The Charlottenburg District is situated north of the famous Kurfürstendamm, one of Berlin's major shopping areas that has been developed in the West during the years when Berlin was divided.
Charlottenburg stretches between the Ku'Damm, jointly shared with Wilmersdorf, and the Charlottenburg Palace in the north. The southern part of the district is one of the wealthier areas of Berlin with posh villas and apartments. The northern part is a nice living area. Charlottenburg was the centre of the former West Berlin and was well built-up after the war.
Today it is mostly an upmarket shopping and living area for city slickers. Charlottenburg has a large, wealthy Russian scene, which has given rise to the area's nickname "Charlottograd".
The Charlottenburg district has a number of famous landmarks, perhaps the best known being Schloss Charlottenburg Palace. This part of Berlin is also home to some fine bookshops, bars and restaurants, mainly around the Savignyplatz.
What to see?
Charlottenburg PalaceThe splendid palace with its superbly decorated halls and its high-class art collection was built from 1695 to 1699 as a summer residence for Queen Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Frederick III. Taking a walk through the beautiful baroque park is a cultural experience of its own all the year round. Here you can find for example the impressive mausoleum of Queen Luise as well as the former tea house Belvedere, which houses exquisite porcelain objects.
Berggruen Modern Art GalleryHeinz Berggruen's collection, opened to the public in 1996, is one of Berlin's most popular modern art galleries, situated on the opposite of the Schloss Charlottenburg. Its modernist highlights include works by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, Braque and Giacometti.
Museum for prehistory and early historyOne of the major archaeological museums of Germany, and among the largest supraregional collections of prehistoric findings in Europe.
Deutsche Oper (Berlin Opera House)Located on Bismarckstraße, opened in 1912, one of the three Berlin opera houses with relief in memory of Benno Ohnesorg by Alfred Hrdlicka, 1971 (installed in 1990)
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial ChurchOn the Breitscheidplatz, built in 1895 by Franz Schwechten and in 1961 by Egon Eiermann, the former West Berlin landmark.
The Europa-CenterBerlin's first shopping mall opened in 1965
Berlin Zoological GardenOpened in 1844, officially located on the territory of the neighbouring Tiergarten locality
