Must See Attractions in Berlin, Germany
The Jewish Museum, Checkpoint Charlie, Ka De We, Unter den Linden
Traveling to Berlin invites visitors to see a mix of the new and the old with modern architecture alongside glimpses of the city’s historical past. There are countless museums to visit and interesting sightseeing to accomplish in this German city. The sights mentioned here are just some of the highlights.
The Jewish Museum
The architecture of this building is very contemporary, but once inside there is a long history that covers the experience of the Jewish in Germany. Walking through the museum, visitors will have a moving experience, in addition to educational glimpse into the Jewish-German relationship. While the museum includes insights and displays of the Holocaust, the history goes as far back as the Middle Ages up to the present as well.
- Advice: This is not necessarily a place to bring young children. Not only is there a lot to see, they will not understand some of the more emotional scenes that are a part of the museum.
- Address: Lindenstraße 9-14.
- Hours: Mon: 10am to 10pm, Tues-Sun: 10am to 8pm
Checkpoint Charlie
This is the location of one of the former East and West Berlin border checkpoints. The main purpose for this checkpoint was to register Western military personnel coming to East Berlin. Based on the third phonetic letter in the alphabet, Charlie was the third checkpoint that opened after the Berlin Wall went up in 1961. This eventually became the only place foreigners could cross over from East and West Berlin.
Today, there is a line of bricks flush with the ground in the place the Wall once stood and a replica of the checkpoint booth. Besides these bits and pieces, there is no visual remains that divulge the history that once stood in this very spot, only commercial buildings and stores. There is also a museum that visitors can examine more of this history of the Berlin Wall.
- Address: Friedrichstraße 43-45.
- Hours: Daily 9am to 10pm
Shopping at Ka De We
The Kaufhaus des Westens, otherwise known as Ka De We, is a seven story department store that offers products from around the world. It has vast quantities of items normally found in a department store and more. Almost any item or merchandise can likely be obtained in this immense store. It opened in 1907 and is one of the largest department stores in Europe.
The top floor offers a view through tall glass windows and a gourmet food court that offers an abundant amount of food for every palate.
- Address: Tauentzienstr. 21-24
- Hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-8pm and Sat: 9.30am-8pm
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a large boulevard that runs east -west through Berlin. It extends from Brandenburg Gate at Pariser Platz and stretches to the Schlossbrücke bridge. It is named for the linden, or lime, trees that line the boulevard. The trees are part of the beautification process during the time of King Friedrich Wilhelm in the 1600’s. He wanted to create a comfortable and shady travel route from his castle to his hunting grounds. Unter den Linden translates to “under the lindens.”
The entire walk is slightly less than one mile (1.5 km). There are many cultural buildings along the boulevard including Humboldt University, the Berlin state Opera, the Berlin cathedral, and Zeughaus (old armory) which now is the site of the German Historical Museum.
Remaining Parts of the Berlin Wall
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Checkpoint Charlie Today
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Inside Ka De We
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Brandenburg Gate
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Unter den Linden
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