Berlin Travel Guide, Germany

Berlin is back – back as the capital of a reunified Germany and back as one of Europe’s greatest cities.

After World War II, Berlin was sandwiched between East and West, with a literal and metaphoric wall deeply dividing the two halves, but a new Berlin has emerged, that of a nation with nothing to hide, which is attempting to distance itself from the ghosts of its past.

Berlin is a city with two centers – one is a cluster of expensive hotels, bars, cinemas, shops around the Memorial Church and the other is the political and cultural core of the Imperial German capital. Because of the decades of division, the reunited city found itself with two of almost everything.

Despite the new constructions Berlin is a city full of historical charm – with the old streets of East Berlin, which are slowly being restored after remaining unchanged for 50 years.

The Berlin Wall divided the capital of Berlin for 28 years! If you want to understand why it was erected, how it fell and how Berlin is dealing with the scars of its past, see the longest stretch of wall still remaining! This is a great way to see the city, regardless if this is your first trip to Berlin or if you already feel like "ein Berliner",

You could also cover interesting sights of the city's center: Museum Island; Brandenburg Gate; the Neue Wache War Memorial; and visit a Ghost Station! Walking being the best way to see the sights of Berlin, get close to all these sights and, as they are all in the old center of town, reach them easily at a leisurely pace and on your way stop at a traditional German beer hall and experience Berlin as the locals do!

Contrary to the usual clichés about Germany, Berlin is a city with a laid-back attitude and some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe In Berlin today, there is everything from authentic beer halls to the clubs that have grown up out of the city's techno scene. If techno music is not your thing, then check out the city's wide range of more traditional clubs and discos. Berlin's clubs and discos are smaller, cheaper and less exclusive than their counterparts in London or New York – and you can also find restaurants offering a whole range of cuisines from around the globe. It's worth bearing in mind that many are excellent (and inexpensive) choices for food, especially breakfast, which may be served till afternoon.

Just about every street corner has a small Kneipe and most stay open later than elsewhere in Germany: it's quite feasible to drink around the clock here, the result of a law that requires bars to close only for an hour a day for cleaning.

Today’s essential Berlin experience is to laze through a summer day in the Tiergarten with a mug of chilled Pilsner beer, while witnessing a city reinventing itself as one of Europe’s finest capitals.

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Read our members' reviews about Berlin

• You must see the Berlin Bundestag
  review by erato posted more then 30 days ago
  Berlin – Bundestag/Reichstag The Bundestag is the national parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. The name Bundestag refers to the institution while the name Reichstag is used for the building. The architect of the original building was Paul Wallot. The foundation was laid by...
• What to see in Berlin
  review by vcppow posted more then 30 days ago
  Berlin was immortalized in the film 'Cabaret' but the years after WWI represent just one colorful phase. Berlin is a very old city and many of its first buildings such as the Nicolaikirche and Marienkirche, both built between 1230 and 1292, can still be seen in the Nicolaiviertel area. Berlin was...
• What to do in Germany
  review by lindamura posted more then 30 days ago
  Population: Aprox. 80Mio Major Airports: Franfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Berlin (BER, BML, TXL), Hamburg (HAM). When to Go: Typically the months of May-September are good to visit as the temperatures are not too cold. In the summer it's usually quite hot outside, but never humid so always...

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Read our members' travel tips about Berlin

• The Bird Steakhouse
  travel tip by MadSuh posted more then 30 days ago
  I spent about 4 days in Berlin and went to this New York style bar & restaurant twice. They are located in Prenzlauer Berg and are surround by many other restaurants and bars as well. If you are looking for a good steak in Berlin, then...
• Tiergarten park
  travel tip by Wazling posted more then 30 days ago
  If you want to relax in the middle of Berlin, you can visit the park called Tierpark. It´s the green lung of the city. Close to it there are mayn sights you might also visit, like the 'Schloss Belvue', the 'Siegessäule', the...
• Checkpoint Charlie Museum
  travel tip by erato posted more then 30 days ago
  Checkpoint Charlie was a watchtower from where they controlled the area of the Berlin Wall that divided West and East Berlin so that nobody can cross from East to West. The tower was demolished together with the Wall, but in 2001 they...

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