Berlin

Germany's capital Berlin is the nation's leading political, and cultural center. Berlin has almost 3.5 million inhabitants, making it the second biggest city in Europe.  The city is also a federal state!

After the Berlin Wall fell, the city became one of the most exciting and interesting cities in the whole world. It doesn't matter if you're looking for museums and art-exhibitions, bars and clubs, historical sites, interesting architecture, music shows, theater, or something completely different, chances are, you'll find it here.

There are too many theaters to name them all here. The best known theaters are the “Berliner Ensemble”, the “Volksbühne”, the “Schaubühne”, the “Theater des Westens”, the “Renaissance-Theater”, the “Deutsche Theater Berlin”, the “Maxim-Gorki-Theater”, and the “Friedrichstadtpalast”. Every year they bring dozens of productions to the city. Even if your German isn't that good, you'll find a dramatic production in English somewhere in the city!

If you prefer the Opera you can choose between the “Staatsoper Unter den Linden”, the “Deutsche Oper” and the “Komische Oper”. The “Deutsche Oper” (German Opera) is biggest of the three.

Berlin is also known for it's annual international film festival, called “Berlinale”. It's one of the worlds leading film festivals, and it is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival in the world. A film trade fair held simultaneously to the “Berlinale”, called the European Film Market, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit.

When it comes to museums, you'll have plenty to choose from. The best start would probably be the Museum Island in the central district of Berlin. It's the home of Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum), the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum, and the Pergamon Museum. Obviously, there are more museums in town but you could easily spend one week just exploring these five. All of them show a unique architecture and changing exhibitions. While you're there, don't forget to visit the Berlin Cathedral. It's nearby and worth a look, especially on a sunny day.

From there, you could walk to the “Pariser Platz”, where the world famous Brandenburg Gate is located. From there, it's just a few meters to the “Reichstag,“ the building that now houses the “Bundestag”, the  federal legislative body in Germany. It was built between 1884 and 1894.

But despite all the history and culture, Berlin is also well known for it's nightlife. You'd have a tough time finding a city with a more active club and bar scene anywhere in the world. If you're looking to party, Berlin is the place to be. From nice jazz bars with live music to dark and crowded underground clubs, Berlin has everything a party-goer needs. But don't forget to sleep once in a while.

Of course there is so much more to do in Berlin, that's why we wrote this Berlin city guide for you.

All the best,

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