Berliner Fernsehturm is visible almost from every point of the city.
The Berliner Fernsehturm stands near the center of the city of Berlin, Germany. Its construction was started in 1966 and it was inaugurated on October 3rd, 1969. The tower’s original name was the Berlin TV Tower and was built to broadcast color television in East Germany.
The Berliner Fernsehturm currently reaches 368 meters (1,207 ft.) into the sky but originally it was 365 meters high which was the third highest standing structure in the world behind the Ostankino in Moscow and the Empire State building in New York. Following the German reunification in 1990, it grew an additional 3 meters when a new antenna was installed in 1997.
The tower was built out of 7,900 cubic meters of concrete and 3,400 tons of steel making it extremely heavy. The tower itself weighs 26,000 tons and the sphere weighs 4,800 tons yielding the combined weight of over 60 million pounds.
The tower is one of the top tourist attractions in Berlin as it has about a million visitors a year but it is not just a tourist attraction because it is still an active radio and television tower which broadcast 60 different programs through the tower’s antenna.
The Berliner Fernsehturm is impressive from far and near
The Berliner Fernsehturm is the tallest structure in Berlin and there are few place in the city where the tower cannot be seen. I could see the tower from everywhere I went in Berlin and it is so notable that it hard to take a photo without the Berliner Fernsehturm in the background. A few examples of how prominent the tower is in Berlin are shown in the following photos.
While the view of the tower is impressive from a distance it is equally impressive from close up. Directly in front of the tower it is massive and the lower lever has a unique design which can be seen in the first photo below. Just a short distance away from the tower is the Neptune Fountain which is a popular place for people to gather and the tower is an attractive background for the fountain.
The shining sphere
The shining steel framed big sphere at the top of the tower is said to have been inspired by the Soviet Sputnik satellite launched into space in 1957. This uniquely designed sphere is the best place in the city to get a 360 degree bird’s eye view of Berlin. The sphere has two floors for public viewing.
The viewing platform is on the lower floor at a height of 203 meter high and can be reached in just 40 seconds on an elevator that travels up to 6 meters per second.
The Telecafe restaurant is on the upper floor at a height of 207 meter and is the highest eatery in the city. The café has the same view as the observation deck but diners can enjoy their meal while watching the scene change with the rotation of the restaurant. The café completes the 360 degree rotation in 30 minutes.
The sphere shape on top of the tower has caused the tower to be given some descriptive nicknames. Some nicknames are the rocket ship, the disco ball in the sky and the Death Star from the Star Wars movies.
During the day, the sphere shines from the reflection of the sun but it also shines at night from the tower lights. Day or night the Berliner Fernsehturm sphere shines for everyone in the city to see.
Transitioning into the night
One of my favorite times when I travel to major cities is the twilight hour. It is the time when the atmosphere is partially lit by the sun, it is not totally lit but it is also not totally dark. I enjoy watching the architecture of the city transition from daytime into the night. Sometimes I like watching a city skyline come to life but I also like to watch distinctive modern architecture evolve from its daytime appearance into its night time appearance. The photos below are of the Berliner Fernsehturm changing its appearance during the twilight hour.
The Dust on My Shoes
The Berliner Fernsehturm is probably not on the site seeing agendas for most first time visitors to Berlin but once they arrive and the how dramatic it looks from everywhere in the city then it becomes a “must see” site to visit.
Berlin is probably most famous for its historical significance but it is a very modern city and it has just as many modern sites to enjoy as it does historical site. The Berliner Fernsehturm actually falls in the middle because it has historical significance and it is also extremely modern. It was built during the Space Race of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union but still has a modern look to it even after 50 years.
In Berlin, the past and the present can be seen side-by-side. Make sure to enjoy both when you visit!
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