May 20th, 2016 , 02:18 pm
I am incredibly pleased to continue the series of selections about Berlin with another story. After all, this city is so diverse that no matter how much you talk about it, no matter how much you collect different topics, you still won’t be able to say about everything.
Quite recently we walked around Berlin, then we were interested, and now let’s turn to history. To the past, to the traditional, to what has already been written down in history books.
In Berlin, the combination of old and new is almost immediately striking; how harmoniously it could coexist, creating a completely unique image of the city. So, let’s ask ourselves the question “what happened before?” and let's try to highlight not the most obvious points on the route.
We start from Behrenstraße 37. I already talked a little about the Hotel de Rome located here, but showed almost nothing. And there is something to see, because the building itself is living history.
Built at the end of the 19th century, it faithfully served the Dresden Bank and was its headquarters until 1945.
Over time, three more floors were added to the three, and one of the best terraces overlooking the city appeared on the roof. But much has been preserved from the original project of Ludwig Heim: beautiful mosaics on the floor, a bank vault, with massive doors and safes... now there is a spa there, and the “gold” bars that can be found here and there are also reminiscent of the past, while you go to the pool.
Well, and the most important thing. Some of the interiors, for example the bar, are decorated in a modern style.
Previously, there were offices of bank executives, but now they have become historical suites, where history is there, in the high ceilings made of precious wood, in the preserved design of the doors and a million little details.
There are views here (the situation obliges) - to one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, Gendarmenmarkt, to Bebelplatz, infamous for book burning, and with it to the city’s signature square - Unter den Linden.
In addition, each room has its own name. Here are a couple of options: in honor of the founder of the bank, in honor of Alexander Humboldt (here it is appropriate to add an introduction to the university itself - it is located across the street from the hotel).
I will also say that in addition to the terrace upstairs, on the ground floor there is a restaurant called La Banca, where you can have a great breakfast and from there start conquering Berlin :)
And the first thing to do is walk or take a bus to the Reichstag.
I hope that there is no need to introduce the Reichstag separately. But in case you forget, an audio guide has been invented: it will tell you in detail about the construction, the Weimar Republic, the arson, and about the modern work of the Bundestag.
At the base of the new glass dome you can find interesting photographs, some of which are familiar to everyone - for example, the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. And some may not be familiar at all; they depict Berlin at the beginning of the last century.
In addition to information about the building itself, the audio guide tells about what can be seen from the windows, and this is really quite a lot: there are embassies, the government quarter, the Tiergarten, and much more.
Having moved to the western part of the city, let's turn off the Kurfürstendamm boulevard onto Fasanenstrasse.
It houses a winter garden and the Literary House (Fasanenstraße 23). The building itself takes us back to the 19th century. Even then, symposiums, literary evenings, conversations and exhibitions were held here.
In fact, nothing much has changed either in the setting or in the atmosphere. This is peace and quiet a step away from a busy boulevard, greenery and lilac bushes, exhibitions and meetings with writers.
A light flair of bohemia, which you can’t do without here. And of course it's a place to grab a bite to eat. A sandwich and a glass of white wine (good selection by the glass here) is a good combination for a warm evening in Berlin.
By the way, the restaurant boasts a solid cheese section, for which wine recommendations have already been compiled (France and Germany are held in high esteem).
Or another option: come here for breakfast. Opening hours and other details follow the link.
The museum itself is incredibly interactive - here you can literally touch, feel, climb into a wardrobe, sit behind the wheel of a Trabant, play football, put on headphones and listen to the radio..
Evaluate the latest hits as of 1972, read letters from the USSR and the like.
It was doubly interesting for me because it turned out to be an immersion into the world of my parents’ childhood and youth. What they listened to and watched when they were my age and younger, how they dressed. Here are the books on the shelf - some of them are still at home.
Naturally, a significant part of the exhibition is devoted to the wall and its fall.
