Berlin can be a sightseeing nightmare – the vast sprawl that is the city has no definite centre and pockets of attractions are dotted all over. That said, the state museums are grouped in clusters – on the Museumsinsel, at the Kulturforum, in and around Schloss Charlottenberg and in the southwestern suburb of Dahlem. There are also a large number of attractions either at Potsdamer Platz or within walking distance of this, including the Kulturforum to the southwest. To the north lie the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and the Reichstag, sporting Lord Foster’s new glass dome. The Brandenburg Gate is situated on Berlin’s main east–west axis. To the west lies the Siegessäule (Victory Column), which provides a view over the surrounding Tiergarten and the Western city centre, to the southwest of the column.
West Berlin’s centre has less to offer and is better for shopping and nightlife than for sightseeing. Nevertheless visitors should take a look at the broken shard of a church, the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, which serves as a brutal reminder of World War II. The nearby Zoo and Aquarium also provide a happy distraction.
The densest array of sights lies to the east of the Brandenburg Gate, on either side of Unter den Linden, lined with many 18th- and 19th-century buildings. At its end are the artistic and architectural treasures of the Museumsinsel, where the city’s main cathedral, the Berliner Dom, can be found. Further on is the Communist-era Fernsehturm (television tower), on Alexanderplatz, which marked the centre of East Berlin. |