Panorama of the Week: Reichstag Dome and Rooftop – Berlin, Germany
Filed Under: Berlin’s Reichstag, home to German Bundestag (Parliament). Take a stroll on the rooftop with this spherical panorama. The glass dome is cool, you get a 360 degree view of Berlin, and the whole thing is apparently rather environmentally friendly. Very German. Very Berlin.
If you look more closely, you’ll also see cranes in the distance — a skyline feature of Berlin’s continual redefinition. Even though it has been 20 years since reunification, the city is still constantly changing, evolving.
Panorama: Reichstag Rooftop and Glass Dome – Berlin, Germany
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
Unfortunately, gone are the days when you could just show up on the steps of the Reichstag and head up to the roof to poke around and enjoy the view. These days, the visit is still free, you’ll need to book your visit in advance. Check out the Bundestag website for more information.
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July 18th, 2011 at 9:43 am
Beautiful views!! I am amazed at how often Berlin landscape changes. My son went to Berlin recently and he could not recognize certain neighborhoods that we had been to in the 1990s. I mean completely transformed!!
July 18th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Wow love it, so German!
July 19th, 2011 at 2:29 am
@Sutapa: We began visiting Berlin in 2002 and have seen drastic changes in just the last nine years. Can’t imagine the differences your son saw between 1990s and today. I imagine neighborhoods like Mitte and Prenzlauerberg are entirely different now.
@Andi: The environmentally friendly solar paneled glass dome at the top of the Reichstag always screams “German” to me, in a good way.
February 18th, 2012 at 7:38 am
I lived in Berlin from 1990-1992 so I know the feeling; have been back about five times and it is amazing how it’s changed. Not always for the better, but mostly. If you book a table at the (excellent) restaurant on the roof of the Reichstag you can go straight up, no queuing. Book breakfast and enjoy the stunning views; it’s worth it. Then you can take the tour at your leisure. You can also book a table just for coffee and cakes. You’ll find the website here: http://www.feinkost-kaefer.de/dt_bundestag10/ and go to Contact Restaurants for an English form to complete. They are very efficient (well, they are German!) and reply fast. HIghly recommended for a splurge (prices are online too so no shocks)
I have more tips on Berlin on my website if you’re interested.
Cheers,
Andy
February 18th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
@Andy: Excellent, thanks for sharing the tip! Next time we’re in Berlin (probably not too long, we’ll give it a try.)
May 22nd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I visited at night, and it had its pluses and minuses. I imagine that the view of the city was more spectacular during the day. Still, it was likely less crowded at night, and the view as you stare down into the legislative chamber — and its symbolism of openness and transparency — was well worth the trip.
May 29th, 2012 at 3:00 am
@Rich: Thanks for your comment and an enlightening observation (no pun intended, really). For certain, the view from the top of the Reichstag during the day was impressive, but I remember enjoying the building more for its architecture than anything else. In general, I suppose that’s the way I feel about Berlin. The skyline is OK, but I find that its buildings and architectural detail are best appreciated up close. Much of that probably has to do with the fact that Berlin is flat, not a very vertical city and its buildings are not heavily concentrated in a downtown city center, but rather spread throughout neighborhoods.
January 28th, 2013 at 11:27 am
[...] Reserve in advance to go to top of the Reichstag. It’s free and the rooftop dome offers great views of the [...]