Top 20 Berlin

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate or Brandenburger Tor is the city’s ultimate symbol of peace and unity. This monumental gate is known as the most famous as well as the most significant landmark and monument of Berlin. This neoclassical triumphal arch dates back to the 18th century. It can be found at the end of the grand boulevard called the Unter den Linden located on the western part of the historic center of the city. The Brandenburg Gate was constructed on the site where the former city gate was once located. It originally served as the city’s main entrance and at the same time part of the city wall.

Berliner Mauer

The Berliner Mauer, also known in English as Berlin Wall, is a 28 miles multi-layered system of protective barricade that divided the entire city into two for 28 years. From 1961 to 1989, Berlin Wall enclosed West Berlin. The wall was constructed to prevent people in the East Germany and East Berlin from fleeing to West Berlin. It was built with 700,000 tons of steel as well as of 2 million tons of concrete and was equipped with death strips, attack dogs, tripwires and tank traps. Other East Germans and East Berliners, however, were able to get to the western side of the city by flying over the wall in hot-air balloons, digging channel underneath it and hiding in the trunk of the cars.

Pergamon Museum

Of the many museums in the Museum Island, the prodigious Pergamon Museum is considered as the crowd puller. The Pergamon Museum or Pergamonmuseum displays a wide collection of Roman, Babylonian and Greek archeological finds. The museum also houses reconstructed and original sized impressive monumental buildings like the Market Gate of Miletus, the colossal Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The museum was constructed in 20 years (1910 to 1930) and is divided into two sections according to its collection antiquity. The sections are known as the museum of Islamic art and the Middle East museum.

Aquarium Berlin

The Aquarium Berlin is one of the enormous aquariums in Germany. It is also considered as the most popularly known public aquarium in the country and one among the most modern aquariums in the world. The Aquarium Berlin was constructed in 1913 as one of the essential parts of the Berlin Zoological Garden complex. On the grounds of the impressive aquarium rests the zoological garden which can be visited separately. Since the opening of the Aquarium Berlin and the Berlin Zoological Garden complex, it has been ranked as one of the public aquariums in the world with the greatest biodiversity. The aquarium keeps more than 9,000 animals including tropical fishes, native fishes, jellyfish, crocodilians, sharks like blacktip reef shark, reptiles like tuataras and a wide variety of amphibians.

Fernsehturm Berlin

The Fernsehturm or Berlin TV Tower is a 368 meters high television tower in Berlin that has been referred to as one among the prominent symbols of Germany. It is located in central Berlin and is the tallest constructed structure in the country. The Berlin TV Tower is likewise sometimes called the Alex Tower because it is situated just a stone away from the famous Alexanderplatz. It was built by the German Democratic Republic administration between 1965 and 1969. Being the tallest structure in the city and in the country, the Berlin TV Tower provides an astonishing 360° view of the entire city. From the top of the tower you can be able to take a picturesque view of the many tourist attractions in the city including the Reichstag or Parliament building, the Olympic Stadium, the Potsdamer Platz or Potsdam Square, the Brandenburg Gate, the Museum Island and the Main Railway Station.

Lustgarten

The Museum Island does not only serve as home to the many interesting museums in the city but also to the relaxing and quiet lawn known as the Lustgarten or Pleasure Garden. The Lustgarten is the best location to savor a sense of greenery and to relax in the middle of the hectic city. It is located in front of the most ancient museum in the island, the Altes Museum. It was originally made as part of the nearby Berlin City Palace or Berliner Stadtschloss. The land where the garden is currently situated was used for growing vegetables and fruits. It was then converted into a royal garden by order of Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm. Its royal landscape design was done by the renowned landscape garden designers Johan Sigismund Elssholtz and Michael Hanf.

Spree

The Spree is a river in the north eastern part of Germany that flows 400 kilometers through Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony states of Germany as well as through the region of Ústí nad Labem of the Czech Republic. The Spree River is where the original center of the city of Berlin was built. The section that cuts through the city known as the Müggelspree is considered the most popular and most impressive part of the river.   Cruising through the Spree River from West Berlin to East Berlin provides another great way of witnessing the majestic splendor of the entire city. The cruise tour which will take around 1.5 hour starts at the area next to the Charlottenburg Palace.

Reichstag dome

The Reichstag dome is a very prominent landmark in Berlin that offers breathtaking sights over the government and parliamentary district of Berlin. It is a glass dome with a distinctive appearance that was constructed on top of the reconstructed building of the seat of the German Parliament, the Reichstag. Designed by architect Norman Foster, the Reichstag was built to serve as the symbol of Germany’s reunification. The building and the dome can be visited by the general public for free but advance registration is needed.

Bode Museum

One of the impressive museums than you may visit in Berlin’s Museum Island is the historically preserved Bode Museum. The construction of the building was completed in 1904 with architect Ernst von Ihne as the designer. The Bode Museum was originally named after Emperor Frederick III and was known as Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum. The name Bode Museum was then adapted in 1956 to give honor to Wilhelm von Bode, the museum’s first curator. The Bode Museum displays one of the largest numismatic collections in the world. The museum also houses a selection of the Gemäldegalerie paintings, a wide collection of antique coins, sculptures and Byzantine art. The museum also boasts its collection of sarcophagi that date back to the late Antiquity period, sarcophagi fragments from Rome, East-Roman Empire sculptures, some mosaic icons and precious ivory carvings.

