Don’t leave Berlin without saying hello to Golden Lizzie, the gleaming statue at the top of the city’s best-known landmark.
Berlin’s Victory Column (Siegessäule) is a distinctive monument and one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Siegessäule commemorates Prussian victories in wars with Denmark, Austria and France in the late 19th century. The Prussian triumph in these “unification wars” inspired the crowning of the column with the magnificent gilded bronze statue of the goddess of victory. Visit “Goldenelse” (Golden Lizzie) as she is affectionately nicknamed by locals. Climb up inside the monument to enjoy stunning views of the Tiergarten and surrounding cityscape.
The Victory Column sits in a large traffic circle on a main boulevard in the Tiergarten, Berlin’s largest park. The 220-foot (67-metre) tall tower reaches high above the treetops. Look up to the statue depicting Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory. The goddess wears an eagle helmet and has a laurel in one hand and a staff in the other. The 27.2-foot (8.3-metre) sculpture weighs about 39 tons (35 tonnes).
Reach the column via the pedestrian tunnels that lead under the main road. Admire the bas-relief decorations, on the outside of the column’s base, that depict a battle scene. Walk through the colonnaded hall and find the series of mosaics. Further up the column, find a magnificent mosaic frieze by Anton von Warner.
Climb the winding 285 steps to the top of the Victory Column, where an observation deck is situated at the base of the golden statue. Take in beautiful views across the city and the lush green of the park. Look east to see the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and the TV Tower (Fernsehturm).
The Victory Column is located in Tiergarten on the border between Mitte and Charlottenburg, close to the Bellevue Palace. A bus station is located on the traffic circle and train stations can be found just outside the gardens. The column is open daily. A fee for admission includes entry to the mosaic hall and access to the observation platform. Admire the Victory Column from the Tiergarten for free.
