Germany's towns and cities offer a wide range of fascinating sights and settings - from the romantic city of Heidelberg, to the ports of Bremen and Hamburg, the financial centre of Frankfurt and the developing cities of former East Germany. To top it all, Berlin, thought of as Germany's cultural capital and the gateway to Eastern Europe, is a truly eclectic place, offering something for every taste.
Berlin's vital statistics are impressive indeed - it has 300 nightspots, over 7,000 pubs and restaurants, three opera houses, two concert halls, 35 theatres, and no fewer than 170 museums. And, of course, top of most people's sightseeing lists is die Berliner Mauer, the old Berlin Wall. Most of it has now gone, but there are remnants scattered around the city which can still be visited, including the famous Checkpoint Charlie, once the tightly guarded crossing point between East and West.
In contrast to the ruins of the Wall, there is an impressive amount of new building work taking place, particularly in the East of the City. However, there are still many sights from Old Berlin to capture your imagination. Two of the most imposing structures are das Brandenburger Tor, the Brandenburg Gate, built as a symbol of Berlin, and der Berliner Dom (see photo), Berlin Cathedral, the neo-Baroque church of Prussian Protestantism.
Also worth a visit is das Schloss Charlottenburg, Charlottenburg Palace, which was built as a summer palace for the wife of King Friedrich I. You can view an exhibition of the history of Berlin at the St. Nikolai Church, the oldest church building in Berlin. Die Museumsinsel, Museum Island, lying on the border of the former East and West, offers a unique collection of museums - a must for any art lover.
In an effort to recover the historic centre lost during the partition of the city, one of the more recent additions is der Potsdamer Platz, Potsdam Square. Once divided by the Wall, this square was previously a dangerous and threatening no-man's land, but unification and the arrival of big money has turned it into a modern centre full of vibrant cafés and must-visit shops.
