THE SONY CENTER

The Sony Center is a Sony-sponsored building complex located at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. It opened in 2000.

Sony Center contains a mix of shopsrestaurants, a conference centre, hotel rooms, luxurious rented suites and condominiums, offices, art and film museums, cinemas, an IMAX theater, 

 

 

....a small version of Legoland, and

 

..... a "Sony Style" store.

 A large open area with a tent like roof in the middle is a great way to relax.

NIKOLAIVIERTEL/ST. NICHOLAS QUARTER

The Nikolaiviertel or St. Nicholas Quarter is a small district in the historic center, part of Mitte and close to the Alexanderplatz.

The district's narrow and often pedestrianized streets are very popular with tourists. The area, which borders the Spree river contained some of the oldest buildings in Berlin before WWII

 

 Replicas of historic buildings were constructed in an attempt to recreate a historic quarter.

 Almost none of the buildings were built at their original location. The result is nonetheless a nice tourist-attracting area with many restaurants, cafés and shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the center of the Nikolaiviertel is the oldest church in Berlin: the 13th century Nikolaikirche. 

 

 

 The church now houses a museum recounting the history of the city.

 

At the border of the Nikolaiviertel is the Rotes Rathaus or Red Town Hall, named so for the red brick walls.

town hall

 The building, officially known as the Berlin Rathaus is the home of the Berlin Mayor.

POTSDAMER PLATZ

 The Potsdamer platz ,the square located between the American, British and Russian sectors, was once  the busiest and one of the liveliest squares in Europe. It was a major public transport hub and a popular entertainment district not until 1943 when it was bombed by allied forces.most of the area became part of the No Man's Land of the Berlin Wall 

It was completely flattened with the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 when the demolished buildings were pulled down.
Redevelopment begun after  the fall of the Berlin Wall.Potsdamer Platz became the largest construction site in Europe.

The project included the construction of several landmark towers, a shopping arcade, an entertainment center and residential buildings

The first building completed was the Debis tower, designed by Renzo Piano.  the Sony Center,a complex that includes an Imax theater and an office tower.
 Its neighbor, the brown-brick Kohlhof building featured an observation deck at a height of 93m.

The large new underground station, shopping arcade and entertainment center have brought new life to thePotsdamer Platz.

Their own version of Hollywood's walk of fame 

The Europe's oldest traffic light ..

and Berlin's famous stop sign ...

Part of the original Berlin wall on display at the square ..

 

CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE

Schloss Charlottenburg is an early 18th century baroque palace in Berlin's western Charlottenburg district. The building burned to the ground during the Second World War but has been completely reconstructed.

Charlottenburg palace is the largest palace in Berlin. The original, central part was constructed between 1695 and 1699 as the summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, wife of the Elector of Brandenburg, Frederick III.

 

 A statue of the goddess Fortuna was placed on top of the 48 meter tall at the copula
 
 The palace was hit in 1943 during an allied air raid causing a fire which completely destroyed the building. After the war the palace was meticulously reconstructed.

 

 The interior was just as beautifully reconstructed. The royal rooms are open to visitors, such as the Oak Gallery, paneled with oak and lined with oil paintings.

 

 The porcelain gallery, decorated with mirrors, has a fine display of Chinese porcelain. 

Other interesting rooms include the White Hall...

 

  the rococo style Golden Gallery....

 

   and The Gallery of the Romantics, which has a collection of paintings from the German Romantic period

 

 

the green room...

 

  the Schlosskapelle, the completely reconstructed palace chapel.

 

 

the grand staircase to the second floor..

 silverware collections.....

 

The park behind Schloss Charlottenburg was originally laid out in French Baroque style, it was later on converted into a landscaped garden.

 

At the entrance of the palace stands a large equestrian statue of the Great Elector. At the base of the statue are four chained warriors, symbolizing the four temperaments (which stem from the Antiquity where they were used to describe personalities). According to history, the statue was originally located in front of the Stadtschloss at the Museum Island, but during the Second World War the statue was submerged to the bottom of the Tegeler See, a large lake in Berlin. The statue was recovered in 1952 and after a restoration it was moved to the Charlottenburg Palace.