Brandenburger Tor, Berlin

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The place everybody knows when they think of Berlin and indeed it is impressive. It was built in 1788 as a gate to the city. It is at the beginning of Unter den Linden. In the times of the cold war the Brandenburger Tor was on the east side of the wall.

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A visit to ,and a walk through the Brandenburger Tor (gate) is a must when in Berlin...This magnificent old Gateway to the city and most famous landmark of Berlin and Germany is located just west of the city at the intersection of Unter Den Linden and Ebertsrasse immmediately west of the Pariser Platz..
The Brandneburger Tor was really badly damaged in the exceptionally heavy fighting that took place here in World War II when the soviet troops took the city. The Brandenburger Tor Monument was completely refurbished between 2000 and 2002 by The Stiftung Denkmalshutz ( The Berlin Monument Conservation Foundation) Located at the top of the Monument is "The Quadriga" a charriot drawn by four hoses and driven by" Victoria" The Roman goddess of victory..This was also removed and completely refurbished..
The monument was a great symbol of freedom to the German people following the fall of the Berlin wall and the reunification of East and West Germany..
Take a leisurley walk down Unter Den Linden and let your mind wonder at the incredible history that lingers here..
Enjoy the moment and sit in one of the many fine Cafes that are located here, have a beer and a "Bratwurst mit Kartoffel Salat" really fantastic..really German..
most information courtesy of Wikipedia

This is the historic symbol of Berlin it was built in 1788 and is the only remaining gate of a series that the city used to be entered through. But most of the people on my tour were more interested in the fact that the hotel where Michael Jackson held his baby over the railing is near by.

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The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most famous landmark, is over 200 years old. Until 1989 it symbolized the division of Berlin and Germany. Today it is a national symbol of unity.
The structure is the only remaining city gate in Berlin.

it's a must to visit Branderburg gate and admire the architectural wonder. Take a photo and learn about its history! It's one of the most famous monumental structures in Berlin.
Also, the Reichstag Building is less than 1 KM away so you can also visit Reichstag from there by just walking.

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The semi-circular area on the western side of the Brandenburg Gate used to be called, prosaically, "Platz vor dem Brandenburger Tor" (Place in front of the Brandenburg Gate), and for years was sealed off in the “Death Strip” (No Man’s Land) behind the outer Berlin Wall – this photo 2 was taken on our 1985 visit. But when the Wall fell it was once again accessible, and was the scene of a lot of the impromptu parties that took place at that time.

In June 2000 it was renamed Platz des 18 März. The name commemorates both the events of the revolution of 1848 and the first free and democratic parliamentary elections in the former GDR on March 18, 1990. Today the line of the Wall is marked, as elsewhere in the city, by a double line of cobbles, but it is hard to make these out as the traffic passes constantly through – and even harder to photograph them!

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On our last visit to Berlin, in 1985, the Brandenburg Gate was completely “off-limits”, stranded as it was in the middle of No Man’s Land between East and West – photo 4 was taken on this visit (and is worth opening to see how young I looked then!). It was one of my main aims on this trip to do what we had been unable to do then, and walk through the Brandenburg Gate. After all, isn’t that what a gate is for?

So through the gate we went. It was wonderful to be able to appreciate the full grandeur of this structure, and to see the unlimited view westwards from its far side, through the greenery of the Tiergarten to the distant golden gleam of the Siegessäule (Victory Column). Unfortunately the similarly impressive view eastwards, along Unter den Linden, was blocked on this occasion by a large vehicle promoting Amnesty International – a worthy cause but a lousy place to park! Still, we did manage to get some great close-up photos, another pleasure denied to us in the past.

The Brandenburg Gate was built in 1791, commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a symbol of peace. It is the only remaining gate of several that once ringed the city, and when built formed the grand entry to Unter den Linden, the famous boulevard of linden trees which in those days led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. It consists of twelve Doric columns, six on each side, which form the five passageways – citizens originally were allowed to use only the outermost two. On top of the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, as seen in my photos.

Like much of Berlin the Gate was badly damaged in the Allied bombing raids of World War Two, but was patched up in a joint effort by the governments of the two Berlins. It remained accessible for a time, and the people of Berlin could pass through it when crossing between the two halves of the city as the East Germans had a border guard here, but when the Berlin Wall was built in August 1961 the Gate was stranded in No Man’s Land, just as it was when we first saw it 24 years after that.

The Wall fell on 9 November 1989, and on 22 December 1989, the Brandenburg Gate crossing was reopened when Helmut Kohl, the West German chancellor, walked through to be greeted by Hans Modrow, the East German prime minister. After reunification it was fully restored, and in 2002 opened up in its current majestic state.

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The Brandenburg Tor (gate) is a triumphal arch and the symbol of Berlin. It is located on the Pariser Platz and dates back to the 18th century when it was loveliest of Berlin's 18 city gates, and is the only one that remains today.

The gate was incorporated into the Berlin wall during the years of Communist government, and became part of East Germany. When it was re-opened in 1989 it became a symbol of reunification of the two sides of this great city.

The Brandenburg Gate consists of twelve Greek style columns, six on each side. The 6 metre high sculpture on top of the gate is called the Quadriga. It was created in 1794 as a symbol of peace, and consists of a horse-drawn chariot being driven by the winged goddess of victory.

This is indeed an impressive landmark, and is looking particularly good after its recent-ish restoration. Though I must say I was a little surprised to see a branch of Starbucks just a few metres away!