CENTRAL BERLIN: UNTER DEN LINDEN

The boulevard of Unter den Linden is the heart of historic Mitte. Many of Berlin’s sights are set along this avenue and around Bebelplatz, creating a picture of Prussian and German history from the early 18th century onwards. To the south is the Neo-Classical Gendarmenmarkt, one of Europe’s most attractive squares; around it are elegant restaurants and cafés. Nearby Friedrichstraße is lined with luxury stores and modern offices and apartments.

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Statue, Unter den Linden

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1. Brandenburger Tor

prac_info Pariser Platz

Berlin’s best-known landmark on Pariser Platz leads through to Unter den Linden (see Brandenburger Tor and Pariser Platz).

2. Humboldt-Forum

prac_info Unter den Linden 3 • www.humboldtforum.com

Designed by Franco Stella and in development since 2002, the Humboldt-Forum is scheduled to replace the Humboldt-Box in late 2019. The Forum’s permanent exhibitions will form a unique collection of objects and artworks. It will also house Humboldt University’s laboratory and an exhibition on Berlin.

3. Forum Fridericianum

prac_info Unter den Linden and Bebelplatz

The historic structures of this complex are among some of the city’s finest. In 1740, Frederick the Great commissioned architect von Knobelsdorff to design and construct the prestigious Neo-Classical buildings for the area around today’s Bebelplatz. Frederick personally influenced their designs of Deutsche Staatsoper, Prinz-Heinrich-Palais, Alte Bibliothek and the Catholic St Hedwigskathedrale, and later the Humboldt University. The opera house was the first to be built. A memorial set into the ground in 1995 at Bebelplatz recalls its dark past – in 1933, it was the site of the Nazi book burning. Frederick’s successors commissioned the Altes Palais and a statue of “Old Fritz”, surrounded by “his” buildings. Christian Daniel Rauch created the bronze figure in 1840, portraying Frederick wearing his trademark tricorn hat and coronation mantle. The statue has always faced west but wags claim that the East German government mistakenly placed the figure the wrong way around.

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The historical Alte Bibliothek

4. Museumsinsel

prac_info Pergamonmuseum: Bodestr. 1–3; (030) 266 424 242; open 10am–6pm daily (until 8pm Thu); adm • Alte Nationalgalerie: Bodestr. 1–3; (030) 266 424 242; open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun (until 8pm Thu); adm • www.smb.museum

Museum Island (see Museumsinsel), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most significant complexes of museums in the world, holding major arts collections and imposing, full-scale ancient structures. Based here are the Pergamonmuseum, the Bode-Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Altes and Neues Museums, including the famous Ägyptisches Museum.

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Museumsinsel’s Bode-Museum, with the Fernsehturm in the background

5. Gendarmenmarkt

prac_info Mitte • Konzerthaus: Gendarmenmarkt 2; (030) 203 092 101; open Apr–Oct: 11am–6pm; tours 3:30pm Mon–Fri, 1pm Sun; en.konzerthaus.de

This square, whose strict layout is reminiscent of an Italian Renaissance piazza, is probably the most beautiful in Berlin. Named after a regiment of gens d’armes stationed nearby, Gendarmenmarkt was built at the end of the 17th century as a market square. The Schauspielhaus (theatre) on the west side of the square was reopened as the Konzerthaus (concert hall) in 1984. A statue of the playwright Friedrich Schiller stands in front of the building. To the left and right of the Konzerthaus stand the twin towers of the Deutscher and Französischer Doms (German and French cathedrals), dating back to the late 18th century. Französischer Dom, to its north, is a prestigious late Baroque building; concealed behind it is the French Friedrichstadtkirche, a church serving Berlin’s Huguenot community. The Deutscher Dom opposite, built in 1708 on the south side of the square for the Reformed Protestant Church, did not receive its first tower until 1785. An exhibition on democracy in Germany is on display here.

6. Friedrichstraße

prac_info Mitte

Friedrichstraße has regained some of the glamour and vibrancy it possessed before World War II. Today, Berlin’s Fifth Avenue once again boasts elegant shops and upmarket restaurants and cafés. Especially worth visiting are the three Quartiers 205, 206 and 207 (the latter designed by architect Jean Nouvel) within the Friedrichstadtpassagen, containing the Galeries Lafayette store (see Friedrichstraße) and Art and Fashion House Quartier 206. At the northern end of the street is the famous Dussmann store (books, music, events), S-Bahn station Friedrichstraße and the former entertainment district, which includes the Friedrichstadt-Palast and the impressive Admiralspalast.

