EuroTrip 2012: Day 1 and 2. I wanted to start this photo post with the comment I entered Berlin on a white horse through the Brandenburg Gate!
Seriously, my Delta flight from a new Atlanta’s International Terminal was two hours delayed- believe it or not, a cleaning crew was late… Delta called it “Security Reasons”. After 24 sleepless hours on the road, including Munich-Berlin flight via AirBerlin, my “white horse” fell asleep as soon as I checked in to the hotel. Fortunately, I have stayed in the hotel located in Mitte- the first and most central borough of Berlin, in a walking distance to The Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and other tourist sites of Berlin like Museum Island, Berliner Dom, Unter den Linden, most of which were in former East Berlin. So I walked to Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag in the first night.
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate, rebuilt in the late 18th century as a neoclassical triumphal arch, and now one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered.
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The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). Berlin, Germany
As a big fan of World War II memorabilia, I was looking forward to visiting Reichstag. I planned my visit a month before. Here is a tip, if you plan to visit Reichstag, you have to book an appointment here. The Reichstag building stands one block to the north of Brandenburg Gate- 5 minutes walk.
The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was built in 1871-1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. After World War II, the building fell into disuse, since the parliament of the German Democratic Republic met in the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin and the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn. The ruined building was partially refurbished in the 1960s, but no attempt at full restoration was made until after German reunification on October 3, 1990. After its completion in 1999, it once again became the meeting place of the German parliament: the modern Bundestag.
The Reichstag (Bundestag). Berlin, Germany
The Reichstag (Bundestag). Berlin, Germany
The Reichstag (Bundestag). Berlin, Germany
The Reichstag (Bundestag). Berlin, Germany
I’ve been to Berlin a couple of times, but never made it inside the Bundestag. I have walked through Brandburg gate a number of times. I like the area, but I never seem to have enough time.
It will not require a lot of time if you pre-order (free of charge) your visit. Mine took about an hour. You will need to apply for a visit to Bundestag (Reichstag) here- https://visite.bundestag.de/BAPWeb/pages/createBookingRequest.jsf?lang=en and pick three different times. The person will schedule your appointment for one of three submitted and get back to you with a confirmation email. So you come at your scheduled time and go inside skipping the lines of tourists.