1. In the Middle Ages, on the site of the current metropolis, there were two merchant towns - Berlin and Cologne (not to be confused with the ancient Roman colony on the Rhine). They were first mentioned in historical sources in the second third of the 13th century. And since 1307, a united Berlin has already been known. In the 15th century, it lost its status as a free trading city and became the capital of: successively the Margraviate and Electorate of Brandenburg, the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi Reich, the German Democratic Republic and, finally, the modern Federal Republic of Germany.
2. Berlin has always been a stronghold of militant, aggressive ruling regimes, which is why it has more than once become a real battlefield. Foreign troops entered Berlin more than once (the French, the British, the Americans, and three times the Russians). Moreover, the city was subjected to severe destruction a couple of times and was almost completely destroyed as a result of the Second World War. Modern Berlin is a city that has been virtually restored since the mid-20th century, in which individual historical buildings and objects have been preserved.
3. Reichstag.
The idea of building a building for meetings of the lower house of parliament of the united German Empire arose in 1871; the Reichstag was built in 1894. The representative body operated in the building until February 1933, when the Reichstag burned down in a fire. According to one version, it was arranged by the Nazis who had recently come to power; in any case, they blamed the arson on the communists (the “Georgi Dimitrov trial”) and used the disaster to strengthen their own regime.
4. Cosmetically restored after the fire, the building was actually abandoned and was not used by the administrative authorities of the Third Reich. However, despite this, the storming of the building in April-May 1945 in Soviet historiography became a real symbol of the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War. After the war, bullet marks and graffiti written by Red Army soldiers were preserved on fragments of the building as historical exhibits. In the second half of the 20th century, the building ended up in West Berlin and played a supporting role.
5. Since the country's reunification in 1990, the German Bundestag has been housed in the historic building. The Reichstag received its current appearance and status as one of the main tourist attractions in Berlin in the mid-90s of the last century after a major reconstruction: according to the design of the famous British architect Norman Foster, a glass dome with a diameter of 40 meters and a height of 23.5 meters was erected over the building. The dome serves as an observation deck (tourists can enter the Reichstag by appointment), and a cone-shaped system of 360 mirrors provides natural light to the meeting room of the German parliament.
6. One of the main symbols of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate. A six-meter-high quadriga cart crowned them in 1795. Initially, the chariot was driven by the goddess of the world, Eirene, and the author of the sculpture, Johann Gottfried Schadow, intended the figure to be naked, but Emperor Frederick William II ordered the goddess to be “dressed” in a cape. Napoleon, who captured Berlin in 1806, ordered the sculpture to be dismantled and taken to Paris, thereby humiliating the spirit of the Berliners. Only in 1814 did the quadriga triumphantly return to its place, the goddess of peace turned into the goddess of victory Victoria, and her rod was complemented by Prussian symbols - an eagle and an iron cross. During the Second World War, the quadriga was completely destroyed; it was restored using plaster casts only in 1957.
7. Berlin was once surrounded by a wall with a dozen gates; they have not survived. Brandenburg Gate - built on the site of the medieval ones in 1791 in the image of the main entrance to the Athenian Acropolis. The height of the gate is 25 meters, width 65, depth - 11 meters. The central of the five openings was open only to the monarch and his family. The Brandenburg Gate was badly damaged during the Second World War and was later restored. During the Cold War, they became a symbol of the division of Germany, and the Berlin Wall ran through them. Since 1990, on the contrary, it has been a symbol of the reunification of the nation. True, during the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the stormy joy of the Germans, the gate was again badly damaged and again underwent repairs.
8. Potsdamer Platz.
Before the outbreak of World War II, Potsdamer Platz, with its intersection of five highways, was one of the busiest places in Berlin. Severely damaged during the war. The Berlin Wall passed through the square; a fragment of it remains here today. Modern Potsdamer Platz is a major business and entertainment center in Berlin.
9. Adjacent to Potsdamer Platz is Leipzig Square, it was founded in the 1730s, due to its octagonal shape it was called Oktogon, Leipzig Square was named in 1814 in honor of the Battle of the Nations. Destroyed during the Second World War. It is actively being restored as a business and trade center after the reunification of Germany.
10. Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz.
A complex of seven buildings (residential apartments, offices, entertainment and shopping centers) under a common dome, which symbolizes the Japanese Mount Fuji. The Sony Center has one of the world's largest IMAX cinemas with a screen area of 500 square meters
11. View of Leipzig Platz from Potsdamer Platz. On Potsdamer Platz at the top of the Kohlhoff Tower there is a Panoramapunkt observation deck, which is served by the fastest elevator in Europe: it “takes off” to the 24th floor (100 meters) in just 20 seconds.
12. BahnTower is a high-rise building on Potsdamer Platz, the headquarters of the Deutsche Bahn railway holding company. The building is adjacent to the Sony Center complex on the east side. The height of the “glass” 26-story building is 103 meters.
13. The information and exhibition center “Topography of Terror” is dedicated to the history of the crimes of Nazism and the memory of its victims. Located in the so-called “Gestapo quarter” - on the site of the destroyed buildings of the Reichsführer SS security service and the headquarters of the state secret police of the Third Reich. In addition, the Topography of Terror complex includes a fragment of the Berlin Wall.
14. Built in 1935, the headquarters of the Reich Air Ministry became the largest administrative complex in Germany at that time. In a building that is a unique case! - practically undamaged during the bombing and storming of Berlin, the office of Hermann Goering was located. The complex is currently occupied by the German Ministry of Finance.
15. Mitte (German: "middle") is a historical district and administrative district in the center of Berlin. Most of the city's attractions, as well as government authorities and foreign embassies, are located here.
16. The undisputed key symbol of the city is the Berlin TV Tower in the Alexanderplatz area. Erected on the territory of East Berlin in 1965-69 as visible proof of the effectiveness of the socialist system. With a height of 368 meters, it is the tallest building in Germany. There is a curious story associated with the tower, one of the kind of urban legends: supposedly in sunny weather an image of a cross appears on the “ball”; because of this optical illusion, the tower was nicknamed “The Pope’s Revenge”. According to the same legend, the state security agencies of the GDR conducted a special investigation, the result of which was the “catch phrase”: “This is not a cross, but a plus for socialism!”
17. Germany's largest Protestant church, Berlin Cathedral was built between 1894 and 1905. The height is 98 meters (initially, before reconstruction, the building with a dome that was damaged during the war was 16 meters higher). The cathedral serves as the family tomb of the royal Hohenzollern dynasty.
18. Old National Gallery. Founded in 1861, the exhibition houses works of fine art from the 19th century. The gallery is located on Museum Island in Berlin. Along with four other exhibitions (Bode Museum, Pergamon Museum, etc.) it forms the largest museum complex in Europe, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
19. From above, the Germans’ rational approach to living space is much more visible: almost every house has attics under its roof.
20. Karl-Liebknecht Strasse, one of the busiest streets in the eastern part of Berlin. Until 1945 it was named after Kaiser Wilhelm. In the foreground and center is the spire of St. Mary's Church.
21. S-Bahn line - S-Bahn, overground metro.
22. Church of St. Mary (Marienkirche). The first mentions date back to the 13th century, reconstructed in the middle of the 17th century. After the war it was restored in 1970. The oldest evangelical church operating in Berlin. Under the bell tower there is a famous fresco depicting the popular medieval allegorical story “The Dance of Death”.
23. Leading to Museum Island is the Friedrich Bridge over the Spree. Built in 1703, it was subsequently rebuilt several times. In 1945 it was blown up by German troops. Restored in wood in 1950, in concrete in 1981. In 2012, after another reconstruction, the width of the bridge reached its original 27 meters. By the way, there are about 1,700 bridges in Berlin, which is four times more than in Venice.
24. Panorama of the central part of Berlin. To the left of the TV tower in the background is the tallest building in the city, the Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz hotel (149.5 meters with antennas). People regularly fall from the 38th floor of this building with wild screams, and they pay money for it: this is a rope jumping attraction (better known in our country as “bungee”).
