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Alexanderplatz is a key transport hub and one of the busiest public squares in the Mitte District of Berlin. Noisy, hectic, and chaotic, Alex is definitely not a place that invites tourists to linger. If you thought of Alexanderplatz as lovely square of Baroque architecture and ornamented fountains, you’d be disappointed at the sight of socialist buildings, shopping malls, and a dense network of roads, tram and train tracks. At the same time, gems like Galleria Kaufhof, Alexanderhaus, and Ephraim-Palais give a unique charm to the bustling post-socialist commercial center.

Originally serving as a cattle market outside the city walls, the square was named after the Russian emperor Alexander I, in honor of his visit to Berlin in October, 1805. In the late 19th century, the building of the Stadtbahn station and the opening of the Hermann Tietz department store turned Alexanderplatz into a key commercial center. The U-Bahn station opened in 1913.

Visitors of Berlin will definitely enjoy the numerous landmarks scattered around Alexanderplatz. The Fernsehturm is a TV Tower and the tallest structure in Germany, soaring 368 meters high. The interactive DDR Museum features daily life behind the iron curtain as it was. Visitors can learn how to dance Lapsi and have the opportunity to turn the ignition key of a real Trabant.

Marienkirche is a 13th century Gothic church filled with works of art such as the wall fresco Dance of Death. Together with Nikolaikirche, this brick gem is one of the oldest churches in Berlin. Following the Spree River to the Atlantic, Aquadom and Sealife Berlin is a high-tech aquarium which introduces to visitors a variety of marine denizens that inhabit different habitats. Among the crowd favorites are small shark, manta rays, jellyfish, and sea horses. Kids can test their knowledge of marine spices by answering quiz questions all throughout the visit. Kindercity is another haven for the little ones, offering lots of stations for exploring, learning, playing, and discovering. Youngsters can learn sign language, create a TV program, participate in factory workshops teaching them how to prepare sweet delights, or fix a car, and much more. Finally, Ephraim-Palais, the original home of the coin minter and court jeweler Veitel Ephraim, is one of the most beautiful buildings in Berlin. The edifice features an elaborate rococo façade with wrought-iron balconies and frolicking cherubs.




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