The Reichstag building in central Berlin has had quite a history. First opened  in 1894, it was significantly damaged by fire in 1933. As a result of further damage during World War 2 it fell into disuse, although there was a partial restoration in the 1960s. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, ran very close to the Reichstag which was on the western side of the wall. Following the fall of the wall in 1989 the building was refurbished and set to be the home of the German parliament following unification. The towers and facade are all that is left of the original building. In 1995 it was even wrapped in fabric for two weeks to make it an art installation.
Part of the refurbishment saw the building of the glass dome, designed by British architect Norman Foster. Made from glass and steel it affords a superb 360 degree view of the city. Â It is a stunning contrast to the formal architecture of rest of the building. The parliamentary debating chamber is located directly below the dome.
There is a mirrored funnel in the centre which directs light into the chamber. It looks very futuristic! There is even a moveable screen to prevent glare.
Two spiral walkways enable you to get to the top of the dome and back down again without having to retrace your steps while giving excellent views of the city.
Visits to the dome are free of charge but must be pre-booked. I booked two weeks in advance and was only able to get a slot for our last day in the city. If you have limited time available I would suggest booking as far ahead as you possibly can. Bookings must be made through the Bundestag website. At this point you must list all the people that will accompany you on your visit and give their full names and dates of birth. You will receive a confirmation of your visit by email and you must print off the accompanying letter and take it with you for your visit along with proof of identification for each visitor.
Brandenburger Tor is the closest S-Bahn station and from here it is a short five minute walk. You are asked to arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time in order to complete security checks. There did not appear to be any toilets/restrooms and refreshments are only available from a small stall in the dome itself however this was closed at the time of our visit as we had an early morning visit. There is a rooftop restaurant to the east of the dome which is open from 9am until 4.30pm.
Free audioguides are available in a variety of languages and these provide a short commentary about the Reichstag and views that you can see. I would also recommend picking up a free ‘Outlooks’ guide which has two panoramic photographs of the view from the dome which identify and give a short explanation about some of the buildings that you can see.
It is well worth pre-booking this visit, I cannot recommend it enough. A must on any list of things to do in Berlin