25. Neptune is one of the oldest fountains in Berlin. Built in 1891, reopened after restoration in 1969. The diameter of the pool is 18 meters, the height to the trident figure of the sea god Neptune in the center is 10 meters.
26. In the foreground of the photo is the Red Town Hall. It was built in 1861-69 from red brick, which is why it got its name. The building, destroyed during the war, was restored in 1951-58. Height 74 meters. The building houses the seat of the government of the united state of Berlin and the ruling burgomaster (mayor) of Berlin. Behind the Red Town Hall in the photo is one of the oldest in Berlin, the Church of St. Nicholas. Built in the 13th century. After the Second World War, only a skeleton remained of the church, restored in the early 1980s. Now it serves as a museum and concert hall, the acoustics of which are highly praised by experts.
27. Breitscheidplatz square in the center of western Berlin, a favorite meeting and communication place for young people from all over the world. Laid down in 1889. Previously it bore the names of pioneer printer Johannes Guttenberg and Empress Augusta Victoria. In 1947 it was named in memory of the politician Rudolf Breitscheid who died in a concentration camp. The square was heavily damaged during the war; the ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church are preserved here. It became notorious in December 2016: a Tunisian carried out a terrorist attack on the square, drove a truck into the Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring more than fifty.
28. Standard development in East Berlin.
29. The complex of residential high-rise buildings "Leipzig Street" is a socialist counterbalance to the capitalist high-rise building of the publishing house Axel Springer. The number of apartments in these houses according to the project is about 2000. During construction in 1969 in East Berlin, historical buildings that had survived the war were demolished on this site.
30. Berlin in some places is very similar to ordinary residential areas of Russian cities.
31. Schönhauser Allee is the largest shopping street and main transport axis in the northern part of Berlin.
32. In the foreground is a complex of Bundesrat buildings in the Leipzig Platz area. The parliament in Germany is unicameral (Bundestag). And the Bundesrat plays the role of a kind of Federation Council: it includes representatives of all federal states of Germany. In the background is the Berlin Mall (LP12 Mall) - one of the largest shopping complexes in the country.
33. Colorful Berlin.
34. The Holocaust Memorial is in the foreground on the left. Opened in 2005 between the Brandenburg Gate and elements of the Nazi leadership bunker. The monument to Jewish victims of Nazism consists of more than 2,700 identical gray stone slabs on a huge field that make a strong impression on visitors.
35. In the foreground and center is Anhalter Bahnhof, once a major passenger railway station, an important junction on the route from Germany to Austria-Hungary and Italy. The post-war ruins of the station were demolished in August 1960. Nowadays, in the area of the surviving fragment of the building there is a stopping point for the Berlin S-Bahn. In the center of the photo is the Tempodrom concert hall. The roof is stylized as a huge circus tent. Which is what he originally was. His inspiration and sponsor was a simple nurse from West Berlin: having received an unexpected large inheritance, she spent it on premises for public events, mainly for representatives of the underground. The current Tempodrome is a permanent structure, built on the site of the former Anhalt station.
36. The building of the Berlin office of the consulting and audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers.
37. Potsdamer Platz and Sony Center. In the background is Berlin's largest city park, the Tiergarten.
38. Residence of the German Chancellor (Bundeskanzleramt). Construction took 4 years, the complex was commissioned on May 2, 2001. It is located in close proximity to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag.
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My experience will be useful to those who are planning to visit Berlin, a city that is filled with attractions. Before traveling to this beautiful city, I would advise you to find out in advance the names of the main attractions in Berlin, look at their photos and read detailed descriptions in order to determine the places where you should go. This way, when you find yourself in Berlin, you won’t get confused and will have time to explore many more remarkable places in a shorter period of time.
