- Free to visit and open around the clock
- Come early morning or after dark for photos without crowds
- Book the free Reichstag dome visit online in advance
- The Holocaust Memorial is a five-minute walk south
- Type
- Landmark
- Where
- Berlin
- Time needed
- 30 minutes (half a day with the Reichstag and Holocaust Memorial)
- Admission
- free
Few monuments carry as much history as the Brandenburg Gate. Built between 1788 and 1791 for King Frederick William II of Prussia, and modelled on the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, it has watched Napoleon's troops march through, Nazi torchlight parades, and nearly three decades of division. When crowds gathered here as the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it became the symbol of a reunited Germany. Today it's the first stop for most visitors to Berlin.
What you'll see
- The gate: twelve Doric columns form five passageways. The central one was once reserved for the royal family. Walking through it is free and open to all.
- The Quadriga: Johann Gottfried Schadow's copper sculpture of the goddess of Victory driving a four-horse chariot. Napoleon carried it off to Paris in 1806; it returned in triumph in 1814.
- Pariser Platz: the elegant square on the eastern side, home to embassies and the rebuilt Hotel Adlon.
- Traces of the Wall: a line of cobblestones in the road just west of the gate marks where the Berlin Wall ran. From 1961 the gate stood isolated in the border strip, and it reopened in December 1989.
Practical information
- Admission: free, open 24 hours.
- Getting there: S-Bahn and U5 to Brandenburger Tor station, right beside the gate. Bus 100 also passes, and is a cheap way to see the sights between here and Alexanderplatz. Berlin is about 1 hour 50 minutes by air from London.
- Best time to go: early morning, when Pariser Platz is quiet and the light falls on the eastern façade, or after dark, when the gate is floodlit.
- Events: the area hosts Berlin's huge free New Year's Eve party and big public screenings, when access is restricted.
Reserve a free slot to visit the glass dome of the Reichstag, a few minutes' walk north, on the Bundestag website. Registration is required in advance, and you'll need photo ID on the day.
What's nearby
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: a field of 2,711 concrete slabs just south of the gate, with an underground information centre.
- The Reichstag: Germany's parliament, with Norman Foster's glass dome and rooftop views.
- Tiergarten: Berlin's great central park begins immediately to the west, along the avenue towards the Victory Column.
- Unter den Linden: the grand boulevard heading east towards Museum Island.
Many walking tours start at the gate, which is a good way to get your bearings on day one. See our Berlin weekend itinerary for a full plan, our Germany guide for the wider country, and the East Side Gallery for the longest surviving stretch of the Wall.
Where is Brandenburg Gate?
Open in OpenStreetMap · 52.51627, 13.37770
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to see the Brandenburg Gate?
No. The gate and the squares on both sides are public spaces, free and open at all times.
How long do you need at the Brandenburg Gate?
Around 20-30 minutes for photos and a look at Pariser Platz. Combine it with the Reichstag and the Holocaust Memorial for a half-day.
Was the Brandenburg Gate part of the Berlin Wall?
It wasn't part of the Wall itself, but it stood in the closed border zone between East and West Berlin from 1961 until 1989, out of reach for people on both sides.
Written by
Emma City breaks & deals editor
Emma plans city breaks the way other people plan the weekly shop: on a budget, with a spreadsheet and a backup plan. She covers city guides and deal-hunting.
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