Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate stands at the western end of Unter den Linden in central Berlin, a neoclassical sandstone arch built between 1788 and 1791 by Carl Gotthard Langhans and commissioned by Prussian King Frederick William II. Twelve Doric columns form five passageways beneath a shallow-pitched attic crowned by the Quadriga — a 6-metre bronze chariot driven by the goddess Victoria, added in 1794. The central passage was reserved for royalty; today all five are open to pedestrians. During the Cold War the gate stood directly on the border between East and West Berlin, sealed and floodlit but unreachable from either side. When the Wall fell in November 1989, crowds celebrated here in scenes broadcast worldwide, cementing the gate's identity as a symbol of reunification. Visitors can walk right up to the columns and through the arch at any hour; the monument is unenclosed and never closes. The square on the western side, Pariser Platz, is flanked by the French and US embassies and the Hotel Adlon. The memorial to murdered Jews of Europe lies 200 metres south. At night the gate is dramatically illuminated and crowds thin considerably compared with the daytime rush. The Quadriga is best photographed from the Pariser Platz side in morning light when the sun hits the facade directly. Expect heavy foot traffic midday and on weekends. The nearest S- and U-Bahn station, Brandenburger Tor, is a two-minute walk.