Unter den Linden (translated from German “Under the lindens”) is the most beautiful boulevard in Berlin, so named because of the linden trees that adorn it. This famous 1,390 m long street leads from the Brandenburg Gate to the Palace Bridge. In the 17th century the linden-lined road was the riding place for Elector Friedrich Wilhelm. At the end of the XVIII century. the alley was built up with ceremonial buildings and mansions on the orders of Frederick II - this turned it into an elegant street, a hallmark of the Prussian capital. There are many important institutions, palaces and historical buildings on the Unter den Linden boulevard: Humboldt, the Palace of the Crown Princes, the Palace of Princesses, the State Opera, the Arsenal Zeughaus. Today, the famous Lipovaya Street houses expensive hotels, banks, chic shops and street cafes.