Brandenburg Gate symbolizes Berlin’s division into East and West – and, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, it stands for a reunited Germany.
Brandenburg Gate is a must-visit for every tourist in Berlin and attracts 12 million visitors annually.
Locals refer to it as Brandenburger Tor.
This article covers everything you must know before booking a tour of Brandenburg Gate.
Top Brandenburg Gate Tickets
# Berlin Welcome Card
# Third Reich and Cold War Walking Tour
# Discover Berlin Walking Tour
Table of contents
- What to see at Brandenburg Gate
- Brandenburg Gate tickets
- How to reach Brandenburg Gate
- Brandenburg Gate opening hours
- Best time to visit Brandenburg Gate
- Reichstag to Brandenburg Gate
- Brandenburg Gate’s map
- Brandenburg Gate at night
- Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Wall
- Brandenburg Gate facts
- FAQs about Brandenburg Gate
What to see at Brandenburg Gate
Thousands of tourists visit Berlin’s only surviving historical city gate every day.
They are impressed by the massive structure, its decorations, and sculptures designed by Gottfried Schadow.
Most of the decorations on the Brandenburg Gate Berlin are about the Greek mythological exploits of Heracles.
Schadow also sculpted the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses, right on top of the Gate.
During your visit, you will also get to experience Pariser Platz, a beautiful public square in front of the monument.
You can also see Haus Liebermann and Haus Sommer, the two buildings built by architect Josef Paul Kleihues in the late 1990s to replace the pavilions destroyed during World War II.
Max Liebermann Haus
To the left of the Brandenburg Gate is Max Liebermann Haus, a museum dedicated to Max Liebermann.
He was Germany’s most famous artist of the last century and an ardent opponent of the Nazi regime.
Haus Sommer
Haus Sommer is to the right of the Brandenburg Gate,
The building belongs to the Rhein Mortgage Bank (Rheinische Hypothekenbank), which uses the ground floor for exhibitions.
Room of Silence
The Room of Silence was designed to give visitors a quiet place to calm and relax at one of Berlin’s busiest attractions.
The locals refer to it as Raum der Stille.
Brandenburg Gate tickets
There is no entrance fee for Brandenburg Gate. It is free for all visitors.
However, there are many guided tours, which also include a visit to Brandenburg Gate.
Because of its central location, some of these guided tours of Berlin and the Berlin Wall start at the historic Gate.
We list the best Brandenburg Gate tickets/tours you can book –
Third Reich and Cold War Walking Tour
This is a two-hour tour to discover Berlin’s unique story, starting from Brandenburg Gate and including a long stretch of the Berlin Wall.
Some of the landmarks you will visit during this tour are the German House of Parliament, the Soviet War Memorial, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and Hitler’s Bunker.
You will also come across Hermann Göring’s enormous Ministry of Aviation building, SS and the Gestapo’s headquarters, and Checkpoint Charlie.
Cost of the tour
Adult ticket (18 to 65 years): €20
Seniors ticket (66+ years): €18
Youth ticket (7 to 17 years): €18
Infant ticket (up to 6 years): Free
Discover Berlin Walking Tour
Despite being the cheapest tour of Berlin, where you also get to explore Brandenburg Gate, it is highly rated.
You get to see all the city’s major sights, from the Brandenburg Gate to Museum Island, and hear stories from local experts.
This tour is available in 2-hour or 4-hour options.
Cost of the tour
Adult ticket (12 to 64 years): €20
Seniors ticket (65+ years): €18
Children ticket (up to 11 years): Free
Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour of Berlin
This bus tour is a convenient way to explore Berlin’s 22 top sights, including Brandenburg Gate, in about two hours.
If you want to spend extra time at any attraction, just get off, and get on again when the next HOHO bus arrives.
You get both live commentary and audio guides to help you understand the monuments better.
Cost of the tour
Adult ticket (18+ years): €22
Youth ticket (12 to 17 years): €18
Children ticket (3 to 11 years): €15
Infant ticket (up to 2 years): Free entry
If you want a free Spree River cruise with your Hop On Hop Off Bus tour, check out this exciting option.
Berlin Sights and Highlights Bike Tour
Enjoy an exciting 3.5-hour journey by bike through the history of Berlin.
This tour starts at Kulturbrauerei, an impressive old brewery complex in the trendy Prenzlauer Berg district.
It passes through the Government District, Berlin Central Station, Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, the Berlin Wall, Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, etc.
This tour is customizable as well. After booking, contact the tour operator with your preferences about the time and places you prefer.
Bicycle rental is part of the tour price.
Cost of the tour: €34 per person
If the division of Berlin interests you more, check out this bike tour focusing on the Berlin Wall.
