Gendarmenmarkt

Gendarmenmarkt Review

This is without a doubt the most elegant square in former East Berlin. Anchored by the beautifully reconstructed 1818 Konzerthaus and the Deutscher Dom and Französischer Dom (German and French cathedrals) and lined with some of the city's best restaurants, it also hosts one of Berlin's classiest annual Christmas markets.

Hugenottenmuseum. The Französischer Dom, built by Kaiser Friedrich II for the Protestant Huguenots who fled France and settled in Berlin, contains the Hugenottenmuseum, with exhibits charting their history and art. The Huguenots were expelled from France at the end of the 17th century by King Louis XIV. Their energy and commercial expertise contributed much to Berlin. Gendarmenmarkt 5, Mitte, Berlin, 10117. 030/229-1760. €2. Tues.-Sun. noon-5.

Deutscher Dom. The Deutscher Dom holds an extensive exhibition on the emergence of the democratic parliamentary system in Germany since the late 1800s. The free museum is sponsored by the German parliament. Leadership and opposition in East Germany are also documented. An English-language audio guide covers a portion of the exhibits on the first three floors. Floors four and five have temporary exhibitions with no English text or audio. Gendarmenmarkt 1, Mitte, Berlin, 10117. 030/2273-0431. Free. Oct.-Apr., Tues.-Sun. 10-6; May-Sept., Tues.-Sun. 10-7.