Berlin. Day 1Author: visitberlin.de - 28 november 2018 year

Don't miss any top sights.

Are you in Berlin for the first time and don’t want to miss out on any of the highlights in this exciting city? Be guided through a sightseeing tour of Mitte. With our programme, you won’t miss out on any top sights during your first visit to Berlin.

Day 1 in Mitte: from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate.

by — visitberlin.de

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A. AlexanderplatzAlexanderplatz

GPS: 52.521474, 13.413429

Start your first day in Berlin at the World Clock at Alexanderplatz.

Alexanderplatz has always been one of the liveliest places in Berlin, with shops, cinemas, restaurants, and many attractions within walking distance.

Alexanderplatz in Mitte is one of the best-known public squares in Berlin — and it’s certainly the biggest. Named

after Tsar Alexander I, who visited the Prussian capital in 1805, most people simply call it Alex. 

Alexanderplatz is Berlin’s eastern centre and is an important transport junction — for the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, regional trains, trams and buses. It also has a great many great tourist attractions within walking distance, making it the ideal starting point for a sightseeing tour of Berlin.

B. TV TowerPanoramastraße 1A

GPS: 52.520756, 13.409628

Let the surrounding buildings take you back in time to the GDR of the 1970s, watch the lively goings-on as people pass by and look up across the S-Bahn railway tracks at the TV Tower, the first highlight on the tour. From the top you’ll have a phenomenal view over the whole city, and with the Berlin WelcomeCard you can enjoy a discount on the admission price to the tower.

Eat up the view while enjoying breakfast or brunch at the restaurant sphere that rotates over Berlin at a height of 200 metres.

C. Rotes RathausRathausstraße 15

GPS: 52.518567, 13.408119

With its tower that can be seen from far and wide, Berlin’s City Hall — better known as the Rotes Rathaus — is both a tourist attraction and the seat of the city’s government.

Berlin’s City Hall at Alexanderplatz in Mitte is one of the city’s most famous sights. Its nickname Rotes Rathaus

comes from the red bricks it was built from. It is the seat of the city’s mayor and government.

D. Nikolai quarterNikolaiviertel

GPS: 52.516599, 13.407734

Narrow streets and cosy houses — the charm of old Berlin comes to life in the idyllic Nikolaiviertel. Discover Berlin as it once was.

As you leave the busy metropolis behind you, there are small houses instead of tall buildings, narrow streets instead of wide boulevards. Only the giant Television

Tower above the rooftops reminds you that Nikolaiviertel is not a romantic village but in the middle of bustling

Berlin.

The idyllic Nikolaiviertel is Berlin’s oldest residential quarter, but most of its mediaeval-looking streets and quaint houses were in fact built after the war.

E. St. Nicholas’ ChurchNikolaikirche

GPS: 52.516829, 13.406950

Die Berliner Nikolaikirche ist über die Jahrhunderte ein historischer Ort des religiösen und weltlichen Lebens der Stadt. Mit ihrem Doppelturm prägt sie das Weichbild des Berliner Zentrums.

F. Museum IslandMuseumsinsel

GPS: 52.516737, 13.402098

Museum Island is not only a top Berlin attraction for art lovers. This ensemble consists of five museums that are on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

Berlin’s Museumsinsel, home to the legendary bust of Nefertiti and the Pergamon Altar — and five museums with works from Ancient Egypt, Byzantium and Berlin.

Her name means 'the beautiful woman has come' — and anyone who sees the bust of Nefertiti is sure to fall under her spell. Nefertiti’s smile, as mysterious as the Mona Lisa, her captivating beauty and the aura of this remarkable work make a visit to the Neues Museum a highlight on any Berlin tour.

G. Berlin City PalaceUnter den Linden

GPS: 52.516656, 13.400334

Back on the magnificent Unter den Linden boulevard, you can see the Berlin City Palace, still under construction, on the left behind the Schlossbrücke (palace bridge).

H. Berlin CathedralAm Lustgarten 1

GPS: 52.519166, 13.399068

A bit further downstream of the river on the other side you’ll find the Berlin Cathedral with its gigantic dome — one of Berlin’s landmarks and something you most definitely should not miss.

The magnificent dome of the Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom) is one of the main landmarks in Berlin’s

cityscape – and marks the spot of the impressive basilica housing the city’s most important Protestant church. With its elaborate decorative and ornamental designs, the church interior is especially worth seeing.

Yet although the church is known as a cathedral, it actually has the status of a parish church – though not just any parish. This was the court church to the Hohenzollern dynasty, the rulers of Prussia and later the German Emperors. Today, as the High Parish and Cathedral Church, the church serves the Protestant community in Berlin and the surrounding areas. The congregation is not based on place of residence, but open through admission to all baptised Protestants in the region.

