Brandenburger Tor

March 2017
Germany, Berlin
Carmen Hackmann

Probably Berlin's if not Germany's most well-known landmark. The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument. Located in Berlin's Mitte district and the entry to the boulevard "Unter den Linden". During Germany's separation, the gate was not accessible as it was directly next to the Berlin Wall but it was featured prominently during the break down of the wall in 1989. War damages were restored afterward between 2000 - 2002 and the Brandenburg Gate nowadays is again the site for many historical events and a symbol of European unity and peace.

img_0022.jpg img_1286.jpg img_1674.jpg

More from the Berlin Region

Berlin

Around Berlin

c:Berlin
a:Linienstraße
r:Berlin

Berlin is a fabulous city and all around Berlin, there are loads of places and towns to discover too. When you fly into Berlin you can see the city surrounded by lakes and many of them a really worth a visit. With this blog post, I would like to share some of these places with you and show what we found travelling on the outskirts of our city. Stunning scenery, great resort hotels, beautiful quaint towns, tasty restaurants and even good local wine. Read on, discover a different side of Berlin and do try it!

Berlin

My favourite three Berlin Beer Gardens

c:Berlin
a:Müller-Breslau-Straße
r:Berlin

A typical Beer Garden, according to Wikipedia is "an outdoor area in which beer and local food are served, typically at shared tables. Common entertainment includes music, song, and games, enjoyed in an atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit." I would like to introduce you to some of the lovely beer gardens in Berlin. On a nice and warm day, so many people are drawn to the beer gardens, restaurant terraces, and beach bars that are dotted all over the city, maybe you like them too on your next visit? **Schleusenkrug** This is a beer garden called "(link: http://www.schleusenkrug.de/ text: Schleusenkrug)" located in the "Tiergarten" park, next to the small river called Landwehrkanal. It is quite a large beer garden with an extensive beer selection and a good choice of typical German food. It is all self-service and you can reserve a table ahead of your visit to make sure you get a seat. The beer garden has approximately 300 seats and many of them are covered so you are safe, especially this summer when the odd rain shower comes along. It is a lovely place, very busy as it is located in the middle of the city and people can get there from many different directions. It is easily accessible by bike, public transport, by car, or on foot. Great for that after-work beer, as a break during your walk through the park and as a meeting point with friends and family. Don't forget to bring cash, no cards are being accepted. **Cafe am Neuen See** (link: https://www.cafeamneuensee.de/ text: "Cafe am Neuen See" )is another Beer Garden within the Tiergarten park area. In this spot, you have two choices for food and drinks. You can either choose the restaurant with service or the beer garden directly by the lake with self-service. Both are serving great beers and tasty pizzas in a very lovely setting by the lake under the big trees. It can get very busy as it is next to the Zoo and close to a residential area. They also hold events here, play music and many people who walk or cycle in the park come to this place for a break. Very popular! **Zollpackhof** The (link: https://www.zollpackhof.de/en/welcome-to-zollpackhof/ text: "Zollpackhof") Beer Garden is located on the outer Tiergarten park area, in between the Chancellor building, the parliament, and the government area. They have a restaurant in the main building as well as a large beer garden underneath the trees looking out on the river spree. This beer garden gets very busy in the evenings as it is within easy reach of the main train station and the government buildings, so many people come here after work and on their way home. It feels like a really nice place with views of some of Berlin's very well-known sights and among trees which have been declared natural monuments. And guess what, the elector Friedrich Wilhelm started the first restaurant here already back in the 17th century. So I guess the Zollpackhof was always meant to be a place for people to get together for great food and drinks... Cheers!

Berlin

Walking the Berlin Mauerweg (Wall Trail)

c:Berlin
a:Unknown Address
r:Berlin

West Berlin was once a little island in Eastern Germany and was surrounded by a 160km long wall. Nowadays you can walk or cycle along this former wall trail, visit the old border crossing stations, see old wall fragments and many different sights along the way. A part of that wall trail lies within the city of Berlin, but a large part also takes you to the outskirts of the city. It is very clearly sign-posted all along the course of the trail and you can easily follow the signs (walking or cycling), that are placed exactly at a height of 3.6 meters (the height of the former wall). We have taken parts of the inner city wall trail numerous times before and decided to walk a part of the outer city trail. We took the S-Bahn to "Griebnitzsee" station, got off the train, and walked down to the water to start this (link: https://www.berlin.de/mauer/en/wall-trail/western-route/from-griebnitzsee-to-wannsee/ text: 12km) long track by foot towards Wannsee. All around Berlin are many lakes and in this particular section, the wall used to run in the middle of the lake for a while. In the beginning, you are walking down streets, along the shores of the lakes, past beautiful old Villas, the castles Babelsberg and Glienicke, through the woods and along the water. About every other kilometre you will find a restaurant or beer garden to stop and take a break. And all in all, we walked about 4 hours in total, a walk packed with history, nature, a little rain (weather wasn't perfect..) and some exercise. I have included the link above to a page with lots of details on the wall trail, the course and the sights you find will find along the way which I hope is useful. I loved this as a Sunday activity and look forward to the next excursion very soon.

Berlin

Berlin monuments

c:Berlin
a:Unknown Address
r:Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. The city straddles the banks of the River Spree and is surrounded by many lakes. Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media, and science. And the metropolis is a popular tourist destination too. It is home to three World Heritage Sites, some well-known landmarks, a huge number of museums, cultural attractions, and significant historic sites. Additionally, Berlin offers a food scene with a huge variety, so many music and entertainment attractions that will never let you get bored. I am sharing some of the classic sights with you and a number of my personal favorite things to do in this exciting city!

Berlin

Gendarmenmarkt

c:Berlin
a:Gendarmenmarkt
r:Berlin

In my opinion, the "Gendarmenmarkt" is Berlin's most beautiful square and monument at the same time. It was first built in 1688 as a marketplace to expand the city further. Between 1701 and 1705, the older one of the two churches, The French Church was built. The German Church followed in 1708 and belonged to the Lutheran community. The Konzerthaus located between both churches was built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1821. Most buildings in this area were destroyed during World War II and rebuild after the German Re-unification. Today the Concert hall is the home of the Konzerthaus Orchestra, the German church is a museum of German history and the French Church has a viewing platform, a restaurant, and a Huguenot museum. For me, it is a beautiful spot to visit, spend some time and soak up the Berlin atmosphere, take stunning photos and visit one of the best Christmas markets in Berlin during the course of December.

More destinations

Discover more