Berlin is full of historically significant architecture, both old and new. But perhaps none reaches the same emotive heights, nor manages to fuse both classical and contemporary elements, quite like the Reichstag. As most history students know, the Reichstag is the seat of the German Bundestag, or federal government. The original building dates from 1884 and from here on in it became the stage for many of Germany’s most dramatic events. In 1916 it was inscribed with the iconic words Dem Deutschen Volke (‘To the German people’), much to the displeasure of King Wilhelm II. Soon after he abdicated, Germany was proclaimed a republic from one the Reichstag’s windows. However Germany’s years of democracy were short lived. In 1933 the Reichstag suffered a severe fire. Although it origins were never clear, Hitler and the salient NSDAP party seized the opportunity and blamed a communist, kick-starting the horrors of WW2. In divided Germany, the country had two seats of power: one in West Berlin and the other in Bonn. But after 1990 when many of Germany’s institutions were moved back to Berlin, it was decided that the Reichstag would again house the Bundestag, The British architect Sr. Norman Foster was given the daunting ...

The remodeled Neues Museum is the first stage of prolific British architect David Chipperfield’s master plan for Berlin’s ‘Museum Island’ in the Mitte District. The neo-classical Neues Museum (Genthiner Straße 38, 10785 Berlin) was built between 1841-1850 by Friedrich August Stüler. From its earliest history the museum has been renowned for its collection of Egyptian art; antiquities that were bought by Prussian adventurers during the age of exploration. One of its overall highlights is a delicate (and much photographed) bust of Queen Nefertiti, whose original colour and form has been preserved since the Amarna period The Neues Museum was severely bombed during WW2 and most of its remaining collection moved to other museums for safekeeping. The building however was left to the elements until 1997, when David Chipperfield won an international competition to make the Neues new again. The project was completed in late 2009 and immediately praised as a modern masterpiece: not just in large-scale restoration but also in re-thinking museum layout and design. Chipperfield carried out the project within the framework of the Charter of Venice, which demands respect and reverence for historical nuance. The original sequence of the rooms was restored and where interventions were made they didn’t compete with ...

The Cold War’s most potent symbol met its end on November 9th 1989, when it was spontaneously hacked apart by joyful East and West Berliners. Over its 28-year history the Berlin Wall had claimed hundreds of lives (the exact number is still unknown) and forged a 150km-long division through the city: politically, physically and idealistically. The wall was dismantled very soon after unification and chunks of it were sold off as souvenirs (you may still see some around, though locals joke that if every piece sold were the genuine article, the wall must have been a thousand times as long). Today there are a few places to see what’s left, or at least where it was. The most extensive, and certainly the most colourful, is the so-called East Side Gallery. Running parallel to the river between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrüke in the Friedrichshain district, it is the world’s largest open-air museum, where over a hundred German and international artists left images, messages and graffiti along the remnants of the wall. Works to seek out include a huge flag mural by Gunther Schaefer representing key events in Germany’s history that led to the construction of the wall. Another is a pop art interpretation of ...

Not far in distance but seemingly world’s away from the Berlin's trendy bars, design boutiques and bohemian vibe of the Mitte area, stately and graceful Charlottenburg is a reminder of the glories of the German Empire. The area was named after Sophia Charlotte of Hannover, a Prussian Queen Consort. Her Baroque Palace is not only the area’s landmark but also the only surviving Royal Palace in Berlin. The palace is surrounded by a lavish park - a superb place to wander around or have a picnic lunch. But there are plenty of other highbrow attractions in Charlottenburg; the neighbourhood was once a pleasure ground of the city’s elite, (followed by the decadent, cabaret crowd of the ‘Golden Twenties’) and many of their stately mansions have become museums. The Palace  (the Schloss Charlottenburg) is a destination within itself, with each separate building holding a unique collection (separate admission prices apply). Altes Schloss, Spandauer Damm, 9am-5pm Tue-Sun The oldest part of the Charlottenburg palace is a riot of stucco, rococo, brocade, gilt and the sort of excess European Royalty is renowned for. Don’t miss the 2,600-piece sterling silver dinner service, which has never been used. Neuer Flügel, Spandauer Damm, 9am-5pm Tue-Sun (11am-5pm Nov-Mar) The ‘new wing’ of the palace hosts its ...