Travel Germany. 15 facts about the TV-tower at Alexanderplatz in Berlin

Best friends forever: TV-tower and St Mary's church

The TV-tower is loved by pretty much everyone in Berlin. It’s always a lovely homecoming when I see him (he is male you know). He gives everyone a sense of belonging. You can believe how hard it is to walk by and not take a picture of it (him).


15 facts about the TV-tower


1. The government of the GDR needed to create their very own landmark of Berlin.

2. The construction of the TV tower during the cold war took four years from 1965 to 1969.

3. The official opening was on 3rd October 1969. Coincidental, the 3rd October today is an official bank holiday in Germany and The Day of German Unity. Who would have thought all these years ago? If Walter Ulbricht had known he would probably have tried to build the TV tower twice as high.

4. The TV tower stands right in the centre of the city at Alexanderplatz.

5. The 365 metre TV tower (plus a few metres of antenna) is Berlin´s highest building.

6. The TV tower is the fourth tallest structure in Europe

7. The TV tower is heritage listed

8. The lift needs 38 seconds to go up.

9. The staircase has 986 steps visitors aren’t allowed to use them.

10. Its silver disco ball on top is a rotating viewing platform and café.

11. The café is at a height of 207 metres and it needs 30 minutes for a full round.

12. The visitor platform is at 203 metres.

13. On a clear day visitors can look as far away as 42 kilometres into the distance.

14. The tower has no name as such, it is simply called TV tower. Some will tell you its name is “Tele-Spargel,” translated into English that would be “Tele-Asparagus.” So far I asked many Berliners for confirmation and they have never heard or used that name. So it might be a mythos.

15. In its main function as the site of several broadcasting stations for radio and television, the tower is referred to as "Telecommunications Tower 32.” 


View over Berlin-Mitte where the TV-tower takes centre stage

The TV-tower is somewhere in this pic - do you see him?

TV-tower and Bode Museum

Tango by the Spree. The TV-tower is always present

Berlin Cathedral and TV-tower battling through -12 degrees Celsius (in March btw)

This is the St Nikolai church, in a nearby neighborhood of the TV-tower
TV-tower looking over the shoulder of the Red Town Hall

There is one big downside when you visit the panorama platform and that is that you can’t see the tower from there. I bought my tickets here.

From Berlin with love