Germany’s reunited capital is fast becoming one of Europe’s hottest destinations, thanks to its creative and cultural cool that some people liken to New York in the Eighties. The legacy of its East-West divide can still be found in the architecture, monuments and flavour of the various districts

Berlin only regained its status as capital of Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. Since then it has once again evolved into a dramatic, sexy and creative city with hundreds of museums, art galleries, pubs, clubs and restaurants to give visitors a taste of life here, past and present.

Creative arts

Berlin has always been a hub for the creative arts from painting to opera, dance and theatre. It has more than 170 museums and collections that offer Egyptian artefacts, Bauhaus design and sculpture by artist Joseph Beuys. Galleries of note include the restored Old National Gallery on Museum Island and the New National Gallery housed in a building designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. There’s also a thriving art scene with hundreds of smaller galleries and a regular Biennale showcasing up-and-coming artists from around the world. Plus there are three major opera houses and the city is often nominated as film festival capital of Europe after Cannes and Venice.

Architecture

Berlin’s history is strongly reflected by its architecture. Founded in the 13th century, the neo-classical central district of Mitte owes much to Prussian architects such as Karl Friedrich Schinkel. During World War II much of inner Berlin was bomb-damaged and rebuilding led to a new wave of architecture. While efforts in the West concentrated on the Zoologischer Garten and the Kulturforum, in Soviet-ruled East Berlin the trend moved to industrial design. And, of course, the infamous Berlin Wall divided the two from 1961 until it was dismantled in 1989. After reunification, Berlin had the unique opportunity to reshape the heart of the city. Architectural highlights now include the asparagus-shaped Fernsehturm TV tower close to Alexanderplatz, Le Corbusier’s Unité d’habitation and the reformed Reichstag complete with glass dome designed by our very own Norman Foster.

Nightlife

Berlin really feels like a 24-hour city and thanks to relaxed licensing laws, dancing until dawn is not unusual. The nightlife is varied: chow down on German sausages, Turkish kebabs or sushi, party in a swanky club or find yourself listening to jazz in a decadent “ruin” that’s been commandeered for the night. As with most up-and-coming cities, regeneration is inevitable so visit before the cool underground venues disappear. Berlin is a vast city, though, so pick up local magazines such as Zitty and Tip to find out where the best clubs, bars, parties and live music are.

Long weekend?

Here’s just an idea of what you could do with only three days to spare…

Day 1

Wander down the wide, open boulevards of the Prenzlauer Berg district – a former punk hangout – and snack on organic treats from the farmers’ market in leafy Kollwitzplatz. In summer, locals and visitors congregate in the surrounding cafés, bars and restaurants until late, then dance the night away in one of Mitte’s many clubs. Popular destination ‘Weekend’, on the 12th floor of the Haus Des Reisens building in Alexanderplatz, has an inspiring view over Berlin when the sun comes up.

Day 2

Head to West Berlin’s former glamour-post Charlottenburg, home to the largest surviving royal palace in Germany. Kurfürstendamm and Tauentzienstrasse make up Berlin’s main shopping area and the district also houses the Museum of Photography, the Museum of Pre- and Early History and the Bröhan-Museum. You can then walk across the beautiful Tiergarten Park from Zoo Station to the Brandenburg Gate. For neon views across Berlin, dine in the rotating restaurant in the Fernsehturm TV tower.

Day 3

Get to grips with Germany’s troubled past with a visit to the Mauermuseum Haus at Checkpoint Charlie that tells the history of the Berlin Wall, documenting life on both sides before, during and after its fall. At the East Side Gallery you can also see the longest-remaining section of the wall, now the largest open-air gallery in the world. The Jewish Museum is also well worth a visit for its exhibits and its stunning broken Star of David design by Daniel Libeskind. While many museums and galleries are closed on Mondays, all these are open, so are perfect for a long weekend.

Getting there

Plane

An increasing number of flights now go to Berlin, with budget airlines, including EasyJet, Aer Lingus and Ryanair, flying to Schönefeld, and airlines such as British Airways, Air Berlin and Lufthansa flying to Tegel. For more details see www.flightmapping.com/Europe/Germany/Berlin.

Train

It’s fairly easy to get to Berlin by train if you have the time. Simply take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels leaving at around 7pm. This takes about two hours. Then take the night train to Berlin to arrive at 8am the next morning. Or travel during the day from London to Cologne and on to Berlin in about nine hours. See www.bahn.co.uk for more help and advice.

Find out more

Get more information and holiday ideas from www.germany-tourism.co.uk and www.visitberlin.de. Guidebooks such as The Rough Guide to Berlin, Lonely Planet’s Berlin City Guide, Time Out Berlin and Wallpaper* City Guide Berlin can also help you find your way around while there.

Stay insured

Crime and health risks are present in Berlin. You are especially at risk of having personal possessions stolen in areas such as markets, monuments and museums that draw lots of tourists. If you’re driving you also need to make sure that you are covered to drive in Germany and that you have sufficient breakdown cover, too. Direct Line can help you cover all these with both travel insurance and European breakdown cover. You will also find some useful information in our feature about driving in Europe.

With Direct Line it’s quick and easy to sort out your travel insurance. Our single-trip travel insurance is perfect for one-off day trips and weekend breaks as well as longer holidays to Berlin. Why not apply for a travel insurance quote online today?

Related information:

Driving from the UK to Europe – how to plan your route and information on how your car insurance can be valid abroad

European weekend breaks – there’s so much to choose from now when you’re trying to plan a city break

Holiday inventory – making an inventory of everything you’re taking away may be a chore, but it could really help if anything is lost or stolen and you need to claim on your travel insurance