Berlin city Germanyu
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© Felix Garcia Vila / Getty Images


Germany's tallest structure, the TV Tower has been soaring 368m (1207ft) high since 1969 and is as iconic to Berlin as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. On clear days, the panoramic views are stunning from the observation deck (with bar) at 203m (666ft) or from the upstairs Sphere restaurant (207m/679ft), which makes one revolution per hour. Express lifts take visitors to the top in less than a minute. On the observation deck, information panels below the windows help you spot city landmarks. Book a time-slot ticket online (prices start at €22.50) to avoid long queues or make a reservation at the restaurant – bookings for window tables cost €27.50.

No matter where you are in Berlin, look up and chances are you'll see Fernsehturm. Built between 1965 and 1969, the tower’s rocket-like shape was inspired by the space race of the 1960s and the launch of the first satellite, the Soviet Sputnik. It was supposed to demonstrate the GDR's engineering prowess, but ended up being a bit of a laughing stock when it turned out that, when hit by the sun, the steel sphere below the antenna produced the reflection of a giant cross. West Berliners gleefully dubbed the phenomenon "the Pope’s revenge".

Transportation

  • sbahn: Alexanderplatz
  • ubahn: Alexanderplatz
  • bus: 100, 200, TXL

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Neptunbrunnen

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This elaborate fountain was designed by Reinhold Begas in 1891 and depicts Neptune holding court over a quartet of buxom beauties symbolising the rivers…

2. St Marienkirche

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This Gothic brick gem has welcomed worshippers since the early 14th century, making it one of Berlin’s oldest surviving churches. A 22m-long Dance of…

3. Rotes Rathaus

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The Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) is the seat of Berlin's governing mayor and a red-brick neo-Renaissance pile completed in 1869. Outside, note the…

4. Block der Frauen

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A reddish sandstone memorial in a small park on Rosenstrasse called Block der Frauen by Jewish-German artist Inge Hunzinger (1915–2009) pays tribute to…

5. Park Inn Panorama Terrasse

0.21 MILES

For sweeping city views at eye level with the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), head up to the rooftop Panorama Terrasse, the open-air lounge of the Park Inn Hotel,…

6. Sealife Berlin

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Smile-inducing seahorses, ethereal jellyfish, Ophira the octopus and a marine dinosaur skeleton that can be 'reanimated' are some of the crowd favourites…

7. Berlin Dungeon

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This is a 70-minute tour through a camped-up chamber of horrors that's brought to life by actors in nine shows with such spine-tingling names as 'Elevator…

8. Museum Nikolaikirche

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The late-Gothic Church of St Nicholas (1230) is Berlin’s oldest surviving building and is now a museum documenting the architecture and history of the…

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