Berlin is booming. Berlin is the political capital, an economic and scientific centre, a leading exhibition and congress venue, a cultural metropolis and a shopping paradise. Berlin is the most frequently visited city in Germany and comes fourth in Europe after London, Paris and Rome. In 2002 Berlin counted almost five million hotel guests and just under 11 million overnight stays. A further 60 million tourists and almost seven million business travellers a year come to the city just for one day. About 550 hotels and guesthouses offer well over 60,000 beds. 7,000 restaurants offer an international choice of cuisine. Tourism is an important branch of the Berlin economy. 66,000 employees generated an annual turnover of 5.2 billion euros last year in this sector.
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During the years when the city was divided, Charlottenburg was the centre of west Berlin, and the Zoo railway station, the Kurfürstendamm and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was preserved as a memorial ruin after its destruction in 1943, are still priority destinations today. The Zoo and the park at Charlottenburg Palace, a magnificent baroque residence (photo), offer a chance to relax from the hurlyburly of the city.
Literary figures, cultural initiatives and students already shaped Prenzlauer Berg’s image during the GDR period. The square around the Gethsemane Church was a nucleus of resistance in the GDR. Today the townscape is dominated by restored Kaiserperiod tenement houses. Countless cafés, pubs and bars provide a lively night life. Particularly popular among night owls are Kastanienallee with the „Prater“ beer garden, Kollwitzplatz, where the sculptress Käthe Kollwitz lived, and the „Kulturbrauerei,“ an enormous converted brewery. Jewish culture has found a home around the old synagogue.
Tiergarten is the political centre of Germany. The Federal President resides at Bellevue Palace, the Federal Chancellor lives and works at the huge new „Bundeskanzleramt,“ and the Bundestag meets in the redesigned Reichstag building. The diplomatic quarter at the southern end of the Tiergarten Park has been revived with numerous embassies.
Köpenick is Berlin’s largest urban district. Originally built as a fishing village on an island in the river, it has retained the charm of a small town with its city hall and narrow lanes. Picturesque villages surround the Müggelsee lake. „New Venice“ in Rahnsdorf is particularly charming: here, the residents row small boats from house to house along tiny canals.
Mitte is Berlin’s old and new centre. It is bursting with life and attractive sights. Potsdamer Platz is right in the middle, and not far away is the city’s symbol, the beautifully restored Brandenburg Gate. This is where the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden starts. The Museum Island with its magnificent classicist buildings is a World Cultural Heritage site. Alexanderplatz forms Berlin’s urbane centre and is dominated by the 365-metre television tower. Friedrichstrasse is the place to go shopping if you like boutiques and noble department stores. After work, people enjoy the backyard romanticism of the Hackesche Höfe with their cafés and cocktail bars, or go to the Gendarmenmarkt, one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.
Kreuzberg was Berlin’s „scene“ when the city was divided. It was and still is characterized by a mix of different cultures, social fringe groups and an alternative scene. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall Kreuzberg has become more chic without losing its alternative flair. Don’t miss one of the few remaining sections of the original Berlin Wall at Niederkirchnerstrasse.
With its Grunewald forest and Wannsee lake, Zehlendorf attracts people who want to relax, take a stroll or go swimming. The smaller lakes like Nikolassee, Krumme Lanke and Schlachtensee also offer an idyllic scene of peace and quiet. And you can take a ferry to the romantic paradise of Peacock Island, where peacocks strut around in landscaped gardens.
