Towering above Pariser Platz square in Berlin Mitte, neoclassical Brandenburg Gate is the most potent symbol of German reunification. Look up to glimpse Victoria, goddess of victory, charging forth on Quadriga. At dusk, light bathes its Doric columns in gold.
Locals come here for public celebrations like the Day of German Unity (3 October) and New Year's Eve. The gate was built between 1788 and 1791 by architect C G Langhans and is the only remaining city gate in Berlin. Its six Dorian columns create five passages to walk through. On top is the Roman Quadriga, together with the goddess of victory, added in 1794 by Gottfried Schadow.
In the 19th century, Pariser Platz hosted wealthy town houses, embassies and the Hotel Adlon, often called the definitive place to stay in Berlin. The other buildings surrounding the gate were destroyed during the Second World War and have been replaced by modern architecture that plays with old elements, such as the twin buildings Haus Liebermann and Haus Sommer.