Modern Berlin is one of the most important cultural, political and educational centres in Europe. At the end of World War II, Berlin was chaos, death and ruin, then, there was the Wall of Berlin, that made the inhabitants of the same city live separately for more than forty years. On the one side of the wall, freedom, democratic rights, post-war reconstruction, this was Western Berlin, on the other side a totalitarian regime, hunger, silence and sadness, in the Eastern Berlin.
How is Berlin today? One thing is for sure, it is so much over the bad times, as the Berlin Wall fell in 1990, and the nation was reunited. Berlin today is a hub of transcontinental transport and the home of important sports events, orchestras and museums, that have turned Berlin into a metropolis where the avant-garde arts are at home and the research institutes contribute to the development of the European life science.
The liberal lifestyle and the art eccentricities attract lots of tourists and artists from all over the world. It is said that Berlin is the house of people from 180 nations, so imagine what a cultural puzzle! Here are some of Berlin’s crowd-draws. First, there is the Reichstag, the seat of the German federal government. The glass dome of the building has become a landmark over the last fifteen years.
Another solid symbol of Berlin is the Brandenburg gate, for some time it stood for the division of city, but with the fall of the Wall, it was reopened to the Public. Built from 1788 to 1791, it is made of sandstone. The twelve Doric columns support huge transverse beams that divide the gate into five passageways. Tourists can fully enjoy the beauty of the Brandenburg Gate without having to worry about traffic, as it remains closed to cars, buses and cabs.
A touching place in the centre of Berlin is the Memorial of the Murdered Jews. The Memorial is a huge grid pattern of concrete blocks of different heights on a surface of 19,000 square meters of sloping ground. It is open on all sides, and as visitors move through it, the blocks leave a wave-like impression. Beneath the Memorial there is an Underground Information Centre giving background information on the victims.
One of the boldest architectural sights in Berlin is the new Tempodrom of Anhalter Bahnhof. It is a cultural arena that houses a multitude of cultural events from concerts to live theatre. The overall feature of the performances is the blending of various genres. Presently, the Tempodrom has a strong reputation that goes beyond the limits of Berlin, to the rest of Germany and to Europe.
You can’t go to Berlin and not try the German cuisine. Haxen Haus is one warmly recommended place to taste the Haxe and the Schitzel together with great beer and schnapps. Between visiting two sights, have a cup of coffee at the Einstein Cafe, you’ll like the atmosphere and the special spirit of this traditional place. Enjoy the fresh baked Apfelstrudel they offer with coffee, it’s delicious.
As for the nightlife, Berlin offers lots of fun for all tastes. There is blues, rock, jazz, rave, everything you look for in Berlin nightclubs. The atmosphere is very relaxed, you can wear jeans and t-shirts in most cases, and in summer time there are open air clubs to chill and enjoy all sorts of shows. If you’re after live and unplugged music, Berlin is the place to be.