Berlin Radio Tower (Funkturm)

Berliners affectionately call it the "Langer Lulatsch", the "beanpole". The Funkturm on the trade fair grounds in Westend is 43 years older than the TV tower on Alexanderplatz and when it opened it was the tallest broadcasting and observation tower in Germany. Since it opened on 3 September 1926, more than 17 million people have visited the 146.78-metre steel lattice tower. In 2026 it celebrates its 100th birthday, and the viewing platform at 126 metres is open again. From the top you look across the west of the city all the way to the TV tower in Mitte.

History: radio, television and the Airlift

The tower was designed by the architect Heinrich Straumer as the showpiece of the 3rd Great German Radio Exhibition, much as the Eiffel Tower had been for the Paris World's Fair. It cost 203,660 marks. Radio broadcasts went out from here from 1926, television tests began in 1929, and in 1932 the world's first television broadcast was transmitted from the Funkturm. In 1935 a major fire in the exhibition hall spread to the restaurant. During the Battle of Berlin in 1945 a shell struck a corner leg at 38 m, leaving the tower standing on little more than three legs; 7.2 tonnes of extra steel saved it.

During the Berlin Blockade of 1948/49, yellow warning lights on the top guided the "raisin bombers" towards Tempelhof. Broadcasting largely ended in 1963, the tower has been a listed monument since 1966, and since 1989 it has only served as a relay station for non-public radio services.

What to see

• The viewing platform: A glass lift takes you up at 4 m/s in 33 seconds. At the top you get a panorama of the fairgrounds, the ICC, the Funkturm motorway junction and, on clear days, about 30 kilometres into the distance.
• The restaurant: At 55 metres you dine in a 1920s-style interior, with changing themed buffets.
• The porcelain feet: The four steel legs stand on insulators made by the Royal Porcelain Manufactory (KPM), each able to bear 1,400 tonnes. No other observation tower in the world has them, although the idea was technically flawed, as the lift shaft bridges the insulation.
• The light show: In the evening the tower is lit by 68 LED floodlights, in the colours of major fairs, such as green for the Green Week and orange for ITB. Until 31 October 2026 an anniversary campaign lets the public choose the tower's colour.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• Viewing platform: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–21:00, closed on Mondays.
• Restaurant: Friday and Saturday 18:00–22:00, tables via OpenTable.
• Tickets: in the Funkturm's online ticket shop, which also lists current prices.

The platform holds around 45 people, so there may be a wait on fine evenings. The staircase of more than 600 steps is not open to visitors.

Getting there and parking

The address is Hammarskjöldplatz 1, 14055 Berlin. The easiest way is the Ringbahn to Messe Nord/ICC S-Bahn station or the U2 to "Kaiserdamm", then a few minutes' walk to the fairgrounds. During major trade fairs the area is very busy and parking is scarce, so public transport is the better choice.

Tripto tip

Allow about 45 minutes to an hour for the ride and the view, longer if you stay for dinner. Come at sunset to see the city in the last light and, shortly afterwards, the tower's light show. If you want the Funkturm as a photo subject, climb the nearby Drachenberg hill in the Grunewald, from where the Funkturm and the TV tower appear together in one frame.