By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

This is the very heart of the German state. Its congress, the Bundestag, is housed in the imposing Reichstag building. “Dem deutschen Volke” — to the German people — reads the front of the parliament building that opened in 1894.

A shell after Allied bombing during World War II, the Reichstag features a magnificent glass dome crowning the restored capital. It’s actually the second most visited attraction in Germany. And a stop there will confirm the reason why, but you have to make an appointment.

The dome offers a stunning 360-degree view of Berlin. Walking up the ramps, visitors will see the city spread out below. Braver souls can look directly down into the main hall of parliament, which is lit by a column of mirrors hanging from the center of the glass cupola.

Be sure to walk along the parapets outside the dome. In addition to the statues from Imperial Germany, visitors can still see graffiti scrawled by Soviet soldiers.

The Reichstag was a major target of the Red Army during the battle for Berlin in 1945. During reconstruction, the architect kept the graffiti on the smoky walls.

In fact, a huge Soviet war memorial can be seen a short distance away in the Tiergarten. Built out stones from the destroyed German chancellery, the memorial commemorates the 80,000 Soviet soldiers killed in the battle. Red Army tanks and howitzers flank the imposing statue of a Russian soldier.

For more information, visit www.visitBerlin.com