7 THINGS TO DO IN... BERLIN

Soak up the cosmopolitan buzz of this dynamic city, from its beer and bears to the currywurst and culture

- RACHEL OGDEN

1 HIT THE HOTSPOTS

While you’ll have to get up early to see the Brandenburg Gate without the crowds, it’s well worth starting your experience of the city here. It’s Berlin’s only surviving city gate, yet was inaccessible from the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 until its fall in 1989. It now symbolises a reunified city and is impressive even from a distance with its neoclassical style and Doric columns. Just beyond is the huge Tiergarten park, perfect for a stroll or visiting the 19th-century Victory Column at its heart; climb the steep winding steps to the top (51m) for glorious views. The moving Holocaust Memorial is nearby too, a maze of 2,711 concrete columns. It’s open year-round, with a free tour in English on Saturdays.

2 LEARN ABOUT THE COLD WAR