Berlin
Mitte - City Center
Reichstag - Start out at the Reichstag building, in the heart of the city. This historic building, home to the German Parliament, is newly topped with a dazzling transparent dome. Inside the cupola, the mirrored cone is right out of a science fiction movie (be sure to see your multiple reflections). Kids will enjoy the climb round and round the ramps to the top, for a dramatic panorama of Berlin. Come at nighttime for a completely different experience, as the dome is illuminated from below.
From the Reichstag, you can head either east or west - east in the direction of Museum Island and around the Alexanderplatz or west towards the Tiergarten and Kurfurstendamm.
Walk from the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) down Unter den Linden - Nothing says Berlin like the Brandenburg Gate. The impressive 18th century Brandenburg Gate is topped with Nike, the goddess of victory, driving her chariot with four horses (Quadriga). The Brandenburg Gate is newly reopened, after a 2 year rennovation, so be sure to run back and forth through the columns!
Unter den Linden is a wide boulevard, once again lined with lime (linden) trees. As you walk down the center promenade, there are more "Berlin bears" sculptures and park benches (relax on the benches with an ice cream).Bebelplatz - This spacious plaza was the site of the Nazi book burning in 1933. In the middle of the plaza, hunch down on the ground to look through a clear window to a room below. The underground room has bookshelves, but no books, a stark reminder of that dark moment. The day we visited the Bebelplatz, there was a book fair, booths selling children's books and fresh made doughnuts.
