Once one of the busiest squares in Europe, Potsdamer Platz became a no-man’s-land during the cold war years when the Berlin Wall sliced right through it. It reemerged in the 1990s as the shiny face of the New Berlin, though its commercial glitz today tends to polarize visitors: Some feel it’s a charmless non-place, while others are impressed by its soaring starchitecture and bevy of entertainment options. Some of the local diversions include Deutsche Kinemathek, an excellent film museum that showcases everything from classic movies like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to a special exhibition on Marlene Dietrich; a large Legoland Discovery Centre for kids; and the neighboring Kulturforum, which offers several top-notch museums like the Gemäldegalerie (Portrait Gallery).
