The Reichstag

Between 1884 and 1894, the Reichstag was built to house the first parliament of the German empire (today called the Bundestag). The building was designed in a neoclassical style and spanned 137m long and 97m wide. However, the building suffered much damage during a fire in 1933(the Communists were blamed and Hitler's party, soon to come into power, was boosted in popularity) and also in later years due to the war.

The central dome of the Reichstag was removed during the reconstruction after the war. After a decision in 1991 to move the Bundestag back to Berlin from Bonn after the reunification of Germany, a final construction phase began. This included a glass dome over the plenary hall, designed by Sir Norman Foster and completed in 1999. [Source]

The walk up

The dome offers a 360 degree panoramic view of Berlin and if you look directly up, a full view of cloud patterns.

Since April 1999, the dome has also become Berlin's most recognized landmarks, open to the public and thus frequented by many...all at my feet!

The Bundestag website.