The Brandenburg gate in Berlin is situated in Pariser Platz 1 10117 Berlin. To reach there you can take the metro from Metro Stop Unter den Linden (S1, S2), or take Bus #100. It is cost free and so attracts even more tourists. Also, it is one of the most important landmarks of Germany and so automatically becomes a must see. The period when this gate rose to fame was the cold war. It marked the division of Berlin and Germany as it stands between East and West Germany.
This gate became a symbol of Germany’s violent past and also its present peaceful conditions. It has played an important role throughout the major events in Germany’s history. Though it has a colourful history the gate is important not only from that aspect but also from an architectural aspect. It was designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1791. This entrance to the boulevard “Unter den Linden”, leading to the palace of the Prussian monarchs, is marked with grandeur and stature. Its design was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens.
A remarkable feature of the gate is the sculpture of the Quadriga, a four-horsed chariot driven by Victoria, the winged goddess of victory. This statue was taken by Napoleon’s troops in the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, as a war trophy. It was however reclaimed when the Prussians defeated France in 1814.
The gate’s history doesn’t end here. About a hundred years later the gate was used by the Nazis for their own objectives. The most important of which is their march in the form of a martial torchlight parade, celebrating Hitler’s rise to power and introducing the darkest chapter of German history.
This gate survived the turmoil of the Second World War and then stood straight throughout the cold war and thus came to symbolize ideological disputes. One of the most visited monuments of Germany, this gate was refurbished in 2000.
Some of the popular hotels near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin are:
The Ritz Carlton, Berlin
Potsdamer Platz 3
Berlin
030 337777
The Mandala Hotel
Potsdamer Straße 3
Berlin
030 590050000
Berlin Marriott Hotel
Inge-Beisheim-Platz 1
Berlin
The Westin Grand Hotel Berlin
Friedrichstrasse 158-164
Berlin