Built during the years of the GDR, the iconic TV Tower is now a symbol of the entire city. Enjoy the stunning panoramic views from the viewing platform!
Tip: As there are currently only a limited number of visitors to the TV Tower, you should book your time slot ticket in good time. Please note that you can currently only get discounted tickets directly at the TV Tower with the Berlin WelcomeCard.
Photographing the Berliner Fernsehturm
At 368 metres the Fernsehturm is the tallest structure in Germany and visible from most of the city, which makes it the easiest landmark to build a Berlin photograph around: you rarely have to go to it, you simply choose what to put in front of it. Built between 1965 and 1969 in the GDR, it has outlived its politics and become shorthand for Berlin itself.
Where to shoot it from
- Alexanderplatz — the World Clock in the foreground gives scale and instantly says Berlin.
- Rathausstraße and the Marx-Engels-Forum — open ground for full-length portraits with the tower rising behind.
- From the Spree by the Rotes Rathaus and Nikolaiviertel — red brick and water in the same frame as the sphere.
- Glass facades around Alexanderplatz — the tower reflected and doubled, which works well in flat, grey weather.
In direct sunlight the stainless steel sphere throws a cross-shaped reflection — the detail Berliners nicknamed the “Pope’s revenge”. Shoot into side light to catch it.
Going up
The viewing platform sits at 203 metres with a revolving restaurant just above it. Tickets are timed and the queue can be long, so book ahead if you want the sunset slot. Shooting through the windows means dealing with reflections: press the lens hood flat against the glass, kill your own light sources, and expect to work handheld at higher ISO.
Best conditions
Clear winter afternoons give the sharpest long-lens compressions from across the city. Blue hour from the platform is the strongest interior option, when the streets light up but the sky still holds detail. See also our Museum Island guide, ten minutes west along the Spree.
