Berliner Dom

On the island of museums in the river, a great domed cathedral of dark green copper and pale stone rises over the water, the grandest church in the city. This is the Berliner Dom, the Berlin Cathedral, a relatively young but imposing building at the heart of the historic centre.

Despite its grand, old-world look, the cathedral is younger than it seems, built around the turn of the twentieth century in a heavy, ornate style to serve as the great church of the ruling royal house and the city's Protestant centre.

The building is richly decorated inside and out, with a vast dome, mosaics, marble, a great organ, and the ornate tombs of the royal dynasty in a crypt below, a monument to the power and faith of the empire that built it.

The dome is the great draw. You can climb to a walkway around its base, high above the river and the museum island, for one of the best views over the historic centre, the river, and the television tower beyond.

Inside, the main church is a soaring, ornate space beneath the dome, used for services and concerts, its scale and decoration meant to overwhelm, a high point of imperial church-building.

The crypt below holds the tombs of the royal family across the centuries, an unusually complete dynastic burial place, sombre and fascinating beneath the bright church above.

The cathedral was badly damaged in the war and restored over decades, so what you see is a careful reconstruction of the imperial original, its history of damage and repair part of the building's story.

It stands on the museum island, surrounded by the city's great museums and across the water from the old quarter, so it anchors the cluster of grand buildings at the historic heart of the city.

The setting by the river is part of the appeal, with lawns and steps where people sit, and the green dome reflected in the water, a favourite spot to pause between the museums.

As a working church and a major monument, it asks the usual respect, and entry to the church and dome climb is ticketed, though the exterior and the riverside are free to enjoy.

Climb to the walkway around the dome for the view, then step down into the crypt among the imperial tombs, and the cathedral's mix of power, faith, and history comes together over the river. When you walk back along the island, its green dome follows you among the museums.