7. Holocaust-Denkmal

prac_info Ebertstr. • (06) 26 39 43 36 • Information Centre: open 10am–8pm Tue–Sun (Oct–Mar: until 7pm) • www.stiftung-denkmal.de

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe serves as Germany’s national Holocaust memorial (see Holocaust-Denkmal). After years of debate, US star architect Peter Eisenman completed the monument in 2005. It consists of a large field with dark grey steles of varying heights up to 2 m (6 ft) high, which symbolize the six million Jews and others murdered by the Nazis in their concentration camps between 1933 and 1945. Below the memorial, an information centre explains the causes and history of the genocide.

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Concrete steles, Holocaust-Denkmal

8. Wilhelmstraße

prac_info Between Unter den Linden and Leipziger Str.

In imperial Berlin, the centre of the German Empire’s governmental power was based in Wilhelmstraße. Around 100 years later, nothing remains of the prestigious historic buildings which represented the equivalent of No. 10 Downing Street in London or Quai d’Orsay in Paris. All political decisions were made at Wilhelmstraße: both Chancellor (at No. 77) and President (No. 73) of the German Reich lived here in old town houses. Their gardens became known as “ministerial gardens”. Adolf Hitler had the street systematically developed into the nerve centre of Nazi power. The Neue Reichskanzlei (the Chancellor’s office) was built in 1937–9 to plans by Albert Speer, at the corner of Vossstraße and Wilhelmstraße. It was blown up in 1945. Behind the Reichskanzlei was the so-called “Führerbunker” where Adolf Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945. It is now a car park. Of the historic buildings, only the former Ministry of Aviation (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) remains. Today, Wilhelmstraße is lined by modern residential and office buildings; the British Embassy, built in 2000 by Michael Wilford, creates a link with the international importance of this street.

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British Embassy, Wilhelmstraße

9. Schlossplatz

prac_info Mitte

Today Schlossplatz seems deserted, but once the Stadtschloss (town residence) of the Hohenzollerns stood here. It was blown up by the East German government in 1950–51, and today just a few historic fragments of the original can be seen. Remains include the façade of the doorway where Karl Liebknecht supposedly proclaimed the Socialist Republic in 1918. The portal has been incorporated into the former Staatsratsgebäude (State Council Building) on the south side of the square. On its eastern side, the square used to be bordered by the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), the former seat of the East German parliament demolished in 2008. The Humboldt-Forum cultural centre (see Schlossplatz) is scheduled to open in late 2019 and will be set in the reconstructed Berlin Palace. It will have a façade reminiscent of the old Hohenzollern Palace, a library and the non-European collections (see Schloss Glienicke) of the former Dahlem Museums (of Asian Art and of Ethnology).

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Staatsratsgebäude, Schlossplatz

10. Museum für Kommunikation

prac_info Leipziger Str. 16 • (030) 20 29 40 • Open 9am–5pm Tue–Fri (until 8pm Tue), 10am–6pm Sat & Sun • Adm • www.mfk-berlin.de

The world’s largest Post Office Museum opened in 1872. Its excellent displays document the history of communication from the first postage stamps of the Middle Ages to today’s satellite technology. Particularly worth seeing are a blue and a red stamp from Mauritius, one of the first telephone installations (dating back to 1863) and three talking robots who interact with the visitors. Younger visitors always enjoy the Computer-galerie, where they can learn and gain new insights while playing.

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Historic letterbox

FREDERICK AS ARCHITECT

Forum Fridericianum was not only Frederick the Great’s memorial to himself, it also ensured that Unter den Linden became one of the greatest boulevards in Europe. The king, who favoured a Neo-Classical style, himself drew up plans for the buildings, and Knobelsdorff executed his ideas.

THE HUGUENOTS IN BERLIN

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In 1685, the Great Elector issued the famous Edict of Potsdam, granting asylum in Berlin to around 20,000 Huguenots, who were persecuted in their native France because of their Protestant faith. Skilled academics and craftsmen, they moulded Berlin’s social and cultural life and enriched it with the French art of living. Today, the city’s French community still worships at the Friedrichstadtkirche, part of the Französischer Dom complex.

