marooned for years in no man’s land between the two Berlins.
It stands in the middle of an area which is fast becoming a focus for the new Berlin, close to the new parliament building, the Bundestag, brought bang up to date with a state-of-the-art glass-domed roof designed by Sir Norman Foster.
Friedrichstrasse, also in the former east, is fast becoming the city’s equivalent of London’s Bond Street, with designer fashion shops opening up and even a branch of the famous French department store Galerie Lafayette.
Just down the road, the district around Oranienburger Strasse, in the Jewish quarter, is good for a pit stop. Here you can take your pick of chic cappuccino bars. And then explore the courtyards that are becoming homes for fashion shops and art galleries in this up-and-coming area.
Another good lunch choice is the German version of Harrods, the famous Berlin store KaDeWe on Wittenbergplatz, on the west side of the city.
The store boasts a host of small restaurants, where you can get everything from German potato dishes to pasta meals, as well as afternoon tea and ice cream.
It has an enormous food hall on the sixth floor, selling local specialities including a huge variety of sausages and cheeses.
At weekends it is important to get your shopping done early. Shops close at 4pm on Saturday and few are open on Sundays.
Sunday is a good day to visit museums.
With the east and west sides of the city reunited, they each contribute their fair share of attractions – the city now boasts a total of 167 museums and 150 theatres, plus three opera houses and eight symphonies – there is plenty of choice when it comes to making a decision about where to go.
Art is a passion in Berlin and there are museums for every enthusiast, from the impressionists to the ultra modern. The new National Gallery, near Potsdamer Platz in the East, is the main exhibition centre for modern art.
The old National Gallery on Museum Island is also in the East, off Unter den Linden. It has paintings and sculpture from the 19th century.
With its mix of the historic and ultra modern, Berlin, Germany’s restored capital, is destined to give Paris and Amsterdam a good run for their money in the city-break stakes.
Ten years after the Berlin Wall came down, the renovated east side of the city is the main draw for tourists, with its mix of brand new designer shops, historic buildings and museums.
For a taste of the old east, head out to Alexanderplatz, full of the loudest 1960s architecture thrown up under the Communists to show East Berlin had style and wealth.
To get a glimpse of the city’s grander, pre-Communist past, take a walk along Unter den Linden, Berlin’s main street until World War II split the city. The street is home to historic buildings such as the old Soviet embassy, and grand squares like the Gendarmenmarkt are close by.
At the top of Unter den Linden is the city’s landmark, the Brandenburg Gate, marooned for years in no man’s land between the two Berlins.
It stands in the middle of an area which is fast becoming a focus for the new Berlin, close to the new parliament building, the Bundestag, brought bang up to date with a state-of-the-art glass-domed roof designed by Sir Norman Foster.
Friedrichstrasse, also in the former east, is fast becoming the city’s equivalent of London’s Bond Street, with designer fashion shops opening up and even a branch of the famous French department store Galerie Lafayette.
Just down the road, the district around Oranienburger Strasse, in the Jewish quarter, is good for a pit stop. Here you can take your pick of chic cappuccino bars. And then explore the courtyards that are becoming homes for fashion shops and art galleries in this up-and-coming area.
Another good lunch choice is the German version of Harrods, the famous Berlin store KaDeWe on Wittenbergplatz, on the west side of the city.
The store boasts a host of small restaurants, where you can get everything from German potato dishes to pasta meals, as well as afternoon tea and ice cream.
It has an enormous food hall on the sixth floor, selling local specialities including a huge variety of sausages and cheeses.
At weekends it is important to get your shopping done early. Shops close at 4pm on Saturday and few are open on Sundays.
Sunday is a good day to visit museums.
With the east and west sides of the city reunited, they each contribute their fair share of attractions – the city now boasts a total of 167 museums and 150 theatres, plus three opera houses and eight symphonies – there is plenty of choice when it comes to making a decision about where to go.
Art is a passion in Berlin and there are museums for every enthusiast, from the impressionists to the ultra modern. The new National Gallery, near Potsdamer Platz in the East, is the main exhibition centre for modern art.
The old National Gallery on Museum Island is also in the East, off Unter den Linden. It has paintings and sculpture from the 19th century.
With its mix of the historic and ultra modern, Berlin, Germany’s restored capital, is destined to give Paris and Amsterdam a good run for their money in the city-break stakes.
Price guide
One-day travel pass – £2.80
Three-day travel pass (Welcome Card) – £10.
Beer – £2.90.
Hot dog – £1.20
Cappuccino – £1.50
Breakfast – £4.80
Taxi ride across city – £7.40
Postcards – £1
Guidebook – £2.60
Entrance to Checkpoint Charlie Museum – £3
Rack rate at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, one night – £144 per room.
Entrance to the Olympic Stadium built for the infamous 1936 games – 50p
Dinner – £9.25
Getting THERE: BERLIN
Virgin Express: will fly twice daily from Stansted to Berlin’s Schonefeld Airport, 30mins from the city centre by express rail link. The service starts on November 10 and will cost around £39 one way including tax. The flight will take around 1hr and 45mins. There is no compulsory Saturday overnight stay.
KLM UK: is to fly three-times daily on weekdays, from Stansted to Berlin’s Tegel Airport, around 30mins from the city centre by airport bus. There will be one flight on Saturdays, two on Sundays. The service is due to start on October 31, and will cost around £89 return including tax. The flight will take around 2hrs. From January the company’s low-cost airline Buzz will take over the route.
British Airways flies five-times daily from Heathrow to Berlin’s Tegel Airport, around 30mins from the city centre by airport bus. Prices lead in at £139 for a four-day weekend fare, £155 for an Apex return fare, which must be booked two weeks ahead of travel. Clients need to add £24.90 tax to both fares. Agents should also check for BA’s World Offers. The flight takes 1hr 45 mins depending on the season.
Eurolines: operates daily/weekly to Berlin, from London’s Victoria Coach Station. The price is £79 return until December 10, and must be booked 14 days in advance. The journey, which includes a crossing on Eurotunnel, takes around 22hrs.
Maersk Air: operates on behalf of BA from Birmingham to Berlin Tegel Airport every day except Saturday. The flight takes 1hr 50mins. A World Offer fare of £139 return, including tax, is valid until December 15.