Trabi Safari – the car lover’s way to see Berlin
The Trabant is a car produced from 1957 to 1990 in East Germany. It is often seen as symbolic of what was wrong with East Germany.
It was the German Democratic Republic’s official car, and now you can take it for a spin in Berlin.
A group of up to four gets their own Trabant, and you go on a Trabi Safari.
During this 75-minute tour, you will pass by Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, the Berlin Cathedral, the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), the TV Tower, East Side Gallery, the Oberbaum Bridge, and Checkpoint Charlie.
Important: Every new driver gets a Trabi driver’s license and third-party, and vehicle damage insurance in excess of 650 EUR is also included.
Cost of the tour
Adult ticket (18+ years): €79
Child ticket (up to 17 years): Free
Follow the link to explore Berlin in a mini Hot Rod.
Brandenburg Gate + Reichstag’s Glass Dome
During this 90-minute private tour, you discover the highlights of Berlin’s parliamentary quarter and then go up to the glass dome roof for panoramic views over the city.
Cost of the tour: €245
Berlin Wall’s Greatest Escapes Game Tour
This experience is a perfect mix between an audio-guided tour, an outdoor escape game, and a treasure hunt.
In this tour, you download Questo, the gamified travel app, onto your smartphone and play the role of a person escaping East Berlin in 1984.
Solving a clue gives you directions to the next stop without the need for a map, GPS, or a physical guide.
On each step, you will learn about Berlin’s secrets by visiting attractions such as Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, etc.
Most visitors finish the game in two hours.
Cost of the tour: From €10
How to reach Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate is at the end of Unter den Linden boulevard, between Platz des 18. März and the Pariser Platz.
Address: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Get Directions
You can reach the attraction both by public or private transport. It is best to take public transport.
The same tickets are valid for trips on buses, S-Bahn, trams, U-Bahn (Underground), etc.
By bus
Take the bus route No. 100 to get down at ‘Unter den Linden’ bus stop.
By Train (S-Bahn)
You can board trains S1, S2, S25 or S26 and get down at Berlin Brandenburger Tor station.
Gate Brandenburg is 150 meters (500 feet) from the station, and you can walk the distance in two minutes.
By subway (U-Bahn)
Subway line U55 stops at Berlin Brandenburger Tor, the closest station to the Brandenburg Gate Berlin.
By car
If you’re traveling by car, turn on your Google Maps and get started.
There is no on-site car parking available. However, there are several parking spaces nearby.
Note: Berlin Welcome Card can be used to travel in the city’s buses free of cost. It also gets you free entry to numerous Berlin attractions, including the TV Tower.
Brandenburg Gate opening hours
From April to October, Brandenburg Gate opens at 10 am and closes at 7 pm.
From November to March, it remains open for one hour less, starting at 10 am and closing at 6 pm.
However, if you want to see the grand Berlin Gate from outside, you can visit it anytime.
Best time to visit Brandenburg Gate
During the peak summer months of April to October, it is best to visit Brandenburg Gate before 10 am.
If you don’t mind the crowd, any time of the day is an excellent time to visit.
Sunset is a wonderful time for visitors who want to get brilliant photographs of Brandenburg Gate Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate Berlin also looks stunning after dark because of the yellow floodlights.
Reichstag to Brandenburg Gate
Many visitors combine their visit to Brandenburg Gate with a tour of Reichstag Building and its dome.
Reichstag is 500 meters (one-third of a mile) from Brandenburg Gate, and most visitors can walk the distance in six to eight minutes.
Brandenburg Gate’s map
Now, it is perhaps the only part of the ruins of the Berlin Wall that still stands strong.
Brandenburg Gate at night
If you want to avoid the massive crowd it witnesses during the day, it is better to visit Brandenburg Gate at night.
This city icon is illuminated with yellow floodlights at sundown and makes for beautiful photographs.
After dark, there is a carnival-like feel in the area around the Gate.
Visitors roaming around hand-in-hand, lots of street food options, professional photographers offering to take your photograph…tourists find it very romantic.
Most visitors take a stroll around the Berlin Gate, to reflect on its tumultuous history and marvel at its significance.
Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall was built by the East Germans and the Soviet Union to keep people from escaping to the more liberal West Germany.
Brandenburg Gate stood between East and West Germany, becoming part of the Berlin Wall.
After seeing the Brandenburg Gate, many tourists want to see the Berlin Wall.
Even though the Berlin Wall doesn’t exist now, there are a few places in the city where you can see remnants of the notorious wall. We list them below –
Checkpoint Charlie
The Americans controlled three of the border crossings in Berlin, the most famous of which is Checkpoint Charlie (or “Checkpoint C”).
