Brandenburger Tor

© Elan Fleisher / Time Out

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Constructed in 1791, and designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans after the Propylaea gateway into ancient Athens, the Brandenburg Gate was built as a triumphal arch. The Quadriga statue, a four-horse chariot driven by Victory and designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow, sits on top. It has had an eventful life. When Napoleon conquered Berlin in 1806 he carted the Quadriga off to Paris and held it hostage until his defeat in 1814. The Tor was badly damaged in World War II, and during subsequent renovations, the GDR removed the Prussian Iron Cross and turned the Quadriga around so that the chariot faced west. The current Quadriga is a 1958 copy, and was stranded in no-man's land for 30 years. The Tor was the scene of much celebration while the Wall came down, and after that there had to be further repairs. The Iron Cross was replaced and the Quadriga was turned back to face into Mitte again.