Spandau Citadel

The Zitadelle Spandau ranks among the most important and best-preserved High Renaissance fortresses in Europe. It sits northeast of Spandau's old town on the opposite bank of the Havel, in the Haselhorst area. At its core is a medieval castle, of which the striking keep and the great hall survive. Between 1559 and 1594 a square fortress with four projecting bastions was built around that core, state of the art for its time, and it has kept its distinctive footprint ever since.

The citadel's landmark is the Juliusturm, a keep built around 1200 that at roughly 100 feet (30 meters) counts as the oldest secular building in Berlin. Climbing the narrow stairs earns you a wide view over the fortress, the Havel and the surrounding Spandau area. For centuries the fortress served as garrison, prison and munitions depot. In the 19th century the Juliusturm even held the so-called imperial war chest from the French reparations paid after 1871, which is why Germans still use "Juliusturm" as a term for government reserves.

Today the citadel is a lively place for culture and history. The historic buildings house the Spandau museum of city history and the permanent exhibition "Unveiled. Berlin and its Monuments," which displays monuments removed from public space over the course of Berlin's history. Concerts, medieval markets and open-air events run through the year. One tip: allow enough time to explore the bastions, the casemates and the green grounds too. Arriving by boat or on foot along the Havel gives you the most dramatic view of the fortress's heavy brick silhouette.