Historic Mitte - Berlin - page 151

Confronting the horrors of Nazi Germany at the haunting Topographie des Terrors ex-
hibit.
Catching cabaret, comedy, musicals or concerts at the historic Admiralspalast .
Explore: Historic Mitte
A cocktail of culture, commerce and history, Mitte packs it in when it comes to blockbuster
sights: the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and Checkpoint
Charlie are all within its confines. Cutting through it all is Unter den Linden, a chic
boulevard stretching from Pariser Platz to Museum Island, past a phalanx of imposing struc-
tures built under various Prussian kings and reflecting the one-time grandeur of the royal
family.
These days, though, the grand boulevard is one giant construction zone, thus upholding
Berlin's reputation as the 'eternally unfinished city'. A ballet of cranes swings above sites
where the U-Bahn is being extended, the Berlin City Palace is resurfacing and the State
Opera House is getting a facelift. It'll be years before all is finished.
Unaffected by the temporary turmoil is Friedrichstrasse, which bisects Unter den Linden
and runs north into the 'East End' theatre district and south to Checkpoint Charlie. Gendar-
menmarkt, Berlin's most beautiful square, is just one block east and surrounded by ritzy res-
taurants and fancy shops. It too is expected to get a makeover starting in 2015.
Local Life
Glamour shopping Brand-name bunnies flock to Friedrichstrasse to give their credit
cards a serious workout. Aside from boutiques, the Friedrichstadtpassagen, led by the
stunningly designed Galeries Lafayette , beckon with top-flight Berlin and international
designers.
High-brow culture Music and theatre fans are drawn to this part of town to take in con-
certs at the Konzerthaus Berlin , theatre at the Maxim Gorki and opera at the Komische
Oper .
Power of words What's better than a night off in front of the TV? Browsing a bookstore,
of course. Open until 11pm, Dussmann , the self-titled 'cultural department store', is an el-
dorado for bookworms and also has a huge music selection.