This is one of those grand European architectural locations. Once you get anywhere near this area,…read morewhat you will find are great cathedrals, beautiful buildings, and a very large square. The center point of this area is the large square. My suggestion is that you go and stand in the center of it, look around, and study its true uniqueness. What you will experience is one of the best places to view the grandeur of historic Berlin. Around this very large square, what you will find, (occasionally), is that they will have marketplaces. These marketplaces are usually seasonally orientated. Meaning, if it's Christmas season, you will find a great selection of Christmas orientated items. The main reason you come here is not so much simply to go shopping or dining, of which there are a lot of places to check out around the surrounding area, but to go inside some of the structures, and truly bask in the architectural glory of the statues, the way the buildings were constructed, and all of that kind of stuff. This isn't really a highly-touristy Berlin location. Which, is a good thing. Meaning, you can come here and really bask in a historic Berlin, which is deeply rooted in history. It will provide you with the true flavor and culture of Berlin. Overall, I would suggest that you do go here. You just need to know what to expect. There's not necessarily a lot to do, unless you truly appreciate the finer elements of architecture. But, it's a great place to visit.

One visits Gendarmenmarkt to take in the local flavor. There are beautiful buildings and sculptures…read moreto view and appreciate. People come here to hang out with their families and loved ones. I especially enjoyed looking at the expressions on the faces of the sculptures within the gates of the church. The artist truly captures a feeling. I walked here from the hotel I was staying at and enjoyed lunch in the immediate vicinity. It is a place to visit when in Berlin.

Berliner Dom ist sehr groß und schön. We came here on our visit to Berlin. Walking from the Silent…read moreLibrary, on the Humboldt University campus, down Unter den Linden to the historical Cölln district of old Berlin. Given our family members who are clergy, we seem to visit churches wherever we go. But the Berliner Dom is special. It's to the former DDR credit that they allowed for its rebuilding in the 1950-60s. But for me, it's their music program and pipe organs that are most impressive. JS Bach also played here in the early 1700s and his sheet music was on display on our visit. See photos.

Beautiful and the biggest church in Berlin located on the museum island. It is very massive both…read moreoutside and inside...you have to pay for entrance and you can climb to the top to see 360 degree view of Berlin, worth it but it's 267 steps each way..no bathroom so go before climbing. Somehow I was there and there was a mass in German an I stayed 1/2 way and it was lovely. I'm not a church person but do appreciate the service. The building, the decor, the history itself is worth to check it out for sure. There are plenty of crypts within the church so you can check them outs along with shop and café upon exiting.

We thought long and hard about visiting this site…read more But for all the self agonizing, it was all for naught. Since today, it's just a gravel parking lot, for some local apartments. There are some signs you can read, which discuss the events of April 30th,1945. They have also put up some architectural drawings, of what Dear Leader's bunker looked like down below. So feel free to come here and as one Yelper puts it, walk all over his grave. But if may suggest, afterwards... please walk down to the Jewish Memorial (about 50 meters) and offer up a prayer of remembrance for all those who lost their lives. Nie wieder!

The fuhrer bunker is a must see when in Berlin but little to no effort has been put into telling…read morethe story. Many tourists stop here, some in organized groups, but there is really just a simple sign detailing what occurred here. This is all potential and should be improved, however I am mindful that, as a matter of public policy, the government does not wish to appear to be glorifying the issue.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a memorial that opened in 2005 and remembers the six…read moremillion Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It consists of the Field of Stelae designed by Peter Eisenman and the underground Information Centre. Admission is free. I did not go into the underground information center, but as part of a self-arranged group tour, I did walk among some of the 2,710 concrete slabs. My tour guide explained that the concrete slabs were hollow in the center and that the precipitation and cold weather was causing cracks in some slabs. I appreciated walking through and viewing the thousands of concrete slabs, which were artistically staggered, and remembering the Jewish victims.

Yelp asks "How would I rate my experience here and how many Stars would I give it?" After a couple…read moreof thousand reviews, I find we were completely speechless here. Later in our Viking trip, we visited both Birkenau and Auschwitz. Those visits and here, are bookends to horrors of hate and the decent into humanities worst period of cannibalisms. I phrase it like that, because the people of that period, consumed and devoured the living nightmare of hate, as if it was to purge the world of group(s) of people they just didn't like, didn't understand and wanted to eradicate. So this place is a memorial of their memory, but also a reminder of what happens, when we allow Hate to devour our humanity and our souls. Five Stars and hopefully, never again! But I/we know better.... Seattle, Christopher Straße Tag...

Topography of Terror is an indoor and outdoor history museum that was built on the site of former…read moreNazi (e.g., SS and Gestapo) buildings. The museum includes permanent and special exhibitions. My husband and I had hired a private guide for a city-wide tour, but I believe that admission to this museum is free. Here, we visited mostly the outdoor exhibit, which included the remains of Nazi buildings and part of the Berlin Wall. Fifteen stations had informational panels with photos and descriptions of events between 1933 and 1945. Text described the economic crisis and the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1920s; the registration and persecution of Jews, Gypsies, the disabled, and other demographic groups; the Allied air attacks in 1943; and the surrender of Berlin in 1945. Being on the same ground as Nazis were decades ago was an educational experience. According to the informational panels, construction of the Berlin wall began in 1961, and it reached 150 kilometers in length. It was intended to prevent the crossing of refugees from East Germany into West Germany. I felt very interested in seeing the concrete with holes, rebar, and graffiti. I hope that when people visit this museum, they learn to accept different groups of people and to oppose all forms of prejudice and discrimination.

