Berlin

Airport
The efficient S-Bahn train leaves roughly every 10 minutes from Berlin-Schonefeld airport.

No other "noble pile" could so symbolise the ups and downs of German history. The Brandenburger Tur has been designed by C.G. Langhaus, 6 August 1791 saw its inauguration at the west-end of the fine boulevard "Unter den Linden". The stage of the 1918 revolution and the Nazi marches, it was destroyed in 1945. The gate was to be marked  by the construction of the wall in 1961 and its fall on the 9th of November 1989, thus becoming the symbol of the democratisation of the east and German reunification. The Brandenburg Gate was modelled on the Acropolis in Athens, with its six Doric columns.


Postdamer Platz is the city's new glass and steel epicentre linking East and West. Home to the Berlinale Film festival, cinemas, museums and restaurants. The world-famous Berlin Philharmonic is just down the road.

Prater Garten in Prenzlauer Berg is Berlin's oldest biergarten dating back to the mid-1800s and is still thronged with lcal beer lovers every evening.

Prenzlauer Berg is Berlin's most picturesque neighbourhood which houses many of the city's students and artists. The tree-lined streets are punctuated with buildings and roads being refurbished and re-laid, updated, modernised, nipped, tucked and styled. It is like the district is constantly shedding its skin. Prenzlberg is at Eberswalderstrasse U-Bahn. Prenzlauer Berg has three main streets: Eberswalderstrasse, Kastanienalle and Schonhauserallee. Down Eberswalderstrasse, for about five minutes, there is Mauerpark which was formerly part of the Berlin Wall. There is a flea market on Sundays. Oderberggerstrasse is one of the loveliest streets in Prenzlauer Berg: ice cream cafes, restaurants, bars and vintage boutiques.  This street intersects Prenzlauer Berg's most happening street, Kastanienallee: art supply shops, international restaurants, cinema, retro and vintage shops, lively bars at night. Kollwitzplatz is a cute green square with table tennis tables and an excellent eco-market on Saturdays.

The Badeschiff is one of Europe's most unusual swimming pools: it floats in the Spree River and is the perfect place to relax after a night out. 

Shop
Cover your head with one of the hundreds of original hats at stylish Heimat ( 13-14 Kastanienallee, Prenzlauer Berg)

Looking for a chandellier for a chandelier, Samurai sword or particular type of wig? The Komische Oper Fundusverkauf sells unwanted props ans costumes from the Comic Oper on the other side of the street. Unmissable (corner of Glinkastrasse and Behnrenstrasse)

The Optiking store sells only original vintage sunglasses and frames dating back to the 60s, 70s and 80s. It doesn't get funkier than this (34 Eberswalder Strasse, Prenzlauer Berg)



Day trip
Treptow. Venture out to Preptow to relax in the Badeschiff, a futuristic bubble on the Spree River containing a heated pool and two saunas.

Potsdam. The town of Postdam, once the summer residence of Prussian kings, is bursting with parks, palaces and charm. A highlight is Alexandrowka, a colony of traditional Russian houses. Potsdam is a 40-minute S-Bahn ride from Berlin main station.