Berlin in Germany is home to yet more Unesco World Heritage Sites, with the addition of a leafy housing estate in the south of the city.
Beyond Museum Island in the historic centre and the parks, gardens and palaces of Potsdam, fans of architecture have yet more to discover in Berlin and the nearby area.
The Zehlendorf Forest Estate in Berlin is now among areas of particular note, following the United Nation's cultural and scientific organisation's decision.
The housing development in the south-west of the German capital is not a new entry, but an addition to the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates site, joining six other complexes that were first recognised by Unesco in 2008.
The Berlin Modernism Housing Estates site recognises social housing complexes built mainly during the Weimar Republic.
It includes the famous Horseshoe Estate in the Britz neighbourhood and the White City in northern Reinickendorf.
The Zehlendorf Forest Estate was built between 1926 and 1932 under the lead planning of architect Bruno Taut, in collaboration with Hugo Haring and Otto Rudolf Salvisberg.
During their construction, the Bauhaus-style buildings provoked fierce opposition within conservative circles.
Today, however, the concept is undisputedly regarded as pioneering: under the guiding principle of "light, air and sun", the estate was ahead of its time in prioritising residents' health and wellbeing.
Taut's vision combines modern, open architecture with a setting characterised by green spaces and trees. The aim was also to create affordable housing for a broad cross-section of society.
A distinctive feature of the estate is that, in terms of area, it is the largest of all the Berlin Modernist housing estates.
Added to this are the colourful walls – yellow, blue, green or burgundy-red facades, three-coloured window frames, and brightly coloured front doors – which have also earned the complex the nickname "Parrot Estate".
A number of prominent figures once lived in the estate, including the actor Theo Lingen and the anti-Nazi activist Julius Leber.
However, of the 4,000 people who now call the Zehlendorf Forest Estate home, only some are pleased with the Unesco decision.
Some residents are concerned that recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site could lead to rent increases and that the already stringent heritage protection regulations might be tightened even further.
Germany has a total of 37 Unesco World Heritage Sites. In Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg, these include Museum Island with its buildings, the six modernist residential neighbourhoods, and the Prussian palaces and parks in the south-west of the city.
The Prussian palaces are part of the large Unesco World Heritage Site surrounding the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. They represent a unique synthesis of 18th-century art styles in the cities and courts of Europe, the Berlin tourist board says.
The area, beset by forests, hills, and lakes, inspired rulers to build magnificent summer residences amid extensive gardens and parks. Beyond strolling in the gardens, visitors can explore the architecture, from Italian-style villas to English-inspired cottages.
Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, visitors to Museum Island can see five historic museums in the oldest part of Berlin.
They are the Old and New Museums, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum, and the Pergamon Museum. Bear in mind though that the Pergamon is currently closed for renovation and is due to reopen in 2027.
All major museums, they were built under Prussian rulers and house collections ranging from prehistory to 19th century art.
The historic buildings themselves are also among the most beautiful architecture that Berlin has to offer. – dpa
