Mexico City, Mexico
Lake Louise, Canada
Barbados
Travel on Vacations
Berlin, Germany
What to do in Berlin, Germany
Potsdamer Platz (Potsdam Square)
Once divided by the infamous Wall, this plaza now contains buildings of steel, glass, and concrete. A painted red line on the streets still traces the old border.
Unter den Linden
This Berlin thoroughfare was once the most elegant and prestigious part of the city. It's slowly regaining its old charm, and is now lined with grand hotels, an opera house, cafes, shops, embassies and consulates.
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)
Left in a no-man's land when the Wall was built, the gray stone of this massive gateway has since been restored. It is now the only remaining gate of 14 built by Carl Langhans in 1791, and has become the focal point of much celebrating.
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial Site) This is the only nearly original piece of the Wall left in Berlin. The museum includes a 230-foot-long piece of the whole Wall system.
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) The ruined bell tower is all that remains of this once awesome church, which was completed in 1895. The chimes are still heard every hour on the hour. An exhibition in the tower focuses on the devastation of World War II throughout Europe.
Berliner Dome
This 19th-century cathedral boasts an enormous green copper dome and is one of Germany's greatest buildings. Its main nave was reopened in 1993 after a 20-year renovation.
Reichstag (Parliament Building)
Germany's federal parliament returned to Berlin in 1999, and short tours include a view of the chambers.
Kulturforum (Cultural Forum)
This complex contains museums, galleries, libraries, and the Philharmonic Hall. Some of the cultural jewels include the Gemäldegalerie (one of Germany's finest art galleries), the Kunstbibliothek (an art library), the Kupferstichkabinett (a collection of drawings and prints), and the Neue Nationalgalerie (the New National Gallery).
Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum)
This striking architecture of this museum resembles a broken Star of David. The exhibits examine the centuries-old history and culture of Germany's Jewish communityùone of the largest in the world prior to the Holocaust.
Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
This complex is set on the site of one of Berlin's original settlements, and houses several state museums, including the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) with collections of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century paintings and sculptures, the Alte Museum (Old Museum) with antique sculptures and bronze art, and the Pergamonmuseum, with exhibits of the ancient world.
Erotik-Museum
Paintings and other works of art here depict the culture of human sexuality. Exhibits document the history of German scientist Magnus Hirschfeld, whose institute for sexuality was destroyed by the Nazis, and Berlin painter Heinrich Zille's humorous tales of sexual behavior in the city's tenements. The museum is for adults 18 and older.
Zoologischer Garten (Zoological Gardens)
Opened in 1844, Germany's oldest zoo is home to more than 14,000 animals of 1,400 different species. The animals' enclosures resemble their natural habitats.
Europa Center
This shopping and business district was erected on the site of the Romanisches Café, a popular spot for writer and actors during the 1920s. The 22-story tower houses more than 100 shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, a comedy club, and a tourist information center. Two pieces of the Wall are displayed at the entrance.
Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West) Known as KaDeWe, this is Europe's largest department storeùand Berlin's most upscale one. It has seven floors, and the top two host food and delicatessen counters, restaurants, champagne bars, and beer bars.