Visit Potsdamer Platz and Dive into Berlin’s Cultural Heart

A Brief History

Originally a rural intersection of trade where country roads leading into the city converged, Potsdamer Platz gradually developed into a busy traffic junction during the first half of the 20th century, before fading into a no man's land during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall built in 1961 literally ran through the heart of the square.
In 1991, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the competition for the square's redesign was won by the architects Heinz Hilmer and Christoph Sattler, while the construction was overseen by internationally-acclaimed architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Arata Isozaki. The result is a conglomeration of architecturally exciting buildings and towers, showing off the best of modern design.
Between the 1950s and 1960s, a cultural enclave of modernist buildings called the Kulturforum sprung up to the west of Potsdamer Platz. Its major institutions survived the Cold War, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Museum of Decorative Arts, Berlin State Library and Chamber Music Hall. The Berliner Philharmonie concert hall is an architectural marvel with asymmetrical, tent-like features and superb acoustics. If you can't get a much-sought after ticket to a concert there, visit at 1pm on Tuesdays, when members of the Berliner Philharmoniker orchestra play free lunchtime shows in the impressive foyer.

Visiting Potsdamer Platz

With a footfall of nearly 100,000 people each day, this stunning plaza is home to chic restaurants and cafes, cinemas, shops and glass-clad skyscrapers. The light that reflects off these buildings during sunset is just beautiful. Take a walk through the square by night: the lights of the Sony Center are spectacular, while its central cupola's kaleidoscopic geometry thrills photographers and architect buffs alike.
Drop by the Filmhaus Museum for an education on the German film industry. Other attractions include the German Walk of Fame, the Lego Building and the Daimler Chrysler headquarters. S-Bahn and U-Bahn underground stations Potsdamer Platz are the main transportation hubs that will bring you to this Berlin landmark.

Planning your trip to Berlin? Check out our best city center hotels in Berlin.

Author: David Rickerson-Seidel

Guest Relations Manager at NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse

My name is David Rickerson-Seidel and I have been part of the NH Hotel Group since September 2015 when the first NH Collection Hotel opened in Germany. After 16 years of hotel experience, I was offered a great chance to meet people from all over the world and each time I was able to learn from them – this is one of the reason why I love my position as a Guest Relation Manager. My daily task is to fulfil our guest’s needs before they actually asking for it. With my passion for my job it is always a great pleasure to see our guests happy and smiling before they leave the hotel and I know that we have done the job right. I always say that the only thing that a guest can’t buy and book in advance is our smiling receptionist with a warm welcoming, the friendly breakfast host who would like to know if you slept well, and our elusive room maid, who is preparing the room so that it feels like home – our employees make the difference – this is why you are not checking into your room at a terminal. Whatever you need – we are always there for you.