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Key Attractions
Potsdamer Platz and the New Centre
After lying desolate for decades, except for the platform that allowed Westerners to peer over the Wall into the East, Potsdamer Platz is again part of Berlin’s thriving centre – in the 1930s, it was the busiest square in Europe. In just a few years, the forest of cranes has given way to a new precinct full of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. The best place to see it all – as well as terrific views over the rest of Berlin – is from the Panorama-Point, at the top of the Kollhof building, reached by what is claimed to be the fastest lift in Europe.
One of the more interesting constructions is the Sony Centre, with its piazza covered by a futuristic sail-like roof. On the ground floor is the Filmmuseum Berlin, which recalls some of the city’s great achievements in the early days of cinema and devotes considerable space to Marlene Dietrich, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday on December 27 2001.
Potsdamer Platz
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz; bus 142, 148, 248 or 348.
Filmmuseum Berlin
Potsdamer Strasse 2
Tel: (030) 300 9030. Fax: (030) 3009 0313.
E-mail: info@filmmuseum-berlin.de
Website: www.filmmuseum-berlin.de
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri–Sun 1000–1800; Thurs 1000–2000.
Admission: €6.
Panorama-Point
Potsdamer Platz
Tel: (030) 2529 4372 or 2554 2104, for guided tours.
Website: www.potsdamerplatz.de
Opening hours: Tues–Sun 1100–1930.
Admission: €3.50.
Reichstag
British architect Lord Foster has transformed the Reichstag, which was built at the end of the 19th century and has long since been emblematic of the German State. It was damaged in the fire of 1933, which marked Hitler’s consolidation of power, and has now been renovated for the Bundestag (People’s Assembly) of a reunited Germany. The new dome is meant to symbolise the transparency of the democratic government and visitors can pass between its layers to witness the decision-making chamber of the government. The Plenary is open for free hourly guided tours when parliament is not in session – parliament is in session Monday to Friday 0900–1600, weekends 1000–1600. The walk through the dome itself is stunning, culminating in sweeping views of a city in transition. The rooftop restaurant (tel: (030) 2262 9933) provides a way to beat the queues and is open until 2400.
Platz der Republik
Tel: (030) 2273 2152 or 2272 2152. Fax: (030) 2273 0027 or 2272 0027.
Website: www.bundestag.de
Transport: S-Bahn Unter den Linden; bus 100, 248, 257 or 348.
Opening hours: Daily 0800–2400 (last admission 2200).
Admission: Free.
Berlin Wall History
Much of the Wall or the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’, as the GDR authorities liked to call it, has succumbed – first to enthusiastic revellers and souvenir hunters and then more significantly to developers; only a few sections remain. The East Side Gallery, along Mühlenstrasse (S-Bahn Ostbahnhof), emerged in the post-Wall years as a poignant symbol of new hope, as it was covered with inspiring artwork. Today, its future is in doubt and the faded state of the paintings is symbolic of how far Berlin has come since 1989. The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer is a graffiti-free stretch of the Wall that has been preserved by the authorities. A visitor centre has information about the Wall years, while a chapel is dedicated to the 80 or so victims that died trying to cross it. Perhaps the best place to get a sense of what the divided city was like is the Mauermuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, located next to the site where the famous border-crossing stood. A number of permanent exhibitions document the history of the Wall and place it into context, as well as record the famous paintings on the Western side of the division.
Gedenkstätte
Bernauer Strasse 111
Tel: (030) 2246 41030.
Website: www.the-berlin-wall.de or www.berlinermauer.de
Transport: U-Bahn Bernauer Strasse; S-Bahn Nordbahnhof.
Open: Wed–Sun 1000–1700 (visitors centre).
Admission: Free.
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Mauermuseum)
Friedrichstrasse 43–45
Tel: (030) 253 7250. Fax: (030) 251 2075.
E-mail: info@mauer-museum.com
Website: www.checkpointcharlie.org
Transport: U-Bahn Kochstrasse or Stadtmitte; bus 129.
Opening hours: Daily 0900–2200.
Admission: €7.50 (concessions available).
