Berlin tourist attractions include Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag building, Gendarmenmarkt, East Side Gallery, and Potsdamer Platz.
Brandenburg Gate is one of the main symbols of Berlin (and Germany), in the same way as, for example, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris.
Historical significance of Brandenburg Tor was as one the entrance ports for the historical roads leading to Berlin…
…and today, it is also the only one of these gates left.
When visiting the Brandenburg Gate, you can easily combine the visit to seeing the Reichstag building, the meeting place for the German parliament, the Bundestag.
Reichstag was virtually abandoned for the period from World War II up to the German reunification, when it was restored to its old glory, and today, it is one of the finest buildings in Berlin.
Highlights of Reichstag building include its glass dome, from where visitors can see 360-degree views over the city of Berlin. Visiting the dome is possible without an advance reservation.
Gendarmenmarkt, on the other hand, is one of the main squares in Berlin.
Within the square, you’ll find several important buildings, including…
Berlin Concert Hall (www.konzerthaus.de),
German Cathedral, and
French Cathedral.
During wintertime, Gendarmenmarkt also serves as one of Berlin’s most popular Christmas markets.
East Side Gallery (eastsidegallery.com) is a 1.3 km (0.8 mile) long section of former the Berlin Wall.
Today, it is as an open exhibition space for the art that has been painted on to the last remaining remnants of the Berlin Wall.
The gallery is a unique reminder of the city’s historic division into eastern and western parts, and, in its own way, it is also a symbol of modern Berlin.
Finally, Potsdamer Platz is an ultra-modern district of Berlin.
After the Berlin Wall fell, this area of about 50 hectares (123 acres) was released to development, leading to the many modern buildings and new construction within the district.
Visiting Potsdamer Platz is easy to combine with, for example, a visit to the Brandenburg Gate, as it is about 1 km (0.62 miles) away.
Highlights at the Potsdamer Platz include…
three-story “Arkaden” shopping center,
Europe’s biggest casino “Spielbank Berlin”, and
“Panoramapunkt” observation platform (at Potsdamer Platz 1), at about 100 meters (328 ft) from ground level, where you can get to using the Europe’s fastest elevators.