NAZI ARCHITECTURE

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One of few surviving examples of the monumental architectural style favoured by the Nazis is the former Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Ministry of Aviation), commissioned by Hermann Göring in 1935–6 from Ernst Sagebiel. The sandstone office block was the world’s largest and most modern, strengthened by steel girders against attack. After reunification, the Treuhandanstalt (privatisation agency) was based here; today it houses the Federal Ministry of Finance.

HISTORIC MITTE WALK

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MORNING

Turn back the clock on Wilhelmstraße, Berlin’s political nerve centre until 1945. Starting at Hotel Adlon Kempinski, head south past the bold modern British Embassy. Turn right at Behrensstraße to visit the Holocaust-Denkmal, then carry on along Wilhelmstraße, where signs point out the old ministries. The Prussian State Council was in the Neo-Classical building at No. 54; its last president was Konrad Adenauer, who became West Germany’s first chancellor. At the corner of Vossstraße were Hitler’s main offices in the Neue Reichskanzlei. Continue down to No. 97 on the right, the giant structure of the former Ministry of Aviation. Today the Federal Ministry of Finance is based here. Retrace your steps north, turn right into Mohrenstraße then left into Friedrichstraße. Head to Galeries Lafayette, whose gourmet food department is perfect for a snack lunch.

AFTERNOON

After lunch, indulge in a spot of shopping at Galeries Lafayette and at concept store The Corner just down the street. Then head to the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square nearby. Take some time to admire its Konzerthaus and the imposing Deutscher and Französischer Dome. The latter holds regular classical music concerts – check their website for the schedule. Round off your day with a meal at the gourmet Italian restaurant Malatesta nearby on Charlottenstraße.

A DAY OF CULTURE

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MORNING

Start your stroll on Unter den Linden, which begins in front of the Brandenburger Tor on Pariser Platz. This was Berlin’s prestigious royal avenue, and the rich and famous still promenade here today. For breakfast, pop into Café Einstein. Afterwards continue east along the boulevard; you will pass the KunstHalle, a gallery of contemporary art run by Deutsche Bank. From here you can already see the 13.5-m (44-ft) high equestrian statue of Frederick the Great at Forum Fridericianum. This area and the nearby Bebelplatz are right in the centre of old Berlin, with the Staatsoper, Altes Palais, St Hedwigskathedrale and Humboldt-Universität around them. Stop for an early lunch at the pleasant museum café of the Zeughaus.

AFTERNOON

In the early afternoon continue east along Unter den Linden. At the end of the street lies the Museumsinsel. Cross over on the Schloßbrücke to explore the wealth of treasures in the island’s museums. Then, if you still have the time and energy, visit the Berliner Dom. Opposite the cathedral you will see Schlossplatz, with the Humboldt-Forum. Round off your day in Mitte with a delicious evening meal at the French brasserie Dressler Unter den Linden. To get there, retrace your steps to return along Unter den Linden in a westerly direction.

The Best of the Rest

1. DDR Museum

prac_info Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1 • www.ddr-museum.de/en

This museum of everyday life in East Germany recreates socialistera interiors and displays examples of East German design, including a Trabant car visitors can sit in.

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Trabant at the DDR Museum

2. Staatsbibliothek Unter den Linden

prac_info Unter den Linden 8 • (030) 26 60 • staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/en/

The lovely reading rooms of this Neo-Baroque library contain many books and manuscripts that are of worldwide importance (see Staatsbibliothek).

3. WMF-Haus

prac_info Leipziger Str., corner Mauerstr.

The former headquarters of the porcelain and cutlery manufacturer WMF has remarkable façades decorated with beautiful mosaics.

4. Alte Kommandantur

prac_info Unter den Linden 1

Rebuilt with the original Classicist façade, this impressive building houses the Berlin offices of the media giant Bertelsmann.

5. Maxim-Gorki-Theater

prac_info Am Festungsgraben 2 • www.gorki.de

This renowned theatre was once Berlin’s Singakademie, or singing school. Paganini and Liszt, among others, performed here.

6. S-Bahnhof Friedrichstraße

prac_info Friedrichstr.

Remodelled several times, this has always been one of Berlin’s most famous stations. Between 1961 and 1989, it was the principal crossing point between East and West.

