Fourth generation synchrotron light sources, such as the European Free Electron Laser (XFEL) project, are based on an exponential gain of the radiation amplification in a single pass through a long undulator magnet. To initiate the FEL process and to reach saturation, precise monitoring and control of the electron beam parameters is mandatory. Most challenging are the longitudinal compression processes in magnetic chicanes of the high brightness electron bunch emitted from an RF photo-injector. To measure and control the beam properties after compression, careful consideration has to be given to the design of a diagnostic section and the choice of beam monitors. In this paper, the proposed layout of one of the XFEL diagnostic beamlines is discussed.