Introducing Berlin
Twenty years after its post-Wall rebirth, Berlin is a scene-stealing combo of glamour and grit, teeming with top museums and galleries, grand opera and guerrilla clubs, gourmet temples and ethnic snack shacks. Whether your tastes run to posh or punk, you can sate them in Berlin.
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When it comes to fashion, art, design and music, the German capital is the city to watch. A global influx of creatives has turned it into a cauldron of cultural cool reminiscent of New York in the ’80s. What draws them is Berlin’s legendary climate of tolerance, openness and experimentation infused with an edgy undercurrent that gives this ‘eternally unfinished’ city its street cred. Cheap rents don’t hurt either.
All this trendiness is a triumph for a town that’s long been in the cross-hairs of history: Berlin staged a revolution, was headquartered by fascists, bombed to bits, ripped in half and finally reunited – and that was just in the 20th century! Famous landmarks such as the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and what’s left of the Berlin Wall are like a virtual 3-D textbook in a city where you’ll find history staring you in the face every time you turn a corner.
Perhaps it’s because of its heavy historical burden that Berlin is throwing itself into tomorrow with such contagious energy. At times the entire city seems to be bubbling over into one huge party. Cafes are jammed at all hours, drinking is a religious rite and clubs host their scenes of frenzy and hedonism until the wee hours. Sleep? Fuhgeddaboutit!
Yet despite its often hectic pace, Berlin functions on an exquisitely human scale. Traffic flows freely, public transportation is brilliant, you can walk without fear at night, clubs have no velvet ropes and your restaurant bill would only buy you a starter back home. Come and join the party and be swept away by the riches, quirks and vibrancy of this fascinating city.
Ready to go?
- Download our new German Offline Translator app. Simply talk or type, and it translates. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Also check out the Lonely Planet Berlin City Guide app available via iTunes.
- Sit down for an evening with dinner at Charlottenburg Palace
- Explore Berlin with the City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Last updated: Jan 20, 2012
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Our Top Picks For Berlin
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1 Get high at the TV Tower
Take in unbeatable 360-degree views of Berlin from the Fernsehturm, Germany's tallest structure
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2 Revere the Reichstag
Stand in awe of history at Germany’s political power nexus
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3 Visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum
Stand in a hot spot of the Cold War, location of the famed tower that symbolised East-West tension
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4 Catch the art express at the Hamburger Banhhof
Admire the star-studded collection of contemporary art at this converted 19th-century train station
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5 Catch a cabaret show at Bar jeder Vernunft
Flash back to Roaring Twenties glamour at this dazzling art nouveau-style tent hosting cult cabaret shows
Our favourite Berlin Blogs (beta)
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My Adventures Teaching English Abroad and How You Can Teach English Abroad
Blog: Backpacking on the Cheap - 26 May 2012
I first got interested in teaching English overseas when I got sick of my 9-5 job in Australia, and wanted something more from life. I didn’t want to waste away…
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The Berlin Wall – The Unheard Story
Blog: Inside the Travel Lab - 15 May 2012
The final instalment of the Iron Route Journey. East, West, Good, Bad, Win, Lose, Draw. Another look at 1989.The Berlin Wall – The Unheard Story first appeared on
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Daily Wanderlust: Berlin’s Hotel Adlon
Blog: The Adventures of D - 8 May 2012
Daily Wanderlust: Berlin’s Hotel AdlonThe palatial Hotel Adlon, originally built in the early 1900s, was resurrected in the heart of Berlin following WWII (the main portion of the building was damaged in a fire [...]d travels 'round
