Kurfürstendamm
The Kudamm
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The Kurfürstendamm is the most popular boulevard in Berlin, among Berliners and visitors alike. From the Gedächtniskirche, it stretches for 3.5 km right out to Halensee, where the exclusive villa districts of West Berlin begin. In the lively upper part of Kurfürstendamm and its extension, Tauentzienstraße, there are countless department stores, fashion chain stores and other stores. The lower part is quieter: here, designer stores reside in magnificent turn-of-the-century buildings. Between 1883 and 1886 Kurfürstendamm was laid out as a boulevard with bridle path, and opulent developments arose along it. In the Twenties, it became the meeting point of Berlin's intellectuals, with countless theatres, cafés and nightclubs. In 1913, the "Marmorhaus" became the first film theatre, but like many other cinemas on Kurfürstendamm it was forced to close in recent years. Badly damaged in the Second World War, Kurfürstendamm was cleared and redeveloped in the Fifties, with tower blocks and terraced buildings. It is still Berlin's showpiece boulevard, and new buildings are appearing on it once again. In 2001 the new Kranzlereck opened - the corner previously inhabited by the famous Café Kranzler – with offices, stores, a BERLIN infostore and a new café in the traditional rotunda with its red-and-white striped marquee roof. The Kudamm Corner at Joachimsthaler Straße, a constructional faux pas from the Sixties, has been demolished, and a new building is being constructed on the site. At Lehniner Platz stands the Schaubühne, a theatre building in the expressive style of the Twenties. In the quiet side streets such as Fasanenstraße, the most exclusive shopping street in the city, there are many smaller, exclusive boutiques and cafés, housed in buildings dating from the penultimate turn of the century. |
| Kurfürstendamm |
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Kurfürstendamm 1 10707 Berlin-Wilmersdorf www.kurfuerstendamm.de |
| Getting there |
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Zoologischer Garten DB: S5, S7, S75, S9 U2, U9 100, 109, 110, 145, 149, 200, 204, 245, 249
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| Explore Berlin-Wilmersdorf |
