Checkpoint Charlie
Of course, the current Checkpoint Charlie somehow is Disneyland. You might not be aware of this but the historical Checkpoint Charlie, which served as a border crossing between the American and the Russian sector of the once-divided Berlin, actually stood a few feet further than its present location. Nevertheless, a photo with the men dressed as military staff is – at least- for the first visit to Berlin a clear must! And just because you are already there and a little education in history hasn’t hurt anybody yet, pay the neighboring Checkpoint Charlie Museum a visit!
Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstraße 43-45, Berlin-Mitte: U-Bahn U6 Station Stadtmitte
Holocaust memorial
A reminder of the sad part of the German history – the memorial is in its appearance just as disturbing and cold as the crimes of the Nazis themselves. Nevertheless, it is a must on every first-time visit to Berlin. The box-shaped stones are reminiscent of tombs, the gray color of ash. Visit this memorial and pause.
Holocaust-Mahnmal, Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, Berlin-Mitte: Walking distance to Stations of Potsdamer Platz and Stations of Brandenburger Tor
Gendarmenmarkt
This is clearly Berlin’s most beautiful place. The Gendarmenmarkt is the showpiece of the historical center of Berlin. Midst you will see the concert hall, on its left there is the German and to its right the French Cathedral. When the sun shines, make a stop, find a bench, be sure to either have some coffee in your hand and soak up some historic Berlin air or simply recover from shopping in the nearby Friedrichstrasse. Our suggestion: take a few pretentious Instagram photos for your friends at home. Classy!
At U-Bahn Stations U2 and U6 Stadtmitte
