your own eyes.
Tourist Attractions
Fernsehturm am Alexanderplatz
Panoramastraße 1A
Open daily from 10am until midnight, the "TV Tower" (once the largest structure in the East) is a great spot to get a complete view of the city. Berlin after dark looks incredible from these heights.
Info Box
Leipziger Straße 21
+49 30-226-6240
Step into this large red box for more information on the massive construction projects taking place in the new German capital. City planners erected the box to help Berliners and tourists in the city understand what is being built where, and once construction is completed (scheduled for early 2000), the box will be dismantled. It is open from 9am until 7pm every day except Thursday, when it stays open until 9pm.
Siegessaule
Center of Straße des 17 Juni
Another one of Berlin's towering attractions is the "Victory Column," erected in celebration of Prussian military might. For a couple of Deutsche marks, you can take an elevator to the top. Clear days offer a spectacular view of the city center.
The Berlin Wall
Though the Berlin Wall was once one of the largest border fortification system in the world, hardly any of it is still standing. In some areas of the city, you will notice a red line painted down the middle of the street, marking the exact place where the obstruction stood (see the northern edge of Kreuzberg or the eastern edge of the Wedding neighborhood). The East Side Gallery, stretching several blocks along the Spree River, is one of the few places you can see the actual Wall and the works of graffiti it attracted over the years. Keep in mind that the art on the western side is authentic, while that on the eastern side has only been added since the dismantling of the Wall. You will see a number of reminders of the Wall (and those who died while trying to cross it) throughout Berlin, though much of the actual structure ended up in the trash heap.
The Love Parade
Evidence that Berliners are ready to shed the city's troubled past is the Love Parade, an event that has been going strong since 1988. Each year in July, millions of people--young and old, from East and West--come to Berlin to listen to popular DJs spin techno and dance tunes. Parties are held in all parts of the city to celebrate this massive festival, starting from early in the morning and lasting through the night.
Historic Attractions
Brandenburg Gate
Straße des 17 Juni
If there's any one landmark that symbolizes Berlin these days, it is the Brandenburg Gate. This massive arc-de-triomphe was left virtually unaccessible by the Berlin Wall until, in 1989, students helped dismantle the obstruction. Now, pedestrians from East and West can pass through the sturdy columns and check out the numerous memorials erected in the name of democracy and communism.
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Friedrichstr 43-44
+49 30-253-7250
Once the last American stops before the Russian Sector, Checkpoint Charlie is now a museum with exhibits on the city's East/West tension, which eventually erupted into the building of the Berlin Wall. It is open daily from 9am to 10pm.
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche
Providing a dazzling study in architectural contrasts is this church situated off the Kurfustendamm near the zoo. Bombing during World War II left the original structure a mere shell but, instead of tearing it down, the Berliners left the devastated edifice as a symbol of the realities of war. Then, next to it, they built a purely modern hexagonal tower, set to glow a serene blue in the night, as a symbol of rebirth. You can attend worship services every Sunday or religious holidays in these hallowed buildings at 10am or 6pm. The sight of this church will leave you in awe.
Olympia Stadium
One of the few structures in Berlin ordered built by Hitler and not destroyed by Allied bombs or Soviet invasion is the Olympia Stadium. American Jesse Owens won four gold medals on its track in 1936, proving to Hitler and the world that the Nazi racial theory was severely flawed. Today you can visit the stadium (Monday through Saturday, from 9am until dusk) and, if you want, you can attend a soccer match between home team Hertha Berlin and another Bundesliga opponent.
Reichstag
As part of the German government's plans to reunify the country through moving the capital to Berlin, this imposing building--once occupied by the Nazis--will now be home to a number of federal agencies. Behind the structure lies a solemn memorial to Germans who died while trying to escape over the Berlin Wall.
Schloß Charlottenburg
+49 30-320-911
he palace of future queen Sophie Charlotte can be found on a lush, grassy complex in the northern section of the district named after her. EUR4 will give you entrance to the entire grounds, including a tour of the palace and the extensive gardens.
