Brandenburger Tor, Berlin

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Once there were 14 gates in a fortification surrounding Berlin. Only one gate was kept. It was constructed in 1791 under the order of king of Prussia Fridrich-Wilhelm II on the sample Athenian propileys. During two centuries it was a witnesses of many historical events. After erection of the Berlin wall the gate which appeared in East Berlin, became a symbol Germany division.

Definately get yourself down to the Brandenberg gate before you do anything, marvel at it's size and splendor, then take one of the free walking tours that lasts a few hours. You'll see a few groups of people standing around and you'll also see someone holding up a sign with "The Next Free Tour Starts Here"

I don't normally like going on these tours i'd rather find places for myself but the tour guide (Jesse) was very knowledge and you could tell he enjoyed the stories and history of Berlin. I have to admit the way they give the tours makes it feel like you are reading a good book, one that envelopes you into the story until you feel like you are actually there.

The tour visits all the major sites of the city, and you can take another tour (which doesn't cost much) on another day where they go into detail about the spy's and the cold war.

This triumphal arch stands in the very heart of Berlin, and was the symbol of the divided city. The Tor was integrated into the Berlin Wall, which followed a north-south axis as it made its way to the Potsdamer Platz.

Six Doric columns hold up an entablature that was inspired by the Propylaea of the Parthenon at Athens. Surrounded by the famous and much photographed Quadriga of Gottfried Schadow from 1793, the gate was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1789. Napoleon liked the original Quadriga so much he ordered them taken down and shipped to Paris, but they were returned to Berlin in 1814. In Berlin's heyday before World War II, the gate marked the grand western extremity of the "main street," Unter den Linden.

You can go inside the Tor and into the Room of Silence, built into one of the guardhouses.

When I was in Berlin in June 2001, major renovations were being done to the Brandenburg Gate. Since I was not able to see the Gate in its original splendour, I had to contend with a mock-up of the facade of the Gate. In this picture, you will find that the familiar six pillars of the Gate are being pushed to the center, leaving the edges of the Gate unsupported. If you are wondering whether the Brandenburg Gate has been modified, it is not. This is a clever illusion. What you see is actually a drape over the entire Brandenburg Gate painted over to create the impression of pillars in the center and trees without leaves in the background. How can the trees be devoid of leaves when it is in summer? The `Deutsche Telekom' logo on top of the gate is also another tell-tale sign.

The Brandenburger Tor is probably the most famous monument of the capital of Germany.
Behind the Tor there's a lane called Unter den Linden. When you walk this lane, you will pass a WWII monument. On a streetcrossing further on the road the Siegessaule is situated. For 1,50/2,00 EUR you can climb it. From here you have an overview at the wooded surroundings there.

Around this forrest there's also the Zoo and Reichstag (Parliament).

To walk along Unter den Linden with the Brandenburg Tor as a destination may be a charming experience at the end of the afternoon: the special quality of the light gives the area a kind of romantic look. If you are lucky, you could take some beautiful photographs with the sun looming through the Tor.
Pasear por Unter den Linden con destino a la Puerta de Brandenburgo puede ser una experiencia encantadora hacia el final de la tarde: la especial calidad de la luz da a la zona una especie de aspecto romantico. Si tienes suerte, puede sacar unas fotos muy bonitas con el sol asomando a traves de la Puerta.

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Brandenburger Tor, as the symbol of the divided City & after the fall of the Wall as the sybmol of the united City, is situated on Pariser Platz. The 60 m high building was designed by Carl Gotthard & constructed between 1778 & 1791. The quadriga of victory on top of the gate from 1793 was originally symbol of peace, but Napoleon ordered it to be taken to Paris during the French occupation. After the battle of Waterloo though, it was triumphantly taken back to Berlin & turned into a symbol of victory again. The Door was once a part of a huge fortification system & is now the only remaining gate of the whole former system.

It's basically busses, Japanese people, tourists, busses full of Japanese tourists, locals, retired people, whoever! Everyone's taking photos of the Door, of the carriage & those I'm-standing-on-a-box-all-colored-in-silver-and-I-won't-move-till-ya-gimme-a-Euro dudes... But I was after something else! And after stalking the poor bear for some time [you need courage for something like that, you know!] I got myself a photo with a bear. Polar* + bear, you see?! *angel* ;) [Look at the other photos!]

The symbol of Berlin, if not the entire German nation, this gate which is on the German euro coins is a very moving place. The area around it was bombed almost flat in WWII and there are plenty of pictures showing this in various museums around the city. It was then along the line dividing eastern and western Berlin, with the wall running just west of it for many years. It is a very odd feeling to be able to walk through it today, thinking of all those who couldn't.