Berlin is the largest city in Germany, its capital and a popular tourist center. Berlin attracts travelers of different ages, social status, and interests, as everyone can find attractions and entertainment to their liking in this city. I will tell you about the most interesting places in the city that helped me appreciate the diversity and historical value of Berlin.
Berlin architecture
What helped me get to know Berlin was acquaintance with its architecture, which fascinates with the variety of styles and forms of different eras and movements. Despite its centuries-old history and the difficult times it has experienced, the city demonstrates an abundance of preserved palaces, cathedrals, and squares.
Reichstag
ReichstagThe Berlin Reichstag parliament building, built in 1894 on Republic Square, is also worth a visit. The building looks presentable and pompous, complemented by a delightful glass dome. I took the opportunity to go up to the observation deck on the Reichstag dome. When I got to the very top, my emotions went through the roof.
Important! If you decide to go up to the observation deck, know that you will not be charged for this pleasure, but you will need to make an appointment in advance.
Charlottenburg
While in Berlin, try not to miss a visit to Charlottenburg. The palace was erected at the end of the 17th century by King Frederick I for his wife Sophia Charlotte of Hanover. Charlottenburg was reconstructed several times, each subsequent ruler brought something new in order to leave a memory of his own. This is how greenhouses and a new outbuilding appeared under Frederick II, a palace theater, a mausoleum, and an oval pavilion under Frederick Wilhelm III. I was greatly impressed by the Porcelain Gallery, which houses an extensive collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
Spandau
The western part of Berlin is famous for another attraction - the special Spandau district, where the old town and the ancient citadel on the Spree are perfectly preserved. The settlement, on the site of which stood the town, and now the Spandau district of Berlin, was founded back in the 8th century by the Hevels (one of the Slavic tribes), but already in the 12th century the Hevels were forced to leave their homes under the pressure of German knights. And in the 16th century, they decided to build a fortified citadel in this place by order of Elector Joachim II Hector.
In 1914, the Spandau citadel became a reliable military industrial facility. Ammunition was manufactured and stored here, and even the Nazis used it for its intended purpose. Now it is a historical and cultural complex, which consists of the Spandau History Museum, the Theater, the Children's Art Center, a medieval tower, a medieval palace, an exhibition of cannons, an Italian courtyard, Jewish gravestones and a tavern.
If you are attracted to Germany and its attractions for which Berlin is famous, take the time to visit:
- Bellevue Palace - residence of the President of Germany;
- Red Town Hall – active city hall;
- Ka-De-We is an iconic shopping center.
Tourists who have already admired the sights of the city center will have something to see outside it, I suggest heading to the outskirts of Berlin, for example: Brandenburg an der Havel is the most ancient city in the region.
Berlin Museums
The main attractions of Berlin are museums, of which there are more than 130 in the city.
Museum Island
Museum Island The famous Museum Island is of great interest to travelers. , since here you can immediately visit as many as five museums: the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum, the New Museum. Having visited each of them, you will plunge headlong into the past; six thousand years of human history pass before your eyes; the huge exhibition halls contain objects of Byzantine art, a collection of paintings by famous artists, numismatic collections and sculptures. When you cross the threshold of each museum, time seems to freeze and begins to move only when you leave its walls!
Another museum that I am absolutely delighted with is the Technical Museum. From the very first second you understand that it will be interesting when you see a bomber right on the roof of the museum building! The exhibits exhibited there for various purposes - transport, units, mechanisms, computer equipment and even mills - will hold your attention for a long time. The museum is located on 25,000 sq. m. so that you are unlikely to be able to go around all the exhibitions, and you will be happy to come to this amazing place again.
Egyptian Museum
Egyptian Museum The next museum is interesting both for its contents and for the building in which it is located. In 1828, on the advice Alexander von Humboldt The Egyptian Museum was created, the collection of which was based on the collection of Egyptian exhibits of Frederick William III. The building in which the museum is now located was built according to the architect's design Friedrich August Stüler a little later - in 1850. The most valuable exhibit of the museum is a bust of the most beautiful queen of Egypt, Nefertiti, donated James Simon in 1920.
