Brandenburger Gate, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Bernt Rostad

Brandenburger Gate

Located near the boulevard of Unter den Linden, the Brandenburger Gate was built around 1780 serving as an entrance to part of an old wall that once surrounded the city. Today the gate is the only remnant of the former wall. Designed to resemble the gate entrance into the Acropolis of Athens, the Brandenburger Gate has been the setting of much history. After being damaged by WWII bombings, the historical gate structure was later the scene of much celebration and peace in 1989 after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Holocaust Memorial

Constructed in 2004 to remember the genocide of six million Jews by Hitler and his Nazi regime, the memorial is situated in close distance to both the Brandenburger Gate and the remains of Hitler’s bunker. The memorial is built with 2,711 slabs of stone, all designed in a wavering, unstable pattern to reflect the insecurity of the Nazi era.

Museum Island

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Museum Island is located near the Spree River. The Museum Island is composed of a group of five museums that began with the Altes Museum in 1830. The other museums include the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Neuses Museum, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. These museums feature recreated villages, reconstructed buildings and many ancient artifacts such as the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate, the Altar of Zeus and the bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Museum Island is in close proximity to quality dining, shopping and apartments in Berlin.

Berliner Dom Museum Island, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Beny Shlevich

Berlin Wall

First erected in 1961 by the Russians as a barbed wire fence and later replaced by the high wall, the Berlin Wall was built to serve as a barrier between communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. The decline of communism resulted in the fall of the wall in 1989 with cheers from around the world. Most of the wall has since been demolished with some sections still surviving in different locations where people can visit such as at Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie. With many Berlin accommodation rentals nearby, visitors can feel right at home during their stay in Berlin.

Reichstag

Constructed in 1894, the Reichstag building contained the German Parliament until it was heavily damaged by a fire in 1933. Left in disuse after World War II, the building was later reconstructed to once again house the German Parliament in 1999. With Reichstag located in the heart of the city, visitors can find quality places to stay in Berlin apartments.

There are many different places to stay when travelling round Europe.  A lot of companies offer short term accommodation rentals in Berlin, Rome, London and you can even rent apartments in Paris.

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The city is mentioned for the first time at the beginning of our era, during the reign of emperor Augustus. The city was the base for Roman troops. Even the Emperor Marcus Aurelius stayed here for 3 years (172-175), during Markoman Wars. The city was destroyed by the Germans in the 4th century and Valentinian I. tried to restore it. But the city has never achieved such fame again and later, in the Middle Ages, was completely destroyed by the Hungarians.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Ulrich Latzenhofer

Now it is possible to visit the Archaeological Park Carnuntum in 3 different parts: Civilian part, Military part and Museum Carnuntinum.

The civilian part
The first is the civilian part, which are the foundations of the former city and several reconstructed buildings, amphitheater and Heidentor (Pagan Gate). Everything is located on the western edge of Petronell. Refurbished buildings – public baths and dwelling house – were reconstructed using the methods that were typical for the Romans. The park area is such an interesting mix of the excavated ruins with renovated Roman buildings.

A few minutes walking from the excavated ruins you can find the amphitheatre, which at that time can serve for up to 15,000 people. Reportedly it was the fourth largest amphitheater in the Roman empire.

Then you can see Heidentor – Pagan Gate. The monumental gate, which was located at the entrance to the fortification of Carnuntum. At the middle of it is a statue of Emperor Constantine II., built between 354 and 361.

The military part
The military part of the city contains only the ruins of the second amphitheatre, located on the outskirts of the town of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. This amphitheatre was special because it could be filled with water and so there could be even naval battles. There is now also a small gladiator museum.

Museum Carnuntinum
The museum is also in the town of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, a few meters from the shore of the Danube river. Here you can see the most interesting excavations of the area.

Museum is opened daily from 16 April to 15 November 2011 at 9.00 to 18.00 and the basic admission is €9. For further details visit the official site of Open Air Museum Petronell-Carnuntum.

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