One of Germany's iconic landmarks is the Berlin TV Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm). The tower not only fulfils its direct technical purpose, but is also a true symbol of the city.
The height of the structure is astonishing, but what is even more impressive is the view of East Berlin from the observation deck. Tourists who dare to climb to such heights can get a glimpse of Marx and Engels Square as well as the Palace of the Republic, on whose site the Humboldt Forum, the last part of the new museum and science and culture complex, was completed in 2022.
The tower also has an interesting architecture. It is not just a conical structure. At the top there is a huge luminous sphere, 30 metres in diameter and weighing 4,800 tonnes, which houses a restaurant, a bar and a viewing platform. Beneath the balloon is a special rescue platform for 400 people.
With its unmistakable silhouette and monumental size, the Berlin Television Tower soon became one of the city's most important symbols, alongside the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. The Berlin Television Tower welcomes over 1 million visitors every year.
The interactive exhibition Sea Life Berlin is just 400 meters from the tower.
Can you climb the Berlin TV Tower?
Yes, visitors can climb the television tower and enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of Berlin from the 203-metre-high covered observation deck. There are 986 steps leading up to the viewing platform. However, it only takes 40 seconds to get there in a high-speed lift.
The Sphere, a revolving restaurant, is also located at a height of 207 metres and offers not only a delicious lunch but also an incredible view from the panoramic windows. On the first Sunday of every month from 9:00 to 11:30, guests are served a buffet-style meal. You can order breakfast, lunch or just a drink and there is also a separate children's menu.
The highlight of the restaurant is not only the panoramic view. In half an hour, the sphere rotates around its own axis. This means that the spectacular view from the restaurant window is constantly changing. Originally, the restaurant rotated once an hour, but in the 1990s the restaurant underwent a refurbishment that increased the speed at which the balloon rotated.
At a height of 203 metres there is a bar called Bar 203.
Inside tiy can find an interesting virtual reality attraction called Berlin Odyssey. For 15 minutes, visitors take a video tour of the history of Berlin and the Berlin TV tower, seeing amazing historical reconstructions and hyper-realistic animations.
The film includes historical facts about the development of Berlin from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The film is available in English and German. The video is intended for children aged 6 and over.
Who made the Berlin TV Tower. The history of the attraction
The Berlin Television Tower was built in the GDR on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. Construction began in 1965 and the Berlin Television Tower was operational by 1969.
The idea of building the tower came to the local authorities in the 1950s. The tower was conceived as a symbol of the success of socialist construction, which is why Alexanderplatz was chosen as the site — the suburbs were not suitable for such a prestigious, ideological and socially important project as the Berlin Television Tower.
Originally, another site in Müggelberg in south-east Berlin was chosen for the tower, but it was too close to the airport. The height of the structure was dangerously high — the spire of the Berlin TV tower could overlap the flight path of aircraft taking off and landing at the neighbouring Schönefeld airport.
Walter Ulbricht, the first secretary of the SED Central Committee, was particularly supportive of the construction of the television tower, earning it the nickname 'Saint Walter', and after the politician's death another version, the 'Ulbrichts Gedächtniskirche' (Ulbricht's Memorial Church), was built.
The tower was designed by Hermann Henselmann, Berlin's chief property developer from 1953 to 1959. Gerhard Frost was appointed engineer for the project. The Stuttgart television tower, built in 1956, was used as a model. The Stuttgart tower was subsequently used as the basis for similar structures in many other countries, including the world's tallest television tower, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.
In 2012, the tower was retro-modernised by returning to its 1970s interior, but with modern technology and electronics. The speed of the elevator has been increased — visitors can now reach a height of 210 metres in just 40 seconds. The lifts have also been fitted with powerful air conditioning.
Interesting facts about Berliner Fernsehturm
- The Berlin Television Tower is the tallest building in Germany and the fourth tallest television tower in Europe. It is 368 metres high.
- In 1979, the Berlin Television Tower was listed as one of the city's listed buildings. It remained on the list after the unification of West and East Germany in 1990.
- It took 52 months to build the tower on Alexanderplatz.
- In 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup, the tower's sphere was given the shape of a football.
- The construction proved to be quite an expensive undertaking — the costs exceeded the original estimate by a factor of three. In total, around DM 100 million from the public purse was spent on the television tower.
- Berliners nicknamed the tower the "Ulbricht Memorial Church", not only because of the politician behind the project, but also because of an interesting phenomenon. On a sunny day, the balloon would glow as a giant shining cross as the sun's rays bounced off its surface. This illusion was called "revenge on the Pope" (by the Pope, of course) by the townspeople. The visual effect was not planned by the architects from the outset and only came to light after the building was completed. According to urban legend, the architect of the tower was even summoned for questioning by the authorities during the period of strict atheism in the GDR.
- The tower was given another name, Telespargel, because of its resemblance to an asparagus shoot.
- The Berlin Television Tower was used in the filming of Star Wars as a replica of the Death Star.
- The top of the structure is crowned by a 118m high spire.
- Disabled visitors using wheelchairs, crutches or other aids are not permitted to enter the Berlin TV Tower. It's all about design features - the tower was built at a time when the authorities weren't as concerned about people with disabilities. The comfort of disabled people was not taken into account when planning how to evacuate people in an emergency. Lifts cannot be used in the event of a fire, and visitors to the viewing platform and restaurant have to descend a staircase of over 900 steps.
The issue was repeatedly discussed by the owners of the television tower, the Commissioner for the Disabled, fire officials and other experts. But after lengthy inspections and analyses of the structure, a disappointing decision was made — in the event of an accident, it would be impossible to evacuate people with mobility problems.
Tips and advice before you visit
- If you are coming on a tour in a group of nine or more, you will need to complete a special form in advance.
- Students receive a 20% discount on presentation of a valid student card.
- Tickets can be paid for by cash, debit or credit card.
- There are no discounts for senior citizens.
- Don't be late. If a visitor is late, their ticket will be valid for a grace period (10 minutes), after which it will be cancelled.
- Tickets can be purchased online, from ticket machines outside and inside the Berlin Television Tower at Alexanderplatz.
- There is a cloakroom on the ground floor in the foyer where you can leave your outerwear free of charge.
- All visitors to the Berlin TV Tower must consent to a body and luggage search before entering the tower and directly inside the tower. If a person does not consent, he or she will be refused entry.
- Pets are not allowed in the TV Tower.
- Visitors with young children should consider where to leave their prams as they will not be allowed inside with them. This rule also applies to skateboards, scooters and bicycles.
- Bulky luggage (suitcases, rucksacks, etc.) is not allowed.
- It is advisable to buy your tickets online as there are usually long queues at the TV Tower ticket office.
- You should arrive at the tower 5-10 minutes before the time stated on your ticket. If you are stuck in traffic or otherwise unable to arrive on time, we recommend that you call +49 (0) 30 24 75 75 85 so that the TV Tower staff can reschedule your reservation if necessary.
- Do not throw away your ticket before the end of the tour as you will need to show it at the exit.
- Do not bring anything that could be considered dangerous: bottles, cans or other containers of liquids, pressurised gas cylinders, pyrotechnics, weapons, knives, etc.
