This new quarter, forged from ground once bisected by the Berlin Wall, is a showcase of fabulous contemporary architecture and home to big cinemas and shopping. Culture lovers should not skip the Kulturforum museums, especially the GemÀldegalerie, which sits right next to the world-class Berliner Philharmonie. It hugs the leafy Tiergarten whose rambling paths, hidden monuments and beer gardens make for a perfect sightseeing break.
Whiz up to the Panoramapunkt for coffee and birdâs-eye views of Berlinâs landmarks, then saunter over to the GemĂ€ldegalerie for a rendezvous with Rembrandt and Co. Head back to Potsdamer Platz for lunch at Ki-Nova and a closer look at the Sony Center before delving first into the darkness of the Nazi era at the Topographie des Terrors and then the Cold War at Checkpoint Charlie. Cheer up with craft beer at BRLO Brwhouse before treating your ears to classical sounds of the Berliner Philharmoniker or your palate to progressive Thai at Kin Dee.
g The 200 comes through en route from Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz; M41 links the Hauptbahnhof with Kreuzberg and Neukölln via Potsdamer Platz; and the M29 connects with Checkpoint Charlie.
b S1 and S2 link Potsdamer Platz with Unter den Linden and the Scheunenviertel.
X U2 stops at Potsdamer Platz and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park.
Top SightGemÀldegalerie
The GemĂ€ldegalerie (Gallery of Old Masters) ranks among the worldâs finest and most comprehensive collections of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Expect to feast your eyes on masterpieces by Titian, Goya, Botticelli, Holbein, Gainsborough, Canaletto, Hals, Rubens, Vermeer and many other Old Masters. The gallery also hosts high-profile visiting exhibits featuring works from the great artists of this period.
