Like arms of a starfish, five roads merge into the Grosser Stern roundabout at the heart of the Tiergarten. The Victory Column at its centre was built to celebrate 19th-century Prussian military triumphs and is now a symbol of Berlin’s gay community. Climb 285 steps to get below her skirt for sweeping views of Tiergarten park.
The column originally stood in front of the Reichstag until the Nazis moved it here in 1938 to make room for their Germania urban planning project. The pedestal was added at the time, bringing the column height to 67m. Film buffs might remember the Goddess of Victory on top from a key scene in Wim Wenders’ 1985 flick Wings of Desire .