Free admission. Located in the old SS headquarters. Sections of the original Berlin Wall is here…read moreand you learn the history of the building and the horrific things that occurred during this time frame. This is a sad but educational museum. The hanging displays outside will take a good 2 hours to read and digest. Make sure to find the start and work your way forward, I started at the wrong end. Then after you finish outside go inside the museum to learn more. If you don't like to read, audio tours are available. I learned a lot about Siemens and VW involvement during this era. Shocking! Bathrooms: downstairs and very clean Facility: very clean We came in the winter, it was very cold so dress appropriately.

Potsdamer Platz is one of those places you can't miss simply because it's in a fairly central…read morearea--if you are into cultural and artistic activities such as museums, memorials, concerts, shopping (like how I threw shopping in there ;) you'll probably catch transportation close by. You'll likely stumble upon this plaza if you're visiting and your hotel is near, or if you're walking between attractions, or simply commuting and transferring between different trains. It's maintained its role as a transit hub since the mid-1800s, when it was the location for a long distance train station. After WWI, Europe's first traffic light was installed at this intersection. The square was destroyed in WWII and subsequently became an area for black market activities where the purviews of the foreign powers coalesced, and further became a demarcation between East and West Berlin when the wall went up in 1961. The area was devoid of infrastructure development until the 1990's once the wall came down, followed by major corporations moving in, and new buildings and highrises going up expeditiously to accommodate the needs for commercialization. While I didn't see anything exciting happening in the area when I was there, other reviews mention a Christmas market and other holiday, performance and community events being staged here. Surrounding the square are a number of retailers including the Mall of Berlin, some restaurants, and a lot of office buildings.

Is this a must stop on your vacation? No. But this seems to be a good part of town with the hotels,…read moremall, and stores in the area. We just so happen to be at a chain hotel in the area and this was our daily stomping ground for 7 day, 6 nights. You will find some pieces of the Berlin Wall on the line marking where The Wall was. There is a major metro stop which was great for getting to everything on our bucket list. They happen to have an Easter Market in the Plaza while we were visiting.

Whoa. Where to begin a discussion on Berlin's and Germany's most important legislative body AND…read moreall it's history. We thoroughly enjoy our multiple visits here, our five day stay im der Hauptstadt. I have read volumes about the original Reichstag building and its modern updating by Gottfried Böhm and Norman Foster's with their glass dome. It has all left us speechless. Yes, you need to come here. Spend the day walking the grounds. Maybe even have a picnic on the lawn. Dem Deutschen Volke A Very Important PS... If you want to have lunch in the upstairs Café, or walk the stairs of the glass dome... you NEED to register well ahead of your visit... due to security concerns, oder Sicherheitsbedenken

Great FREE place to stop on a trip to Berlin! Great views and lots of history to learn! Would…read moredefinitely recommend. Just so you know - the top gets very hot and there is no air conditioning! Went on a hot day and I was sweating in the dome area.

Brandenburg Gate is a neo-classical city gate that was built from sandstone from 1788-1791. Twelve…read morecolumns support a roof that is topped with a sculpture of Victoria, the goddess of peace, riding a chariot pulled by four horses. Today the gate is a symbol of overcoming the East-West division and reunifying Germany. I visited Bradenburg Gate when I was on a tour. This gate is a large, gorgeous structure, and it has no admission fee, so I recommend visiting it.

I visited during January so it was a little bit cooler than I liked, but Still had a great time…read moreseeing all the history As a European and being well traveled, I was aware of the pickpocket issue. It's simple don't bring anything flashy keep your phone in your front pocket. I don't even carry a purse when I travel We stayed at Adlon Hotel so the walk was short I am looking forward to a visit in the warmer months.

This venue is free, and very interesting. The architecture is beautiful and there is a huge…read morecircular stairway in the center. There is a lot of material about the history of government and democracy in Germany. Interesting pictures and movies of parliamentary presentations including by Hitler.

Beautiful mall! Lots of stores and even a whole slide that…read moregoes from top to bottom! Want lego? Got it! Want food? Go get it! Want souveniers? Perfect!

I came to Berlin for the first time this month, and the Mall of Berlin was a quick walk from my…read morehotel. I stopped at Zara and purchased five items using the self-checkout. I placed my items on the scanner, entered my phone number, tapped my card, signed, and completed the transaction. Since my cell service has been spotty while traveling, my e-receipt didn't come through immediately. As I walked out, the security detectors went off and an incredibly aggressive security guard approached me. I tried explaining that I had paid and was simply waiting for the receipt to come through, but he would barely let me speak and repeatedly insisted that I had not purchased the items. He then threatened to call the police. What bothered me most was that a female Zara employee tried telling him that she had SEEN me pay, and he responded by telling her, "I'm not talking to you. Stop talking and allow me to do my job." He then brought over a male employee, who confirmed the exact same thing: I HAD PAID. Thankfully, my e-receipt finally came through and proved the purchase. The security guard didn't apologize or show even the slightest acknowledgment that he had handled the situation poorly. I wasn't expecting some grand apology, but basic professionalism and a little humility would have gone a long way. The male employee, on the other hand, was extremely understanding and even gave me some advice about shopping while in Germany, which I appreciated. My advice to other travelers: if you opt in for an e-receipt, make sure it has actually arrived before leaving the store, especially if your cell service is unreliable. And Zara/Mall of Berlin: security is one thing, but treating a paying customer like a criminal while store employees are actively telling security that they watched the customer pay is completely unnecessary. I hope the security guard has a terrible day.