I love visiting government buildings when traveling, – especially federal institutions. You figure the government of that country wants to impress visitors from other countries and usually puts the best foot forward into the upkeep. The Reichstag in Berlin is no exception. Since 1999 this impressive building has been the meeting place of the German Parliament and is no wonder that it is the second most visited attraction in Germany.
A little backstory: There is so much history (and intrigue) surrounding this institution but here is a brief overview to get you started: It was originally opened in 1894, went through World War I, was set on fire in 1933 (which was a pivotal event in the establishment of the Nazi Party), walked its way through World War II, fell in to disuse, and was partially refurbished, no full attempt to restore it until the German reunification in 1990…which brings us to today.
As you can imagine, the in-depth history alone is extremely fascinating and was a huge draw from me to visit the site, but what really made the visit over the top was the view from the dome on top. The city looked incredibly magical from that point of view!
Prior to visiting: The Reichstag is open to visitors with prior registration and is free of charge. You can do this on-line or in person. We were told the process is easier to do in person, so we made a visit to the service center across the street from the Reichstag when we were out and about a few days prior. The service center is located outside the Tiergarten, which is a lovely park and one of Berlin’s largest. If you come here to get your reserved entry date and time, you will know exactly where to report for the day of your visit, plus it will give you a chance to walk around the park which is a nice stroll. When you do go to reserve your ticket, you will need to bring a picture ID with you to reserve your time. You do not need to show your passport – a driver’s license works just fine so leave your passport in your hotel room safe where it is secure. Make sure you bring the same ID the day of your visit as you will need to show it at the security point.
When you visit: The day of your visit you will go through the routine security process (this is a government building after all) and are escorted to the elevator to take you to the building top. Don’t forget to grab the audio guides (also free) when you leave the elevator. The guides give a nice overview of the history and working of parliament as you are walking inside the dome and the roof top.
The roof gives an impressive panoramic view of the city, which is a mixture of different historic, post-war, communist-era, and modern buildings. The many visible cranes tell that construction within the city is on-going.
The most impressive thing to me however was the huge glass dome on the roof top. The dome was erected as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola. The main hall (debating chamber) of the parliament below can be seen from inside the dome. It was explained to me that this was by design, so all German citizens would be able to literally oversee the actions of their government. These words really hit me as I remembered that the words “Dem Deutschen Volke” (For the German People) were written on the front of the building – very symbolic.
While inside the dome, there is a nice timeline of events with photos, newspaper clippings, letters, etc. to compliment the explanations. As you make your way through this chronologically, you will remember people and events and how everything ties together. It is very well done so don’t skip this.
After visiting: When we were finished with the tour, we headed over to the restaurant on top of the roof. Alas, it was booked, and we found we could have made reservations. My advice is to make reservations for lunch or drinks before your visit to enjoy the spectacular view even more. You can call or send an email to reserve a table on the Reichstag website. I also learned that you can request a guided tour of the inside of the building when Parliament is not in session. You just need to make sure you put the request down in writing and send it to the appropriate person a few months in advance. I will definitely be doing this the next time I visit Berlin.
The Reichstag is a must-see when traveling to Berlin and very easy to visit. But, my biggest recommendation in all of this: If you are wanting to go to the Reichstag (which I highly recommend you do), make sure to do a little pre-planning for the visit. You will thank yourself later, I promise.
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