Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE BRANDENBURG GATE
Mitte: Unter den Linden and around
T
he natural place to start exploring Berlin is at its most famous landmark,
the Brandenburg Gate. It lies at the head of its premier boulevard, Unter den
Linden, and beside the iconic Reichstag, the German parliament. During the
Berlin Wall years all three became rather forlorn symbols of malaise: the gate
sat in the no man's land of the Wall, the road led nowhere and the building
lay largely empty. But now, following reunification, regeneration and Berlin's
reinvention as Germany's capital, they again provide a nucleus for a city that
lacked a coherent centre for so long. Gratifyingly, you can do a walking tour
of the entire district that's manageable in a day. It's worth starting early
with a booking to view the Reichstag dome - or consider ending your day's
exploration here: the building's open until midnight and Berlin's nocturnal
cityscape is an attraction itself.
