t The best time to visit the Sony Center is in the evening, when the piazza is lit up
g Tiergarten g Contents
J6 & Potsdamer Platz @ 200, M41, M48, M85, N2 ∑ potsdamerplatz.de
To experience the vibrant energy of Berlin, there is no better place to visit than Potsdamer Platz, where there is so much to see and do that visitors will feel spoilt for choice.
t The best time to visit the Sony Center is in the evening, when the piazza is lit up
Experience Tiergarten
n Double-tap image to read the labels
Originally a green park in 1831, this square evolved into a major traffic hub thanks to the construction of a railway station, where the city’s first ever train made its maiden journey. During the Roaring Twenties it was Europe’s busiest plaza and a bustling entertainment centre, frequented by famous artists and authors. The square was almost destroyed during World War II and was left as a derelict wasteland for several decades. Redevelopment began in 1992, and Potsdamer Platz became Europe’s largest construction site, where a total of $25 billion has been invested. Now the city’s old hub is once again a dynamic centre, boasting an array of entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities in splendid modern buildings designed by architects such as Renzo Piano, Helmut Jahn and Arata Isozaki.
PICTURE PERFECT
Potsdamer Platz plays a leading role in Berlin's annual Festival of Lights in October. The illuminated installations and light displays are different every year, and are always unforgettable.
The Sony Center is one of Berlin’s most exciting architectural complexes, a glitzy steel-and-glass construction covering a breathtaking 4,013 sq m (43,195 sq ft). The piazza at the heart of the Center has become one of Berlin’s most popular attractions. Set under a soaring tent-like roof, it is dominated by a pool with constantly changing fountains. The light and airy piazza is surrounded by the offices of Sony’s European headquarters, as well as apartment complexes, restaurants, cafés and shops. There is also a huge multiplex cinema and an integrated IMAX cinema showing nature and science films on imposing 360-degree screens.
One of the main attractions in the Sony Center is the Museum für Film und Fernsehen (Museum of Film and Television), which gives visitors a backstage glimpse of Hollywood and the historic UFA (Universum Film AG) film studios. The museum chronicles the development of cinema from the first silent movie hits to the latest science-fiction productions. However, the main focus is on German films from the glorious UFA days in the 1920s, when Germany’s leading film company produced one smash hit after another at the Babelsberg studios. Films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene, and Metropolis, by Fritz Lang, are presented with costumes, set sketches, original scripts, models and photos. Exhibits also explore the use of film during the Nazi era, when filmmaking became part of the propaganda machine. In addition, the museum documents the life and work of the actor Kurt Gerron, who died in Auschwitz. The museum also features a range of other exhibitions with changing themes and special film programmes.
Just outside the Sony Center you’ll find the LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre. It provides a wonderland of indoor adventure for young visitors, including rides and a 4D cinema, as well as hands-on activities like model-building workshops. There’s also a LEGO® factory tour.
t The Sony Center is a popular weekend hang-out for Berliners
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⌂ Potsdamer Strasse 4 # 10am–6pm Tue, Wed & Fri–Sun (to 8pm Thu) ∑ deutsche-kinemathek.de
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⌂ Potsdamer Strasse 4 # 10am–7pm daily ∑ legolanddiscoverycentre.de/berlin
t The buildings of the Daimler Quartier are considered a jewel of modern architecture
This vast complex comprises 19 modern buildings, all designed in different styles according to an overall plan by architects Renzo Piano and Christoph Kohlbecker. The buildings form a long column of magnificent modern architecture leading from Potsdamer Platz all the way down to the Landwehr Canal. The green traffic-light tower marking the beginning of the Daimler Quartier is a replica of the first automatic traffic light in Europe, which was erected on this very spot in 1924.
One of the highlights of this avenue is the Kollhof Tower skyscraper, which is topped by a 96-m- (315-ft-) high observation platform called Panoramapunkt (Panorama Point). It offers a breathtaking view and can be reached via Europe’s fastest elevator.
The Daimler Quartier also contains the only historic building on Potsdamer Platz to escape destruction in World War II: the grey limestone building of Haus Huth, built for the wine dealer Christian Huth in 1912. The best view of the building is from its south side where a tiny park with trees offers a place to rest.
Today the offices of the famous car manufacturers Daimler are located here, along with a restaurant, a small café and an upmarket wine shop. Haus Huth is also home to Daimler Contemporary, a small exhibition featuring key works and new additions to the corporation’s collection of 20th-century art.
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⌂ Potsdamer Platz 1 # Opening times vary, see website for details ∑ panoramapunkt.de
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⌂ Alte Potsdamer Strasse 5 # 11am–6pm daily ∑ art.daimler.com
This enormously popular entertainment and shopping complex is spread over three floors, and includes around 140 shops, restaurants and boutiques. The basement houses a food court offering regional specialities from all over Germany.
The Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz includes alpine thrills like snowboarding and tobogganing.
t Potsdamer Platz contains an eclectic mix of modern architectural designs
Situated in a square dedicated to the famous Berlin-born actress Marlene Dietrich, the city's largest musical stage is housed in the Theater am Potsdamer Platz, designed by Renzo Piano. It has staged a mix of local musical productions and German versions of Broadway hits.
The exclusive Adagio nightclub is located in the basement of this building and Berlin’s most popular casino, Spielbank Berlin, can be found here, too.
The theatre complex is also the main forum for the city's annual film festival, the Berlinale. Over the course of the ten-day event, around 400 films are shown, most of which are world and European premieres. Book ahead if you wish to attend.
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⌂ Marlene-Dietrich- Platz 1 # 8am–8pm daily ∑ stage-entertainment.de
⌂ Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1 # 11am–5am daily ∑ spielbank-berlin.de
This small square just east of Potsdamer Platz is becoming an exciting hub of its own.
The Mall of Berlin now occupies the site of the former Wertheim department store, once the largest in Europe. It contains shops and restaurants of every variety as well as a hotel, a running club and the XXL slide that winds from the second floor all the way to the ground-floor atrium.
At the southern end of Leipziger Platz is the Dalí Museum, exhibiting hundreds of works by the famous Surrealist artist. A few doors down is the German Spy Museum, a multimedia museum exploring the history of secret services around the world, with an emphasis on espionage in Cold War-era Berlin. The museum exhibits collections of authentic and replica espionage equipment, and offers various interactive experiences such a laser maze and Facebook data puzzle.
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⌂ Leipziger Pl. 12 # 10am-9pm Mon–Sat, 1–7pm Sun ∑ mallofberlin.de
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⌂ Leipziger Pl. 7 # Opening times vary, see website for details ∑ daliberlin.de
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⌂ Leipziger Pl. 9 # 10am–8pm daily ∑ deutsches-spionagemuseum.de
Experience Tiergarten
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EAT Teehaus im Englischen Garten After a few hours exploring the ultramodern Potsdammer Platz, wander through the Tiergarten and take in the greenery and lakes for a change of scenery. Slightly hidden in a small corner of the park, this cosy caférestaurant is nestled in a cottage with a thatched roof and surrounded by a small formal garden. There is a program of free concerts and themed evenings during summer time. G5 ⌂ Altonaer Str. 2 ¢ Nov–Mar ∑ www.das-teehaus.jimdo.com ¡¡¡ |