Five Easy-to-Miss Sights Along Berlin’s Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden runs from the Brandenburg Gate to the Kupfergraben, a branch of the Spree that marks the beginning of Museum Island. It’s a historic boulevard in central Berlin, lined with remarkable sights that probably need no introduction.
In a few cases, though, it’s easy to miss some of what it has to offer, either because it’s just out of sight or because it’s not immediately clear what to look for. These are our top five sights that you might miss along Unter den Linden if you don’t know about them!
To see a glimpse into our most recent explorations of Unter den Linden, check out our most recent video! If you have any other recommendations on easy-to-miss spots here, let us know in the comments either here or on the video.
The Hotel Adlon
You’ll probably see the Adlon Hotel, since it’s just a stone’s throw from the Brandenburg Gate. Unless you know its significance, though, you might not give it more than a passing glance. The current Hotel Adlon is re-created version of a historic building that was seriously damaged in World War II.
Today, it’s a luxurious, swanky spot where it’s common to see security guards blocking the sidewalk to allow various stars or political figures to slip quickly into a waiting limo. The one time I joined the crowds waiting to see who was going to be ushered out, I had no idea who I was seeing (nor did the rest of the crowd, based on their non-reaction).
It’s also infamous as the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby off the balcony.
Memorial to the Burned Books at Bebelplatz
In 1933, Nazis burned tens of thousands of books at Bebelplatz, which is located adjacent to Unter den Linden. Today, you’d never guess that the beautiful area was the site of such a painful act. The fact that the memorial to the burned books is so easy to miss certainly contributes to this.
To find it, go to the Humboldt University building facing Bebelplatz, and stand dead center in front of it. Walk away from the building in a straight line, watching the ground, until you come across what looks like a window into the ground. This is the memorial.
To me, it’s one of the most powerful memorials in Berlin, partly because of its simplicity. Looking into that window in the ground shows nothing but an austere white room with no visible entrances or exits, with all its walls lined with bookshelves. Empty bookshelves.
The only thing that gives it any life is the reflection of the university behind it.
Neue Wache
It’s easy to spot the Neue Wache as you walk down Unter den Linden, but it’s just as easy to assume that it’s yet another stunning building meant to be admired from the outside as you walk along.
In fact, it’s the “Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Victims of War and Dictatorship,” and you’ll miss much of the point unless you step inside. The inside of the building is as coldly grey and austere as a jail cell, with the stone walls and barred doors contributing to that impression.
Dead center amid all this bleakness is a sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz entitled “Mother with her Dead Son.” The overhead oculus casts the sculpture in varied light depending on the weather outside, sometimes offering a sunlit beam of warmth, other times providing no respite from the dreary grey.
Humboldt University
As with the Neue Wache, there’s little chance you’ll miss spotting Humboldt University as you walk by. Its main section is on the north side of Unter den Linden, but an equally gorgeous building is across the street on Bebelplatz.
What you might miss, though, is the inside. Humboldt University isn’t just a historic monument to Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Karl Marx, Heinrich Heine, Alfred Döblin, and countless other luminaries who attended, taught at, or were otherwise associated with the university. Instead, it’s still a living, breathing institution of higher learning.
Its buildings are absolutely gorgeous, and there’s plenty to be said for admiring them from the outside. Somehow, though, the magic really hits home once you slip inside and realize you’re walking the halls where so many remarkable people once spent time.
Bonus tip: behind the main building (if you go straight through the front then out the doors to the left of the main stairs) is a gorgeous grassy area that’s perfect for a picnic.
St. Hedwig’s Cathedral
The only reason you might miss St. Hedwig’s Cathedral on an exploration of Unter den Linden is that it’s set just off the main road. If you visit the memorial to the burned books, you’re halfway there; it’s at the other end of Bebelplatz.
The cathedral was built in the middle of the 18th century. After it sustained serious damage in the war, the cathedral was rebuilt and reopened to the public in the 1960s. It’s perhaps most recognizable for its distinctive turquoise dome, reminiscent of a robin’s egg. The inside is stunning as well, though, and the building is well worth taking a few steps off the main thoroughfare to visit.