MITTE. Since the end of Communism in 1989, this bustling eastern square has enjoyed an ongoing transformation. The railway station splits the area in half, with the Platz proper on one side and the Marx-Engels Forum and Television Tower on the other. Be sure to visit the café located at the pinnacle of the Television Tower. It revolves 360 degrees every 30 minutes and offers a majestic view of Berlin. S-BAHN, U-BAHN: Alexanderplatz

MITTE. Perhaps one of Berlin's most solemn ­ and controversial ­ sites, the Holocaust Memorial occupies a wide expanse between Brandenburger Tor and Potsdamer Platz. Exactly 2711 concrete slabs form a chilling grey grid over the area known as the Field of Stelae. The stelae represent the horrible scope of the Holocaust and are arranged at varying heights, creating a subtle wave-like appearance. Designed by NY architect Peter Eisenman, the site and its visitor center opened to the public on 12 May 2005; among those in attendance that day were several Holocaust survivors. S-BAHN: Unter den Linden or Potsdamer Platz; U-BAHN: Potsdamer Platz

MITTE. This large television tower, adjacent to Alexanderplatz, stands as a beacon for the city. The tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower and offers expansive views of the city below.

MITTE. Built in 1791 as a customs collection post and recalling the design of the Acropolis's Propylaea, this formidable columned structure has served as an icon of both German factionalism and solidarity. In 1961, the Wall was built and the gate sealed off. After the Wall fell in 1989, the area was reopened to the public. The neighboring plaza is marked with merchant stalls. Located on the eastern edge of Tiergarten. S-BAHN: Unter den Linden

MITTE. An equestrian statue of this notorious Prussian king overlooks the legendary Unter den Linden boulevard. In 1945, the statue was sent to nearby Potsdam, the city where Frederick built his monumental palace, but it was returned in 1980. Today, it towers above a landscape of symmetrically aligned trees, Humboldt University buildings, and neoclassical palaces.