Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Gendarmenmarkt is widely considered the most beautiful square in Berlin, a grand ensemble of three buildings that represents the best of 18th-century Prussian architecture. The square was created in 1688 during Berlin's expansion into Friedrichstadt. Its name comes from the "Gens d'armes," a regiment of French Huguenot soldiers who were stationed here from 1736 to 1782. The French connection runs deep: the French Cathedral (Franzosischer Dom) on the north side was built in 1705 for the Huguenot community that had fled persecution in France. The German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom), built in 1708, faces it from the south side, creating a symmetrical frame for the square. Between them sits the Konzerthaus Berlin, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1821 on the ruins of the National Theatre, which had burned down in 1817. A statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller stands in front of the concert hall. The square was heavily damaged during World War II and meticulously rebuilt. It was renamed Platz der Akademie by East Berlin in 1950, but reverted to its original name after reunification in 1991. Today, the Gendarmenmarkt hosts one of Berlin's best Christmas markets, which draws over a million visitors each year. The square also hosts the Classic Open Air concerts in July. If you're on a Questo quest through Berlin-Mitte, the Gendarmenmarkt is a stop where French history, German ambition, and some of the finest architecture in Europe share one square.