Berlin is the capital city of Germany which is famous for the Berlin Wall. Here are a few other famous Berlin Landmarks;
- Brandenburg Gate
- Berlin Wall
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Reichstag Building
- Berlin Cathedral
- Pergamon Museum
- Charlottenburg Palace
- Bellevue Palace
- Berlin TV Tower
- Tempelhof Airport
- FC Union Berlin
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most iconic landmark to visit in Berlin as well as Germany. These are effectively the city gates of Berlin, you’ll have probably seen these during the new years celebrations of Germany or World Cup Celebrations. Additionally, U2 performed a legendary concert here.
Adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate is the Hotel Adlon. Not only is this one of the best hotels in Berlin but it’s also the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby, Blanket, from the balcony. Moreover, the Liam Neeson movie ‘Unknown’ was filmed in the Hotel Adlon.
Believe it or not, the Berlin wall still exists, at least 1.4km of it does anyway. It’s referred to as the Berlin Wall Memorial and its purpose is to remind us of the East / West Germany period. Adjacent to the remaining wall is Memorial Park. Despite this wall being destroyed, there is a huge wall being constructed between Israel and Palestine. As a matter fact, I visited the Israeli West Bank barrier in Bethlehem.
East Side Gallery
Known as an open air gallery in Berlin, the East Side Gallery features murals painted on the Berlin Wall. As with all artwork inspired by war and politics, it’s rather interesting. Furthermore, the murals are periodically changed therefore each time you visit it’s likely to be a different gallery. I found a former Sniper Tower in Mostar Bosnia which featured some interesting war inspired street art.
When Berlin was split into East Berlin and West Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie was the main border crossing. Nowadays, of course you can travel freely around Europe without borders but it wasn’t always that way. To get an idea of how strict the border was, as well as the huge lines there everyday, I recommend you watch the Tom Hanks movie, Bridge of Spies.
For me, the Reichstag building is the most beautiful of all the Berlin landmarks. Reichstag is German for the Imperial Diet, and this was the building of the imperial diet from when it was built in 1894. In was severely damaged in 1933, then more so in 1945 from bombings during the second world war. By 1999 the Reichstag building had been restored to its former glory and today, it’s possible to visit inside the building as well as go inside the rooftop dome. Finally, the dome offers wonderful panoramic views of the city, both day and night!
Berlin Cathedral is part of the famous Museum Island of Berlin. It was built at the start of the 20th century and as you’d imagine, it was severely damaged during World War II. If you go inside, be sure to check out the impressive organ which survived the bombing. I photographed Berlin Cathedral from the park in front of it. Alternatively, you can photograph it from the other side of the River Spree. As a result, you can make an immaculate reflection photograph of it.
The Pergamon Museum is the most popular in Berlin and it’s located on the picturesque Museum Island. Not only is it a fascinating museum but it’s located in a majestic building on the banks of the River Spree. If you’re in Berlin to visit museums I recommend the 3 day – 30 museums pass.
Bellevue Palace is the residence of the President of Germany. It’s an 18th century Neoclassical style building therefore one of the more majestic Berlin landmarks.
Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin. It is in fact, a 17th century Baroque style royal palace. What makes this palace special is the huge dome structure rising from the center. Finally, if you explore the interior, be sure to visit the Amber Room which is a top Instagram spot in Berlin.
Historically, the Berlin Wall split the Potsdamer Platz and it was no mans land. However, since reunification it has become a popular square surrounded by restaurants, malls as well as bars. In addition, this is a popular spot on the Hop on Hop off bus route.
The Berlin TV Tower was built in East Berlin to represent the power and prosperity of East Germany. Imagine looking over the wall from the west to see this? Nowadays, the TV tower is the best place for an aerial view over Berlin. What’s more there’s a bar and restaurant at the top. If you plan to visit, I recommend you buy an advance skip the line ticket as it’s a popular attraction. Did you know there is a similar TV Tower in Tallinn, Estonia?
Gendarmenmarkt is surrounded by majestic buildings on all sides. For this reason, it’s a central square full of Berlin landmarks. Landmarks which surround Gendarmenmarkt are the German Church, French Church as well as the Konzerthaus. Lastly, in the center of the square is a statue of German poet, Friedrich Schiller.
Today, Hertha Berlin play their home games at Olympiastadion. However, there is much more to the Olympiastadion than Hertha Berlin. This is the host stadium of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. As a result, there are many rare examples of Nazi architecture. In addition, the stadium hosted the 2006 World Cup final with the famous Zidane headbutt. Probably more impressive is that this is the venue where Usain Bolt broke both the 100m and 200m world records. Read more about the Olympiastadion on my travel blog.
Tempelhof Airport is perhaps the most complete example of Nazi architecture. As a matter of fact, the airport is often referred to as Hitler’s airport. Now an abandoned airport, you can visit as part of a guided tour. Alternatively, you can visit the runways as it’s now part of Berlin’s largest park. See more pictures from inside Hitler’s abandoned airport on my travel blog.
FC Union Berlin
Have you heard of FC Union Berlin? I certainly hadn’t until I looked at the Bundesliga fixtures. FC Union are in fact a historic East Berlin team. To my surprize, the matchday atmosphere is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. Read about my FC Union Berlin matchday experience on my travel blog.
How to get from Berlin to Munich
Flixbus from Berlin to Munich
The Flixbus from Berlin to Munich is very cheap with decent sized seats, free WiFi as well as phone chargers. As a result, it’s not too important that the journey takes 7 hours. For the price difference between Flixbus and the train, Flixbus is the best option. You can reach the bus station by the Berlin metro system.