7. Komische Oper

prac_info Behrenstr. 55–57 • english.komische-oper-berlin.de

One of Germany’s most magnificent opera houses, dating from 1892, is concealed behind a modern façade. All performances are in German.

8. Palais am Festungsgraben

prac_info Am Festungsgraben 1 • (030) 208 40 00

The 1753 Baroque palace has retained its original elegant interior and magnificent ceiling frescoes.

9. Admiralspalast

prac_info Friedrichstr. 101 • www.mehr.de

Berlin’s most legendary venue, dating from the 1920s, stages musicals and comedy shows.

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Façade of the Admiralspalast

10. Dalí Museum

prac_info Leipziger Platz 7 • (0700) 32 54 23 75 • www.daliberlin.de

A rotating exhibition of some 400 works by the 20th-century Surrealist, including drawings, lithographs, etchings, paintings, sculptures and other three-dimensional works.

Shops

1. Galeries Lafayette

prac_info Friedrichstr. 76–78 • (030) 20 94 80 • Open 10am–8pm Mon–Sat

Located within Quartier 207, this is the only German branch of the luxury French store (see Galeries Lafayette). Here you will find elegant fashion, and gourmet foods on the lower level.

2. The Corner

prac_info Französiche Straße 40 • (030) 20 67 09 50

This trendy concept store offers newcomer fashion and luxury labels such as Christian Louboutin and Stella McCartney.

3. Mall of Berlin

prac_info Leipziger Platz 12 • (030) 20 62 17 70

The Mall of Berlin occupies an entire block and connects Leipziger Straße and Wilhelmstraße with a passage. There are 270 shops and restaurants in this temple of retail commerce.

4. Bucherer

prac_info Friedrichstr. 176–179 • (030) 204 10 49

A luxury outlet selling quality watches and jewellery.

5. Escada

prac_info Friedrichstr. 176–179 • (030) 238 64 04

Stylish fashion and accessories label for women, boasting a fantastic selection of luxurious materials.

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Interior of an Escada store

6. Stiche Düssel

prac_info Charlottenstraße 53/54 • (030) 20 16 56 66

Visitors can rifle through a vast collection of over 10,000 antique prints from the 16th to the 19th century, including cityscapes, maps from all over the world, and decorative engravings.

7. Kulturkaufhaus Dussmann

prac_info Friedrichstr. 90 • (030) 20 25 11 11

A mecca for culture junkies, this store offers books, movies, computer games, sheet music and a large section of classical music. It is open until midnight on weekdays.

8. Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt

prac_info Französische Str. 24 • (030) 20 09 50 80

The chocolate-maker’s flagship store has fun merchandise, a chocolate-themed exhibition and workshops.

9. Fassbender & Rausch

prac_info Charlottenstr. 60 • (030) 20 45 84 43

Giant chocolate sculptures of the Reichstag and Brandenburger Tor adorn the windows and tempt visitors into this shop. There is also a café on the upper floor where you can try some of the store’s creations.

10. Jack Wolfskin

prac_info Behrenstr. 23/corner of Friedrichstr. • (030) 20 64 80 70

Make sure you stock up on apparel, equipment and footwear before setting out on any outdoor activities at this branch of Germany’s famous outfitter.

Pubs and Bars

1. Newton Bar

prac_info Charlottenstr. 57 • (030) 20 29 54 21 • Open 10am–3am daily (until 4am Fri & Sat)

One of the trendiest bars in town. Sink into the deep leather armchairs and sip your cocktails, surrounded by enlarged photographs of nudes by Helmut Newton.

2. La Banca Bar

prac_info Behrenstr. 37 • (030) 460 60 90 • Open noon–11pm daily

The stylish bar in Hotel de Rome prides itself on an inventive cocktail list. Enjoy authentic Italian food in the relaxed ambience on the terrace.

3. Zosch

prac_info Tucholskystrasse 30 • (030) 280 76 64 • Open 4pm–2am Mon–Sat

One of the last authentic pubs in the Mitte district, Zosch has an unpolished charm. Concerts hosted in the brick vaulted cellar range from folk to jazz music.

