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.