Gendarmenmarkt

The Gendarmenmarkt is widely regarded as the handsomest square in Berlin. It was laid out at the end of the seventeenth century as a market place in Friedrichstadt, the planned district then being built to the south of Unter den Linden, and it takes its name from a regiment of gendarmes that was stationed here in the eighteenth century.

Three large buildings define the square. In the centre stands the Konzerthaus, built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1821 as a theatre on the site of an earlier one destroyed by fire. After war damage it was rebuilt and reopened as a concert hall in 1984, and it is home to the Konzerthausorchester Berlin; a concert here is one of the best ways to see the interior. On either side stand two churches with almost identical domed towers. The French Church to the north was built between 1701 and 1705 for the city's Huguenot community, and its tower has a viewing platform and a museum about the Huguenots in Berlin. The German Church to the south dates from 1708, was destroyed in 1945, and was rebuilt and reopened in 1996 as an exhibition venue. The domed towers that give both churches their grand appearance were added by Carl von Gontard in 1785.

In front of the Konzerthaus is a statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller. The square itself is a pleasant open space to walk across, and the restaurants and hotels around its edges, including Borchardt on nearby Französische Strasse, make it a good place to stop for lunch. In December the square usually hosts one of Berlin's best-known Christmas markets, which is ticketed and gets very busy in the evenings.

The square is free and open at all times, and its paving is level. Allow 20 minutes to look around, or longer if you climb the French Church tower or attend a concert. It is especially attractive in the early evening when the buildings are lit.

The nearest U-Bahn stations are Französische Strasse (U6) and Stadtmitte (U2 and U6), both a couple of minutes away. Unter den Linden, Bebelplatz and the shops of Friedrichstrasse are close by, and the Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island are each about fifteen minutes' walk.