4. Sra Bua Bar

prac_info Behrenstr. 72 • (030) 22 61 19 59 • Open 8pm–1am daily

At the back of Hotel Adlon Kempinski, this elegant bar specializes in Asian cocktails and creative cuisine by the team of star chef Tim Raue.

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Wooden interiors of Sra Bua Bar

5. Café LebensArt

prac_info Unter den Linden 69A • (030) 44 72 19 30 • Open 9am–11pm Sun–Thu, 9am–midnight Fri & Sat

A café rather than a bar, LebensArt offers breakfast and afternoon cakes. This is one of the few places open at night on Unter den Linden.

6. Café Einstein

prac_info Unter den Linden 42 • (030) 204 36 32 • Open 7am–10pm daily

This small and cosy branch of the café serves excellent wines and remarkable Austrian specialities.

7. Ständige Vertretung

prac_info Schiffbauerdamm 8 • (030) 282 39 65 • Open 10:30am–1am daily

The name harks back to the permanent West German representation in East Berlin. Ständige Vertretung is famous for its Rhine specialities, such as Kölsch beer.

8. Café Nö

prac_info Glinkastr. 23 • (030) 201 08 71 • Open noon–1am Mon–Fri, 7pm–1am Sat

Enjoy Mediterranean flavours combined with German classic dishes at this charming wine bar and restaurant.

9. Brauhaus Lemke

prac_info Dircksenstr. S-Bahn arch No. 143 • (030) 24 72 87 27 • Open noon–midnight daily

Berlin's first craft brewery, this pub has a relaxed ambience and a variety of beer.

10. Windhorst

prac_info Dorotheenstr. 65 • (030) 20 45 00 70 • Open from 6pm Mon–Fri, from 9pm Sat

Sophisticated jazz bar with bartenders whipping up your cocktail of choice.

Restaurants

1. Refugium

prac_info Gendarmenmarkt 5 • (030) 229 16 61 • Open noon–11pm daily (winter: from 5pm Mon–Fri) • €€

A cosy cellar restaurant next to the French cathedral, Refugium serves international and German dishes.

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Atmospheric interiors of Refugium

2. Chipps

prac_info Jägerstr. 35 • (030) 36 44 45 88 • Open 9am–late Mon–Sat (until 5pm Sun) • €€

Possibly the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Berlin. Organic dishes focus on variations of Asian chipps (potato pancakes) and rice rolls.

3. Bocca di Bacco

prac_info Friedrichstr. 167–8 • (030) 20 67 28 28 • Open noon–midnight Mon–Sat, 6pm–midnight Sun • €€€

A sophisticated Italian diner, Bocca di Bacco offers a wide range of fresh fish and meat dishes. Their homemade pasta lunches are especially popular.

4. Grill Royal

prac_info Friedrichstr. 105b • (030) 28 87 92 88 • Open 6pm–midnight daily • €€

Steak-lovers can choose from a range of cuts from around the world.

5. Tausend Cantina

prac_info Schiffbauerdamm 11 • (030) 27 58 20 70 • Open 7:30pm–late Tue–Sat • €€

Top-notch Asian and Ibero-American cuisine by celebrated chef Duc Ngo, a Berliner with Vietnamese roots.

6. Dressler Unter den Linden

prac_info Unter den Linden 39 • (030) 204 44 22 • Open 8am–1am daily • €€

In season, this French brasserie, decorated in Art Deco style, is excellent for oysters. Try their inexpensive three-course set menu.

7. Borchardt

prac_info Französische Str. 47 • (030) 81 88 62 62 • Open 11:30am–midnight daily • €€€

This beautiful high-ceilinged restaurant (see Berghain) has a nice courtyard. Try the tender weiner schnitzel.

8. Cookies Cream

prac_info Behrenstr. 55 • (030) 27 49 29 40 • Open 6pm–midnight Mon–Sat • €€

The only vegetarian restaurant with a Michelin star in Germany, Cookies Cream is a popular choice.

9. Malatesta

prac_info Charlottenstr. 59 • (030) 20 94 50 71 • Open 10am–midnight daily • €€

Gourmet Italian food served in stylish, minimalist surroundings.

10. Aigner

prac_info Französische Str. 25 • (030) 203 751 850 • Open noon–2am daily • €€

Original Viennese restaurant serving typically Austrian food.

PRICE CATEGORIES

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and charges included.


under €30 €€ €30–60 €€€ over €60

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