Other museums:
- Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (Berlin branch);
- Berlin Art Gallery - has a huge amount of classical painting;
- Jewish Museum, which presents the life and culture of the Jewish people;
- The Berlin Museum of the History of Medicine consists of two separate parts - modern and pathological.
Berlin monuments
I can call the Brandenburg Gate the hallmark of the city and the main attraction of Berlin; it is located in the central part of the city on Pariserplatz. The gate was erected in 1791 by the will of King Frederick William II. In 1809, during the French occupation, the Gate was taken by Napoleon to Paris, but after the defeat of the French in 1814, it was returned. Subsequently, they became mute witnesses to the passage of Prussian regiments in 1871 and the founding of the German Empire, torchlight processions of Hitler's adherents. After the end of World War II, the Brandenburg Gate was assigned the role of dividing Germany into Western and Eastern Germany.
The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and for many years divided Germany into the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. For the residents of Berlin, especially its eastern part, the division of the city turned out to be a great tragedy. Initially, barbed wire was strung at the site where the Wall was built; over time, the Wall became stone, and in the final version, reinforced concrete. The length of the Berlin Wall was 160 kilometers and its height was about three meters. Despite this, there were brave souls who tried to move to the western part of the city, about 150 of them were killed. In 1989, the Wall fell under the pressure of rebellious people, and in 1990 the Wall was finally demolished, leaving minor fragments. They decided to reconstruct part of the destroyed Wall and along Bernauer Strasse they restored a section of the wall with a length of 800 meters. For a long time, the ruins of this wall in Berlin -
An unusual but attractive attraction for tourists from different countries.
You may also be interested in:
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin;
- Checkpoint “Charlie” is a checkpoint created in 1961, operating until the collapse of the Berlin Wall;
- Victory Column, a monument erected in 1873 and dedicated to Germany's victories in several wars at once.
Religious buildings in Berlin
Separately, I would like to highlight the variety of religious buildings that can be found along the way in almost any part of the city. I will highlight only a few from the entire list; for me they are the most relevant.
In the Praskov area there is an active Protestant Church of Gethsemane, opened in 1893. Externally, the church looks majestic, and the garden next to it adds charm, but the interior decoration is very ascetic.
Not far from the TV tower you can find a Lutheran church, also active, founded in the 13th century - this is the Church of St. Mary, during the period of its existence it was repeatedly restored and completed after further destruction caused by fires and bombings. Over time, the style of construction has also changed; now it is neo-Gothic. It’s better to choose a Sunday for the tour, then you can hear the singing of the local choir, and perhaps even the organ, which, by the way, was played by Bach himself!
The Berlin Cathedral, which was built in 1905 on the Museum Island in Berlin, makes a great impression on its visitors. The cathedral is Protestant and is considered one of the largest in Germany, its height is 98 meters. When you are next to him, you feel like Gulliver in the land of giants! There is a park planted in front of the church, clean and well-groomed. Externally, the church is decorated with stucco, columns and sculptures, the interior of the church differs from others in its luxury, an abundance of paintings in the middle of the temple, bright colors are pleasing to the eye. The observation deck of the cathedral is open to the public; here you can take beautiful photos of the city.
Very popular among tourists:
- The memorial to fallen Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten was erected in 1945;
- The French Cemetery in Berlin is a cemetery for the French community of the German capital;
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church - Protestant church;
- Nikolaikirche is the oldest church in Berlin.
What can a tourist see during a six-day stay in Berlin?
In order for you to be able to see as many of its wonders as possible during your stay in Berlin, you need to draw up an action plan for your stay in the city.
What can a tourist see in Berlin in 1 day of stay?
- Old National Gallery, Bode Museum;
- Old Museum;
- New Museum;
Try to distribute your time in each museum evenly, and don’t forget to take into account time for a snack!
- Olimpic village;
- Greater Tiergarten park.
What can a tourist see in Berlin during the 5th day of his stay?