I. Altes MuseumAm Lustgarten

GPS: 52.519124, 13.398831

One of the most striking buildings in Berlin, the Altes Museum houses a vast range of ancient artefacts from the Greek, Roman and Etruscan eras. The Altes Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island takes visitors back to explore antiquity, allowing you to admire the fascinating works of the Romans, Greeks and Etruscans. Marvel at small treasures such as vases and

jewellery to larger pieces of art and sculptures.

J. Alte NationalgalerieBodestraße 1-3

GPS: 52.519686, 13.398477

Marvel at famous works of art and architecture from 19th century Europe with a visit to the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Caspar David Friedrich, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir — these are the famous names you will meet in the Alte Nationalgalerie. The museum is part of the Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and is a UNESCO World

Heritage site. In the gallery, you will see paintings and sculptures from the 19th century. The building itself looks like an ancient temple — built in the style of Prussian classicism.

K. Neues MuseumBodestraße 1

GPS: 52.520034, 13.397403

Berlin's Neues Museum showcases the cultural history of our ancestors across the globe. The Neues Museum, housed in a beautiful neoclassical building, pulls together 9,000 interesting and unusual objects spread across three major historical collections.Take a journey through time and explore the history of Europe and the Middle East from the earliest Stone Age to the Middle

Ages. Although the main attraction of the Neues Museum is undoubtedly the Nefertiti Bust, this is a small part of the museum's extensive collection of Egyptian antiquities, which comprises of sculpture, a huge collection of papyrus texts and literary works. The Nefertiti Bust is showcased alone in the domed hall in the north of the

building - an impressive exhibit. The rest of the museum's buildings are equally impressive, and strike the perfect balance between modern style and classicism. It's no surprise that the Neues Museum is one of the most important 19th century buildings in Germany.

L. Pergamon MuseumBodestraße 1-3

GPS: 52.521256, 13.397463

The Pergamonmuseum is nothing short of a wonder in itself. Its rooms are overflowing with some of the world’s most impressive, long buried, treasures. The museum encompasses the vast history of the Ancient East, with collections that can not be experienced elsewhere. The museum is named after the Pergamon Altar, a Hellenistic masterpiece of white stone

architecture. The imposing structure invites you to walk the steps of 2000 years of history and behold its intricacies close-up. But don’t get lost in this wonder for too long, as there are many more under the museum’s roof. Artefacts have been gathered from Iran, Asia Minor, Egypt and the Caucasus, and these worlds have been recreated for you to explore within the Pergamonmuseum.

M. Bode MuseumAm Kupfergraben

GPS: 52.522039, 13.394016

One of the top addresses in the Berlin cultural scene, the Bode-Museum enjoys a picturesque location on the north side of Museum Island. You will enter the museum in style, by crossing the stone Monbijoubrücke (Monbijou Bridge). With its majestic-looking dome, the neo-baroque building immediately catches your eye. The Museum brings together works from different eras:

you can visit the Sculpture Gallery, the Museum of Byzantine Art and the coin collection as part of your voyage of discovery.

N. BebelplatzBebelplatz 1

GPS: 52.516390, 13.393399

With its magnificent buildings, Bebelplatz is one of Berlin’s most attractive public squares — and it has also been the scene of some of the city’s chequered history.

Bebelplatz in the centre of Berlin has seen everything — from the bright dawn of the Enlightenment to the

dark days of Nazism. Even today, there are reminders of its turbulent history.

Situated directly by the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden, it’s quick to get to Bebelplatz. It is one of the most striking and historic squares in Berlin. At Bebelplatz there are notable buildings such as the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Hotel de Rome, the Alte Bibliothek, the Altes Palais and the Prinzessinnenpalais. The site was originally called Platz am Opernhaus, and later Kaiser-Franz-Joseph-Platz. Berliners still call it Opernplatz, even though in 1947 the authorities renamed it after the SPD politician August Bebel.

O. St. Hedwig’s CathedralHinter der Katholischen Kirche 3

GPS: 52.515212, 13.395001

A example of religion tolerance: St Hedwig’s Cathedral has a striking dome and a simple, modern interior.

St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in the middle of Berlin is a church that has often been a symbol of religious tolerance. It is the most important Catholic religious building in Berlin, the seat of the archbishop of Berlin, and its striking dome adorns Bebelplatz. Inside, the church is simply decorated, an impressive example of modern religious architecture.

