World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Berlin can be a sightseeing nightmare – the vast sprawl that is the city has no definite centre and pockets of attractions are dotted all over. That said, the state museums are grouped in clusters – on the Museumsinsel, at the Kulturforum, in and around Schloss Charlottenberg and in the southwestern suburb of Dahlem. There are also a large number of attractions either at Potsdamer Platz or within walking distance of this, including the Kulturforum to the southwest. To the north lie the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and the Reichstag, sporting Lord Foster’s new glass dome. The Brandenburg Gate is situated on Berlin’s main east–west axis. To the west lies the Siegessäule (Victory Column), which provides a view over the surrounding Tiergarten and the Western city centre, to the southwest of the column.

West Berlin’s centre has less to offer and is better for shopping and nightlife than for sightseeing. Nevertheless visitors should take a look at the broken shard of a church, the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, which serves as a brutal reminder of World War II. The nearby Zoo and Aquarium also provide a happy distraction.

The densest array of sights lies to the east of the Brandenburg Gate, on either side of Unter den Linden, lined with many 18th- and 19th-century buildings. At its end are the artistic and architectural treasures of the Museumsinsel, where the city’s main cathedral, the Berliner Dom, can be found. Further on is the Communist-era Fernsehturm (television tower), on Alexanderplatz, which marked the centre of East Berlin.

Due to ongoing restoration work, many of the city’s museums are prone to closures at present and some of the collections are being temporarily relocated.

Tourist Information
Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH
Tel: (0190) 016 316 (Info Hotline, Germany only) or (030) 250 025 (reservations) or (700) 8623 7546 (from outside Germany). Fax: (030) 2500 2424.
E-mail: information@btm.de
Website: www.berlin-tourist-information.de

Europa-Center, Budapester Strasse 45 (West Berlin)
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0830-2030 and Sun 1000-1830, may open later in summer

Brandenburg Gate (South Wing), Pariser Platz (East Berlin)
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.

Other tourist information offices are located at Tegel airport, on the ground floor of KaDeWe, Tauentzienstrasse 21-24, and at the Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz. There is a Tourist Info Café, Panoramastrasse 1a, next to the TV tower, open daily 1000-1800. The city of Berlin provides online information (website: www.berlin.de), some of it in English.

Passes
Berlin Tourismus Marketing offers the WelcomeCard, which gives discounts of up to 50% on museums and attractions (including Schloss Sanssouci and Zoologischer Garten) as well as guided tours, boat trips and performances in both Berlin and Potsdam. The pass costs ¬21 and is valid for 72 hours for one adult and up to three children. Also included in the price is unlimited travel on all buses and trains in zones A, B and C. The card is available at tourist offices, transit ticket offices and some hotels.

There is also the SchauLust Museen Berlin three-day tourist ticket, which gives free admission to more than 50 museums, including the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Pergamon Museum and Gemäldegalerie. The pass costs ¬10 (concessions available) and is available at the main tourist offices.

A two-day pass for all of the region’s Prussian palaces and gardens is available at Schloss Sanssouci for ¬15. A one-day pass for all the palaces except Sanssouci costs ¬12 and is available from any of the participating palaces.