After years of decline, the Kurfürstendamm, or
Ku’damm for short, has once again become a fashionable hot spot.
Breathtaking architecture, elegant boutiques and a lively scene with
street artists around Breitscheidplatz have made this shopping boulevard
Berlin’s most attractive and – at 3.8 km (2.5 miles) – also its longest
avenue for strolling.
Tourist informationNeues Kranzler-Eck, Kurfürstendamm 21 10am–8pm Mon–Sat, 10am–6pm Sun 030 25 00 25
Story of Berlin
Europa-Center
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In 1542, today’s
magnificent boulevard was just a humble “Knüppeldamm”, or log road. It
served the Electors as a bridle path, linking the town residence
(Stadtschloss) and their hunting lodge (Jagdschloss). It was not until
1871 that the area around the Ku’damm developed into a fashionable “new
west end”. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck had the boulevard modelled on
the Champs Elysées in Paris, and requested that his statue be erected in
the street as a thank you. So far, however, the Berliners have failed
to oblige him.
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Only a few cafés in the
Ku’damm have survived: the most charming is Café Wintergarten in the
Literaturhaus at the southern end of Fasanenstraße.
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It is best to avoid Ku’damm on Saturday mornings when the boulevard is teeming with locals and tourists out on shopping trips.
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Top 10 SightsBreitscheidplatz Here,
in the heart of the city, artists, Berliners and visitors swarm around J
Schmettan’s globe fountain, known by locals as “Wasserklops” (water
meatball).
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche One
of Berlin’s most haunting symbols, the tower of the original church –
destroyed during World War II – stands in the centre of
Breitscheidplatz, serving as both memorial and reminder of the terrors
of war.
Europa-Center The
oldest shopping centre in West Berlin, originally opened in 1962, is
still worth a visit. You will find a variety of shops, including a
grocery store, a cinema and fashion boutiques.
Neues Kranzler-Eck This
glass and steel skyscraper was built in 2000 by the architect Helmut
Jahn. The legendary Café Kranzler was retained as a bar in front of the
office block. You will also find the tourist information centre here. Fasanenstraße A small street off Ku’damm, Fasanenstraße with its galleries, expensive shops and restaurants is one of Charlottenburg’s most elegant areas.
Ku’damm-Eck This hotel and business complex (2001) has endowed the boulevard with new splendour.
Lehniner Platz The square is home to the Schaubühne, built as Universum cinema in 1928 by Erich Mendelsohn, converted in 1978. The Story of Berlin This
interesting multi-media show takes visitors on a tour of 800 years of
Berlin’s history – from the Great Elector to the capital of Prussia,
from Willy Brandt to the Fall of the Wall. Underneath the museum a
nuclear bunker can be visited.
Galerie Brusberg This Neo-Classical building provides a glimpse of Ku’damm’s erstwhile splendour. Iduna-Haus The
remarkable turreted house at this street corner is one of few
bourgeois houses preserved from the late 19th century. The richly
ornamented, gleaming white Art Nouveau façade has been lavishly
restored.
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