Beautiful Berlin

The German capital is a wonderful mix of both worlds -- the charm of the East and the luxury of the West

Berlin iswhere onecan stillwitnessremnantsof theEast-West Germany divide.Extremely organised, itrepresents the modern westand eclectic east.

As in most Europeancities, walking around is thebest way to get to know thecity better. But beware ofcyclists who zip past, asmost residents prefer tocycle to work thanks to thededicated cycle tracks.

And while strollingaround the streets, don't besurprised if you see some oldFiat cars. Called the Trabis,the cars were popular withEast Germans. Now theseTrabis are used forsightseeing and indulging ina bit of nostalgia.

Another interesting way tosee the city is by the cyclerickshaw or a velotaxi.Two passengers can sitin this very comfortablelarge tricycle, peddled bythe driver.

Regal structures
It takes at least two daysto experience the city andsoak in the flavours. Oneimpressive structure thatleaves a mark is the BellevuePalace, the official residenceof the German President.And, with its magnificentblue dome, the BerlinCathedral is definitelyone of the capital's crowdpullers.If you have time, dogo up to the top of the domeand take in the magnificentview of the centre of Berlin.Also visit the MuseumIsland, a cluster of fivemuseums on the river Spreeand a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site.

Next, witness Germantechnology at its best at theBerlin TV tower that is 368metres tall. It takes just 40seconds by elevator to go up200 metres (almost a thousandsteps).

The construction of theBerlin Television Towershowed that a better futurewas being built in the east. Aviewing gallery and a revolvingrestaurant make thisvisit amazing. Check out theauthentic German dishes,accompanied by the famousGerman multi-grainedbread sprinkled with pumpkinseeds.

Shop talk
Shopping is a good bet at theKurfürstendamm wherecolourful Berlin bears,almost six feet high, dot thestreet. The Kudamm is themost popular shoppingstreet in Berlin. The 3.5kilometre-long boulevard iscelebrating its 125th anniversarythis year and leadsfrom Breitscheidplatz withthe Kaiser-WilhelmMemorial Church inCharlottenburg toRathenauplatz inGrunewald, where the exclusiveresidential areas in thewest of Berlin begin.

And then, HackescheHöfe is a great place for thelabel-conscious to be. Sincethe fall of the Berlin Wall,it has developed into thecentral contact point forboth Berliners and peoplevisiting. Incidentally, one ofthe most interesting walks isat Unter den Linden (Underthe Linden trees) -- awide street that houseshistorical buildings anddesigner labels and is thebest address in Berlin.

Walls and gates
History coupled withspanking new developmentmakes Berlin agreat contrast. TheBrandenburger Tor is thefamous gate built in the18th century as a symbolof peace. During the ColdWar, when the gate waslocated right near theborder between East andWest Berlin, it became asymbol of a divided city.The gate is best viewed inthe early hours of themorning when tourists donot throng it.A visit to the famousBerlin Wall is touching.The rubble is retained inone part of the city, whileartists from all over theworld have beautified theother part with paintings.

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