Reichstag

Splendidly restored by Sir Norman Foster, and housing the German parliament (the Bundestag), the Reichstag is unquestionably one of Berlin''s biggest attractions, and rightly so.



Built to house the Kaiser’s rubber-stamp parliament, the Reichstag was ravaged by fire (probably set by the Nazis), shot to ruins by Red Army artillery and all but forgotten during Berlin''s long division. Sir Foster gutted the building—except for some old mouldings and graffiti by Soviet soldiers—built a modern debating chamber and added a sparkling glass dome to the roof. Walking around the roof affords a fabulous view of Berlin. Climb the spiral staircase on the inside of the dome and you''ll be able to watch parliament from above.



Inside the dome is a cylindrical cone, designed to suck up the hot air generated below. If only all parliaments had such a contraption.



Source: http://www.economist.com/cities