What to see in Berlin
The locals nickname this church the 'broken tooth' with is steeple raggedly snapped off halfway up by an allied WWII flying bomb during the bombing of Berlin. The front door is a popular hangout for street performers , hawkers, the young and tourists. Church open every day 9am-7pm. Exhibit open Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm.
The station that inspired U2's Zoo TV tour is a heady mix of the seedy, the touristy and capitalism at its ugliest. Just up the road from the fancy and expensive Ku'Damm shopping precinct is the Zoo gardens where the furs are still on the animals. The enclosures are fenceless with waterfilled moats between you and the inhabitant and some, like the flamingos , have no enclosure at all. The attached Aquarium has an interesting collection of psychedelic jelly fish tanks as well as the usual assortment of teeth and fins. Zoo open daily 9am-6.30pm (May-Sept), 9am-5pm Oct-Feb, 9am-5.30pm Mar-Apr, admission €9, students €7, combo zoo-aqu €14 and €11.
Between the Zoo and Tiergarten stands the 70m high golden Siegessaule column, film buffs will recognise the statue as that featured in Wim Wenders film 'Wings of Desire' - the Goddess of Victory. The statute commemorates the Prussian victory over the French in 1870, and is made - you guessed it, from melted down French cannons. Open Mon 1pm-6pm, Tue-Sat 9am-6pm, admission €1.20, students €0.60. You may not have noticed it from your vantage point at the top of the column but there is a nudey sunbathing spot inside the Tiergarten, for followers of the Frei-korpo-kultur , or free body culture, and anyone wanting to lose the office glow on their lunch break.
Brit architect stormin' Norman Foster was called into design the dome of the restored German government building after reunification, hence the transparent glass dome rising above the debating chamber. The public can walk up and down the interior of the dome while listening to the proceedings. The building has seen its share of action , particularly the fire that Hitler had started in 1933 to declare a state of emergency and take over. Free entry, open daily 8am-midnight.
Once upon a time this was the staging post for troops. Today the architects have gone wild creating the largest building site in Berlin, which technically is the largest building site in central Europe. No skyline shot is complete without a stretch of cranes dominating it. There are malls and shops for browsing, or the Sony Centre, to just drool over the latest techno-gadget.
Between the Potsdam and the Brandenberg Gate lies the new Holocaust Memorial site, dedicated to the 6 million Jews murdered during WWII. The controversial site was conceived by US architect Peter Eisenman, using 2,711 granite blocks covering a 19,000 sqm space. The blocks form an undulating surface across the area with narrow walkways between. There is a visitor centre beneath the memorial that displays the names of victims with readings in both English and German. Centre open Tue-Sun 10am-10pm, closed Mon, NYE, NYD, CE, CD, BD.
The symbol of Berlin, abandoned in no-mans between the walls during the Cold War and reopened in 1989. It was built between 1788-91 as a triumphal gate, one of several entry points to the city. The Quadriga , with the Goddess Victory, on top was a classic design based on the original one from Constantinople, which tickled Napoleon's fancy. He had them installed in Paris briefly before being made to hand them back in 1814 . A few important speeches have been made here over the years, including President Kennedy's 'Ich bin Ein Jelly Doughnut', President Reagan's 'Tear this wall down' and President Clinton's 'Berlin is Free'. It also marks the beginning of the eastern half of Berlin. Pariser Platz is home now to luxury Hotels and cafes.
This square is dominated by the TV tower or Fernsehturm , built by the communist East and for a long time the only visible landmark from the West. The architecture is communist 60's at its best but is now populated by western style department stores, sculptures and the World Clock.
A lone hut remains on the spot where for 27 years only those who were authorised could make the journey from East to West. The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie documents the history and stories of those who tried successfully and unsuccessfully to cross the wall during those years. A section of wall still remains along a stretch around the corner. Open daily 9am-10pm, admission €9.50, students €5.50.