GENDARMENMARKT
The Gendarmenmarkt is the most beautiful square in the city. Its two symmetrical churches give it a special elegance.
The "Gendarmerie Market" is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin and its name refers to the cuirassiers regiments of Frederick William I (People at Arms). The origin of the Gendarmenmarkt dates back to the 17th century. At that time, the square was located outside Berlin, in the Friedrichstadt, a new city where many Huguenots, French Protestants who had been offered asylum by Prussia after being persecuted in France, came to take refuge. On either side of the square stand symmetrically two Protestant churches, one German and the other French. The theatre in the middle of the square burned down in 1817 and its reconstruction was entrusted to the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Today the Konzerthaus is a masterpiece of neoclassical art. The statue in the middle of the square bears the effigy of the German poet Friedrich Schiller. The Second World War brought its share of damage and for a long time the square remained in a state of ruin. The GDR launches a reconstruction project (1977-1983) to restore the square to its former glory. After being renamed Platz der Akademie in 1950, it was restored to its original name in 1991. In the summer, take a break and have a coffee on one of the terraces. Also check out the events that take place there, as classical music open air concerts are frequently held. In winter, let yourself be carried away by the magic of the Christmas market with its choirs, mulled wine and roasted almonds.
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Members' reviews on GENDARMENMARKT
an advice climb the dome of one of the churches where you will have a superb view of Berlin and its main monuments