10 Iconic Buildings and Places in Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate is a symbol of peace and unity in Germany. Located in Pariser Platz, this neoclassical monument was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans and was built in the late-18^th century.

The 65.5 metre-long structure is topped with a quadriga (a chariot with 4 horses) and supported by 2 rows of Doric columns. The Brandenburg Gate welcomes many visitors throughout the year – an estimated 1 million people congregate around the monument on New Year’s Eve. Berlin’s last surviving city gate is a short walk from Pariser Platz, where you can find plenty of restaurants and bars.

The Reichstag is one of the most historic structures in Berlin. The 19^th-century building currently houses the Bundestag, which is part of the German parliament.

Reconstructed during the 1990s, the Reichstag features a large glass dome on its roof. You can visit the dome and terrace to enjoy expansive views of the city, but it’s best to book well beforehand to avoid long queues. Twenty-minute audioguides are available in many languages providing information about the Reichstag’s history and interesting nearby sites.

Potsdamer Platz is a prominent modern hub in Berlin’s city centre. While the public square was destroyed in WWII, numerous reconstructions have been taking place since the German reunification. Today, it serves as the city’s commercial centre with many impressive postmodern landmarks. Must-sees include Kulturforum, Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, and Sony Center.

Potsdamer Platz also hosts plenty of notable events throughout the year, including the Festival of Lights (September) and the Winter World Christmas Market (November–December). The square is next to Leipziger Platz, where you can continue sightseeing at the Spy Museum and Mall of Berlin.

Checkpoint Charlie is worth a visit for its significant role in Berlin’s history. It’s a line of cobblestones that marks the former course of the Berlin Wall, serving as the crossing point between East and West Berlin. You can see a replica of the checkpoint booth and stacked sandbags on the original site.

Check out the gallery walls along Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße showing the history of this Cold War icon. Nearby, there’s the interesting Wall Museum, which details the many imaginative methods which East Germans came up with to escape to the West.

The Berlin Cathedral is one of the largest religious landmarks in Germany’s capital. Built in the 1800s, this elaborate Protestant church is a mix of Italian High Renaissance and Baroque styles. Its most striking feature is a 114-metre-high dome that’s crowned by a gilded cross.

Inside, you can see Wilhelm Sauer’s fully restored organ with 7,000 pipes, a marble and onyx altar designed by Friedrich August Stüler, and around 90 ornate sarcophagi. The Berlin Cathedral sits on Museum Island, between Lustgarten and the Spree.

The Bellevue Palace in Berlin is the official residence of the President of Germany. This grand neoclassical palace sits on the northern edge of Tiergarten, one of the largest parks in Berlin.

You can usually only view the Bellevue Palace’s striking architecture and surrounding gardens from the outside. It opens its doors to the public once a year, giving you a chance to explore the president’s official residence. Tiergarten is a great place to unwind with views of the palace and the Spree, which often has ferries cruising on the water.

The East Side Gallery is a 1.3 km-long section of the iconic Berlin Wall in Mühlenstraße. Once a divider of East and West Berlin for over 30 years, it now serves as both a memorial and a permanent open-air gallery. You can see a series of murals by artists from around the world.

Many of the artworks have strong political messages, while others are symbols of peace. A highlight is My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, which depicts a kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker. On Saturdays, you can join a guided tour by the Berlin Wall Foundation – commentaries are available in English and German.

The New Synagogue Berlin is an iconic Jewish landmark in the capital of Germany. Established in 1866, this restored synagogue serves the city’s Jewish community with a 3,000-seater main hall, a prayer room, an assembly hall, a learning space, and a sizable library.

The New Synagogue Berlin also has a permanent exhibition, Open ye the Gates, with photos, paintings, artefacts, and historical records detailing the building’s history and Germany’s Jewish community. Its facade stands out from Berlin’s modern structures thanks to its landmark gilded dome and Moorish features.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is a reconstruction of a 19^th-century Protestant church that was destroyed during WWII. The current structure was built between 1959 and 1963, right next to a damaged spire of the old church.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church serves as an important landmark in western Berlin. The walls resemble concrete honeycombs with over 21,000 stained-glass windows. Inside, you can see a suspended figure of the Christ, a 5,000-pipe organ, Kurt Reuber’s charcoal drawing of the Virgin Mary, and a 13^th-century Spanish wooden crucifix.

Velodrom is an impressive architectural masterpiece by Dominique Perrault, who won the German Award for Architecture in 1992. This multipurpose arena features a UFO-shaped design topped with Europe's largest steel roof – at 142 metres in diameter. It’s part of a larger complex that houses 2 Olympic pools and a multisport hall.

Velodrom can accommodate 12,000 people, making it one of Berlin’s largest concert halls. Prominent artists who have performed here include Janet Jackson, Daft Punk, and Rammstein. The building has been hosting the annual Six Days of Berlin track cycling race since 1999.