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Germany : Berlin - October 2007

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Having bounced back on to the world scene after decades of stagnation during the Cold War, Berlin is now one of the hippest cities in Europe, with great nightlife, ubiquitous culture and lots of space. Described by its own mayor as “poor but sexy”, the German capital offers plenty to do, at affordable prices. René Blixer takes a closer look

Getting around

Tempelhof Airport is located in the southcentral borough of Tempelhof- Schöneberg.

Train: The airport is connected to the city centre by U-Bahn line 6, which can be picked up from Platz der Luftbrücke station. The journey takes 10 to 15 minutes and tickets cost €2,10.
Taxi: The trip into the city centre takes around 15 minutes and costs about €12.
Tourist information: There are offices at the Brandenburg Gate and the main railway station (0025, visitberlin.de).

Mitte

Berlin’s central district has it all. Once the centre of drab East Germany, Mitte now buzzes with culture and nightlife.

Sleep soundly – For a beautiful design hotel with a slight touch of retro, head straight to the Arcotel Velvet (52 Oranienburger Straße, , arcotel.at/velvet.html, rooms from €118), located right in the thick of things.

Culture vultures – The Deutsche Guggenheim (13 Unter den Linden) gallery houses excellent contemporary art shows that regularly rotate.

Must eat – Just a few metres from Checkpoint Charlie, the Entrecôte (5 Schützenstraße, tel. ) does a nice line in fine French bistro classics. Try the excellent steak and fries.

Must drink – Savour a tipple in mixed company at Alt-Berlin (23 Münzstraße), a tiny, old-school pub.

Dance the night away – at the perennially popular Kaffee Burger (60 Torstraße), another retro classic. After midnight, things inevitably get a bit wild on the dance floor.

Shop til you drop – If fashionable accessories are your thing, make Bag Ground (23b Gipsstraße) your first port of call. If you’re into art and design books, ProQM (48-50 Almstadtstraße) is a must.

Charlottenburg

The elegant heart of western Berlin is still the city’s most upmarket shopping centre. It’s here that a slightly older, more established clientele come if they’re in the mood to indulge.

Sleep soundly – The cosy family-run Hotel Bogota (45 Schlüterstraße, tel. , bogota.de, rooms from €40) is popular with artists, not least because of its reasonable rates.

Culture vultures – View masterpieces by one of the 20th century’s most influential (and risqué) fashion photographers at the Helmut Newton Museum (2 Jebensstraße).

Must eat – Bustling Mr Hai & Friends (1 Savignyplatz, tel. ) is the best place for people watching in the city. It serves scrumptious Vietnamese dishes which you can watch being cooked in the glass-walled kitchen.

Must drink – The intimate Gainsbourg Bar (5 Savignyplatz) is dedicated to the famous French singer and has long been the watering hole of choice for those in the local film and theatre scene.

Dance the night away – Join the heaving throng (and the occasional coterie of go-go dancers) at Q-Dorf (15 Joachimstaler Straße).

Shop til you drop – At the striking Stilwerk Center (17 Kantstraße) you’ll find a whole mall full of high-end design emporiums. The entire neighbourhood is dotted with furniture stores stocking every style from the contemporary to antiques.

Kreuzberg

With its vibrant atmosphere, bustling cafés and hectic street markets, Berlin’s Turkish district is one of the city’s most invigorating quarters. It’s currently undergoing a cultural revival, with new galleries and clubs opening weekly. You’ll find most of the nightlife in the streets around Schlesisches Tor underground.

Sleep soundly – Crash out at BaxPax Hostel (104 Skalitzer Straße, tel. 22, baxpax.de, rooms from €30), which is located right in the thick of things at Schlesisches Tor.

Culture vultures – Berlin’s stunning Jewish Museum (9-14 Lindenstraße), which propelled architect Daniel Libeskind to world fame, examines 2,000 years of Jewish-Germany history.

Must eat – Enjoy great charcoal-grilled kebabs and other Turkish delights at Hasir (10 Adalbertstraße, tel. ).

Must drink – While away the hours at the delightfully trashy Barbie Deinhoff (16 Schlesische Straße). Before you know it, it will be dawn.

Dance the night away – The labyrinthine Club 103 (47 Falckensteinstraße) plays host to a regular roster of DJs. Head here for minimal techno, breakbeats and hip-hop, depending on the day of the week.

Compiled by René Blixer