Berlin Attractions(Part 1): Berlin TV Tower, Red City Hall, Nikolaikirche, Museum Island

Berlin's attractions east of Museum Island are roughly bounded by the Mitte district and Museum Island. Below is a description of the Berlin Television Tower, the Rotes Rathaus and the Nikolaikirche in the Mitte district, as well as the Berlin Cathedral and the museums on Museum Island.

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Berlin TV Tower

The Berliner Television Tower is the landmark of East Berlin, and you can see it from almost every spot in the city center. If you enter Berlin from other places, you will pass through the Alexanderplatz station, and you will see the Berliner Television Tower on the way out. The Berlin TV tower was originally built in 1965 to demonstrate the strength of the GDR to the West. On top of the tower, there is a viewing platform where you can see the whole city of Berlin on a clear day, and a revolving restaurant.

Red Town Hall

Located in the center of the Mitte district and very close to the Berlin TV tower, the Red Town Hall, with its neo-Renaissance style and red brick façade, was first built in the 19th century, bombed in World War II, and then rebuilt in its original form, and after the reunification of the two Germanies it is still in use as Berlin's town hall.

Nicholas Chapel Street area

Nikolaikirche is the oldest church in Berlin. It is characterized by its two spires and is a Gothic style building, which was rebuilt after World War II. The Nikolaikirche neighborhood was developed around this building, but it's difficult to take photos of it because it's quite crowded.

The most interesting part for tourists is the medieval buildings surrounding the church in the Nicola Street area, which has a medieval atmosphere with many medieval buildings preserved (of course, many of them are replicas of the later ones). There are performers in medieval costumes singing and many tourists dressed up in medieval costumes, so walking through the area is like being in a movie.

Museum Island

Museum Island is located on the west side of the Spree River. Starting from the Nicholas Church, walk along the waterfront of the Spree River to the north and you will see the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral, then cross the bridge and you will reach it. Museum Island is the main tourist attraction of Berlin. There are five museums on the island: the Old Museum Berlin, the New Museum Berlin, the Pagama Museum, the National Gallery and the Bode Museum. The architecture of these museums is quite impressive in its own right, and the combination of architecture and culture led to the designation of Museum Island as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral is located on the east side of Museum Island, and it is the only way to enter the island. The building is quite ornate and eye-catching, but in fact it is a simplified design from the post-World War II restoration. The square in front of the cathedral is a resting place for the public and many tourists. On Sunday afternoons, you can sit in front of the square and listen to the German street performances even though it is crowded.

Berlin TV Tower, Red Town Hall, Nikolai Church, Museum Island, Pachamama Museum 3

Museums

National Gallery

Walking further into the museum complex on Museum Island, the first thing you see is the National Gallery. Built in 1867, it now houses sculptures and paintings from the 19th century.

Berlin TV Tower, Red Town Hall, Nikolaikirche, Museum Island, Pachamama Museum 4

Pajama Museum

It would take a day or two to visit all five museums, so we'll start with the most popular of them all, the Pagama Museum. It's the youngest museum on the island, but its collections include a wealth of Middle Eastern history and Islamic art, and it's famous for its archaeological restorations of the magnificent Pagamas Altar, the Miletus Market Gate, the Babylonian Procession Street, and the Ishtar Gate.

Each museum can be visited directly by entering the museum and purchasing a single museum or museum island package, or you can choose to pre-purchase online.If you don't have a ticket in advance, you need to queue up for a while at the Pegamas Museum. I arrived at the museum 20 minutes before the opening time, but I had to wait for the third batch before I could get in to buy the ticket, which was about half an hour after the opening time. It was about half an hour after the door opened. Although the waiting time was a bit long.The museum is well planned, and you can request audio tours in various languages, including Chinese, which is worth the price of admission if you are interested in Islamic artifacts.

The blue-colored Ishtar Gate, one of the eight inner gates of the city of Babylon and part of the Babylonian Walls, was once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is the first attraction of the museum. On display is the smaller front gate, which is 14 meters high. Alternating on the walls are reliefs of the Raging Serpent and the Original Bull, dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.

Just on the other side of the Istar Gate, the Miletus Market Gate is on display. Miletus was an ancient Greek city-state, and this gate dates back to 120 A.D. and is 17 meters high.

New Museum

After visiting the Pagama Museum, the rest of the day was spent in the New Museum, which was originally built in the 19th century and bombed during World War II. Originally built in the 19th century, the new museum was bombed during World War II and is still being rebuilt. opened in 2009, it features Egyptian and prehistoric artifacts. The most famous exhibit is the bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

Berlin TV Tower, Red Town Hall, Nikolai Church, Museum Island, Pachamama Museum 7

Berlin Attractions(Part 1): Berlin TV Tower, Red Town Hall, Nikolaikirche, Museum Island

Berlin TV Tower

Red Town Hall

Nicholas Chapel Street area