At Berlin's New Year's Eve celebration, the Brandenburg Gate is the traditional focal point for the city's large public party.
The gate stands at the western end of Unter den Linden and is one of Berlin's most recognizable landmarks. The area between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column has hosted major open-air New Year's Eve celebrations, featuring stages, music, food stalls, light displays, and fireworks.
The Brandenburg Gate was completed in 1791 and was inspired by the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. Its famous Quadriga sculpture, showing a chariot drawn by four horses, crowns the structure.
The landmark also carries powerful modern historical associations. It stood near the Berlin Wall during the division of Germany and became a symbol of reunification after the wall fell in 1989. Its New Year's role therefore combines celebration with national history.