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Berlin: Home of the Berlin Philharmonic
Discover the city that's home to the Berlin Philharmonic, steeped in history, architecture, and of course, music.
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1. Reichstag
The Reichstag building was opened in 1894, and formed the home of the German parliament until 1933, when it was damaged in a fire. It has since been rebuilt with the addition of a dome, designed by Norman Foster.
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2. Reichstag dome
Now a famous landmark in its own right, the Reichstag dome, designed by Norman Foster, is a popular destination for tourists. Visitors can enter the dome and enjoy a 360 degree view of the city, as well as a look into the parliamentary chamber, thanks to the mirrored cone structure in the centre.
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3. The Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall
Since January 2009, the Berlin Philharmonic have streamed their concerts live online, and music-lovers can listen again in the video archive.
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4. TV Tower
Measuring an impressive 368 metres, the Berliner Fernsehturm (TV tower) is the tallest building in Germany, and one of the tallest constructions in Europe. Tourists can visit the top of the tower and even enjoy a drink in the revolving bar!
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5. Berlin's traffic lights
The first set of traffic lights in Europe was put into service in Potsdamer Platz in 1924. These days you can expect to see the cult former East German symbol, known as the Ampelmann, telling you when it's safe to cross.
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6. Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
The original 1890s building was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943, so a new church building was built on the same site between 1959-63. The concrete walls house 21,292 pieces of blue, red, yellow, and green stained glass, creating a glowing blue interior.
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7. Berliner Dom
Despite using the German name for the Cathedral, 'Dom', the building is not the house of a bishop. In 1465, the St. Erasmus Chapel which stood on the site was elevated to the status of a collegiate church, or 'Domkirche', from where the name 'Dom' was taken.
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8. The Brandenburg Gate: the original city limits
The Brandenburg Gate was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia as a sign of peace, and built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788-1791. It was fully restored between 2000-2002 after having suffered considerable damage in World War II.
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9. Knut the Berlin Zoo polar bear
Born in 2006, Knut was the first polar bear to survive past infancy at Berlin Zoo for more than 30 years. He sparked a media phenomenon, prompting Knut-themed merchandise from toys to DVDs before he died suddenly in 2011.
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10. Berlin Central Station
This unusual building is Berlin's Central Station, which was completed in 2005. Its design is partly due to its five levels, the highest of which is 10 metres above street level, and the lowest of which is 15 metres underground.
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11. Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic
Sir Simon Rattle has been the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002. He made his conducting debut with the orchestra in 1987, performing Mahler's Symphony No. 6.
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12. The East Side Gallery
The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, measuring an impressive 1.3km, is now the longest open air gallery in the world. The wall was divided up into 101 sections and painted by 118 artists from 21 countries.
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13. Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall completely cut off West Berlin from the surrounding East Germany and East Berlin, which were under Socialist control. It was destroyed in 1990, paving the way for German reunification.
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14. Teufelsberg
The only hill in Berlin is an artificial hill, created from rubble after the clean up of Berlin following World War II. The US National Security Agency built a listening station on the hilltop, but it was abandoned after German unification.
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15. Berlin Flag
The bear on the Berlin flag is a pun on the city's name: the German word 'Bärlein' means 'little bear'.
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16. Music conservatory
The Hanns Eisler music school is one of two music conservatories in Berlin, alongside Berlin University of the Arts. It was established in East Berlin in 1950 because the Hochschule für Musik Berlin (now the Berlin University of the Arts) was in West Berlin.
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17. Berlin Wall
Original graffitied sections of the Berlin Wall remain in the city, displaying information boards for tourists. The former course of the wall is marked by a row of double paving stones.
