Mexikoplatz presents a graceful meeting of history and daily life. At its center stands a heritage-listed Art Nouveau railway station, a landmark with elegant lines, ornate details, and carefully crafted materials that speak to a proud architectural era. The station’s façade and ironwork recall the early 20th century, while its clock, arches, and decorative motifs add a touch of theater to an otherwise practical building.
The station is more than a stop on a map. Light filters across curved windows, and subtle floral patterns soften the structure’s strong geometry. The design balances utility with beauty: platforms sit beneath sweeping canopies, signage is restrained and legible, and the overall composition feels composed rather than crowded. Trains come and go, but the building anchors the scene with composure, serving as a reminder that public transport can be a stage for craftsmanship.
Beyond the entrance, the city square opens up with a generous, neighborly atmosphere. Trees provide shade, and benches invite a pause. Cafés and small shops frame the edges, their storefronts reflecting a local rhythm of people meeting, reading, and chatting. Streets radiate from the square, guiding foot traffic toward residential blocks and pocket parks. Bicycles lean against railings, and the pace feels unhurried.
Close inspection reveals tiles with subtle color shifts, wrought-iron railings with looping patterns, and stonework that catches late-afternoon light. Plaques and street signs note the site’s protected status, underlining the care taken to preserve original elements. Seasonal touches—planters in spring, soft lighting in winter—keep the area lively throughout the year, and market stalls occasionally appear, bringing fresh produce, flowers, and conversation to the square.
Commuters pass through in a steady flow, joined by families, cyclists, and visitors who pause for photos of the station’s façade. The soundscape mixes railway announcements with the clink of cups and a low hum of conversation. It is a place that functions smoothly while maintaining a distinct identity, where architecture and urban space come together in a calm, inviting scene.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Mexikoplatz_station
This outdoor and indoor history museum documents the terror applied by the Nazi regime. It is on the site of buildings which during the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 were the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the principal instruments of repression during the Nazi era.
This museum is perhaps something you wouldn't expect in a major metropolis and truth be told it owes its existence in part to partition (when West Berlin schoolkids couldn't go to the surrounding Brandenburg countryside to experience rural life). Opened in 1975 it is an attempt to recreate as faithfully as feasible a medieval farming village from roughly the era of Berlin's founding (12th or 13th century). The village that existed at this place 800 years ago was not called "Düppel" back then as that name was only applied in the 1860s after the Prussian victory over Denmark at Dybbøl which was rendered into German as "Düppel" and applied to the area to honor a member of the Prussian royal family who owned land there.
A small castle in late classical style. It was built 1868 by Martin Gropius (uncle of the Bauhaus-founder and other architects, the von Siemens family changed the castle a bit around 1900 and they enlarged the dimensions of the park, which is today renovated and nice to wander around when the sun is shining. Located within a few minutes' walking distance from Biesdorf station (take the S5 from the city centre) or Elsterwerdaer Platz station (U5).
Arguably the most beautiful bridge in Berlin and the only connection between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. As signage on the bridge indicates, it was built twice - once in the 1890s and once in the 1990s. Before reunification the border ran where the bridge now is.
From 1941, 12,000 tons of concrete in a 15-m-high and 20-m-diameter cylinder were built to test the load-bearing capacity of the Berlin soils (turns out glacial sands are no good basis for gargantuan architecture) for Albert Speer's Germania buildings. Too massive for later blasting, this is one of the more bizarre remains of the Third Reich.
The longest moving refracting telescope is 21 m long with a lens diameter of 68 cm. This giant telescope was built in 1896 by Dr. Freidrich Simon Archenhold but is now part of the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin. It was the place where Albert Einstein presented his Theory of Relativity to the public in 1915.
The largest aquarium in Germany with over 9000 animals that are presented on three storeys in a historic building. Aquarium Berlin is found on the premises of the Zoo, but can also be visited separately. One of the best places on a rainy day with children.
The building houses the personal offices of the Chancellor and the Chancellery staff. The Berlin Chancellery is one of the largest government headquarters buildings in the world. By comparison, the new Chancellery building is ten times the size of the White House. A semi official Chancellor's apartment is on the top floor of the building. The 200-m², two-room flat has thus far only been occupied by Gerhard Schröder chancellors since then have lived elsewhere. It is usually not possible to visit the building, but on occasion there are tours, usually around August. The building was deliberately designed in a way to symbolize the German constitutional system - it's in the line of sight of the Bundestag and lower in height, symbolizing the role of parliament in controlling government and "the people's house" being the higher power in the relationship between the two. Or at least that's the idea.
The meeting point of one of the leading oppositions against the GDR regime and is a great Neogothic church. Also the only ecumenical Lord's supper with Protestants and Catholics together took place in the Gethsemanekirche (2003).
Museum established in 1888, with a collection of 3,500 instruments.
Museum of Contemporary Art located in former Hamburger Bahnhof train station. Big halls filled with artworks made since 1960s. In 2004 Rieckhallen, former Lehrter Bahnhof, was opened and now provides exhibition space for the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection. Free public guided tours (in English): Sa and Su at 12:00.
German historical museum covering everything from pre-history up to the present day. One can spend many, many hours here! The building from 1695/1730 was the Zeughaus (Arsenal) until 1876.
The largest zoo in the world, both in terms of number of species (1500) and animal population (14,000). It is especially famous for its pandas. The Elephant Gate (Budapester Straße), one of the two entrances and next to the Aquarium, is a traditional photo stop for most visitors because of the architecture.