POTSDAMER PLATZ
The heart of the new metropolis of Berlin beats on Potsdamer Platz. This square, where Berliners and tourists alike now flock to cinemas, restaurants and shops, was a hub of urban life in the 1920s. After World War II, it became a desolate wasteland, but since the fall of the Wall, Potsdamer Platz – for a while Europe’s largest building site – has become a city within the city, surrounded by imposing edifices that began to appear in the 1990s, and are still being added to today.
NEED TO KNOW
Deutsche Kinemathek: Potsdamer Str. 2 • (030) 300 90 30 • www.deutsche-kinemathek.de • Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun (to 8pm Thu) • Adm
Spielbank Berlin: Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1 • www.spielbank-berlin.de • Open 11–3am daily • Adm
LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre: Potsdamer Str. 4 • (030) 301 04 00 • www.legolanddiscoverycentre.de • Adm
CinemaxX: Potsdamer Str. 5 • (01805) 24 63 62 99
Sony Center Potsdamer Platz • www.sonycenter.de/en/
- Apart from visiting Café Josty, try the ice cream at Caffè e Gelato inside the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden.
1. Sony Center
The Sony Center is the most ambitious, successful and architecturally interesting building in the new Berlin. The cupola structure, designed by Helmut Jahn, is the German headquarters of the Sony company, and with its cinemas and restaurants it is also a social magnet.
An aerial view of the Sony Centre
2. Deutsche Kinemathek
This museum takes visitors backstage at Babelsberg and Hollywood with Marlene Dietrich’s costumes and other exhibits (see Deutsche Kinemathek Exhibitions).
The building of Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin
3. Café Josty
Café Josty harkens back to its legendary predecessor, a regular haunt of artists and intellectuals in the 19th century. Today’s Josty is partially housed in the historic Kaisersaal (Emperor’s Hall) of the former Grand Hotel Esplanade.
4. Weinhaus Huth
The only building on Potsdamer Platz to have survived World War II, the restored Weinhaus today accommodates restaurants and the excellent Daimler Contemporary, which showcases modern art.
Weinhaus Huth, home to the Daimler Contemporary
5. Boulevard der Stars
Berlin’s walk of fame features stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Werner Herzog, Fritz Lang, Hans Zimmer, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger and Romy Schneider. The coloured asphalt evokes the red carpet.
Berlin’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
6. Potsdamer Platz Arkaden
The arcades draw visitors with three floors hosting 130 shops, exclusive boutiques and restaurants. The lower ground floor is a food court serving a range of meals and snacks.
The exciting arcades on Potsdamer Platz
7. Spielbank Berlin
Berlin’s casino invites visitors to faites vos jeux. Apart from roulette, Black Jack is also played, and an entire floor is given over to gambling machines.
8. CinemaxX
The CinemaxX, with its 17 screens, is one of Berlin’s largest cinemas. The bigger screens show current Hollywood blockbusters, while the three smallest are for low-budget arthouse and German films.
CinemaxX cinema in Berlin
9. Quartier Potsdamer Platz
Leading architects such as Hans Kollhoff and Renzo Piano designed these skyscrapers. One landmark is the terracotta and glass Atrium Tower.
10. LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre
This LEGO® wonderland features brick models, a miniature Berlin, a train ride to a land of dragons and a DUPLO® Village with bigger blocks for the little ones (see LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre).