P. GendarmenmarktGendarmenmarkt

GPS: 52.513664, 13.392777

The most beautiful square in Berlin? The most beautiful north of the Alps? Take a look for yourself at Gendarmenmarkt.

Once, soldiers matched here, but today Berliners and tourists stroll across the square. It’s said to be the most beautiful public square in Berlin, and perhaps the most

beautiful north of the Alps. The ensemble of the concert house and two church buildings embellished with towers is in perfect harmony. In summer, orchestras play the most beautiful classical melodies at the Classic Open Air, and in winter the square transforms into a winter wonderland with a Christmas market.

Q. Komische Oper BerlinBehrenstraße 55-57

GPS: 52.515642, 13.386564

Berlin’s Komische Oper has a long tradition of staging opera, operettas and musicals with a broad appeal — guaranteeing a great night out!

From outside, the Komische Oper on Behrenstraße, parallel to the Unter den Linden boulevard, almost resembles a white-cube gallery – but the interior is very

different! The attractive neo-baroque auditorium, which dates from 1882, provides a perfect setting for imaginative performances transporting audiences into the magical world of opera.

The site has a long theatrical tradition going back centuries. When the reconstructed opera house was re-opened in 1947 as the Komische Oper, General Director Walter Felsenstein was totally committed to creating productions where the music and the action on stage were equal partners. Today, Artistic Director Barrie Kosky is preserving yet revitalising this historical legacy. Taking an innovative approach, he embraces this tradition of Musiktheater as ranging from baroque opera to high-spirited operettas and the supposedly ‘shallow’ genre of musicals.

Barrie Kosky has also revived elements of the pre-war programme, re-discovering and staging works by Jewish composers banned by the Nazi regime. Thanks to this diversity, the Komische Oper has become a magnet for a widely international audience. While previously only German-language works were shown, the Komische Oper is now in the vanguard of venues where all seats are equipped with an integrated translation display. The displays, with individual controls, are fitted with a masking foil so they do not disturb those sitting nearby. The translations are available in English, French, German and Turkish.

R. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeCora-Berliner-Straße 1

GPS: 52.513996, 13.379067

The Holocaust Memorial

In the middle of the city is a the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and imposing place of remembrance and warning.

A place of contemplation, a place of remembrance and warning. Close to the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin you will find the Memorial to the Murdered Jews

of Europe.

S. Brandenburg GatePariser Platz

GPS: 52.516273, 13.378046

Brandenburg Gate is the first stop for every visitor to Berlin! The city’s iconic landmark offers fascinating insights into the city’s history.

The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most iconic sights in today’s vibrant Berlin. More than just Berlin’s only surviving historical city gate, this site came to

symbolise Berlin’s Cold War division into East and West – and, since the fall of the Wall, a reunified Germany. Architecturally, the sandstone Brandenburg Gate also represents one of the earliest and most attractive examples of a neo-classical building in Germany.

T. ReichstagPlatz der Republik 1

GPS: 52.518627, 13.375168

The Reichstag bears silent witness to the turbulent history of Berlin and is one of the city’s most significant historical buildings.

Berlin is the city where German history is written. Where is the best place to experience it? Come and explore the Reichstag!

U. SiegessäuleGroßer Stern 1

GPS: 52.514472, 13.349811

In the heart of Tiergarten Park, the Siegessäule (Victory Column) with its golden statue is one of the city’s must-see sights — complete with panoramic views!

From Brandenburg Gate, the broad boulevard Straße des 17. Juni leads west through the centre of Tiergarten Park. If you stroll down it for around twenty minutes,

you reach a major intersection — a vast roundabout known as the Großer Stern. And right at the heart of the roundabout, you can find the Victory Column.

Incidentally, in 2008 this was where Barack Obama gave a speech in the year before he was elected President of the United States.

V. TiergartenStraße des 17. Juni

GPS: 52.514148, 13.349286

New York has Central Park — and Berlin boasts the popular Tiergarten Park! Ideal for a leisurely stroll, lying on the lawns or taking in some of the city’s sights.

For Berliners, Tiergarten Park is the city’s green lung — just like New York’s Central Park or London’s Hyde Park. Close to the city centre and bordering such major

sights as the Brandenburg Gate or Potsdamer Platz, the forested grounds cover a spreading 210 hectares, nearly 519 acres — slightly more than Hyde Park.

Tiergarten Park is very much at the heart of Berlin life — attracting joggers, skaters, cyclists and walkers, as well as those who just want to relax in the sun. The park’s spreading green lawns are popular for family picnics, ball games or simply unwinding and taking it easy — an ideal place to recharge your batteries on a break from some serious shopping or seeing the sights.

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