Reasons to Visit Berlin, Germany For Your Next Vacation

The capital city of Germany, Berlin, is also the country’s largest city with a population of 4.5 million in its metropolitan area alone. The city’s roots are quite multicultural and lend the city a unique social atmosphere. Berlin is also known for its nightlife and sights of historic interest. Here are a few reasons why you should visit Berlin, Germany.

For architecture enthusiasts, Berlin is a must see. This is because the architectural style of the city varies from place to place as most of the buildings in central Berlin were reconstructed after World War II. Some medieval structures still stand near Alexanderplatz while very modern glass and steel buildings were built in Potsdamer Platz providing a very interesting contrast.

Although German is the main language of the city, tourists will be able to find travel information and travel literature in English and sometimes in French. Owing to the World Cup 2006, all public transportation staff in the city received language training and they are now able to converse in English for the greater convenience of visitors. Berlin has a highly efficient public transport system and travellers will not have any difficulty in exploring the city.

Berlin has so many museums to offers its sightseers that it is almost impossible to visit the city’s numerous museums in a day. If pressed for time, sightseers may limit visits to historical and art museums. Deutsches Historisches Museum is known for its comprehensive coverage of German history. Museumsinsel features an extensive collection of ancient Greek, ancient Middle-Eastern and Islamic art. Gemäldegalerie houses thousands of European paintings from the 13th to 18th century. Most museums charge admission fee for guests who are 16 years old and older. Fees range from €6 to €8.

There are also some architecturally interesting and historic churches in the city that are guarante3ed to impress architecture enthusiasts; the biggest and most impressive of which is the Berliner Dom. Another is Nikolaikirche, which is the oldest church in Berlin, with its foundations dating to the 13th century.

To really see the city many visitors to Berlin like to view it from a height. The impressive cityscape can be viewed from a number of observations decks scattered in the city. The TV tower Berliner Fernsehturm in Alexanderplatz is Germany’s tallest structure standing at 368 meters high and this observation deck is located 204 meters above ground. Visitors need to buy tickets to gain entry to the tower. As of November 2008, tickets cost €9.50.

Tourists may also sign up for walking tours around the city. Information regarding walking tours is usually available at the hotel’s front desk. Insider Tours provide English language walking tours for which reservations are not needed. Sightseers are only needed to show up at a pre-designated time and place.

Berlin also has a lot of theatre houses, opera houses, cinemas, and concert halls. Cultural events take place all year round, and visitors can watch excellent theatre plays, operas and films if so inclined.

Paul writes about Cuban travel and culture and about Rome, Italy travel.