Berlin is the capital of the Wilhelmine Empire, center of Weimar Republic decadence and experimentation, base of the Nazi Reich, and was a city divided by a concrete wall for 28 years, and then reunified overnight on November 9, 1989 in one of the greatest moments of the century. It has also, somehow, emerged as one of Europe's most creative, progressive, and welcoming places to live and visit.
Some Historical Sites
- Brandenburg Gate is Berlin's most recognizable monument, it was built in 1791, and used as a Nazi backdrop, stranded in No Man's Land for 28 years, and now serves as a symbol of reunification.
- Holocaust Memorial is Peter Eisenman's field of 2,711 grey concrete stelae of varying heights, adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate. The underground documentation center below commemorates those who were forced to labor camps.
- Checkpoint Charlie is touristy but historically significant because it was the most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin. The museum beside it is chaotic but contains extraordinary stories of escape attempts.
- East Side Gallery is a preserved stretch of the Berlin Wall covered in murals painted by international artists in 1990. The Domino Row mural and the "Fraternal Kiss" (Brezhnev and Honecker) are the most reproduced images.
- The Topography of Terror was built on the former SS and Gestapo headquarters, this outdoor and indoor documentation center traces the structure and crimes of the Nazi apparatus in devastating detail. They offer free admission.
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" Terminal has the reconstructed Pergamon Altar, Ishtar Gate from Babylon, and Market Gate of Miletus in one building.
Neighborhoods
- Mitte is the historic center: Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Unter den Linden boulevard. It is good for sightseeing but expensive for eating and drinking.
- Prenzlauer Berg is the former East Berlin neighborhood, and is now gentrified and family-friendly with an excellent café scene, and a Sunday Mauerpark flea market.
- Kreuzberg / Neukölln is the multicultural, and creative neighborhood, with the best food and bar streets in the city. Markthalle Neun (street food market) is worth a stop.
- Friedrichshain is the young, loud center of Berlin's club scene.
- Charlottenburg is West Berlin's upscale neighborhood with the Kurfürstendamm shopping boulevard and the Charlottenburg Palace.
Food and Drink
Berlin's food is diverse, innovative, and honest about price. Highlights:
- Döner kebab are Berlin's adopted street food staple. The best versions use freshly baked bread, properly spiced meat, and house-made sauces. Budget 5–7 euros.
- Currywurst is sliced pork sausage covered in curried ketchup, served with fries. It is best at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg or Konnopke's Imbiss in Prenzlauer Berg.
- Vietnamese food is the legacy of a large Vietnamese-German community, particularly in former East Berlin.
- Craft beer is thriving in Berlin but try to avoid the Augustiner in touristy areas and head to Mikkeller Berlin or Brewdog Berlin.
Getting There
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), opened in 2020 after 14 years of construction. Two S-Bahn lines connect it to the city center (Hauptbahnhof) in 30 minutes. The high-speed trains from Munich take 4.5 hours.