| Berlin is a huge city and many itineraries can be | | | | Cheapos like us. Bargains and deals can be found for |
| prepared for visits to its 23 districts. Here we will just | | | | hotels and restaurants as well as bars and other |
| list the most interesting sights, most of which are | | | | attractions. It is the perfect place to uncover a new |
| concentrated in a small part of the city and can | | | | favorite hotel and make family history. It is always |
| therefore be reached on foot. It is the capital city of | | | | thinking of the world's notice. Sometimes it has wanted |
| Germany, and is its largest city. Because the western | | | | to impress the world, sometimes to appease it, |
| and eastern parts of it were separated from 1949 until | | | | sometimes to show defiance, sometimes remorse. |
| 1989, it is one of the most diverse cities in the | | | | Berlin is the dynamic capital of Germany, a sprawling |
| European Union. It is one of the whitest cities I have | | | | metropolis eight times the size of Paris. Once |
| ever lived in my life. | | | | separated by the looming Berlin Wall, East and West |
| Berlin is also the number three tourist destination in | | | | Berlin are now merged together once again to |
| Europe and attracts an extensive intercontinental | | | | complete this giant city, with the former East side |
| clientele. These shoppers come to It's for its unique | | | | housing most of the historic sites and landmarks, and |
| mixture of brand name flagship stores and small | | | | the West making up It's commercial core. I was in |
| independent shops run by up-and-coming stars. It is a | | | | Berlin in 1989 due coming down of the Berlin Wall. |
| city where smart people want to live. They will find | | | | It is also an extremely youthful city; 57% of residents |
| ways to live here. | | | | are under the age of 44 and, by contrast, only 17% |
| Berlin is also more in-demand as a major center for | | | | are over 65. The student population amounts to a |
| tourism and congresses than it ever has been. It is the | | | | sizeable presence of 150,000, with three major |
| only state in the Federal Republic where east and | | | | universities. It is famous for its underground scene and |
| west had to grow together again at the state level. In | | | | there's only one way to get there, via the people. |
| this respect it was quite right to dub it a workshop of | | | | It is truly a Weltstadt, a city of the world, as "German" |
| unity. It is great for shopping. Smaller shops usually | | | | as New York is "American." And like New York, it has |
| close around 8PM, but malls usually close between | | | | been distrusted by the country that lies outside its limits. |
| 9:00 and 10:00PM. | | | | As David Clay Large points out in his engrossing |
| It is an extremely attractive location for new high-tech | | | | history "Berlin" (1995), "much of Europe watched in |
| enterprises, especially those working in the fields of | | | | trepidation as the Germans marked the establishment |
| information and communications technology, but also | | | | of their new nation with a pompous ceremony at |
| those in medical technology, laser technology, | | | | Versailles in 1871, and many Europeans shuddered |
| bioengineering and genetic engineering. | | | | anew when the two Germanys were reunited in 1990." |
| It is surprisingly inexpensive, a real budget gem for | | | | Yet shuddering hasn't done much to slow it down. |