Potsdamer Platz — Attraction in Berlin

Several new districts were founded around the city's perimeter, just outside the old fortifications. The largest of these was Friedrichstadt, just south west of the historic core of Berlin, begun in 1688 and named after new Elector Frederick William III, who later became King Frederick I of Prussia. Its street layout followed the Baroque-style grid pattern much favoured at the time, and was based on two main axes: Friedrichstraße running north-south, and Leipziger Straße running east-west. All the new suburbs were absorbed into Berlin around 1709–10. In 1721-3 a south-westwards expansion of Friedrichstadt was planned under the orders of King Frederick William I, and this was completed in 1732-4 by architect Philipp Gerlach (1679–1748). In this expansion, a new north-south axis emerged: Wilhelmstrasse. In 1735-7, after Friedrichstadt's expansion was complete, a customs or excise wall, 17 km long and 4.2 m high, was erected around Berlin's new perimeter. Consisting of a wooden palisade at first, it was later replaced with a brick and stone wall, pierced by 14 gates (later increased to 18), where roads entered the city. Here taxes were levied on goods passing through, chiefly meat and flour. The most prestigious gate was the Brandenburg Gate, for the important road from Brandenburg, but 1 km to the south was the entry point of another road that gained even greater significance. This road had started out in the Middle Ages as a lane running out from Berlin to the hamlet of Schöneberg, but it had developed into part of a trading route running right across Europe from Paris to St. Petersburg via Aachen, Berlin and Königsberg. In 1660 the Elector Frederick William made it his route of choice to Potsdam, the location of his palace, which had recently been renovated. Starting in 1754 a daily stagecoach ran between Berlin and Potsdam, although the road was in poor shape. But in 1740 Frederick II had become King. Not a great lover of Berlin, he later built a new palace, the Sanssouci, at Potsdam in 1744-7, followed by the New Palace in 1763-9, so the road now had to be made fit for a King, plus all his courtiers and staff. After numerous other improvements, in 1791-3 this section was made into Prussia's first all-weather road. It later became Potsdamer Straße; its point of entry into Berlin, where it passed through the customs wall, became the Potsdamer Tor (Potsdam Gate); once inside the gate Leipziger Straße was its eastwards continuation, and Wilhelmstraße was the first north-south thoroughfare that intersected with it. It was around this gate that Potsdamer Platz...

One more check ✔️ completed when I visited this place 💜 Potsdamer Platz, once a bustling hub of activity in Berlin, stands today as a significant historical and cultural landmark. Its history is a tapestry of the city's evolution, reflecting periods of prosperity, devastation, division, and reunification.

In the early 20th century, Potsdamer Platz was one of Europe's busiest intersections, a symbol of modernity and progress. World War II brought widespread destruction to the area, and the subsequent division of Berlin by the Berlin Wall turned Potsdamer Platz into a desolate no-man's land.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Potsdamer Platz became a focal point for reunification and redevelopment efforts. The area underwent a dramatic transformation, emerging as a symbol of the new, unified Berlin.

Today, Potsdamer Platz is a vibrant urban space, blending historical significance with contemporary culture. It is a testament to Berlin's resilience and ability to reinvent itself, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the city's dynamic past and its hopeful future. The square's historical layers, from its pre-war glory to its Cold War desolation and its post-reunification...

Potsdamer Platz: where the wind hits your face, your wallet, and your will to stay longer than 20 minutes.

This is Berlin’s attempt at a skyscraper district—minus the skyscrapers, but with plenty of glass, concrete, and the charming atmosphere of a corporate conference. My friend, who grew up by the sea, swears the wind here is unnatural. Like someone messed with the city’s feng shui and now we’re all being punished with side-blasting gusts.

Need food? Sure, if you’re into overpriced fast food in a shiny food court that feels like an airport lounge with commitment issues. There are a couple of sit-down restaurants, but they also seem to think a burger should cost as much as a therapy session.

Probably a fun spot for tourists who want to say they’ve seen “modern Berlin.” And great for office workers who have no choice but to be here. But if you’re not in either category? There’s really not much to do, unless getting windburn while looking for a toilet is your idea...