Red City Hall

The Rotes Rathaus takes its name — and nickname — from its deep-red brick façade rather than any political leaning, and has served as the seat of Berlin's mayor since it was completed in 1869, surviving two world wars and the city's Cold War division intact enough to remain functional today. A terracotta frieze wrapping the building depicts scenes from Berlin's history, and its tower still anchors the skyline near Alexanderplatz even amid the taller TV Tower nearby.

One reviewer notes it's easy to walk past without really seeing it, which is fair, since it's more often admired from outside than toured — but its survival through the city's most turbulent century gives it real weight. It's a quick, free stop best folded into a walk between Alexanderplatz and Nikolaiviertel.