Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
 The
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is one of
Berlin's most famous landmarks. The damaged tower is a symbol of Berlin's
resolve to rebuild the city after the war and a constant reminder of the
destruction of war.
The church is located at the Breitscheidplatz, the center of former
West-Berlin. It is still the commercial center of Berlin, with the Ku'damm
shopping street and Europa Center near by.
Construction
Built between 1891 and 1895 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, the church was a symbol
of Prussian unity and a mark of honor for his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhem I.
The neo-romanesque building was designed by Franz Schwechten.
A new church
After allied bombing in November 1943, only the broken west tower of the
church was still standing. Local opposition saved the structure from
demolition in the 1950s and in 1961 a new, octagonal church designed by Egon
Eiermann was built alongside the existing tower. A freestanding hexagonal
bell tower was constructed on the site of the former main nave of the
destroyed church. A third and small rectangular building is also part of the
new complex. The church is a reinforced concrete structure with blue-colored
glass bricks.
Memorial Hall
Below the west tower of the destroyed church is a Gedenkhalle or Memorial
Hall. It documents the history of the church and contains several of the
original objects in the church as well as photos from before and after the
bombing. Some of the mosaic decoration and reliefs that survived the bombing
can also be seen.
Kulturforum
For more culture than you can poke a stick at, head to this cluster of
museums and concert venues west of Potsdamer Platz. Kick off with the
Berliner Philharmonie, a concert hall with otherworldly acoustics, before
ambling over to the Kammer musikaal (Chamber Music Hall) and the
neo-Romanesque confection of Matthäuskirche.
The must-see of the complex is the Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery),
which boasts a wealth of European painting from the 13th to the 18th
centuries. Other highlights include the Kupfer Stichkobinett (Museum of
Prints & Drawings) and the Escher-like Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Applied
Arts).
Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum)
The Jewish Museum is one of the most talked about Museum in Berlin. With
such a rich and hard past with the German country, the Jewish Museum focuses
on World War II and the struggles that the Jewish population had to undergo
during that time. The museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, lies in a
building that is one of the most spectacular buildings in the entire city.
Called the Silver Lightning Bolt, the building suggests a shattered Star of
David with odd shaped windows that embed the buildings exterior. Inside the
museum you will feel an uneasy feeling, this is designed to make the visitor
disoriented, simulating the feeling of those who were exiled. When the
exhibits reach the rise of the Third Reich, the hall's walls, ceiling, and
floor close in as the visitor proceeds. A chillingly hollow Holocaust Void,
a dark, windowless chamber, evokes much that was lost. The museum is a must
see, it will make everyone who comes here, think, remember, and feel what
the Jewish people had to endure. The exhibits at the museum concentrate on
three themes: Judaism and Jewish life, the devastating effects of the
Holocaust, and the post-World War II rebuilding of Jewish life in Germany.
The museum has a restaurant that features strictly kosher food and
emphasizes on Jewish recipes. This is a must see when arriving to Berlin, it
will leave you speechless, and take you back in time, to the year of WWII.
Zoologischer Garten (Zoo-Aquarium)
Hours: The zoo is open April to October daily 9am to 6:30pm; November
to March daily 9am to 5pm. The aquarium is open year-round daily 9am to 6pm.
Parents give yourselves a break and take your kids out to the zoo.
Founded in 1844, the Berlin Zoo- Aquarium is the oldest zoo in Berlin. More
than 13,000 animals live at the zoo, man of them in large and open natural
habitats. The zoo’s most valuable resident is the giant panda. There are
also more than 550 species of birds living at the Berlin zoo. The aquarium
adjacent to the zoo has over 9,000 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians,
insects, and other creatures. Among these animals you will find crocodiles,
snakes, lizards, and turtles. The zoo and the aquarium are a fun and
educational day to spend with your kids.
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This imposing 18th-century structure has endured several symbolic
reincarnations. Intended by its architect Carl Gotthard Langhans to be a
symbol of peace, the gate was crowned by the Quadriga (a four-horse chariot
driven by the winged goddess of victory) a couple of years later, turning it
into a monument to Prussian militarism. 
Discover Berlin City Walking Tour
The Checkpoint Charlie Museum is all that remains of the famed tower that
symbolised East-West tension during the Cold War. The tower itself was
unceremoniously craned away a few months after the border reopened. In 2001,
a replica guardhouse was returned to the site (the original is in the
Allierten Museum in Zehlendorf). 
