Holocaust Memorial (Holocaust Mahnmal)
It is a series of blocks to remember the Holocaust. You can walk between the blocks and the ground starts to decline while walking, then it comes back up. This symbolizes how the Holocaust became increasingly severe and how it was finished by the end of the war. You can take great pictures there.
Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor)
It is one of the most famous monuments of Berlin. It was before a symbol of the division of Germany and now it is the symbol of unity. It really was built to commemorate the victory over Napoleon. The chariot with the Victory is beautiful and well worth the visit.
- Brandenburg Gate
Charlottenburg Castle (Charlottenburg)
It is the largest castle in Berlin and it is really worth the visit. Friedrich II ordered the construction of the castle for his wife Sophie Charlotte in 1695. It has a very nice picture gallery and the most beautiful belongs to Queen Luis. The ballroom is inspired by the nature with green walls. It also has an area where all the trappings of walls and ceilings are in silver color, instead of gold which was the most common, making it very nice and original. It is a shame you cannot take pictures inside. In the summer it is a very pleasant experience to walk through the gardens. It is better explored the castle helping by an audio guide in order to have more detailed information.
Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion)
This stadium began as a horse racing track. During the first years of the Third Reich it was rebuilt for the 1936 Olympics. It is one of the few remaining buildings of the Nazi architecture in Germany. In the World Cup 2006 it was one of the two main stadiums, along with the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The East Side Gallery
It is the longest stretch of the Wall of Berlin that still stands in its original place. It measures 1.3 kilometers and it is completely painted with interesting artwork. In particular there are 106 paintings by artists from all over the world referring to the subject. It can be said that it is the world’s largest exterior gallery. It also lets you get an idea of how Berlin was before 1989.
Victory Column (Siegessäule)
It is nice to take a walk through there, because once you see and photograph the Siegessäule, you can go hiking to the Tiergarten, a quite large park and if you walk a bit more you can arrive at the Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag.
Reichstag Building
The Reichstag is another building that should be visited. It is really great, although it does not seem in the photos. Hitler ordered to burn it in 1933, destroying everything inside and seriously damaging the dome. This fact served to the Nazis to mark the Communists as a threat. During the separation of Germany the building was much deteriorated having to destroy the dome. Because of the reunification, the government decided to return to Berlin and the Reichstag was restored to serve as parliament again. Instead of the old dome there was constructed another of glass which offers an excellent view of all Berlin. It is worth going up for free… Not far from there is the Foreign Ministry, a very nice construction also worth visiting.
Potsdamer Platz or the Sony Centre
The Potsdamer Platz is one of the most visited places in Berlin. This is another of the areas where the Wall of Berlin passed and you can still see some parts. It is the perfect place to have a coffee or go to the movies. Among the buildings was built a dome which not only protects you from the rain and the snow but also it has a great view. At night the lighting of the place is beautiful and at Christmas time it takes place a Weihnachtsmarkt, which is a Christmas market where you can buy everything from souvenirs to have mulled wine, which by the way is great for the cold.
Berlin Television Tower/Berliner Fernsehturm
Here you can see the tower disguised as a ball! It is 368 meters high and it is the tallest building in Germany. It opened in 1969 and it is located in the eastern side of Berlin. Presently, it is owned by Telekom, because of this the ball is pink. At the top there is a small museum and it is the best place to have an overview of Berlin from above. Comparing it with Reichstag the entry cost is quite expensive.
Alexanderplatz World Clock (Urania-Weltzeituhr)
The clock Alexanderplatz was the place that you could meet in the days of East Berlin. The watch has a 24 time zones and cities that are scaled by areas. At the top there is a solar system that rotates and the planets revolve once a minute.
The Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche)
During the Second World War the church was almost destroyed by allied bombings. After the war it was decided not to restore it and to leave it as a memorial. Afterward, it was gradually restored adding bells and building a tower with a modern style that has a curious contrast.
Finally, there are many museums in Berlin worth visiting such as: The Pergamon Museum, The New Museum, The Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, The Checkpoint Charlie Museum, The Jewish Museum, The Old National Gallery, The DDR Museum, The History Germany Museum and the Old Museum among others.
By Paula.P.M.B
Photo: photo 1 Jack.Scott, photo 2 Parker_Lewis, photo 3 Laddymagic, photo 4 asp1969, photo 5 [email protected], photo 6 affiedeldey, photo 7 umschauen, photo 8 Chorizo in Berlin, photo 9 eszsara, photo 10 Bernt Rostad, photo 11 Marcel Miquel