Spandau Citadel

The Zitadelle Spandau or Spandau Citadel is one among the well-preserved and most significant Renaissance military structures in Europe. This military citadel in Berlin was built in 1559 to 1594 to protect the town of Spandau. The Spandau Citadel has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the city and is now being held as a museum. The courtyard of the citadel has also become a famous venue for music festivals and celebrations. The original medieval castle founded in the 15th century as well as the Julius tower that was constructed around 1300 are among the sections of the fortress that are still standing today. The Juliusturm or Julius tower is known as the most ancient’s structure in the city and is currently used as an observation tower.

Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)

The Soviet War Memorial is a massive military cemetery and war memorial park in Berlin. It is located in the Treptower Park, a park located nearby the Spree River in Alt-Treptow in Treptow-Köpenick district, south of Berlin. The Soviet War Memorial was built to venerate the fallen 5,000 Soviet soldiers who were perished during the 1945 Battle of Berlin. It was designed by Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky.

Großer Tiergarten

The Großer Tiergarten, also known as just Tiergarten, is an urban park located in the middle of the city. This oldest public park in Berlin is located in the Tiergarten district. The park boasts a huge number of interesting sights including a palace, memorials and several statuaries like hunting related statues. The Tiergarten occupies a land area of 210 hectares. Among the highlights of Tiergarten are the red granite Victory Column or Siegessäule and the Bismarck-Nationaldenkmal at the Bismarck Memorial, the Soviet War Memorial, the Bellevue Palace or Schloss Bellevue, Tiergarten’s eyecatcher known as the House of World Cultures or Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma, the Beethoven-Haydn-Mozart Memorial and many more.

House of the World’s Cultures

The House of the World’s Cultures, known in German as Haus der Kulturen der Welt is a national center for discussions and presentations of the world contemporary arts in Germany. It is located in the Tiergarten park, just nearby the new German Chancellery and the Carillon. The House of the World’s Cultures, which was originally called the Kongresshalle conference hall, is also referred to by locals as the Schwangere Auster or the pregnant oyster. It was designed by Hugh Stubbins, an American architect. It was constructed in 1957 as part of the International Building Exhibition. The House of the World’s Cultures hosts dance performances, theatrical plays, concerts, art exhibitions, films, author readings as well as academic conventions related to Visual Art and culture.

Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum

The Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, also known locally as Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, is a 43 hectares botanical garden in Berlin. The garden currently keeps approximately 22,000 different plant species. The Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum is located on Königin-Luise-Straße. Wandering around the woods and meadows will give you something fresh and relaxing in the middle of the ever hectic city. This wonderful place to stroll has been ranked as one of the three most valuable botanical gardens in the world. It was built between 1897 and 1910 and was designed by architect Alfred Koerner. Of the highlights in the garden, the best known is the Das Große Tropenhaus or the Great Pavilion where you can see various types of tropical plants like the giant bamboo.

Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin

The Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, translated as German Museum of Technology, is a science and technology museum in Berlin that displays a huge collection of historic technical artifacts. The German Museum of Technology keeps more than 100 000 science and technology related objects. It originally gave more emphasis on rail transportation. Today the museum also displays different types of industrial technology. Aside from the famous aviation and maritime exhibition halls, the museum also boasts its science center known as Spectrum. With a floor area of 26,000 square meters, this technical museum is considered one among the largest of its kind in Europe. The museum offers not only a good sight of its extensive displays but also provides an interactive venue for visitors to enjoy, learn and experience firsthand its collections.

Pariser Platz

Walking down until the end of the Unter den Linden will lead you to the beautiful Pariser Platz. The Pariser Platz is a nice square located nearby the Brandenburg Gate in the central part of the city. It was named after the French capital Paris. This city central plaza has been undergoing restoration since the reunification of Germany’s capital city.

Europa-Center

The Europa Center is a high-rise tower and a renowned shopping center on the Breitscheidplatz. It is located just nearby the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. This building complex is one of the best preserved prehistoric structures in the city. Aside from the gigantic building itself, the huge metal made star-in-a-circle symbol, which is a known logo of the famous car manufacturer and producer Mercedes Benz, also makes Europa Center one of the major attractions in the city. The Europa Center does not only provides a totally one of a kind shopping experience with its more than 70 chic shops and restaurants but also offers a spectacular view of the city which can be witnessed from the windows on the 20^th floor.

AquaDom

Another famous aquarium in Berlin that you should never miss in the city is the world’s largest free standing aquarium known as the AquaDom. It is a tall cylindrical aquarium that is made of acrylic glass and is considered as the most massive cylindrical fish cistern in the world. The AquaDom boasts its 56 different species of fish which totals to around 2,600 individual fishes. This 12-meter in diameter and 25 meters tall fish tank is filled with more than a million liters of water. It is situated at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin-Mitte.

Teufelsberg

The Teufelsberg, also known as the Devil’s Mountain, is a hill in the former West Berlin’s district of Grunewald. From the Teufelsberg, the view over the Grunewald is ultimately unique and spectacular. More to the alluring green forest surrounding the Teufelsberg are the vista of the gleaming Berliner Dom as well as the Fernsehturm to the east plus the white sailing boats and glittering clear water to the west. Anyone standing atop the hill could hardly tell that this glorious place played a vital role in the history of Berlin. It was once a Military Technology Faculty building and NSA field station during the Nazi period.

Neue Synagoge

The Neue Synagoge, also known as the New Synagogue Berlin Centrum Judaicum Foundation or simply New Synagogue, is the primary Oranienburger Straße Jewish community synagogue in Berlin. Built from 1859 to 1866, this place of worship stands out with its beautiful eastern Moorish style architectural design. It was built by Eduard Knoblauch in likeness of the Alhambra. This largest Jewish Synagogue in Germany did not only serve as the place of worship but also a special venue for learning and teaching.