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Unter den Linden - Berlin Hotels .com

One of the most important areas of Berlin and a must-see for any tourist, Unter den Linden (literally, "under the linden trees") is a broad, tree-lined boulevard at the center of the city, originally designed in the eighteenth century by Friedrich Wilhelm II as part of his beautification campaign. Linden trees continue to line the boulevard, and over the centuries magnificent buildings and monuments to culture and government have sprouted along the way. At one end is the famous, neoclassical Brandenburg Gate, which forms an official entrance to Berlin; at the other is the site of the original Berliner Stadtschloss (the Imperial Palace).

Unter den Linden crosses Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in the Spree River, home to several renowned art museums whose buildings date mostly from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and are magnificent sights in and of themselves. They include Old Museum, New Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum, and the Pergamon Museum. Visit these museums to view a breathtaking, extensive collection of paintings, sculpture, and other art from Europe and the Middle East, dating from ancient times to the nineteenth century.

Other must-see sights in the area include the Lustgarten, a vast park bordered on one side by the Berliner Dom. The Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University, and the Berlin State Library are among other institutions located along the boulevard.

Just south of Unter den Linden lies one of the most gorgeous squares in Europe: Gendarmenmarkt dates from the eighteenth century and is surrounded by towering historic buildings that will have architecture and history buffs in awe. The neoclassical Konzerthaus Berlin, the French Cathedral - Huguenot Museum and Deutscher Dom cathedrals are all in the area. As an ode to the sophisticated literary heritage of the country, a statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller stands in the center. The square comes alive in December for Berlin's most famous Christkindlmarkt, a festive, traditional street market held especially for Christmas.