- Zoo – take one day and you won’t regret it! This is a wonderful attraction of Berlin not only for children, but also for adults!
What can a tourist see in Berlin on day 6 of his stay?
Ka-De-Ve, shopping! Ladies and gentlemen, all the sights have been seen, and with a light heart we rush to spend the remaining money!
Where to go and what to see in Berlin with children
For parents who do not know what attractions in Berlin may be interesting for children, I have looked at several options for spending time for their children. Children appreciate the beauty of their surroundings through their own emotions; the sights of gloomy cathedrals are unlikely to leave joyful memories. Give your children some contact with the living world; the Berlin Zoo, which is located on 35 hectares of land, will delight your kids with an abundance of varieties of animals and birds, and a large aquarium will showcase colorful underwater inhabitants. Don’t forget to visit the Natural History Museum, where not only children, but also you yourself will be curious to look at the skeleton of a dinosaur 23 m high. Let me also remind you about the Museum of Technology with a huge number of exhibits. Discover a corner of the Wild West in the heart of Berlin called Eldorado. Water parks, cinemas, entertainment centers and a huge hot air balloon await your little adventure seekers!
Video review of Berlin sights
We have specially selected a bright video for you, perhaps about the most famous capital, about Berlin and its attractions.
Berlin is ready for the meeting! You will definitely love him as soon as you get to know him better! If you have been to this city and know other interesting places or cool establishments that I have not mentioned, write about it in the comments!
Each European capital has its own old city - as a rule, a small part of it that can be seen in its original form. Well, or almost pristine. This is where the curtain usually lifts on the mystery of the birth of a particular city.
Alas, there is no need to look for a complete old center in Berlin, but it exists in fragments and inclusions, interspersed with buildings from various other times.
You just have to take a few steps away from the classic walking tour of the historical center and you can discover real Berlin treasures that create a true impression of this city. After all, the essence most often lies in the details.
It is logical to start the tour in the area of the Berlin local history museum - the Brandenburg Mark Museum or in German Märkisches Museum. It was here, from the metro with the same name, that the brave radio operator Kat made a phone call to a familiar Standartenführer.
The square in front of the museum itself, its shape and design will already become a prologue to getting acquainted with the history of the old city. There we will also visit a free exhibition of models, where it will be interesting to see Berlin of the past, present and future on different scales.
Having thus understood the structure of the city in theory, we will go to the preserved fragment of the old city wall.
Not far from it is one of the oldest Berlin restaurants - “At the Last Resort”, where Colonel Isaev loved to spend his free time. Napoleon and François Mitterrand once dined here (at different times). However, not only the Soviet intelligence officer and the French came here, but also other famous historical figures.
We will move on to the “last resort” - the building of the local district court, into which we will look inside to admire this Palace of Themis, as one of the main masterpieces of Berlin Art Nouveau or Art Nouveau. By the way, here you can have a cheap and tasty lunch if you wish.
We will see the ruins of the Franciscan monastery church and talk about the fate of the oldest Berlin gymnasium and its graduates. About the Parish Church - the oldest of the city's reformist churches, about its unique reconstruction, thanks to which the city acquired a new silhouette. We learn about the court intrigues of the times of Frederick the Great at the palaces of Ephraim and Schwerin. We will be able to go to the Knoblauch house - a former salon of the Berlin nobility and a cozy museum of the Biedermeier era.
Medieval legends and incidents from the times of the GDR will intertwine in the Nicholas Quarter and at the Church of St. Mary, on numerous bridges over the Spree River. Where two trading settlements, Berlin and Cologne, once connected, and now the historical center is being reconstructed and old Berlin is being created anew.
Berlin is the capital of united Germany; the highest legislative and executive bodies of the country are located here: the Bundestag, the Bundesrat and the federal government. It is the largest city in the country that has the status of a federal state. Administratively, it is divided into 12 districts.
Berlin is the largest industrial city in Germany, the largest transport hub. Air links with the outside world are provided by three Berlin airports.
