Experience
The 20th century began and ended right here in Berlin. The German capital knows how to look backward and forward at once, how to roll up its sleeves and how to kick up its heels, how to remember and how to renew. Shaking off its heavy past, today Berlin is fast-changing, lively and fun.
See
Downtown Berlin is about the triumphs and tragedies of German hubris, with the Reichstag parliament building, the Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessäule victory column all within walking distance. Nearby, find Checkpoint Charlie – a remnant of the Berlin Wall – and the Jewish Museum, both signposts of the city's recent history. Sprinkled in between are the architectural marvels of the new foreign embassy buildings, which symbolise the hope of a born-again city.
New
In this constantly changing city, the recent opening of the Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a landmark event. The city's new central rail station – overlooking the Spree river and the centre of government – has become Berlin's main transport node, and the artery connecting north and south. A more sombre landmark is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe, opened in 2005.
Spend
You're guaranteed to go home with something you didn't even know you wanted. Berlin's obsession with novelty means the best in shopping here is in the scruffy, boho neighbourhoods such as Mitte, Nikolaivertel, Prenzlauer Berg and the emerging Friedrichshain. The best shops get by on a mix of charm, idiosyncrasy and original concepts.
Get Out
The rigours of winter make Berliners avid outdoors types. In the middle of the city is the Tiergarten, the city's vast green lungs. In the south-east, the city's largest lake is Müggelsee, where bathers can escape the summer heat.
Culture
The Berliner Philharmoniker is one of the world's great orchestras. Its Philharmonie home is in Mitte, where the Berlin Staatsoper (state opera) is also based. Equally highly rated is the Deutsch Oper Berlin in Charlottenburg. For something more contemporary, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain are dotted with live music venues, featuring everything from decadent Weimar-era cabaret to post-punk noise-art.
Eat & Drink
Go for classic downtown A-list favourites or sample the delicious Turkish flavours of Kreuzberg. With trendy Mitte and innovative Prenzlauer Berg in between, Berlin's restaurant, café and bar scene is so diverse and changes so fast it doesn't get a chance to grow stale. Ethiopian one year, Eritrean the next, Berliners draw on the world for culinary inspiration.
New Perspective
Take a ferry along the River Spree and see Berlin from below street level. Or admire the vistas from inside the new glass dome on the historic Reichstag building.
See
Downtown Berlin is about the triumphs and tragedies of German hubris, with the Reichstag parliament building, the Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessäule victory column all within walking distance. Nearby, find Checkpoint Charlie – a remnant of the Berlin Wall – and the Jewish Museum, both signposts of the city's recent history. Sprinkled in between are the architectural marvels of the new foreign embassy buildings, which symbolise the hope of a born-again city.
New
In this constantly changing city, the recent opening of the Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a landmark event. The city's new central rail station – overlooking the Spree river and the centre of government – has become Berlin's main transport node, and the artery connecting north and south. A more sombre landmark is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe, opened in 2005.
Spend
You're guaranteed to go home with something you didn't even know you wanted. Berlin's obsession with novelty means the best in shopping here is in the scruffy, boho neighbourhoods such as Mitte, Nikolaivertel, Prenzlauer Berg and the emerging Friedrichshain. The best shops get by on a mix of charm, idiosyncrasy and original concepts.
Get Out
The rigours of winter make Berliners avid outdoors types. In the middle of the city is the Tiergarten, the city's vast green lungs. In the south-east, the city's largest lake is Müggelsee, where bathers can escape the summer heat.
Culture
The Berliner Philharmoniker is one of the world's great orchestras. Its Philharmonie home is in Mitte, where the Berlin Staatsoper (state opera) is also based. Equally highly rated is the Deutsch Oper Berlin in Charlottenburg. For something more contemporary, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain are dotted with live music venues, featuring everything from decadent Weimar-era cabaret to post-punk noise-art.
Eat & Drink
Go for classic downtown A-list favourites or sample the delicious Turkish flavours of Kreuzberg. With trendy Mitte and innovative Prenzlauer Berg in between, Berlin's restaurant, café and bar scene is so diverse and changes so fast it doesn't get a chance to grow stale. Ethiopian one year, Eritrean the next, Berliners draw on the world for culinary inspiration.
New Perspective
Take a ferry along the River Spree and see Berlin from below street level. Or admire the vistas from inside the new glass dome on the historic Reichstag building.
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