Sightseeing in Berlin
With a history lasting for almost a thousand years, Berlin has much to offer to the wandering traveler and the dedicated tourist. Indeed, the city has something for everybody. Students of the history of East and West Germany can go to the very symbol of the Cold War. Travelers with a more imperial taste can visit palaces which housed some of the most prestigious royal personages in the country. Nature lovers can spend an idyllic day at one of its many parks. This conglomeration of attractions makes Berlin one of the top destinations in the world.
Reichstag (Photo by Sebastian Bergmann)
Checkpoint Charlie
Winston Churchill famously declared, “An iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” The most well-known symbol of this Iron Curtain was the Berlin Wall, which divided Germany into the democratic West and the communist East. The wall came down in 1989, but the main entrance did not. Checkpoint Charlie and Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg, +49 30 25 37 25 0, website) are a living testament to this 155-kilometer wall that divided families. The wall itself is an open gallery, but Checkpoint Charlie is the place where Soviet and American tanks faced off. The only border entry between East and West, the checkpoint is now an attraction in Berlin, and one can only imagine the tension of getting through it.
Checkpoint Charlie (Photo by Casper Moller)
Dem Deutschen Volke
This inscription, which means “to the German people,” was added to the Reichstag (Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin, +49 30 227 32152, website) in 1916, but the building was built much earlier, in 1894. It was intended to be the building of the German parliament. It is part of the nation’s colorful history, as its burning in 1933 was one of the main justifications for the Nazis’ activities. It now seats the present parliament, the Bundestag, but its roof terrace and famed dome are regularly open for visitors and are a popular tourist attraction.
Fit for royalty
Memories of Germany’s imperial past come alive in the Schloss Charlottenburg (Spandauer Damm 20-24, 14059 Berlin-Charlottenburg, +49 331 96 94 200/+49 30 32 09 11, website). It was the largest palace of the Prussian Hohenzollern royals in the city. The venue includes one of the largest collections of French paintings, but the vast estate is a fine example of baroque architecture and gardening. You can almost feel the sense of majesty in this place, and historians and tourists alike will enjoy touring the garden and the palace itself. It is truly a building fit for a king.
Schloss Charlottenburg (Photo by Olga Khomitsevich)
Way above the city
The most visible landmark In Berlin’s skyline is also its tallest man-made structure. The Berlin Fernsehturm, or the Berlin TV Tower (Panoramastraße 1A 10178 Berlin, +49 30 242 3333, website), is one of the top tourist attractions in the city, receiving more than a million visitors every year. Much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it offers a bird’s-eye view of the whole city. You can see all the major landmarks in the city in this 368-meter structure. Additionally, various functions like weddings and parties can be celebrated by request, and its Telecafé gives you a great view of the whole city while having dinner during sunset. The TV Tower is the perfect wrap-up to a tour of the city.
Symbolic of the city
Images of Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor, Pariser Platz 10117 Berlin-Mitte) frame our 21st-century thinking of the structure. However, this majestic city gate has stood as the symbol of the city since the 18th century, when it was built in 1788. It is witness to some of the most momentous occasions in the city’s history, from Napoleon’s defeat of Prussia to the rise of the Nazis to the reunification of Germany. It was the leading symbol of the country’s division and reunification in 1989, and it remains one of the most popular attractions in Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate (Photo by Rob & Lisa Meehan)
Berlin’s natural beauty at its finest
An idyllic stroll in a park in Berlin is nothing short of a pleasure, and the Marzahn Recreational Park (Eisenacher Straße 99, 12685 Berlin-Marzahn, +49 30 700 90 66 99, website) presents this possibility in a unique way. Its seven Gardens of the World features a Chinese Garden, which opened in 2000, a Japanese Garden, and a Balinese Garden, among others. Located in a sprawling 21-hectare property, this one-of-a-kind park takes you around the world and its cultures. Whether you are looking to relax on a picnic with your family or take in various cultures, the Marzahn Recreational Park is truly a showcase of nature.
Tourist helps
If you are looking to save some money and time on your journey through the city, then the Berlin Welcome Card (+49 30 25 00 25, website) may be just the answer. It works as a discount card and is honored at many of the major museums and attractions in the city. It also includes a voucher for use at the Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s National Railway system. This option makes it easier for tourists to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Berlin is one of the best tourist destinations in Europe. Its mild climate and its various historical attractions are ideal for any traveler. When you visit Berlin, you travel back in time or jump to the future. Indeed, the city is a delightful treat and a worthy addition to any European tour.
Destinations
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
- Address: Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg
- Tel: +49 30 25 37 25 0
- Opening hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Cost: Adults—12.50€; Students—9.50€; Pupil to 10 years old—5.50€; Adult groups of 20—8.50€; Children 6 years old and below—free
Reichstag
- Address: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin
- Tel: +49 30 227 32152
- Opening hours: Daily 8 a.m. to midnight, with last admission at 10 p.m.
- Closed all day December 24th, 4 p.m. onwards December 31st, March 8th-12th, July 26th to 30th, and October 18th to 22nd
Schloss Charlottenburg
- Address: Spandauer Damm 20-24, 14059 Berlin-Charlottenburg
- Tel: +49 331 96 94 200/+49 30 32 09 11
- Opening hours: November to March—Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; April to October—Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Cost: Adults–10€; Students, military personnel, handicapped, unemployed, and welfare recipients–7€
Berlin Fernsehturm
- Address: Panoramastraße 1A 10178 Berlin
- Tel: +49 30 242 3333
- Opening hours: March to October—Daily 9 a.m. to 12 midnight; November to February—Daily 10 a.m. to 12 midnight
- Cost: Adult—10.50€; Children 4 to 16 years old—6.50€; Children up to 3 years old—free
Brandenburger Tor
- Address: Pariser Platz 10117 Berlin-Mitte
- Opening hours: Daily
- Open only for pedestrians
- Restricted for cars, taxis, and buses
Marzahn Recreational Park
- Address: Eisenacher Straße 99, 12685 Berlin-Marzahn
- Tel: +49 30 700 90 66 99
- Opening hours: March and October—Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; November to February—9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; April to September—9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Cost: April to October—3€ for adults, 1.50€ for handicapped; mid-November to mid-March—2€ for adults, 1€ for handicapped
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