Berlin Travel Guide
Travel guide to Berlin, Germany with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Berlin sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Berlin Overview
Berlin, once more the capital city of Germany combines intrigue and glamour like nowhere else. For decades the meeting point of east and west, Berlin was divided during the cold war yet now, reunited at last, has become a place that attracts travellers from all over the world to experience the galleries, museums, and of course, the incredible nightlife.
The city has a quality all of its own, a history of shadows, secret police, and spies, yet is a modern and open place where the collapse of European communism in Europe began in 1989 with the destruction of the Berlin wall.
Berlin is a city made up of majestic architecture, where the uber-gothic Reichstag, stands beside modernist buildings like Liebeskind's symbolic Holocaust museum. It's a city that has endured a fair amount of pain over the years, but has transcended its past to face the world again as the epitome of glamour and civilisation.
Berlin is a city for sightseeing and romance, a place to party, and a place to mourn. Berlin offers something for everyone and although it is popular throughout the year, you can get cheap flights to Berlin and hotel accommodation for less than you would think - provided that you book in advance, and special offers on holidays to Berlin make it a very attractive place to visit.
Top Berlin Attractions
Aside from Berlin's famous nightlife - which is a highlight of any visit to the city, there is plenty to see and do in this vast city. The Tiergarten is a large city centre park that is popular with families in the summer, and boasts a number of art galleries and a nudist area should you fancy getting an all over tan.
Berlin's long and often troubled history can be seen in many places including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Hitler's Bunker, all of which are well worth seeing. Make sure you pay a visit to the Lipstick and Powderbox church, and if you have the time, leave Berlin behind, and head to the Tropical islands Resort close by. Here in a converted Zeppelin hangar, you can experience tropical temperatures, swim in salty water and sunbathe on a beach while watching the dancing girls.
Shopping in Berlin
No matter what you want to spend your money on, Berlin provides plenty of great opportunities, and has a reputation as a real shopper's paradise. From flea markets in East Berlin through to upscale department stores, there is something for every taste in the city. Kurfurstendamm is the main shopping area, while the Europa Centre offers a more varied experience and has shops selling everything from books to Bockwurst. If all that is not enough, pay a visit to Kaufhaus des Westens - Europe's largest department store and the best place to find a bargain in the January sales.
Berlin Sporting Events
Berlin's Olympia Stadium was built for the 1936 Olympics, and is now the home of Herta Berlin who play in the Deutsche Bundesliga. The German national side play occasional matches at the stadium too, and it is also used for events such as rock concerts too.
Golf is very popular in Berlin, and there are no less than 16 courses available around the city, making Berlin a popular spot for a weekend of golf among the cognoscenti. Green fees cost as little as 18 euros. You can book through your hotel's concierge.
