A Day of Culture
Morning
Unter den Linden begins at Pariser Platz in front of
Brandenburger Tor
. Stroll eastwards along the wide avenue, past Hotel Adlon Berlin. Then turn right into
Wilhelmstraße
, the former political nerve centre. On
the right-hand side you will pass the new building of the British
Embassy. In Behrenstraße you can see the Holocaust-Denkmal. Turn left into Französische Straße, which will take you to Friedrichstraße. Here you can shop at the
Galeries Lafayette
or in the
Department Store 206
. After your shopping expedition, you may
wish to recover over a snack lunch in the gourmet food department,
which is situated in the basement of Galeries Lafayette.
Afternoon
Before you continue your exploration of Friedrichstraße, make a detour to Gendarmenmarkt with its Konzerthaus as well as Deutscher and Französischer Dom. From here return to Friedrichstraße
and its modern buildings. Walk down the street to Leipziger Straße.
Turn left into Leipziger Straße, and on the left you will see the giant
structure of the former Ministry of Aviation. Today the Federal Ministry
of Finance is based here. From here you can retrace your steps to Unter
den Linden or return to Gendarmenmarkt. An evening meal at the Italian
restaurant
Malatesta
is highly recommended.
A Day of Culture
Morning
Start your stroll on
Unter den Linden, at the corner of Friedrichstraße. Once this spot was
one of Berlin’s liveliest street junctions, and there is still plenty to
see today. For breakfast or refreshments, pop into
Café Einstein
. Afterwards continue
eastwards along the boulevard; you will pass numerous fascinating
buildings, for example, on the right, the Deutsche Bank with the
Kunstmuseum
Deutsche Guggenheim
. From here you can already see the equestrian statue of Frederick the Great, which marks the centre of
Forum Fridericianum
. This area as well as Bebelplatz are
right in the centre of Old Berlin, with Staatsoper, St
Hedwigskathedrale, Altes Palais and Humboldt-Universität. You could have
lunch in one of the restaurants based in the Opernpalais.
Afternoon
In the afternoon continue your stroll along Unter den Linden and, if you like, make a detour to the north to
Museumsinsel
. Afterwards, if you still feel energetic enough, you could visit Berliner Dom. Opposite the cathedral you will see
Schlossplatz
; with its floating “White Cube” art
museum. You could round off your day of sightseeing in Mitte with a
delicious evening meal at
Dressler Unter den Linden
. To get there, just retrace your steps and return along Unter den Linden in a westerly direction.
Best of the Rest
DDR Museum
This
museum of everyday life in East Germany recreates socialist interiors
and displays examples of East German design, including a Trabant car one
can sit in.
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1
030 847 12 37 31
DDR Museum
The Kennedys
A museum dedicated to the Kennedy family, including hundreds of photographs and many items of memorabilia.
WMF-Haus
The former headquarters of the porcelain and cutlery manufacturer WMF has remarkable façades, decorated with beautiful mosaics.
Alte Kommandantur
Designed by Schinkel, this impressive classicist building houses the Berlin offices of media company Bertelsmann.
Maxim-Gorki-Theater
The renowned theatre was once Berlin’s Singakademie, or singing school. Paganini and Liszt, among others, performed here.
Am Festungsgraben 2
030 20 22 11 29
S-Bahnhof Friedrichstraße
Remodelled
several times, this has always been one of Berlin’s most famous
stations. In 1961–89, it was the principal crossing point between East
and West.
Admiralspalast
Berlin’s most legendary venue, dating from the 1920s, stages musicals and comedy shows.
Palais am Festungsgraben
The Baroque palace of 1753 has maintained its original elegant interior.
Am Festungsgraben 1
030 208 40 00
Komische Oper
One
of Germany’s most magnificent opera houses, dating from 1892, is
concealed behind a modern façade. All performances are in German.
Behrenstr. 55–57
030 47 99 74 00
Komische Oper
Dalí Museum
A
rotating exhibition of some 400 works by the 20th century surrealist,
including drawings, illustrated books, paintings and sculptures.
Shops
Galeries Lafayette
Berlin’s
most attractive shop is the only branch of the luxury French store in
Germany. Here you will find elegant fashion and gourmet foods on the
lower level.
Friedrichstr. 76–78
10am–8pm Mon–Sat
030 20 94 80
Fashion at Galeries Lafayette
Department Store 206
Stylish Berliners shop here for up-to-the-minute and top-of-the-range designer clothes.
Quartier 206
Apart from the department stores, many top designer shops, such as Gucci and DKNY, are based in Friedrichstadtpassagen.
In Quartier 206
Fundus Verkauf
This shop offers theatre paraphernalia (old costumes, for example), that make ideal souvenirs.
Behrenstr. 14
030 20 45 02 03
Fassbender & Rausch
Giant
chocolate sculptures of Reichstag and Brandenburger Tor adorn the
windows and tempt visitors into this shop, a chocaholic’s paradise.
Charlottenstr. 60
030 20 45 84 40
Berlin Story
Almost
anything you’ve ever wanted to read about Berlin as well as photographs
and souvenirs are available from Herr Giebel, who knows the town like
no one else.
Unter den Linden 26
030 20 45 38 42
Kulturkaufhaus Dussmann
This
multi-media store is a mecca for culture-junkies, offering everything
from good books to computer games, and also boasting a large section of
classical music on CD. The store is also open in the evening.
Friedrichstr. 90
030 202 50
Budapester Schuhe
Small branch of a chain, selling quality men’s shoes.
Friedrichstr. 81
030 20 38 81 10
Escada
Stylish design for women, boasting a fantastic selection of luxurious materials.
Friedrichstr. 176–179
030 238 64 43
Bucherer
This is a well-known jeweller that sells quality watches and jewellery in this luxury outlet.
Friedrichstr. 176–179
030 204 10 49
