Things to do in Berlin, Germany

For fifty years, Berlin was the axle around which the Cold War in Europe turned. The Berlin Wall tore apart a city and a nation, and for almost half a century, West Berlin lived an isolated capitalist life deep within European communism, equal parts hostage and envied role model. Even today, more than twenty years after reunification, it's hard to go a day without seeing evidence of the conflict, whether it's the special pavement stones that mark the path the Wall took through the city or one of the many museums commemorating the subject. Even a glance to the horizon is likely to serve as a reminder – the TV Tower, shining beacon of Communist East Germany, still dominates the skyline. 

Ask anyone under thirty (and a good number of people older than that) where the best city to go clubbing is, and chances are, they'll say Berlin. And after a night out here, you'll believe them. Clubs here typically open their doors Thursday night and don't usually bother closing them until Monday morning. Though it's possible to find Top 40 or rock clubs, the vast majority trade in the minimal electronic style, in fact so much so, that the music is sometimes referred to as "Berlin-style...  

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For fifty years, Berlin was the axle around which the Cold War in Europe turned. The Berlin Wall tore apart a city and a nation, and for almost half a century, West Berlin lived an isolated capitalist life deep within European communism, equal parts hostage and envied role model. Even today, more than twenty years after reunification, it's hard to go a day without seeing evidence of the conflict, whether it's the special pavement stones that mark the path the Wall took through the city or one of the many museums commemorating the subject. Even a glance to the horizon is likely to serve as a reminder – the TV Tower, shining beacon of Communist East Germany, still dominates the skyline. 

Ask anyone under thirty (and a good number of people older than that) where the best city to go clubbing is, and chances are, they'll say Berlin. And after a night out here, you'll believe them. Clubs here typically open their doors Thursday night and don't usually bother closing them until Monday morning. Though it's possible to find Top 40 or rock clubs, the vast majority trade in the minimal electronic style, in fact so much so, that the music is sometimes referred to as "Berlin-style techno." In the summer, the club culture gratefully makes its way outdoors, to the multiple riverside establishments catering to the club lifestyle. All summer long, Kater Holzig (Spawn of the original Strandbar, Bar 25), Club der Visionaire, and many others project pounding electronic beats across the smooth surface of Berlin's river Spree. 

Walking down the street in certain parts of Kreuzberg, it can be easy to forget that one is in Germany. English, and to a lesser extent Italian and Spanish, can be heard in the street almost as frequently as German. Berlin's status as an art and nightlife destination inspires thousands of expats to move here each year. Though some Germans lament this perceived ebb of German culture, it's really par for the course in Berlin. Ever since WWII, different groups have made Berlin their home-away-from-home, beginning of course with the Turks, Berlin's largest minority, and later Vietnamese, Russian, and Polish immigrants. This new wave of internationals is simply the next stage of Berlin's development as a true world capital.  

Art is an indelible part of the fabric of Berlin. With hundreds of art galleries in the city, there are dozens of openings every night, running the gamut from high society events in museums showing works of world-famous artists to tiny, barely attended shows from unknown artists in back rooms and basements of bars and cafés. World-class art museums like Hamburger Bahnhof and the Alte Nationalgalerie only serve to complement the sheer volume of artwork the city produces and showcases.

After WWII and the Battle of Berlin, the city was utterly destroyed. In the years that followed, Berlin's civic engineers on each side of the Wall had a unique opportunity. Unconstrained by the need to preserve historic buildings – of which there were precious few remaining – large swaths of formerly densely developed areas were transfermed into parks and open green spaces. This tradition continued through the fall of the Berlin Wall and into the 21st Century. When Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008, its grounds were turned into the one of the world's largest inner-city parks, now used to host events and festivals. 

The Cold War's cruelest symbol, the Berlin Wall, fell in 1989, reuniting a city and people divided for four decades. Indeed, cloak-and-dagger Berlin was erased from the map. In its place sprang up one of Europe's — and the world's — cultural, political and economic leaders.

