BERLIN TRAVEL GUIDE

Berlin Travel Guide
Unter den Linden
“As long as the lime trees still blossom in Unter den Linden, Berlin will always be Berlin,” Marlene Dietrich once
sang about this magnificent avenue. Today the lime trees blossom more beautifully than ever in the historical
centre of Berlin, because the old buildings along the street have been extensively restored and modern architecture
has created new highlights. The “Linden” – originally a royal bridle-path linking the Stadtschloss (the king’s town
residence) and Tiergarten – became Berlin’s most fashionable street in the 18th century, and was synonymous
with the city that was then the capital of Prussia.
Buses No. 100 and No. 200 run along the entire length of Unter den Linden, with bus stops at nearly all the
famous sights.
For more on Unter den Linden (see Central Berlin: Unter den Linden)
Top 10 Sights
1
Deutsches Historisches Museum
Germany’s largest history museum, reopened in
2003, provides an overview of more than 1,000 years of
German history. Housed in the Zeughaus – the royal
arsenal built in 1706 – it is the oldest and, architecturally,
the most interesting building in the avenue Unter den
Linden (see Deutsches Historisches Museum) .
2
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
The richly ornamented National Opera House is one
of Germany’s most attractive. Neo-Classical in style, it
was built by von Knobelsdorff in 1741–3 as Europe’s first
free-standing opera house, to plans devised by Frederick
the Great himself (see Performing Arts Venues) .
3
St Hedwigskathedrale
Designed by Georg W von Knobelsdorff in 1740–2
and modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, this is the seat
of the Catholic archdiocese in Berlin. Frederick the Great
commissioned the cathedral to appease Catholics in
Berlin after conquering Silesia (see Churches &
Synagogues) .
4 Humboldt-Universität
Berlin’s oldest and most highly regarded university
was founded in 1890, on the initiative of Wilhelm von
Humboldt. Twenty-nine Nobel Prize winners were
educated here, including Albert Einstein.
5
Neue Wache
The central German memorial for all victims of war
was created in the years 1816–8 and designed by Karl
Friedrich Schinkel. An enlarged reproduction of the
moving Pietà sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz stands in the
centre of the room.
6 Kronprinzenpalais
The Neo-Classical Palais, built in 1732–3 by Philipp
Gerlach, was originally a residence for the heirs to the
Hohenzollern throne. After World War I it became an art
museum, and after 1948 the East German government
housed state visitors there. Until 2003 it was used for
exhibitions of the Deutsches Historisches Museum
opposite.
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7 Bebelplatz
Originally named Opernplatz, this wide, open space
was designed by Georg W von Knobelsdorff as the focal
point of his Forum Fridericianum. The elegant square
was meant to introduce some of the splendour and glory
of ancient Rome to the Prussian capital. In May 1933, it
became the scene of the infamous Nazi book burning.
8 Opernpalais
The charming building next to the Staatsoper, built
in 1733–7, served as a palace for the princesses.
9
Russische Botschaft
The gigantic Russian Embassy, built in Stalinist
“wedding-cake style”, was the first building to be
constructed in Unter den Linden after World War II (see
Best of the Rest) .
10
Frederick the Great’s Statue
One of Christian Daniel Rauch’s grandest sculptures,
this statue shows the “Old Fritz” (13.5 m/45 ft high) on
horseback, wearing a uniform and tricorn hat (see Central
Berlin: Unter den Linden) .
Deutsches Historisches Museum
1
The Dying Warriors
The 22 reliefs by Andreas Schlüter, displayed on
the walls of the courtyard rather than in one of the
museum’s exhibitions, portray the horrors of war in an
unusually immediate way.
2
Martin Luther
Luther’s portrait, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, is the
focal point of exhibition rooms devoted to Martin Luther
and the Reformation.
3
Europe and Asia
This group of Meissen porcelain figures reflects the
fascinating relationship between the two continents.
4
Steam Engine
A full-sized steam engine from the year 1847 marks
the entrance to the exhibition on the Industrial
Revolution.
11
Highlights