Unter den Linden and the Museumsinsel
One of Berlin’s most recognisable landmarks, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), stands at the western end of Pariser Platz. Stretching eastwards from here is Unter den Linden, along which some of the city’s richest cultural treasures lie. These include the Deutsche Staatsoper (German State Opera), the Neue Wache (New Guardhouse), which is now a memorial to the victims of fascism and tyranny, and the Zeughaus (Arsenal), which houses the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum).
The Museumsinsel (Museum Island), at the eastern end of Unter den Linden, offers the Pergamonmuseum, containing a host of antiquities, including the enormous Pergamon altar, Bodemuseum (closed until 2004) and the massive, neo-Baroque Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), built in 1893–1905 and recently renovated. Within the newly restored Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) is the ‘Galerie der Romantik’, a large collection of German and Austrian paintings from the first half of the 19th century. These include 24 paintings by Caspar David Friedrich. The Altes Museum (Old Museum) is a striking neo-classical building, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, which opened in 1830. The main floor houses a collection of antiquities, while the upstairs galleries house changing exhibitions.
Altes Museum
Am Lustgarten
Tel: (030) 2090 5566 or 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502.
Website: www.smpk.de/ant
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri–Sun 1000–1800, Thurs 1000–2200.
Admission: €6; €10 (three-day pass); concessions available; free on first Sun of each month.
Deutsches Historisches Museum
Unter den Linden 2
Tel: (030) 203 040. Fax: (030) 2030 4543.
Website: www.dhm.de
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157 or 348.
Opening times: Fri–Tues 1000–1800, Thurs 1000–2200.
Admission: Free.
Pergamonmuseum
Am Kupfergraben
Tel: (030) 208 050.
E-mail: vam@smb.spk-berlin.de
Website: www.smpk.de
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157, 200 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri–Sun 1000–1800, Thurs 1000–2200.
Admission: €6; €10 (for a three-day pass); concessions available.
Alte Nationalgalerie
Bodestrasse
Tel: (030) 2090 5555. Fax: (030) 2090 5502.
Website: www.smpk.de/ang
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri–Sun 1000–1800; Thurs 1000–2200.
Admission: €6 (day-pass including Pergamonmuseum); €10 (three-day pass); concessions available.
Judische Museum (Jewish Museum)
The striking design of this Daniel Liebeskind-designed memorial to Jewish life in Berlin is based on a shattered Star of David. Even before the installation of the permanent exhibits – recalling the life and history of German Jews through the centuries – visitors came to experience the evocative spaces within this incredible structure.
Lindenstrasse 9–14
Tel: (030) 2599 3300. Fax: (030) 2599 3409.
E-mail: info@jmberlin.de
Website: www.jmberlin.de
Transport: U-Bahn Hallesches Tor or Kochstrasse; bus 129, 240 or 341.
Opening hours: Tues–Sun 1000–2000; Mon 1000–2200; closed on Jewish holidays.
Admission: €5 (concessions available).
Schloss Charlottenburg and museums
The Charlottenburg Palace was built in 1790, as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of King Frederick 11. Visits to the Old Palace are by guided tour only. Prices and hours vary for the New Wing, the Orangerie, the mausoleum and other parts of the complex. The museums and galleries that are in and around the palace include the Egyptian Museum, with its famous bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. The Berggruen Collection, opposite the palace, includes 64 artworks by Picasso, as well as a representative collection of his contemporaries.
Schloss Charlottenburg
Luisenplatz
Tel: (0331) 969 4202.
Website: www.spsg.de
Transport: U-Bahn Sophie-Charlotte-Platz or Richard-Wagner-Platz; bus 109, 110, 121, 126 or 145.
Opening hours: Tues–Fri 0900–1700, Sat and Sun 1000–1700, last tour at 1600 (Old Palace); Tues–Fri 1000–1800, Sat and Sun 1100–1800 (New Wing); grounds open daily 0600–2100 (summer); daily 0600–2000 (winter).
Admission: €8 (Old Palace); €5 (New Wing); concessions available
Sammlung Berggruen
Westlicher Stülerbau, Schlossstrasse 1
Tel: (030) 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502.
