Potsdamer Platz, Berlin's busiest junction in the 1920s, was cut in two by the Wall and left as wasteland until 1989. Rebuilt in the 1990s, it became the showcase of reunified Berlin's architecture, with towers by Hans Kollhoff and Helmut Jahn and a quarter designed by Renzo Piano. People come for the former Sony Center, now called The Center Potsdamer Platz, for the view from the Panoramapunkt (€9, daily from 10:00 to 19:00), for the Wall segments and for the Berlinale, which sets up its festival palace here every February. The square is free to visit; allow 1 to 1.5 hours including the ride up to the Panoramapunkt.
Highlights
1990s architecture
After the fall of the Wall, the square became one of the largest building sites in Europe. Renzo Piano, with Christoph Kohlbecker, drew up the plan for the Daimler quarter; in 1999 Hans Kollhoff completed the dark brick tower that houses the Panoramapunkt; Helmut Jahn designed the glass Deutsche Bahn tower (103 m) and the neighbouring Sony Center.
The Center Potsdamer Platz (former Sony Center)
Opened in 2000 and renamed in April 2023, Helmut Jahn's complex brings together eight buildings around a plaza covered by a tent-like fabric roof, 67 m high. The Kaisersaal of the former Hotel Esplanade, which survived the war, was moved 75 m on an air cushion to be built into it.
The Panoramapunkt
In the Kollhoff Tower, a lift billed as the fastest in Europe reaches the 24th floor in 20 seconds. The open-air, unglazed terrace offers a 360° view over the [Tiergarten](/fr/attractions/tiergarten-berlin), the Reichstag, the [Brandenburg Gate](/fr/attractions/porte-de-brandebourg) and the TV Tower; the "Berliner Blicke" exhibition tells the history of the square, and the Panoramacafé is included in the ticket.
Remains of the Wall
Near the station entrances, several Wall segments with information panels recall that the square lay in the border's no man's land. A double row of cobblestones in the ground marks the line of the former Wall; for a preserved stretch with its border strip, continue to the [Berlin Wall Memorial](/fr/attractions/memorial-du-mur-de-berlin).
Germany's first traffic light
On 15 December 1924, a signal tower designed by Jean Krämer began controlling traffic on the square, then one of the busiest in Europe. Dismantled in 1937 during work on the underground station, it was rebuilt as a faithful replica and has stood on the square again since 2000, clock included.
The Berlinale
The Berlinale Palast, on Marlene-Dietrich-Platz, hosts the opening, the competition films and the Bear awards ceremony. The 77th edition will take place from 10 to 21 February 2027; tickets and tips in our [Berlinale](/fr/attractions/berlinale) guide.
Infos pratiques
Tips
At the Panoramapunkt, a standard ticket costs €9, the reduced rate €7 (pupils, students, unemployed people, Berlin Pass holders, with proof), the family ticket €19.50 (2 adults and up to 4 children under 15), and entry is free up to age 6 (prices checked in October 2026). The VIP ticket, from €13.50, skips the queue for the lift; tickets are valid for one year and can also be paid on site in cash or by card. The Kulturforum starts a few minutes' walk to the west: the [Philharmonie](/fr/attractions/philharmonie-de-berlin), the [Gemäldegalerie](/fr/attractions/gemaldegalerie-berlin) and the [Neue Nationalgalerie](/fr/attractions/neue-nationalgalerie) are easy to combine with the square.
How to get there
Panoramapunkt: Potsdamer Platz 1, 10785 Berlin, in the Kollhoff Tower. S-Bahn S1, S2, S25 and S26 and U-Bahn U2, Potsdamer Platz station. Buses 200, 300, M41, M48 and M85. The [Brandenburg Gate](/fr/attractions/porte-de-brandebourg) and the [Holocaust Memorial](/fr/attractions/memorial-aux-juifs-assassines-d-europe) are less than 15 minutes' walk away along Ebertstraße.
Opening hours
Nearby
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