GEDÄCHTNISKIRCHE

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz, built in Romanesque style, is the landmark of the Kurfürstendamm. It was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II and built between 1891 and 1895 according to the designs of Franz Schwechten. It was largely destroyed during the Second World War in 1943 and is today a well-known symbol against war.

POTSDAMER PLATZ

The Potsdamer Platz was built in only 10 years and is now part of the city center. It is now one of the most beautiful and at the same time most modern squares in Berlin. Here you will find the arcades, the large Sony Center with a 3D cinema, but also many specialty restaurants, such as the Asia Pavilion, the Vienna Café or even a Sushi Bar.

CHECKPOINT-CHARLIE

Checkpoint-Charlie was probably one of the most famous border crossings between East and West Berlin. Here you will find, among other things, a highly recommended wall museum and an open-air gallery.

There are stories that agents from East and West changed sides at Checkpoint-Charlie. Today, (almost) only a small house reminds of the Wall, but if you are interested in Berlin’s history, you can get a closer look at the museum mentioned above. In 2007 the film “Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie” was shot here by the ARD.

GENDARMENMARKT

The Gendarmenmarkt is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Berlin. Three monumental buildings stand around it: the German and French Cathedrals and the Konzerthaus. It was built in the 17th century according to the designs of Johann Arnold Nering. As a tourist, as well as a resident of Berlin, you should definitely have seen it once.

FERNSEHTURM

The television tower is with 368m the highest building in Germany and offers a breathtaking 360° view over the whole of Berlin. In the tower ball there is a rotating restaurant. The construction work began in 1964 and lasted almost four years, until October 1969. In the immediate vicinity is the Alexanderplatz train station and the large Alexa shopping center, which is one of the largest in Berlin with approximately 180 stores.

MUSEUMSINSEL

The Berlin Museum Island is one of the largest museum complexes in Europe. In 1999 it was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. The spectrum of museums on the island is enormous: there is, for example, the Old National Gallery and temporary exhibitions. But the most popular is the Pergamon Museum by Alfred Messel, which contains archaeological finds from ancient times and the Near East.

BERLINER DOM

The Berlin Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the capital and is located on the Spree Island. It was built according to the plans of Julius Raschdorff and was modelled on St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. The construction work lasted from 1894 to 1905.

Among other things, it contains the Imperial Lodge, the altarpiece by Karl Begas, the main altar by August Stüler, a viewing gallery and the Cathedral crypt, which contains almost 100 sarcophagi of the Hohenzollern dynasty.

BRANDENBURGER TOR

The Brandenburg Gate is the symbol of reunification, Berlin’s landmark and a central meeting place for tourists. It was built between 1788 and 1791 by Gottfried Langhans.

The goddess of peace, Victoria, is enthroned on a carriage with four horses. There are tourist offices on both sides of the monument. These are open daily from 10 to 18 o’clock.

HAUPTBAHNHOF

The central station is the most important junction in Berlin. From here you can get to practically any place in Berlin and Brandenburg. You could also call it a shopping centre thanks to its many shops.

These are open Monday to Sunday from 8 to 22 o’clock. Berlin’s central station was designed by the architect Meinhard von Gerkan.

SCHLOSS CHARLOTTENBURG

Charlottenburg Palace was the royal residence for a long time and was converted into a museum.

Among other things, it contains a large collection of paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the forecourt you will find the famous equestrian statue of Andreas Schlüters, considered a masterpiece of German Baroque. The castle garden is now an English garden.

SIEGESSÄULE

On the victory column is the goddess of victory Victoria, also known as “Gold-Else” thanks to her golden colouring. It was designed by Heinrich Strack on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm I and was originally built on Königsplatz, which lasted from 1864 to 1873.

During the Nazi era it was moved to the “Großer Stern”, where it still stands today, in the middle of a large roundabout connecting five streets. With a height of almost 50m you have a wonderful panoramic view of Berlin.

REGIERUNGSVIERTEL

If you are interested in places of major political decisions, this is the place to be: apart from the Federal Chancellery and the Reichstag, there is much more to see here!