Charlottenburg & the Ku’damm
Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm: the back story
Neighbourhood guide
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Michael.F.H.Barth · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm: the back story
Charlottenburg was the heart of West Berlin during the years of division. Its grand Altbau streets run from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church along the Kurfürstendamm, with Charlottenburg Palace to the north-west.
The palace
Charlottenburg Palace and its gardens on the Spree.
The Ku’damm
The boulevard, KaDeWe on Tauentzienstrasse and Bikini Berlin by the zoo.
Walk the Ku’damm’s side streets: Fasanenstrasse is the finest.
Music and theatre
The Deutsche Oper on Bismarckstrasse, the Komische Oper at the Schillertheater and the Schaubühne.
Eating
Paris Bar, pars Restaurant (One MICHELIN Star), and the Bib Gourmands Nußbaumerin and Salhino.
Our advice: take the U2 to Sophie-Charlotte-Platz for the palace.
Why it's on our list
- The palace
- The Ku’damm
- Music and theatre
- Eating
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest U-Bahn stations
- Richard-Wagner-PlatzU7250 m3 min walk
- Deutsche OperU2450 m5 min walk
- BismarckstraßeU2U7550 m7 min walk
Key sights
- Charlottenburg Palace1.3 kmWalk 16 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 7 min
- KaDeWe2.6 kmWalk 33 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Philharmonie4.1 kmCycle 16 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Reichstag4.5 kmCycle 18 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Brandenburg Gate4.6 kmCycle 18 minCar or taxi 17 min
- Gendarmenmarkt5.6 kmCycle 22 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Museum Island6.0 kmCycle 24 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Berlin Wall Memorial6.2 kmCycle 25 minCar or taxi 21 min
- TV Tower6.8 kmCycle 27 minCar or taxi 22 min
- East Side Gallery9.0 kmCycle 36 minCar or taxi 28 min
Main railway stations
- Berlin Zoologischer Garten1.9 kmWalk 24 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Berlin Hauptbahnhof4.2 kmCycle 17 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Berlin Friedrichstrasse5.3 kmCycle 21 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Berlin Südkreuz5.8 kmCycle 23 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Berlin Gesundbrunnen6.5 kmCycle 26 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Berlin Alexanderplatz7.0 kmCycle 28 minCar or taxi 23 min
- Berlin Ostbahnhof8.5 kmCycle 34 minCar or taxi 27 min