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Berlin dates back to 1237 and the first recorded use of the name Berlin, is 1244. In 1415 the House of Hohenzollern controlled the Duchy of Brandenburg and remained in power for 500 years.
Berlin is now very much an international city. Museum Island at the northern tip of an island in the Spree River was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 and home to five world class museums.
Berlin has many large parks and is a green city. The Tiergarten is the largest park in Berlin. All the streets of the Tiergarten meet at the Grosser Stern and the site of the Victory Column.
Berlin occupies the flatlands on the banks of the Havel and Spree rivers and is marked with numerous canals that provide plenty of peaceful and green areas. Geographically and philosophically, it is very much at the heart of Europe and the EU.
What distinguishes the geography of Berlin form any other European capital is the erection of the Berlin wall in 1961. The 155 km wall split the city, separating the Russian controlled sector in the East, from the American, British, and French sectors in the West until it was torn down in 1990.
In true German fashion Berlin has recently reorganized its Geography, cutting the number of districts from 23 to just 12, making it easier to get a grip of the whole. Only a handful of these are regularly visited by people coming to the city which is a shame as all offer something attractive, charming, or interesting for the determined tourist.
For a bird’s eye view of the cityscape, the TV tower at Alexanderplatz is the tallest structure in Germany with a rotating restaurant and visitor platform at 669 ft. Visibility reaches up to 26 miles on a clear day. From here you will be able to witness older architecture rubbing shoulders with ambitious new projects and the large slices of parkland that help Berlin to feel like one of the cleaner and more open European capitals.
Mitte:
Set in the heart of the city, Mitte is perhaps the most popular district with foreigners. There are world class sightseeing opportunities here as well as a gaggle of excellent restaurants and watering holes around Oranienburger Strasse to help recharge tired legs. Old Berlin is represented by the Brandenburg gate, a 200 year old monument that used to stand on the site of the divisive wall and was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens. New Berlin can be seen in stunning architectural glory at Potsdammer Platz where a buzzing space has been created underneath a glass canopied tent more than 100m high.
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg:
Next to Mitte and also on the interface of old East and West Berlin, this district is one of Berlin’s most interesting and exciting. The East Side gallery is the longest surviving stretch of wall, and has been turned into a creative space that showcases 105 different works of art from international artists. There is also a taste of Berlin’s famous nightlife here, with several clubs around Bergmannstrasse.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf:
On the other side of the lush Tiergarten Park from Mitte is the old centre of West Berlin. This area has a more upmarket feel with some palatial homes and the relaxing Grunewald forest. The most palatial of them all is the enormous Schloss Charlottenburg, an excellent example of baroque architecture and landscaping. More sobering is the intriguing Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Kurfürstendamm hints at Berlin’s more painful past, the original steeple complete with bomb damage remaining at the centre of the new structure.
Berlin’s more outer lying districts are also well worth a visit, with interesting examples of soviet architecture in the East and historical and bucolic vistas in the West.
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