View of the Reichstag from the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus
The Reichstag (German: Deutscher Bundestag), is a historic building located in the city center of Berlin, on the banks of the Spree river. It houses the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany’s parliament. An advance booking is required by filling out the online form on the site bundestag.de
Visit the Reichtag during the week to avoid the usual tourist crowds at the weekend. Visiting the Reichtag building is free. The only complication is that is mandatory to book the visit in advance via Internet. A simple registration form must be filled in which also specifies the date and the time of the visit, which will be printed and delivered at the entrance.
There are often queues at the main entrance to access the lifts, while a special entrance is for people with disabilities, those with a restaurant reservation or those accompanied by young children. The staff courteously directed visitors in the right direction.
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What is the Reichtag?
It is a historic building, an internationally recognisable symbol of democracy and the current home of the German parliament. Both as an architectural wonder and a historical testimony, the Reichstag has an important role to play in Berlin. The shape of the dome allows the building to make use of natural lighting and ventilation which makes the building a unique symbol of sustainability.
When was the Reichtag built?
The construction started in 1894 and then the building was renovated in 1961-1964 and in 1992-1999. The large glass dome on the top of the building was contstructed in 1999 and has a spectacular view of the Tiergarten park and the whole city.
Who built the Reichtag?
The original building is designed by Paul Wallot and modelled after the Memorial Hall in Philadelphia. Decorative reliefs, sculptures and mosaics are contributed by the artist Otto Lessing. On 21 June 1994, Norman Foster was asked to include a dome solution in his draft reconstruction proposal, which he included in his 10 February 1995 plans.
Why was the Reichtag built?
It was constructed to house the Imperial Diet (German: Reichstag) of the German Empire.
What was the Reichtag used for?
It was home of the German Parliament unitil 1933 when a fire seriously damaged the building. It has been the seat of the German Parliament again since 1999.
General informations
Useful information for your visit to the Reichtag.
Location
Opening hours
To visit the Reichtag the times are as follows:
- 08.00 – 12.00: daily entry. Admission is until 10.00 pm. You enter every 15 minutes. If you like to be spontaneous, visit the service points at the Berlin Pavillon. Bookings are accepted up to two hours prior to your desired admission time.
The roof terrace and the glass dome are closed on December 24th and from 4pm on December 31st. Furthermore, the dome is periodically closed to allow maintenance and cleaning operations.
Dome closed: 15.-19.7., 16.-20.9., 7-11.10. (Roof open)
The dome and roof terrace are still accessible to a limited number of individual visitors. An advance booking is required.
The roof garden restaurant is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a breakfast offer. Reservation is necessary: 030- 22 62 99-0 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
How to get to the Reichtag
To reach the Reichtag:
Metro stops: Bundestag (282 m), Brandenburger Tor (450 m), Hauptbanhof (867 m)
Bus stops: Reichtag/Bundestag (82 m), Platz der Republik (406 m), Behrenstr./Wilhelmstr., Berlin (549 m)
Attractions nearby
- Brandenburger Tor (261 m)
- Museum Madame Tussauds (413 m)
- Holocaust-Memorial (900 m)
- The Bundeskanzleramt, the main railway station (1,0 km)
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