Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical triumphal arch in central Berlin, erected between 1788 and 1791 and designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans. It is crowned by the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow.

The gate stands about 26 metres high and served historically as a city gate at the end of Unter den Linden; in the 20th century it became a potent symbol of Germany’s division and later reunification. The plaza in front of the gate is a major public space used for ceremonies and events.

Construction was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia to mark peace and it survived heavy damage during World War II before being restored. The gate gained renewed international prominence when it became accessible again after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Located at Pariser Platz at the western end of Unter den Linden, the Brandenburg Gate sits close to the Reichstag and other central Berlin landmarks in the Mitte district.

• Best time for photos: Photographs are particularly striking at dawn or after dark when the gate and Quadriga are illuminated and traffic is lighter.