Long before die Mauer was razed — or raised — Berlin was prolific. The reigns of Frederick the Great and his Prussian successors attracted a host of artists. A tribute to that era is the Propylaea-inspired Brandenburger Tor, which stands on the western end of Unter den Linden. By the end of the 19th century, Berlin cemented its status as capital and became one of Europe's most culturally affluent cities.

In the 1920s, Berlin faced insurmountable debt and the payment of war reparations. After fiscal reorganization and the arrival of figures like Walter Gropius, Albert Einstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Bertolt Brecht, the city enjoyed a second renaissance. Berlin also gained renown in other circles — its eclectic, underground cabaret scene was cutting-edge and risqué even by today's standards. Also during this time, the S-Bahn was electrified, giving the city's four-plus million people the impression that they were slowly inching toward...  Read more »

The Cold War's cruelest symbol, the Berlin Wall, fell in 1989, reuniting a city and people divided for four decades. Indeed, cloak-and-dagger Berlin was erased from the map. In its place sprang up one of Europe's — and the world's — cultural, political and economic leaders.

Long before die Mauer was razed — or raised — Berlin was prolific. The reigns of Frederick the Great and his Prussian successors attracted a host of artists. A tribute to that era is the Propylaea-inspired Brandenburger Tor, which stands on the western end of Unter den Linden. By the end of the 19th century, Berlin cemented its status as capital and became one of Europe's most culturally affluent cities.

In the 1920s, Berlin faced insurmountable debt and the payment of war reparations. After fiscal reorganization and the arrival of figures like Walter Gropius, Albert Einstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Bertolt Brecht, the city enjoyed a second renaissance. Berlin also gained renown in other circles — its eclectic, underground cabaret scene was cutting-edge and risqué even by today's standards. Also during this time, the S-Bahn was electrified, giving the city's four-plus million people the impression that they were slowly inching toward recovery.

But political tensions escalated, unemployment soared, and Berlin began to outgrow its capacity to feed and house its citizens. These volatile times produced the Nazi Party, which plunged the country into a costly war that leveled much of Berlin and all but eliminated the nation's Jewish population. For the next 40 years, the city was cut in two: the Eastern portion, with Friedrichstrasse as its center-point, was under Soviet thrall; the Western half, centered on Bahnhof Zoo, was controlled by NATO countries. Even today, Berlin sometimes seems two cities: a modern glass-and-steel metropolis and a city of deep-rooted history.

The people themselves share in this duality. Residents prefer German, but most speak fluent English. The typical Berliner is serious, punctual, businesslike and knowledgeable of world affairs. "Herr" and "Frau" are used even in friendly conversation, and handshakes are the customary form of greeting. And yet, a sardonic sense of humor seasons many exchanges, and 21st-century Berliners exude a flair for the cosmopolitan.

Once the sun goes down, the entertainment districts punch in. The busy Mitte scene, headlined by Hackescher Markt and Oranienburger Strasse, features everything from fabulous German and Turkish restaurants to ultra-swank nightspots. Once home to the well-documented May Day student uprisings, Kreuzberg hastens to the collective pace of Oranienstrasse and Bergmannstrasse. Here, alongside countless restaurants and shops, are clubs that would be "underground" elsewhere. Schöneberg, Tiergarten, Prenzlauer Berg and Charlottenburg also thrive, thanks to their combination of touristy spots and alternative scenes.

During the day, shopping is available around Zoologischer Garten and along Kantstrasse and Friedrichstrasse. Charlottenburg is recognized as Berlin's premiere destination for antiquing, and, for sightseers, it boasts a castle and stunning greenspace. Meanwhile, the Pergamon Museum, Alexanderplatz and the Guggenheim are located in Mitte. At Potsdam, the German equivalent of Versailles, visitors find Park Sanssouci and Schloss Sanssouci, the royal retreat of Frederick the Great.

Indeed, Berlin's current renaissance began on Christmas Day 1989, when Leonard Bernstein's "Ode to Freedom" echoed off the crumbling remains of the Cold War, announcing to the world that the city was one once again. Intellectual. Sophisticated. Avant-garde. Bohemian. Driven. Berlin, having arisen with a start from its 40-year hibernation, has riden the ensuing zeitgeist into the new millennium.