Just as Berlin has spent most of its most recent years divided, it begun as two Wendish villages –Berlin and Kölln. These two villages were merged in 1307 and became the double-city of Berlin- Kölln. But by the 1440’s the cities lost their independence and Elector Friedrich broke up the administrative council. Over 40 years later the city finally became a residential city under Friedrich’s nephew Johann.

After this the city blossomed and continued to do so until some time round 1618 when the Thirty Years War began. Once this war began Munich’s growth ceased and the city stopped to grow as it had been previously. By the end of the war in 1448 there was only 6,000 people left in the city.

Towards the end of the 20th century, Berlin is best known for the wall which divided the city for nearly 30 years. Initially erected in 1961, the Berlin Wall was built by the East German Government to stop the East Berliners travelling to the west. Eventually, after 28 years standing, the wall began to come down bit by bit and Berlin was reinstated as the German capital. Even though the wall has come down, passing through both sides of the city is a pretty unique experience.

Finding somewhere to spend the day in Berlin is never difficult. The best thing about sightseeing here is that you can do so much without spending a cent. Some of the city’s best architecture can be seen from walking along Unter den Linden.

Museums are dotted all over the city – there are 170 of them in total! Some of the best of them are dedicated to WWII, the history of the city’s art and culture, local artists and some modern subjects such as the evolution of technology.

The city’s most famous attraction, the Berlin Wall, was erected on August 13, 1961 and was a symbol of the Cold War. The concrete wall, that had an average height of 3.60m, was 155km long and divided the city until November 9, 1989 when the wall was finally torn down. Today it can only be found in certain areas of the city.

This gate was built during the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm II as a symbol of peace. However, the gate became a symbol of East-West division and as a locked door in the Berlin Wall.

East Side Gallery, Berlin, Germany

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to divide Berlin into East and West. It was 160km long, but now only bits remain. The longest remaining portion is the brightly painted East Side Gallery.

Reichstag

This is where the German parliament sit. For a number of years the German parliament met in a different location but ever since April, 1999, they have been sitting there again.

This baroque palace in Berlin is one of only a few remaining palaces where you can see the magnificence of the royal Hehenzollern clan. This palace was builty round the end of the 17th centrury. There are several other important buildings within the Schlossgarten (Palace Garden)

Pergamon Museum

A fabulous ancient history museum that houses a famous collection of antiquities including the very impressive Pergamon Altar.

Haus am Checkpoint Charlie

This museum just beside the infamous checkpoint which acted as the border of the state. Inside the history of the Berlin Wall is chronicled along with different parts of the remaining wall.

Olympic Stadium

The 1936 Olympic Games are most famous for Jessie Jones' four gold medals which put Hitler is in place. The stadium is currently under reconstruction to be ready for the World Cup in 2006.

ENTERTAINMENT IN BERLIN

As Berlin is such a diverse city, you have the chance of visiting a selection of totally different places, depending on which part of the city you decide to explore. The only trouble is that there are so many areas of the city to socialise in that you won’t know where to start.

The Savigny-Platz in Charlottenburg has loads of exclusive bars and restaurants and is a great place to people watch. Some of the city’s most famous celebrities frequent this area’s bars and nightclubs. Another area where you are likely to see one of Berlin’s elite is around Gendarmenmarkt where most of the city’s trendiest bars are found.

For a more livelier and young crowd, head to the Pariser Straße part of town. There are loads of taverns, bars, along with modern nightclubs. During the summer it is especially busy with most of the nightlife taking part on the surrounding streets.

Bar life is very cultured in Berlin, with cocktail bars often more popular than the ever popular beer gardens. And starting your night off here is late. Don’t think about going to a pub or bar round 9pm. The majority of bars are dead round this time and don’t really kick off until after 10pm, at the earliest. Once it reaches 11pm they city really gets going and becomes very lively.

If the local bars haven’t got you going, your best bet is to visit one of the city’s clubs which don’t get lively until 1am and don’t stop until the sun has risen the next morning. The club scene in Berlin is legendary and very different. You could find clubs that you aren’t likely to find anywhere else in Europe. A lot of the clubs here are quite bizarre and cater for those who have some very strange fetishes.