The Berlin TV Tower

The tower went up at Alexanderplatz through the second half of the 1960s and was finished in 1969, and at 368 metres it is still the tallest structure in the country, visible from most of Berlin and from well outside it. The lift takes about forty seconds to reach the sphere, where the viewing deck at 203 metres runs the full circle: a flat city spreading to the horizon, the Spree threading through the middle, the Tiergarten as a solid green block, and on a clear day the lakes and pine forest at the edges. One level above, a restaurant turns slowly enough that a window table works its way through the whole panorama over a meal.

History

An earlier plan for a television tower elsewhere in Berlin was abandoned in 1956 after various compromises failed. For the tower at Alexanderplatz, several architects worked on the planning and building between 1965 and 1969, among them Hermann Henselmann, Jörg Streitparth, Fritz Dieter, Günter Franke and Werner Ahrendt; work on the foundation began on 4 August 1965 and was finished by the end of that year, and concreting of the shaft began on 15 March 1966 (Wikipedia, Fernsehturm Berlin).

What you'll find

• The sphere - the viewing deck at 203 metres, wrapping the full circle.
• The lift - about forty seconds from the base to the sphere.
• The revolving restaurant - one level above the deck, turning through the panorama.
• The flat city - the Spree, the Tiergarten and the lakes and forest at the edges.

When to go

Winter and the day after rain give the cleanest air and the longest sightlines; summer haze often closes the view down to a few kilometres. Sunset slots are the most sought after and go first. Book a timed ticket days ahead in summer, and go up early or late in the day to avoid the thickest crowds on the deck.

Good to know

This is one of the more expensive views in the city, and the fast-track ticket costs noticeably more. Timed slots sell out days ahead in summer. The windows are curved and tinted, which ruins most photographs. Low cloud or haze can wipe out the reason you came, with no refund. The restaurant works on set menus and minimum spends, and Berlin being flat, the view is wide rather than dramatic.

Nearby

Alexanderplatz, the Nikolaiviertel and Museum Island a short walk west along the Spree.

Key facts