berlin

Berlin’s Top 10
12
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.
Deutsches Historisches
Museum in the Zeughaus
The largest selection
of cakes in Berlin
tempts visitors in the
Café im Opernpalais.
In summer, you can
enjoy them outside.
• Map F/G3, K3/4
• Deutsches Historisches
Museum, Unter
den Linden 2 • 10am–
6pm daily • (030) 20 30
40 • www.dhm.de
• Admission charge
• St Hedwigskathedrale,
Bebelplatz • 10am–5pm
Mon–Sat, 1–5pm Sun
• (030) 203 48 10
• www.hedwigskathedrale.de
• Staatsoper, Unter den
Linden 7 • Box Office
11am–7pm Mon–Fri,
2–7pm Sun
• (030) 20 35 45 55
• www.staatsoperberlin.de
• Admission charge
Top 10 Sights
1 Deutsches Historisches
Museum in the Zeughaus
2 Staatsoper
Unter den Linden
3 St Hedwigskathedrale
4 Humboldt-Universität
5 Neue Wache
6 Kronprinzenpalais
7 Bebelplatz
8 Opernpalais
9 Russian Embassy
0 Frederick the Great’s
Statue
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 p44).
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 p14).
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 p56).
Buses No. 100 and No. 200 run along the entire length of Unter
den Linden, with bus stops at nearly all the famous sights.