In addition, Berlin is known as a venue for international exhibitions in a wide variety of industries (computer and information technology, construction, agriculture, etc.).
The city is located on the Spree River. Its area is more than 400 square kilometers.
Split in two for decades, the city is gradually merging again into a single powerful organism.
There were once 14 city gates in the fortress wall surrounding Berlin. To date, only one has survived - the Brandenburg Gate. They were built in 1791 by order of the King of Prussia, Frederick William II. During their construction, the Athenian propylaea was taken as a model. In 1806, Napoleon ordered the quadriga to be removed from the gate and sent to Paris as a war trophy. After 8 years, Field Marshal Blucher returned the sculpture back. After the construction of the Berlin Wall, the gates turned out to be on the GDR side, becoming a kind of symbol of the division of Germany. Now the Brandenburg Gate is once again decorated with a restored quadriga, an eagle and a Prussian iron cross.
The attractions of the eastern part of Berlin, which at one time ended up on the territory of the GDR, also include: the Crown Princes' Palace, the Palace Bridge, the German and French Cathedrals, St. Hedwigs Cathedral, the German State Opera, the Equestrian Monument to Frederick the Great, etc.
The main attractions of West Berlin: the Reichstag building, Potsdamer Platz, Bellevue Palace, Art Gallery, Berlin Zoo, etc.
Let's also look at some other Berlin attractions.
Berlin Cathedral was built between 1883 and 1905 in the Italian Renaissance style. The cathedral consists of a central part, topped with a large dome, and two wings with chapels. In the cathedral crypt there are 95 sarcophagi with the remains of kings and princes of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The cathedral was heavily damaged during World War II, but was restored by 1993.
One of the symbols of West Berlin is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, built in 1891 in memory of Emperor Wilhelm I, the founder of the empire. During an air raid in 1943, its bell tower was destroyed. Currently, the ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church are included in a modern architectural ensemble consisting of a new church in the shape of an octagon and a tower made of blue glass blocks brought from Chartres.
Gothic Church of St. Nicholas, patron of merchants and sailors, was built in the 13th century and is the oldest in Berlin.
The New Synagogue - one of the largest synagogues in the world - has a rather tragic history. On the night of November 9, 1938, it was looted and desecrated by the Nazis, and in 1945 it was bombed and destroyed. Subsequently, the Synagogue was restored in the neo-Byzantine-Moorish style.
A few words about the most interesting Berlin streets.
Unter den Linden Street - "under the linden trees" - was the most famous boulevard in Germany during the time of Frederick II.
The Kurfürstendamm avenue was very elegant in the 19th century. It is not for nothing that in 1871 it was conceived by Chancellor Bismarck as a street, in its beauty not inferior to the Champs Elysees in Paris.
There are more than 130 museums in Berlin! The largest museum centers are: Museum Island, Charlottenburg Palace and its surroundings, Pergamon Museum, museums in Dahlem, Cultural Center in Tiergarten, etc. There is even a Mausoleum (it was built in 1810 by Friedrich Wilhelm III).
The Pergamon Museum, built in 1912-1930, is very interesting. Its main exhibit is the Pergamon Altar, an altar of Zeus decorated with a sculpted frieze (2nd century BC), found in the vicinity of Smyrna at the end of the 19th century. The Pergamon Museum also houses the Ishtar Gate, covered with glazed tiles in dark blue and yellow. This gate was erected under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 580 BC.
Charlottenburg Palace, a country palace built in 1695 for the German princess Sophia-Charlotte, houses a magnificent collection of porcelain.
Berlin has three opera houses, the Old and New National Gallery, eight symphony orchestras, and over 150 theaters and stage venues.
Both children and adults will be very curious to visit the Berlin Zoo.
The Berlin TV Tower, built in 1965-1969, has a height of 365 m.
Life in Berlin is in full swing and does not stop even late at night. More than 300 restaurants and cafes, 1,500 bars and a huge number of clubs and discos await their visitors.
