Berlin TV Tower - Observation deck
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Berlin TV Tower - by Kranich17 from Pixabay
Description
The Berlin TV Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm in German) is a 368m broadcasting facility with an observation deck, bar and rotating restaurant at 203m. It is still one of the tallest structures in Europe. It was built by East Germany next to Alexanderplatz in 1965-69 as they were allocated only two frequency channels and needed to find a location as high as possible to ensure comprehensive and continuous coverage. It was also intended to act as a political statement.
Access & Transport
The tower is walking distance to many other highlights of the city. For longer commutes, Alexanderplatz is next door with its underground (U2, U5, U8), tram (M4, M5, M6) and train stations (S3, S5, S7, S9 and regional lines). The Rotes Rathaus (U5) station is also close by. Accessibility info: https://tv-turm.de/en/limited-accessibilty/
Instructions & Recommendations
We suggest combining a visit there with Alexanderplatz, a visit of the Alt-Berlin / Nikolaiviertel neighbourhood, the DDR Museum or a museum on Museum Island.
Environmental & Social
It was built more than 50 years ago for the primary purpose of broadcasting, so we only consider the operational aspect of the observation deck with the primary energy consumptions coming from the elevators (modernised in 2014), the lighting and heating / AC.
Conclusion
The Berlin TV Tower stands out in the city's skyline and whilst the views from the observation deck are certainly impressive, we do not think they are necessarily the best in the city or worth the entrance fee. Berlin is indeed built very horizontally and from that high up there is little perspective and everything gets flattened. We would thus recommend this activity only to those who have never experienced going high up in a skyscraper of those for whom the entrance fee is a non-issue.
Key positive
Spectacular views from 203m above ground level
Key negative
Expensive
Suitability
Suitable for all ages. Not accessible for visitors with reduced mobility for safety reasons (900 steps in case of evacuation).
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 25m
est. visit time:1h
Start of Season 1:Mar, 01
MONDAY09:00 - 23:00
TUESDAY09:00 - 23:00
WEDNESDAY09:00 - 23:00
THURSDAY09:00 - 23:00
FRIDAY09:00 - 23:00
SATURDAY09:00 - 23:00
SUNDAY09:00 - 23:00
Start of Season 2:Nov, 01
MONDAY10:00 - 22:00
TUESDAY10:00 - 22:00
WEDNESDAY10:00 - 22:00
THURSDAY10:00 - 22:00
FRIDAY10:00 - 22:00
SATURDAY10:00 - 22:00
SUNDAY10:00 - 22:00