DK Travel : Berlin : Places of interest

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Alexanderplatz

The vast, largely desolate square in the centre of East Berlin, called “Alex” by Berliners, was one of the most vibrant places in Berlin before World War II – and no doubt it will be again some day. Alfred Döblin beautifully captured the rhythm of the city in his world-famous novel Berlin Alexanderplatz . Not much remains today of the once frenzied atmosphere, although there is plenty of hustle and bustle around the Kaufhof Galleria department store (see Shops & Markets) .
Originally, Alex was a cattle and wool market. Not many of the prewar buildings survived – only Berolinahaus and Alexanderhaus, next to the historic S-Bahn station Alexanderplatz, remain, both dating back to 1929. The square was almost completely laid to waste in World War II, and most of the surrounding soulless tower blocks were built in the 1960s. There are now plans to build skyscrapers on Alexanderplatz.
Anhalter Bahnhof

Only pitiful fragments remain of the railway station that was once the largest in Europe. The giant structure was erected in 1880 by Franz Schwechten as a showcase station: official visitors to the Empire were meant to be impressed by the splendour and glory of the German capital as soon as they reached the railway station. In 1943 the station was badly damaged by bombs and in 1960 it was pulled down. The waste ground behind the façade was meant to become a park; today the Tempodrom is based here, hosting concerts and cabaret shows.
Berliner Fernsehturm

The 365-m (1,197-ft) high TV tower is the tallest building in Berlin, affording views of up to 40 km (25 miles) in good weather. There is a viewing platform at 203 m (666 ft). The Tele-Café above rotates once around its own axis every 30 minutes. The tower, visible from afar, was erected in 1965–9 by the East German government to signify the triumph of East Berlin, their “capital”.
Berliner Rathaus

Berlin’s proud town hall is the office of the Governing Mayor and is the political centre of power in Greater Berlin. The Rathaus was built in 1861–9, according to plans by Hermann Friedrich Waesemann on the site of an older town hall. It was designed to demonstrate the power and the glory of Berlin, and the architect took his inspiration for the new governmental building from Italian Renaissance palazzi .
The building is also known as the “Red Town Hall” – not a reminder of its Socialist past, but a reference to the red bricks from Brandenburg province from which it is built (see Historic Buildings) .

Heraldic animal at the Rathaus
blub-Badeparadies

After a long day, the ideal place for resting and reviving tired children’s feet and legs – and those of their parents – is a visit to the blub Swimming Paradise, one of Germany’s largest water parks with water slides, outdoor pool, saunas and children’s pool.
Brandenburger Hof

An elegant town hotel, based in a 19th-century manor house. The lobby is traditionally furnished and the rooms are in a sobre Bauhaus-style. The Michelin-starred Quadriga restaurant specializes in French cuisine.
Brandenburger Tor

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

Bertolt Brecht, one of the 20th century’s greatest playwrights, lived here with his wife, Helene Weigel, from 1953–6. Original furnishings are on display alongside documents and photographs. There is also an archive of his work.
Carillon

The carillon , officially dedicated in 1987, is the largest of its kind in Europe. The 68 bells are rung every day at noon and 6pm in the 42-m (138-ft) high black tower.
Checkpoint Charlie

The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, next to the former crossing point for the Alllied forces, has an exhibition on the history of the Berlin Wall and the various means people used in trying to escape from East to West Berlin, ranging from a hot-air balloon to a car with a false floor. Only a replica of the control hut remains of the former border.

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