Brandenburg Gate

In front of you is the Brandenburg Gate, the most recognisable image of Berlin and of Germany. If you could see only one monument in the city, it would be this one. Stand in the middle of Pariser Platz, facing the gate, to start the route.

1From customs gate to icon

It was one of the gates in Berlin's old customs wall, where the road left for the town of Brandenburg. Carl Gotthard Langhans built it between 1788 and 1791, taking inspiration from the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. It's the only one of those gates still standing.

2The goddess in the chariot

Up top, Johann Gottfried Schadow's quadriga carries a winged goddess. She was originally conceived as an allegory of peace; since 1814, with the Iron Cross on her staff, she has been known as Victoria. Look at the direction she's heading: east, towards the historic centre and the old royal palace.

This is where the fall of the Wall was celebrated, and where Berliners gather today to see in the New Year or follow the big football matches.

3A rebuilt square

Pariser Platz was flattened in 1945 and lay in no man's land during the division. From the 1990s it was rebuilt with new buildings that respect the height and rhythm of the old ones: the French embassy, the US embassy and the Hotel Adlon, built on the site of the legendary 1907 hotel. In the north wing of the gate itself there's a small Room of Silence, open to anyone who wants to pause for a moment.

4What to look for

• Victoria and her four horses, striding towards the city.
• The reliefs on the gate, with scenes from Greek mythology.
• The start of Unter den Linden, the avenue of lime trees you'll walk next.