Reichstag Building

The Reichstag Building on Platz der Republik is the historic home of Germany's parliament. Paul Wallot's Neo-Renaissance design was built between 1884 and 1894, and Norman Foster's post-reunification redesign added the walk-in glass dome above the debating chamber.

Don't miss

• The large glass dome with a 360° view of Berlin's skyline, especially impressive at night.
• The main debating chamber visible from inside the dome, with natural light from above.
• The inscription 'Dem deutschen Volke' ('To the German People') above the main façade, added in 1916.
• Preserved bullet holes and graffiti left by Soviet soldiers after the 1945 Battle of Berlin, kept as historical traces.
• The four corner towers representing the kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Reichstag Building

Cheapest way inBerlin Highlights Walking Tour4.4★ · 405 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$2 per personSee dates →Most bookedDiscover Berlin Half-Day Walking Tour4.9★ · 10,055 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$21 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleBerlin Third Reich & Cold War Walking Tour With A Guide5★ · 16 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$41 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The Reichstag stands in Berlin's Spreebogen government district near the River Spree.
• The glass dome looks down into the parliamentary debating chamber and across Berlin.
• Bullet holes and Soviet soldiers' graffiti were preserved as traces of the 1945 Battle of Berlin.

A bit of history

The building housed the German Empire's Reichstag and later the Weimar Republic's parliament. A 1933 arson fire gutted much of the structure, a pivotal event used by the Nazis to suspend civil liberties. During World War II, it was a key target for the Red Army in the Battle of Berlin. After the war, it stood in West Berlin and was restored in the 1950s and 1960s. Following German reunification, Norman Foster redesigned it from 1995 to 1999, adding the glass dome. The Bundestag officially convened there on 19 April 1999.