At the time when Berlin was divided into the Eastern and the Western part, Kurfürstendamm was the major commercial street of the latter. World War II caused severe damages to the boulevard, but afterwards it was restored and developed, as new buildings and tower blocks were built. Several junctions have been turned into squares, such as Olivaer Platz, Joachimstaler Platz, Lehniner Platz and Adenauerplatz, offering shops, restaurants and bars. In 2001, the former Café Kranzler was replaced with the new Kranzlereck, lively with its offices, stores and cafes. Today, connoisseurs of art and theatre admirers can enjoy the imposing architecture and operas of Schaubühne on the Lehniner Platz. The side streets, such as Fasanenstraße, are perfect for a quiet walk or shopping at smaller boutiques and drinking coffee at charming cafes.

The area is vibrant and lively, in terms of the number of attractions and entertainment opportunities comparable only to Alexanderplatz. Kurfürstendamm and its extension, Tauentzienstraße, are a paradise for shoppers, as they feature numerous fashion chain stores, department stores and other shops. As far as the lower part is concerned, the ambience is more peaceful, there are designer stores housed in splendid buildings, dating back to the beginning of the century. In the 19th Century there was a bridle path on the street, with sumptuous buildings along and in the 20s it turned into a meeting point for the intellectuals, with a great number of cafes and theatres.

Most of the buildings that existed before were completely destroyed in the 50s, but there are still some houses from the times of the original street, such as Iduna Haus. Some of the buildings that are worth attention are the Jewish Community House, House No. 24 (the oldest residence on Fasanenstrasse) and Villa Grisebach, housing the impressive Pels-Leusden Art Gallery. Walking along, you can notice the commemorate plaques of famous people that once resided in the Kurfürstendamm, including poets, composers and artists.

Popular sites on Kufürstendamm that should be included in your must-see touring list include several fountains with statues, for example the fountain statue by Brigitte Matschinsky-Denninghoff and the monumental St George Fountain with its pillars, designed by Wilhelm Walter in 1904. Nice sculptures were set up between Kurfürstendamm and Tauentzienstrasse for the Berlin City Jubilee in 1987. Some of the most impressive ones are the sculpture by Brigitte and Martin Matschinsky- Denninghoff, the kinetic sculpture by George Rickey, the steel 'Pyramid' by Josef Erben and the sculpture of two figures by Rolf Szymanski, but there's a lot more.