Germany’s largest city and capital, Berlin, is a significant hub for politics, culture, journalism, and science. Berlin is renowned for its cultural flair and is home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Berlin Opera, as well as a thriving art scene that includes hundreds of exhibition spaces, festivals, and museums, including those on Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Despite the damage caused by World War II and decades of degradation to the east of the iconic Berlin Wall, the city has been rebuilt in a way that acknowledges both its triumphs and its troubled past. As a young, trendy tourist destination, Berlin has developed a reputation for offering a unique blend of modern and traditional architecture, exciting entertainment, shopping, and a wide range of sports, cultural, and art organizations.
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The Rebuilt Reichstag
The Neo-Renaissance palace, known as the Reichstag (Reichstagsgebäude), was initially finished in 1894, and it housed the German Empire’s Imperial Diet until it burned down in 1933. It wasn’t utilized once more until after Germany’s reunification, at which point it underwent a 10-year renovation before becoming the German Parliament’s headquarters in 1999.
This spectacular reconstruction’s replacement dome, the Kuppel, is one of its highlights. It is made of glass and provides beautiful views of the neighborhood, particularly at night, from the Rooftop Restaurant. Check out the programme’s light displays and movie nights if you’re traveling to Berlin in the summer for an unforgettable experience.
It should be noted that tickets are required for admission to the Dome and Terrace, and given the high demand, it is advised to order tickets in advance. Even though registration is open on-site, you should plan on a two- to three-hour wait. There are free audiobooks in English accessible.
German Historical Museum
The German Historical Museum, also known as the DHM, was founded in 1987 to commemorate Berlin’s 750th anniversary and is a must-see for anybody curious about the astonishingly rich history of the city. This popular destination is made up of several historical exhibition rooms crammed with intriguing exhibits of objects linked to various eras and events, from the country’s inception up through the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Exhibits on medicine, fashion, religion, printing, art, and photography are among the other highlights. Military enthusiasts are also well-served by the museum’s extensive collection of historical armor, weapons, and costumes.
On-site amenities include a movie theater and a public research library. There are English-language guided tours available, and there is a convenient cloakroom and café for anyone planning a more extended visit (you’ll want to, there’s that much to see).
Berlin’s Television Tower
The 368-meter-tall Berliner Fernsehturm (Berlin Television Tower), which marked its 50th anniversary in 2020, has aged well but hasn’t lost any of its allure for tourists visiting the city. Over 60 million people have visited Europe’s third-tallest freestanding tower since it opened in 1970, most lured by the breathtaking vistas of Germany’s capital.
Due to its prominent location in the former East Berlin neighborhood, where it was initially built to symbolize communism’s power, the landmark has greater significance as a representation of the city’s reunification in the 1980s.
Make sure to visit the observation deck of the building, and if you have time, make an appointment at the 207-meter-high rotating restaurant.
Checkpoint Charlie Museum
The Museum of Checkpoint Charlie is fascinating (Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie). This intriguing tourist destination, which marks the busiest border crossing between East and West Berlin, has a wealth of exhibitions and artifacts detailing the history of human rights and focusing primarily on Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.
The museum, located close to the old guardhouse, also showcases some of the fascinating attempts made by people seeking to overthrow the communist government. One successful attempt employed an original homemade air balloon among these.
The adjoining open-air BlackBox Cold War exhibit, which includes pieces of the Berlin Wall and informational kiosks relating to it, is also fascinating.
Jewish Museum Berlin
The Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin), a landmark in Berlin with a distinctive zinc-panel facade, was created by architect Daniel Libeskind. It was founded in 2001, and visitors can explore its many historical relics and donated collections to learn about Jewish Germans’ long history and struggles from the Middle Ages to the present.
There are artwork, sacred relics, and 24,000 restored and preserved images on display. A particularly moving installation is found in The Memory Void, dubbed “Shalekhet,” or “Fallen Leaves,” which consists of 10,000 iron faces scattered across the ground. Quite sobering, to put it mildly.
In addition, the museum houses a sizable library and archives at the Academy of the Jewish Museum Berlin, where many educational events are held. Hanukkah, anti-Semitism, the Middle East conflict, Jerusalem’s history and culture, and Munich rabbi Leo Baerwald’s life are all covered in museum galleries.
German Museum of Technology
The essential German Museum of Technology (Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin) was founded in 1983 to highlight and honor Germany’s outstanding technological and industrial achievements. This well-liked museum offers many entertaining activities for youngsters and families, such as viewing exhibits on the Industrial Revolution and participating in a rebuilt workshop. The exhibit also provides an exciting look at the vehicles that developed in tandem with this increase in automation.
Numerous surviving steam engines from 1843 are among the numerous vehicles and planes on show. Other features include weekend trips on a vintage railway from the 1930s from the museum to its locomotive depot.
Grosser Tiergarten and the Victory Column
Berlin’s Grosser Tiergarten, sometimes known as the “Large Animal Garden,” has long been a popular tourist destination. In 1700, it was converted from a royal hunting reserve where deer, wild pigs, and other animals were kept into a public park. The Tiergarten is a popular location for leisure, walking, and boating. It is attractively planned out with many trees and bushes, broad areas of grass, and flower gardens.
Numerous sculptures and monuments may also be found in the park, including the 1880 Statue of Queen Louise, which shows her with a relief commemorating her care for injured soldiers during the War of 1806. There is also a Frederick Wilhelm III Monument from 1849, which features reliefs depicting the monarch’s benevolent nature.
The enormous Victory Column (Siegessaule), a 70-meter-tall tower topped with an eight-meter-tall gilded statue of Victoria, is the most well-known of the monuments in the Tiergarten. The statue was finished in 1873 and given the villagers’ nickname of “Golden Lizzy.” The views of the Tiergarten from the top of this majestic monument make the 285 steps well worth it. Additionally, looking closely, you may still find signs of WWII-era bullet damage.
Pergamon Museum
One of Berlin’s main tourist attractions is The Pergamon, the most popular attraction on Museum Island. The Middle East Museum, the Islamic Art Museum, and the Antiquity collection are the three primary galleries that call the enormous structure home; each takes up a whole wing.
The relics, which narrowly avoided destruction during World War II, were gathered by German archaeologists during expeditions to Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the Roman Market Gate of Miletus, and the Mshatta Façade are some of the museum’s most well-known exhibits, which are mostly centered on architectural marvels, including elaborate façades and gates. On-site amenities include a café and a bookstore.