Brandenburg Gate | Berlin | Germany | travel photography by Laura Dijkslag

On a city break in Berlin, as a photographer, you obviously have to photograph the Brandenburg Gate (or Brandenburg Gate). It is one of the few buildings that survived both WWI, WWII and the Cold War, if only this building could talk.... Today, it has been restored to its full glory and is a great model for travel and architectural photographers.

I had very little space to take the photo here, but thanks to my wide-angle lens, I still managed to do it. A wide-angle lens gives photo's a sense of breadth, depth and dynamism. It creates a sense of openness and freedom, emphasises the distance between foreground and background, and can make subjects more prominent closer to the lens.

The Brandenburg Gate is an iconic monument in Berlin, built between 1788 and 1791 during the reign of Frederick William II. The design was inspired by the Propylaea of the Acropolis in Athens and is an example of neoclassical architecture. Atop the gate is the Quadriga, a sculpture of a chariot with four horses driven by the goddess Victoria, symbolising triumph and peace.

The gate witnessed several historical events, including the defeat of Napoleon, the rise and fall of the Nazi regime and the division of Germany during the Cold War. During the Cold War, the gate was located near the Berlin Wall and became a symbol of the division between East and West Berlin. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the gate became a symbol of unity and freedom.

Today, the Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin's most popular tourist attractions and stands on Pariser Platz, a lively place with historic buildings, embassies and luxury hotels. The gate is both an architectural masterpiece and a monument with rich historical significance and symbolism.