Berlin

Capital of Cold War memory and underground culture, home to the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Museum Island, and the global center of techno nightlife.

Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, as well as a federal state in its own right. It sits on the River Spree in the northeast of the country and covers nearly 900 sq km, about nine times the size of Paris, so sights are spread out and you'll want to make good use of public transport. The city's historical layers are easy to read. Mitte was the heart of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Empire: Unter den Linden links the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag at one end with Museum Island and Berlin Cathedral at the other, while Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower were the center of East Germany. To the south, Potsdamer Platz is a new center rebuilt on Cold War wasteland, with Checkpoint Charlie, the Topography of Terror and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe nearby. To the east, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg are the home turf of street art, the Turkish community and techno clubs (Berghain), and the East Side Gallery stretches along the Spree. In the north, Prenzlauer Berg has the Sunday flea market at Mauerpark and the Berlin Wall Memorial. The former West Berlin, with Kurfürstendamm, the Zoo and Charlottenburg Palace, represents the city's glamour, and out in Potsdam you'll find Sanssouci Palace. The climate is a transitional temperate-continental one: May–Sep is pleasant, with long days and the most beer gardens and riverside events, making it the best season; the Christmas markets in December (Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg Palace) have a wonderful atmosphere; January–February is cold, gray and gloomy. Getting there: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) lies south of the city, and the FEX/RE trains or the S9/S45 lines reach the center in about 30–45 minutes. Getting around: the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses all use the same ticket; a single AB-zone ticket costs about €3.80, and a 24-hour pass or the Berlin WelcomeCard is recommended; cycling is also very convenient. Plan on 3–4 days: Day 1, Brandenburg Gate – Reichstag – Holocaust Memorial – Potsdamer Platz – Checkpoint Charlie; Day 2, Museum Island + TV Tower + Alexanderplatz; Day 3, Berlin Wall Memorial, East Side Gallery and Kreuzberg; Day 4, Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam or Charlottenburg Palace. Tips: the Reichstag dome is free but you must register on the official website in advance and bring your passport; most Museum Island museums close on Mondays, and Sunday is the liveliest day for the various flea markets; shops are largely closed on Sundays; public transport has no turnstiles but ticket checks are strict, so always validate your ticket before boarding; dining in Berlin is cheaper than in Munich or Hamburg, and currywurst and döner kebab are street-food musts.

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