BERLIN TRAVEL GUIDE

Berlin Travel Guide
decorated in Art-Nouveau style, originally by August
Endell. In the early 1990s the complex was completely
renovated. The first courtyard is particularly attractive:
coloured glazed tiles with geometric patterns decorate
the house from the foundations up to the guttering. In
the last courtyard, trees are grouped around an idyllic
well. The Hackesche Höfe is one of Berlin’s most popular
hotspots; restaurants, cafés, a cinema and the
Chamäleon variety show attract visitors from afar.
➤ Rosenthaler Str. 40–41 • Map G3, J5 • 9am–2am
daily
8 Siegessäule
The Victory Column in Tiergarten, 62 m (203 ft) high,
decorated with the statue of Victoria, offers great views
(see Tiergarten & Federal District) .
9
Altes Museum and Gardens
The façade of the Old Museum, possibly one of the
most attractive Neo-Classical museums in Europe, is
remarkable for the shiny red marble used in its
construction, which is visible behind 18 Ionic columns.
Built in 1830 according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel,
it was at the time one of the first buildings to be created
specifically as a museum. Originally it was to house the
royal collection of paintings and antique art treasures;
today it is home to a collection of antiquities. In front of
the museum, on Museumsinsel, are the gardens
designed by Peter Joseph Lenné. Conceived as the king’s
herb garden, it is today decorated with a granite bowl by
Gottlieb Christian Cantian, weighing 70 tons (see Central
Berlin: Unter den Linden) .
10 Zeughaus
Designed by J A Nering as the first Berlin Baroque
building, the former Royal Prussian Arsenal is now the
Deutsches Historisches Museum (see Unter den Linden)
, with a modern addition by L M Pei.
Churches & Synagogues
1
Berliner Dom
Berlin Cathedral, the largest and most lavish church
in town, was reopened in 1993, after almost 40 years of
restoration. Designed by Julius Raschdorf in 1894–1905,
the building reflects the empire’s aspirations to power.
In particular, the imperial stairs, made from black marble,
are a manifestation of the proximity of the Hohenzollern
town residence opposite the cathedral. Members of this
ruling dynasty are buried in the crypt. The main nave,
topped by a 85-m (279-ft) high dome is remarkable. The
church is dominated by a magnificent 20th-century
Neo-Baroque pulpit and the giant Sauer organ.
➤ Am Lustgarten • Map K5 • Apr–Sep: 9am–8pm daily;
Oct–Mar: 9am–7pm daily • (030) 20 26 91 19
2
St Hedwigskathedrale
Berlin’s largest Catholic church was commissioned
by Frederick the Great in 1747–73 after his conquest of
Silesia (see Unter den Linden) .
➤ Bebelplatz • Map K4 • 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, 1–5pm
Sun
3 Marienkirche
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Work started in 1270 on the Church of St Mary, which
nestles at the foot of the Fernsehturm. Gothic and
Baroque in style, it has an impressive Neo-Gothic tower,
added in 1790 by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The font (1437)
and the fresco Dance of the Dead (1485) are among the
church’s oldest treasures. The richly ornamented Baroque
pulpit was created by Andreas Schlüter in 1703.
➤ Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 8 • Map J6 • 10am–6pm
Mon–Sat, noon–6pm Sun; Services 10:30am Sun •
Admission charge
4 Nikolaikirche
Berlin’s oldest sacred building, the Church of St
Nicholas was built in 1230, in the Nikolaiviertel. The
present church, with its red-brick twin towers, dates
from around 1300. It is particularly famous for the portal
on the west wall of the main nave, created by Andreas
Schlüter. It is adorned with a gilded relief depicting a
goldsmith and his wife. The church was rebuilt in 1987
and today houses parts of the municipal museum.
➤ Nikolaikirchplatz • Map K6 • 10am–6pm Tue–Sun •
Admission charge
5 Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche
A landmark in West Berlin, the Kaiser Wilhelm
Memorial Church successfully combines modern
architecture with the ruins of the church tower (see
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche) .
6
Neue Synagoge
Berlin’s largest synagogue, built originally in
1859–66, was demolished in World War II but completely
reconstructed in 1988–95. Its magnificent dome is visible
from afar (see Central Berlin: Scheunenviertel) .
➤ Oranienburger Str. 29–30 • Map G3, J4 • (030) 88 02
83 00 • Admission charge
7
Friedrichswerdersche Kirche
This small brick church was built by Karl Friedrich
Schinkel in 1824–30, in the Neo-Gothic style. Originally
it was meant to serve the German and French
communities of the Friedrichswerder district. Today, the
Schinkel Museum is based here.
➤ Werderscher Markt
8
Synagoge Rykestrasse
The small synagogue looks the same today as when
it was originally built 100 years ago (see Prenzlauer Berg)
.
9 Christi-Auferstehungs-Kirche
The only Russian-Orthodox church in Berlin, the
Church of Christ’s Ascension is known for its green onion
domes. Services are still held in Russian, following
Orthodox rituals.
➤ Hohenzollerndamm 166 • Map B6 • Only during
service 10am & 6pm Sat, 10am Sun
10
Französischer Dom
At 66 m (216 ft) high, this Baroque tower, which
dates back to 1701–5, is a magnificent ornamental
structure for the church serving Berlin’s Huguenot
community.
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