Berlin: Germany

Berlin: Germany
Berlin (pronounced: [bÉœ(r)ˈlɪn], German [bÉ›É?ˈliË?n]) is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,387,404 inhabitants (as of September 2004); down from 4.5 million before World War II. It is also the second-largest city in the European Union after London. From 1949 to 1990 it was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin.
Berlin is located on the rivers Spree and Havel in the northeast of Germany. It is enclosed by the German state (Bundesland) of Brandenburg, and constitutes a state of its own.
Tourist attractions
Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
Even though Berlin does have a number of impressive buildings from earlier centuries, the city’s appearance today is mainly shaped by the key role it played in Germany’s history in the 20th century. Each of the national governments which had their seat in Berlin — the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany — initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character. Berlin was devastated by bombing raids during World War II, and many of the old buildings that escaped the bombs were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both West and East. Much of this destruction was caused by overambitious architecture programs, especially in order to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. It would not be an exaggeration to say that no other city in the world offers Berlin’s unusual mix of architecture, especially 20th century architecture. The city’s tense and unique recent history has left it with a distinctive array of sights.
Not much is left of the actual Berlin Wall. The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain near the Oberbaumbrücke over the Spree preserves a portion of the Wall. By looking at the architecture it is still possible to tell if one is in the former eastern or western part of the city. In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools. Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions received an opt-out during the standardisation of road traffic signs after re-unification, and survived to become a popular icon in tourist products.
Sights of modern Berlin
Potsdamer Platz, an entire quarter built from scratch after 1995. The historic Potsdamer Platz was not rebuilt as it was divided by the Wall. A must-see for people who like modern city planning.
Hackescher Markt, Spandauer Vorstadt and Scheunenviertel, the home to fashionable culture, with countless small clothing shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the New Synagogue area in
Oranienburger Straße (originally built in the 1860s in Moorish style with a large golden dome, and reconstructed in 1993), and the Hackesche Höfe, a conglomeration of several buildings around several courtyards, nicely reconstructed after 1996. This area was a centre of Jewish culture up until the 1930s.
Panoramic viewing points
The Berlin Television Tower
Berliner Funkturm— the only observation tower in the world which stands on insulators. Its open air observation deck is popular for photography.
Berlin Television Tower [1] — 368 metre high television tower, built in 1969 close to Alexanderplatz. The entire city can be viewed from its 204-metre high observation platform.
Grunewaldturm [2] — this 59-metre high historic tower stands on a hill in the Grunewald forest close to the Wannsee lake.
Französischer Dom [3] — located on Gendarmenmarkt in the very heart of the city, the platform of the cathedral offers unique views.
Bierpinsel — Literally “Beer Stick�. 1970s style tower in the Berlin Borough of Steglitz with a café and bar at the top giving views over southwestern Berlin.
Restaurant of Forum Hotel Berlin
Berliner Dom [4] — Protestant cathedral situated next to the Lustgarten, with a circular observation platform around the dome.
Bell tower at the Olympic Stadium [5] — part of the Reichssportfeld complex, the tower offers a view of the Olympic Stadium and also of the Waldbühne, an open-air stage.
Siegessäule [6] — the monument at the Großer Stern situated in the middle of the Tiergarten Park where it was relocated in 1938–39 from its previous position in front of the Reichstag.
Müggelturm — A tower giving panoramic views over the Müggelsee lake.
Further interesting structures (not accessible to public)
Fernmeldeturm Berlin (Berlin Telephone Tower)
Richtfunkstelle Berlin-Frohnau
Transmitter Berlin-Britz
Radio mast Berlin-Scholzplatz
Transmitter Berlin-Alley of Stallupone
Radio mast Berlin-Olympiastadium
Radar facility Berlin-Teufelsberg
TV Tower Berlin-Mueggelberge
Power station Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Power station Reutter
Famous streets and boulevards
Tiergarten flea market
Unter den Linden is the street that heads east from the Brandenburg Gate. Many Classical buildings line the street. Part of Humboldt University is located there.
Friedrichstraße, Berlin’s legendary street of the “Golden Twenties� which combines the tradition of the last century with modern architecture of today’s Berlin.
Kurfürstendamm (Ku’damm), with the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), which lies right at the top end of Kurfürstendamm, on Breitscheidplatz (underground station Kurfürstendamm). The church was bombed out in World War II and its ruins have been preserved in their damaged state. Also nearby is the Zoologischer Garten, a zoo with a large number of species.
The Straße des 17. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate in the East and Ernst-Reuter-Platz in the West, commemorating the uprisings in East Berlin of June 17, 1953. It features the golden Siegessäule (Statue of Victory), which used to stand in front of the Reichstag.
The Karl-Marx-Allee (formerly Stalinalle), a boulevard lined by monumental landmark buildings designed in the Socialist Classicism of the Stalin era. It is located in Friedrichshain and Mitte.