After the collapse of the wall, Checkpoint Charlie has become a tourist attraction. It is part of the Allied Museum in the Dahlem neighborhood of Berlin.
Distance from Brandenburg Gate: 1.5 km (1 mile). 20 minutes by walk
Follow the link to find out more about Checkpoint Charlie tickets.
East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is the longest section of the Berlin Wall that still exists. It is a 1.3 km (almost a mile) long wall along the River Spree.
In 1990, after the Berlin Wall’s collapse, the Eastern side of the wall was painted by more than 100 artists from 20+ countries.
Today, the East Side Gallery is the world’s longest open-air gallery.
Distance from Brandenburg Gate: 4.5 km (2.8 miles). Bus Number 300 can take you there in 30 minutes. It is 13 stops away.
Follow the link to find out more about an exciting Alternative Tour of Berlin, which includes access to East Side Gallery.
Berlin Wall Memorial
The Berlin Wall ran along the entire length of Berlin’s division.
A part of the Berlin Wall that ran along the southern edge of Bernauer Straße has been preserved along with the watchtower.
It is now an open-air exhibition offering historical audio and video to the visitors.
Distance from Brandenburg Gate: 2.6 km (1.6 miles). 10-15 minutes by taxi.
This Private Walking Tour of the Divided City includes a visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Topography of Terror
The Topography of Terror is a Museum behind a 200-meter (650-feet) wall that runs along Niederkirchnerstraße.
This Museum is located in a building that used to house the Gestapo headquarters and the high command and security service of the SS.
Distance from Brandenburg Gate: 1.3 km (less than a mile) and 15 minutes on a walk.
A visit to Topography of Terror is part of this highly recommended Third Reich Walking Tour.
Brandenburg Gate facts
Here are some interesting facts about the Berlin Gate.
In ancient Greek mythology, Propylaea was a monumental gateway. In the modern world, the prime example of a Propylaea is the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Brandenburg Gate was also meant to be the monumental gateway and is modeled on the Acropolis’ portal in Athens.
In 1945, for the first time, a Soviet Flag was flown on top of the Brandenburg Gate. The flag would remain till 1957.
Quadriga statue on Brandenburg Gate
In 1793, a Quadriga statue depicting the Goddess of victory bearing a symbol of peace was added to the Brandenburg Gate.
A Quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast. It is different from the more conventional two horses in the front and two horses in the back format.
Image: Visitberlin.de
When the French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte shattered the Prussian Army and captured Berlin in 1806, he took Brandenburg Gate’s Quadriga to Paris.
However, he never installed it anywhere.
The Prussian forces captured Paris in 1814 and, following Napoleon’s defeat brought the Quadriga back to Germany.
This time, the Germans added a Prussian eagle and an iron cross on her lance, with a wreath of oak leaves, and mounted it on the top again.
However, the original Quadriga was destroyed in WW II – only one horse’s head from the Quadriga survived the Allies’ onslaught.
It is now on display in the Märkisches Museum in Mitte, Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate and Hitler
When Hitler seized power on 30 January 1933, he held a torchlit procession through the Brandenburg Gate.
Thousands of brown shirt-wearing stormtroopers and SS members passed under the Brandenburg Gate to the presidential palace, where Hitler was cheered.
When the Nazis ascended to power in Germany, red flags of the Nazi party were hung from the Brandenburg Gate, making it a party symbol.
Brandenburg Gate during World War 2
Brandenburg Gate survived many onslaughts during World War II.
After the war was over in 1945, it was the only structure still standing amongst the Pariser Platz ruins.
However, the bullets and nearby explosions had damaged it to a great extent. In fact, all the columns had bullet holes.
After WW II ended, the governments of East and West Berlin joined hands to restore Brandenburg Gate to its former glory.
Ronald Reagan’s speech at Brandenburg Gate
On 12 June 1987, US President Ronald Reagan made his rousing speech standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
He said, “As long as this Gate is closed […] it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind […].
He followed it up with a “Mr. Gorbachev, open this Gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
On 22 December 1989, Brandenburg Gate was opened for good when West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl walked through it to meet East German Premier Hans Modrow.
FAQs about Brandenburg Gate
Here are some questions visitors usually ask before visiting Brandenburg Gate like to ask:
Tourists can buy tickets for the attraction online or at the venue on the day of their visit. For the best experience, we suggest you book your tickets online in advance.
We suggest you visit it once during the day and once at night to get the best of both worlds.
Because of its central location, Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is an ideal starting (or ending) point for the day’s itinerary. You can see Reichstag – the German Parliament, Unter den Linden boulevard, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin Victory Column, and Tiergarten Park, to name a few.
Sources
# Wikipedia.org
# Berlin.de
# Visitberlin.de
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