2 Best Sights in Berlin, Germany

The Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament, returned to its traditional seat in the spring of 1999 for the first time since 1933. British architect Sir Norman Foster lightened up the gray monolith with a glass dome: you can circle up a gently rising ramp while taking in the rooftops of Berlin and the parliamentary chamber below. At the base of the dome is an exhibit on the Reichstag's history. Completed in 1894, the Reichstag housed the imperial German parliament and later served a similar function during the ill-fated Weimar Republic. On the night of February 27, 1933, the Reichstag was burned down in an act of arson, a pivotal event in Third Reich history. It was rebuilt but again badly damaged in 1945. All visitors must register their names and birth dates in advance for a visit to the dome, either with or without a 90-minute guided tour, which you can do online; space permitting, you can also book a dome visit at least two hours in advance at the visitors' service on the south side of Schiedemannstrasse, near the Reichstag. A riverwalk with great views of the government buildings begins behind the Reichstag.

Nicknamed the "Rotes Rathaus" (Red Town Hall) for its redbrick design, the town hall was completed in 1869. Its most distinguishing features are its neo-Renaissance clock tower and frieze that depicts Berlin's history up to 1879 in 36 terra-cotta plaques, each 20 feet long. Climb the grand stairwell to view the coat-of-arms hall and a few exhibits. The entrance is inside the inner courtyard.