Berlin, Germany: Top Sights

Start with a climb to the top of the huge transparent dome - designed by London architect, Sir Norman Foster - of the German Parliament, the Reichstag. From the dome it is also possible to see Berlin's most historic landmark, the Brandenburg Tor. Built in 1788, the gate was sectioned off by the Berlin wall but went on to win a coveted place in post-war history books as the site of re-unification celebrations in 1989. Other great places from which to view Berlin include the 285-step Siesgessaule (Victory Column) in the Tiergarten and the Fernsehturm, east Berlin's 1,200 foot TV mast which has a revolving cafe at its summit.

Not far across the River Spree from the Brandenburg Tor lies the only genuine piece of Berlin Wall in the whole city, at the Gedenkstatte Berliner Mauer (Memorial Site Berlin Wall), while the entire wall history is retold in the Haus Am Checkpoint Charlie, half an hours walk along the historic Friedrichstrasse. Outside the museum is the site of the famous checkpoint itself though all that is left is the sign bearing the infamous 'No Crossing' slogan. Between the two wall venues is most of old Berlin, whose highlights are the Berliner Dom (Cathedral) and Hamburger Bahnhof, a 19th century train station given a makeover as a museum for modern art. Museum fans should also visit Museuminsel (Museum Island), which includes at least four major museums in its grounds.

Along the western path of the Berlin Wall there's Potsdamer Platz, Europe's busiest square during the pre-war years and now a shrine to big business including Sony, whose magnificent glass and steel HQ is a just one example of Berlin's achievements in modern architecture. Nearby Potsdamer Platz is the Neue National Gallery, where the prime exhibit is the building itself, a superb testament to the talents of Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe - whose mark on the city is cemented with the famous Europa Center (see below). Further west, past the several miles long Tiergarten, is the Bauhaus Museum, created by the design-for-life movement's founder Walter Gropius.

Find Hotels In Berlin