If it’s your first flight to Berlin, you’ll be amazed at the variety of attractions and activities on offer. Largely rebuilt after the Second World War, Berlin is a young city with young vibe. Cafes, bars, nightclubs and all manner of cultural events are well attended day and night. However, there are spectacular remnants of its centuries old past to visit.
Not to be missed on your Berlin holiday is Museum Island, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site lying in the middle of the Spree at the eastern end of Unter den Linden. Here you can find five of Berlin’s most famous museums – most notably Neues Museum and the Pergamon Museum, a world-leading archaeological museum.
Most people visiting Berlin would want to visit the Berlin Wall, which was mostly demolished between June and November 1990 though you can find a restored bit of it along the southern border of Wedding and Mitte. Tourists flock to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous east-west border control during the Cold War which has now become a tourist centre.
Next up take in an amazing aerial view of the city from the Reichstag, home of the German Parliament. A visit to the popular Topography of Terror is a must for those flying to Berlin for the first time. This permanent outdoor exhibition is built on the site where the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were headquartered during the ‘Third Reich’.
If it’s nature you’re after, head to Mauer Park in the middle of Prenzlauer Berg to watch Berliners busily interacting in its quaint markets. Or get out of the city and head into the real country with a visit to Grunewald, Berlin’s largest forested area, just south-west of Charlottenburg. Finally, no visit to Berlin is complete without dancing until dawn in any number of its vibrant nightclubs!