But when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, the gate found itself stranded in the no-man's-land between East and West - and soon became famous worldwide as the symbol of Berlin - both of its Cold War division and its reunification.įor nearly three decades, this landmark stood tantalizingly close to both East and West, but was off-limits to all.

(This one led to the neighboring city of Brandenburg.) For more than a century it was just another of the city's stately Prussian landmarks. This massive classical-looking monument is the last survivor of the 14 original gates in Berlin's old city wall. The western end of Unter den Linden is anchored by the Brandenburg Gate. Today it puslses with vibrant life once again. And as Berlin came back together in the '90s, this street at its historic heart was slowly revitalized. New ones were planted in the '50s, when Unter den Linden had become the main street of communist East Berlin. In the Nazi era, the venerable linden trees - many 250 years old - were either cut down during the construction of a streetcar tunnel or, later in the war, used for firewood. In the 1920s, when Berlin was famous for its anything-goes love of life, this was a nightlife hotspot and a springboard to stardom for young and vampy entertainers like Marlene Dietrich, who famously sang of the street's appeal. Many of the grandest landmarks along this street are thanks to Frederick the Great, who ruled from 1740 to 1786, and put his kingdom (Prussia) and his capital (Berlin) on the map.

Over the centuries, aristocrats moved into this area so their palaces could be close to their king's. The street got its start in the 15th century as a way to connect the royal palace (on what's now Museum Island) with the king's hunting grounds (today's big Tiergarten Park). It was lined with linden trees, so as you promenaded down, you'd be walking unter den Linden. During Berlin's golden age in the late 1800s, this was one of Europe's most elegant boulevards - the Champs-Elysées of Berlin, a city of nearly two million people. Unter den Linden was the heart of imperial Germany. Berlin's compelling 20th-century history often overshadows its imperial past, but the best part of strolling its central avenue, Unter den Linden, is the chance to appreciate Berlin's 18th- and 19th-century glory. Before reunification, before communism, and before Hitler, Berlin was a grandiose imperial capital, a city built to impress world leaders and intimidate would-be enemies.

Unter den linden brandenburger tor