Website: www.spmk.de
Transport: U-Bahn Sophie-Charlotte-Platz or Richard-Wagner-Platz; bus 109, 145, 210 or X21.
Opening hours: Tues–Fri 1000–1800; Sat and Sun 1100–1800.
Admission €6; €10 (valid three days); concessions available.
Kulturforum (Cultural Forum)
Located in the west of the city, the Kulturforum is a cultural centre, grouping together all the museums that have European art as their chief focus, including a Musikinstrumentenmuseum (Musical Instrument Museum) and a new hall for chamber music. The opening of the Gemäldegalerie (Painting Gallery) in 1998 brought a stunning collection of 13th- to 18th-century paintings to the site. It joined the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Arts and Crafts Museum) and the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery). The latter, built to the designs of Mies van der Rohe, contains German Expressionist and Realist art, as well as other works of the 20th century. There is also a sculpture garden.
Philharmonie und Kammermusiksaal
Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1
Tel: (030) 254 880 or 2548 8156 or 2548 8999 (ticket hotline). Fax: (030) 261 4887.
Website: www.berlin-philharmonic.com
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 148, 200, 248, 341 or 348.
Opening hours: Shows generally Fri–Sun 1600 and 2000 (depending on programme); guided tours daily 1300.
Admission: From €7 (shows); €36 (guided tour in English).
Musikinstrumentenmuseum
Tiergartenstrasse 1
Tel: (030) 2548 1178.
E-mail: sim@sim.spk-berlin.de
Website: www.sim.spk-berlin.de
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 148, 200, 248, 341 or 348.
Opening hourse: Tues–Fri 0900–1700, Sat and Sun 1000–1700.
Admission: €3; free on first Sun of the month.
Gemäldegalerie
Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8
Tel: (030) 266 2010 or 2090 5555 (information). Fax: (030) 266 2103.
E-mail: gg@smb.spk-berlin.de
Website: www.smpk.de/gg
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 148, 248, 341 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues–Sun 1000–1800, Thurs 1000–2200.
Admission: €6 (concessions available).
Kunstgewerbemuseum
Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8
Tel: (030) 266 2002 or 2090 5555 (information). Fax: (030) 266 2959.
E-mail: kk@smb.spk-berlin.de
Website: www.smpk.de/kgm
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 200, 248, 341 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues–Fri 1000–1800, Sat and Sun 1100–1800.
Admission: €3 (concessions available).
Neue Nationalgalerie
Kulturforum, Potsdamer Strasse 50
Tel: (030) 2090 5566 or 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502.
Website: www.smpk.de/nng
Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 148, 200, 248, 341 or 348.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri 1000–1800, Thurs 1000–2200, Sat and Sun 1100–1800.
Admission: €6; special exhibitions cost extra; concessions available.
Centrum Judaicum – Neue Synagogue (Jewish Centre – New Synagogue)
The Neue Synagogue was completed in 1866. Its location in the heart of the Scheunenviertel (Berlin’s Jewish district) suffered serious bomb damage in 1943. Thanks to renovation in the mid-1990s, its Moorish dome can now be seen in its original glory. The synagogue houses a Jewish Centre, with an exhibition. The Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (Old Jewish Cemetery) is a short walk away, at Schönhauser Allee 23–25 (open Monday to Thursday 0800–1600 and Friday 0800–1300).
Oranienburger Strasse 28–30
Tel: (030) 880 28451 or 8802 8316. Fax: (030) 282 1176.
E-mail: office@cjudaicum.de
Website: www.cjudaicum.de
Transport: S-Bahn Hackescher Markt or Oranienburger Strasse; U-Bahn Oranienburger Tor; tram 1 or 13.
Opening hours: Sun–Thurs 1000–1800, Fri 1000–1400 (1 Sep–30 Apr); Mon and Sun 1000–2000, Tues–Thurs 1000–1800, Fri 1000–1700 (1 May–31 Aug); closed on Jewish holidays; guided tours Sun 1400 and 1600, Wed 1600.
Admission: €3 (concessions available).
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