Short Breaks to Berlin

Why choose Berlin for a Short Break?

What you probably know about Berlin is 'anything-goes' nightlife, avant garde fashion and music, and the tale of two cities; East meets West exemplified in the Berlin Wall.

There's the Berlin of legend; spy movies, Liza Minelli in 'Cabaret', Lou Reed, the Bauhaus art movement and, of course, heart rending stories of separation and reunification. Glimpses of all that are here and more, and there is no doubt that Berlin is still a proudly unconventional city which is reflected in its radical alternative arts, music and gay scene. But it is also a city with over 200 art galleries and museums - some of which are UNESCO world heritage listed; stunning cathedrals, concert halls, awesome contemporary and 19th century architecture. The new railway station, Hauptbahnof built as a symbol to unification is fast becoming a design classic.

Berlin is really easy to get to with 3 main airports Schoenefeld Airport, Tegel Airport and Tempelhof airports serving the city from the UK. Plus it is close to the Polish border for those travelling around Europe. As with any European city, the best thing you can do on day 1 is to take a city tour and get your bearings. In Berlin, there are some really fun ways of exploring the city; on foot, by bike, open top bus, but for the truly adventurous, why not re-enact a Berlin airlift in a candy bomber, or skim over the river in a water plane, whiz over the sights in a helicopter or glide tranquilly in a hot air balloon.

The main area of Berlin for travellers is the central Mitte. Most of the city's sights can be reached from here either on foot along the main tree-lined boulevard or by bus. The city is littered with historic landmarks and references, from the grand elegance of the Brandenburg Gate to the futuristic Reichstag. A must see is the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. It is the largest open air gallery in the world and stretches from Ostbahnhof station to the Oberbaumbrücke. 118 artists from 21 countries have painted pictures or done graffiti art over 1,000 metres of the Berlin Wall which is now a listed landmark. Bebelplatz is another major landmark; a square full of historic and ornate buildings and with a monument to the Nazis "burning of the books" episode in 1933 when the books of acclaimed writers of the age including Heinrich, Thomas Mann, and Karl Marx were thrown into the flames.