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Reichstag dome
Berlin
Berlin today is the nuclear fuel rod of a great nation, and no tour of Germany is complete without a look at its historic and reunited capital. A city of leafy boulevards, grand Neoclassical buildings, world-class art, and glitzy shopping arcades, it's vibrant with youth, energy, and an anything-goes-and-anything's-possible buzz. As you walk over what was the Wall and through the well-patched Brandenburg Gate, it's clear that history is not contained in some book; it's an exciting story in which we play a part. In Berlin, the fine line between history and current events is excitingly blurry. Even non-historians find Berlin captivating, lively, fun-loving, all-around enjoyable — and easy on the budget. Explore the fun and funky neighborhoods in the former East, packed with creative eateries and boutiques trying to one-up each other. Peruse the city's world-class museums, then pedal along the Spree riverfront before sitting down to nurse a stein of brew or dive into a cheap Currywurst.
At a Glance
▲▲▲ German History Museum The ultimate swing through Germany's tumultuous story.
▲▲▲ Pergamon Museum World-class museum of classical antiquities on Museum Island, featuring the famous Pergamon Altar.
▲▲▲ Reichstag Germany's historic parliament building, topped with a striking modern dome you can climb (reservations required).
▲▲▲ Brandenburg Gate One of Berlin's most famous landmarks, a massive columned gateway, at the former border of East and West.
▲▲▲ Berlin Wall Memorial A "docu-center" with videos and displays, several outdoor exhibits, and lone surviving stretch of an intact Wall section.
▲▲ Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Holocaust memorial with almost 3,000 symbolic pillars, plus an exhibition about Hitler's Jewish victims.
▲▲ Unter den Linden Leafy boulevard through the heart of former East Berlin, lined with some of the city's top sights.
▲▲ Neues Museum Egyptian antiquities collection (on Museum Island) and proud home of the exquisite 3,000-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti.
▲▲ Gendarmenmarkt Inviting square bounded by twin churches (one with a fine German history exhibit), a chocolate shop, and a concert hall.
▲▲ Topography of Terror Chilling exhibit documenting the Nazi perpetrators, built on the site of the former Gestapo/SS headquarters.
▲▲ Museum of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie Moving museum with stories of brave Cold War escapes, near the site of the famous former East-West border checkpoint; the surrounding street scene is almost as interesting.
▲▲ Jewish Museum Berlin Engaging, accessible museum celebrating Jewish culture, in a highly conceptual building.
▲▲ Gemäldegalerie Germany's top collection of 13th- through 18th-century European paintings, featuring Holbein, Dürer, Cranach, Van der Weyden, Rubens, Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Raphael, and more.
▲▲ DDR Museum Quirky collection of communist-era artifacts.
▲▲ Prenzlauer Berg Lively, colorful neighborhood with hip cafés, restaurants, boutiques, and street life.
▲▲ Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection Pleasant museum featuring Surrealist works by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí.
▲ Old National Gallery German paintings, mostly from the Romantic Age.
▲ New Synagogue Largest prewar synagogue in Berlin, damaged in World War II, with a rebuilt facade and modest museum.
▲ Potsdamer Platz The "Times Square" of old Berlin, long a postwar wasteland, now rebuilt with huge glass skyscrapers, an underground train station, and — covered with a huge canopy — the Sony Center mall.
▲ Deutsche Kinemathek Film and TV Museum An entertaining look at German film and TV, from Metropolis to Dietrich to Nazi propaganda to the present day.
▲ Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Evocative destroyed church in heart of the former West Berlin, with modern annex.
▲ Käthe Kollwitz Museum The black-and-white art of the Berlin artist who conveyed the suffering of her city's stormiest century.
Plan
Photos
Watch
Read
- Berlin Escapes: Three Easy Day Trips
- Berlin Looks to the Future, Remembers Its Past
- Berlin in the 21st Century
- Europe Shines on Summer Evenings
- In Berlin, Keep Your Eye on the Wall
- Pomp and Consequence: Visiting Europe’s 20th-Century Fascist Sites
- Seeing History Unfold at Berlin’s Reichstag
- Unter den Linden: Berlin’s Grand Boulevard
Berlin
Listen
- Berlin Day Trips (18:41)
- Berlin Memorials (12:11)
- Composer Sites in Europe (11:32)
- Ever-Evolving Berlin (17:47)
- German Christmas Markets (12:02)
- Germany's Best Wursts (8:37)
- Ghost Dance in Berlin (18:12)
- Music Appreciation for Travel: Part I (11:35)
- Opera 101 for Travelers (18:23)
- Potsdam (11:57)
- Sights Along Berlin's Unter den Linden (12:11)
- What's on German Minds (28:56)
- Why I Love Berlin (23:08)
Berlin Audio Tours
- Berlin City Walk
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