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City tour seeing Charlottenburg Palace, which offers art treasures and other reminders of the Age of Prussian Kings. The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin's 200 year old landmark, is today the symbol of German unity. Immediately behind the Brandenburg Gate is the starting point of Berlin's magnificent historic boulevard, "Unter den Linden", which is lined with important buildings and architectural monuments of the 18th and 19th centuries. Along the banks of the Spree River si the "Nikolaiviertel", or Nikolai Quarter, the oldest section of Berlin. There, surrounding the medieval Nikolai Church are cobblestone alleyways, plazas, and courtyards with reconstructed old town-houses and romantic restaurants. Berlin also boasts many modern buildings well worth seeing. Among them are the International Congress Center at the Funkturm (Berlin's radio tower), and "KadeWe", Europe's largest department store and a veritable paradise for shoppers. Another modern paradox in this historic city is Alexanderplatz with its modern buildings, the TV Tower soaring 1,181 feet, and the generously planned Platz der Akademie, or Academy Square, with French and German Cathedrals. Next, visit the Konzerthaus, home to the Konzerthaus Orchestra (formerly known as Berlin Symphony Orchestra). This fomrer theater is located on the historic Gendarmenmarkt and noted as a masterpiece of classicism in German architecture. ere Weber premiered his opera "Der reiscutz", Paganini and Li received frenzied applause, Wagner conducted his flying Dutchman", and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 had its Berlin premiere. After the theater was destroyed during World War II, the building was reopened as a concert house in 1984. Nowadays, over 550 events take place in the four halls - the Great Hall, Small Hall, Werner Otto Hall, and Musikclub - every year.
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