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Berlin In fact, Berlin has not only one center but several, and sights are spread all over the area. In the western part, between the Ku’damm (Kurfürstendamm) and Tegel Airport is Schloss Charlottenburg, the Baroque palace with English gardens that Frederick I built for his wife Sophie-Charlotte. Across the street is the fascinating Egyptian (Ägyptisches) Museum, which houses the famous 3000-year-old bust of Nefertiti. Other cultural gems are concentrated in the Dahlem Museum complex and the Kulturforum. The Dahlem complex is located in a quiet southwest neighborhood near the Free University of Berlin, and has art museums with works by Old Masters and ethnographic museums displaying artifacts from all over the world. The Kulturforum in the district of Tiergarten encompasses the New National Gallery designed by Mies van der Rohe, the Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbemuseum), Copper Engraving Museum (Kupferstichkabinett), New State Library, and the Philharmonie. The House of World Cultures (Haus der Kulturen der Welt) in the former Kongresshalle has contemporary art exhibits from all over the world, and is an architecturally interesting building as well. Other art museums worth visiting are Martin Gropius Bau Museum of Contemporary Art in the Hamburger Bahnhof, the House of Contemporary Art, and the Brucke Museum. The true historical center of the city is in the eastern half. Probably the most easily recognized monument is the Brandenburg Gate, which was the main gathering place for celebrations following the fall of the wall in 1989. On its eastern side is Pariser Platz. Plans are underway to fill in the gaps around the square’s perimeter, primarily with new embassies for France, the U.S., and the U.K. The once majestic boulevard "Unter den Linden" is today an eight-block study in overstated imperial grandeur and Eastern Bloc drabness. The most notable buildings are found at the eastern end, such as the Staatsbibliothek (State Library), Humboldt University, Neue Wache (national memorial), the Zeughaus (Museum of German History), and the grand Staatsoper. Across the Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge) is the Berlin Cathedral, whose crypt contains the remains of German kaisers. The cathedral is located on an island, the northern end of which is better known as the Museuminsel. The Museuminsel is home to the famous Pergamon Museum, which contains the Pergamon altar as well as the Gate of Milet, as well as the Bode Museum, Altes Museum, Old National Gallery, and Neues Museum (undergoing reconstruction). This group of neoclassical buildings is the reason Berlin is sometimes called "Athens on the Spree." Directly south of the cathedral is the spot where Berlin’s city palace once stood. The East German government razed the damaged structure after the war and built the present Palast der Republik in its place. If history repeats itself—and there are proponents of this—this structure will meet a similar fate. What to do with this central historic piece of real estate has been the subject of a longstanding debate at both the city and federal level. Alexanderplatz, also known as Alex, is one of Berlin’s liveliest squares and public transportation hubs. Looming above it is a 1 200-ft-/365-m-high TV tower - the tallest structure in Berlin (you can go to the top for an excellent view of the city). Nearby is the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall), and the Nikolaiviertel, a lovely "Old Town" that was built by East Germany to attract tourists. (Some buildings actually are old and have been moved there from elsewhere, and some are simply built to look old.) Within walking distance from the Alex is the Volksbühne, on the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, which hosts some of the most experimental theater in Berlin. To the north is the reconstructed, gold-domed Neue Synagoge, now home to the Centrum Judaicum museum. Back to the west is Gendarmenmarkt, one of the city’s most attractive squares. The Schauspielhaus, which hosts concerts, is framed on both sides by almost identical domed churches (the Deutscher Dom and the Französischer Dom), giving the square a nice symmetrical feel. One block west of the square is Friedrichstrasse a bustling avenue with fashionable shops. Berlin is justly proud of its unusual amount of undeveloped open natural space. The Tiergarten is the oldest and most popular park, stretching from the Zoologischer Garten (one of the largest zoos in the world) to the Brandenburg Gate. Treptower Park in the east stretches out along the Spree River and has the overwhelming Soviet Memorial dedicated to its fallen soldiers. Large lakes can be found at the city’s eastern and western edges: Muggelsee and Wannsee, respectively. Many smaller lakes are scattered throughout the city and they are enjoyed by hordes of Berliners who flock to them for ice skating or swimming and sunbathing (often in the nude). The Grunewald and Tegeler Forst are large wooded areas with trails for hiking cross-country skiing or horseback riding. Other sites in Berlin worth visiting are the Olympic Stadium, site of the 1936 Olympics (and Jesse Owens’ victories), and Rathaus Schoneberg, site of John F. Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner speech. The Topography of Terror site is an impressive introduction to the history and geography of Berlin under the Nazis. Design enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Bauhaus-Archiv, which traces the history of that famous movement. If time permits visit the Brecht House (home of the writer) or the Friseur Museum—a museum dedicated to the history of hairdressing! And after the sun sets in Berlin, the city offers, in addition to the dozens of nightclubs and cafes, a wide variety of concerts and other cultural events. Full-day trips could be made to Potsdam or Cottbus. Allow at least three days to see Berlin, more if you wish to see area sights. |
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