Berlin It is one of the most visited capitals of Europe and although beforehand It does not shine like Paris or Vienna, the truth is that it is a beautiful city and has many attractions. It might not be the best destination to visit in winter if you don't like frost, but still, at this time of year, it's great.
Let's see then what's to visit in berlin.
Berlin
It is in the northeast of the country, is the city with the largest amount of population and dates from the first half of the XNUMXth century. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich, although its fate was a little sadder after the end of the Second War when it was divided after the division of the country into two republics.
As we said above The winter is very coldThere is hardly any sun in the afternoon, the days are short and there are constant rains and snowfalls with a cold wind coming down from Russia and making this season icy.
Berlin Tourism
can we talk about some iconic sites that in a first visit to Berlin cannot be missed. First is the Reichstag. This building is in the Tiergarten neighborhood and was the seat of the German Empire between the end of the XNUMXth century and the beginning of the XNUMXth. Then it was the weim parliamentar and since 1994 it is the headquarters every five years of the Federal Assembly chosen by the German president.
It was completed in 1894 and has a neo renaissance style. Its name does not mean anything other than parliament and it was built when the formation of the German Empire required a larger building to bring together all the representatives of the country.
En 1933, a month after Hitler was appointed chancellor, the Reichstag went up in flames with a fire that still has not been resolved today. After that a certain Nazi terror was unleashed, the derogation of civil rights and a wave of internal unrest that we already know how it culminated. After the end of the Second War, the building was in complete ruin and around it, improvised orchards had been planted that gave some food to the population.
Towards the mid-50s it was decided to rebuild the building in a flat, rigorous style, with straight lines and without much decoration. Today it can be visited and the visit must be registered online First. Guided tours can only be requested for the current month or the following two months.
La Brandenburg Gate It is our second visit. It is an iconic photograph and one of the historical structures that have survived time and that symbolizes the division of the country in times of the Cold War and yes, also the day of reunification. It is neoclassical y it was built between 1788 and 1791, designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, inspired by the Acropolis of Athens.
The door It is 26 meters high, 65.5 meters long and 11 meters wide with six Doric columns. In 1793 the gate won a quadriga, which was transported by Napoleon when he invaded the city in 1806. After his abdication the statue returned to Berlin and to the gate, to remain on the Soviet side after 1946. People celebrated the New Year of 1989, with the Fall of the Wall, here same. The Branderburg Gate never closes but a good idea is to visit it when it is hosting an event. Don't miss a visit to the Branderburg Gate Museum.
La Berlin TV Tower, also called the Fernsehturm, dominates the city's skyline with Meters 368 and it was built in the '60s. During your visit you can enjoy a panoramic view beautiful from up there. With the city's tourist card, the Berlin Welcome Card, you have a 25% discount. To take advantage of!
Tower is on Alexanderplatz and holds the title of being the tallest building in Europe open to the general public. It was built in just four years, to be inaugurated in October 1969. It was designed by Hermann Henselmann. After the unification of the two Germany, the tower was no longer a symbol of East Germany and was completely integrated into Berlin. Today it receives one million visitors per year from 86 countries.
The observation deck of the Berlin TV Tower is 200 meters high and has a revolving bar and restaurant. If you plan to go to this restaurant, it is best to book online. The elevator goes up in just 40 seconds and after the hearing you can always stop by the gift shop and pick up a souvenir. The tower is open from March to October from 9 am to midnight and from November to December from 10 am to midnight as well.
This tower is followed by Gendarmenmarkt, a square that is close to Friedrichstrasse and that concentrates three wonderful buildings of the city: the concert hall and the French and German cathedrals, the Deutscher Dom and the Französischer Dom. They are not two churches, but towers. One of them houses the Huguenot Museum and the other a permanent exhibition of parliamentary history. Many say that It is the most beautiful square in Europe and without a doubt in summer it is a place to stay for a long time.
After the war the square was in ruins but in the 70s the Berlin government rebuilt and remodeled it with the name of Platz der Akademie. The name Gendarmenmarkt, has it since the reunification in 1991. If you go in summer the square hosts the Classic Open Air, wonderful concerts, and if you go in winter it hosts the Christmas market.
Berlin Cathedral dates from the late XNUMXth century and it is the most important Protestant church in the city. It is not properly a cathedral but a parish church. It was the church of the Hohenzollern dynasty, German and Prussian emperors and already in the same place there was an example centuries before. Obviously the church suffered a lot from the bombings of the Second War but it was completely restored 44 years ago.
Church can be visited and there are guided tours every 20 minutes: the main nave, the Marriage Chapel, the Hohenzollern Crypt with 100 sarcophagi from five centuries, the museum with the history of the building, the imperial staircase that climbs 270 steps to the top of the dome to see the city at your feet.
Nor can the visits to the Charlottenburg PalaceOutside the city center, but with collections of Chinese paintings and porcelain that are a beauty, in the middle of gardens that are no less and with interesting museums. And speaking of museums is The Museum Island, a World Heritage site according to UNESCO and headquarters of the Altes Museum, New Museum, Bode Museum, Pergamon Museum and Old National Gallery. More than six thousand years of history are concentrated here and for the visit it is convenient to have the Berlin Welcome Card at hand.
Finally, you cannot leave Berlin without visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Center. Today, as the world continues to build walls, we must not miss the opportunity to revive this, which is the most famous wall in recent history. Located between the Wedding and Mitte districts, on Bernauer Street, it has a segment of the original wall and observation towers that allow to recreate in a certain way that world with internal borders.
And as a souvenir you can always visit Potsdamer Platz and Kurfürstendamm, one of the most exclusive places to shop or, if you go with children, visit the Berlin Zoo, the oldest in the country.