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Top 10 essential things to see and do

If you're heading to Berlin to take part in the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, it's not going to be the only thing you'll want do while you are there – even if you like to be single-mindedly focused on your running. The great city of Berlin has many sights to see and provides many things to do, some of which you will encounter along the marathon route – although sightseeing may not be at the top of your agenda on race day! But before or after the big day you should give yourself some time to explore the historic German capital. To help you get the most out of your trip, here's our shortlist of essential things to see and do in Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate

The late 18th century Brandenburg Gate is one of the most famous sights of Berlin and should be on any visitor's list of things to see. Its position in no man's land at the border between the former East and West Berlin meant that, along with the Berlin Wall (constructed in 1961), it became a symbol of the city's divide – but since the fall of the Wall in 1989 it has become the symbol of a reunified Berlin. The 60 metre tall Brandenburg Gate was the main entrance to the city, and is the only gate that remains of the Berlin Wall. You can walk through the Gate at your own leisure, as it has been conveniently closed to traffic since 2002.

Berlin Wall

The 3.6 metre high Berlin Wall – the construction of which started in August 1961 after the East German authorities decided to close the border around the Western sectors of Berlin to prevent people from fleeing – has become a hugely recognisable symbol of the city's history. Most of the Wall has been dismantled since, but some parts still stand – the most famous being the 1,316 metre long East Side Gallery, which contains over 100 paintings and is located along Mühlenstrasse between Warschauer Strasse and the Hauptbahnhof. Other, smaller parts of the Wall can be found at the Reichstag and the Invalidenfriedhof, as well as in Bernauer Strasse (where the official destruction of the Wall started), Bornholmer Strasse, Niederkirchner Strasse and Zimmerstrasse near Checkpoint Charlie.

Alexanderplatz and the Fernsehturm TV tower

Alexanderplatz is arguably the most famous square in Berlin, and is referred to by locals as 'Alex'. It was the centre of East Berlin, and during the communist years was used as a showcase of socialist architecture, the most notable piece being the huge television tower (the highest building in Berlin at 365m/1,197ft tall), known as the Fernsehturm or the Telespargel (toothpick). The tower's viewing platform (at 203m high) provides views over the city that you will never forget. Other notable landmarks here include the Fountain of International Friendship and the World Time Clock.

Reichstag

Reinstated as the seat of the German Parliament when it relocated from Bonn in 1999. The building is located close to the Brandenburg Gate and was significantly reconstructed in the late 1990s, when an accessible glass dome was built over the plenary hall, making it one of the biggest tourist attractions in Berlin. You can visit the

Reichstag and walk all the way to the top of the dome, which affords great views across the city, especially at night. Visitors can tour the buildings, listen to talks and even attend sittings of Parliament. Some visiting options require prior booking.

Potsdamer Platz

After being virtually flattened by years of conflict, Potsdamer Platz was reconstructed extensively in the 1990s, which allowed the square to emerge today as a modern cultural hotspot containing shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and cinemas. The redevelopment in the business district led to the addition of several landmark towers, a shopping arcade, an entertainment centre and residential buildings. One of the most impressive architectural attractions is the Sony Centre, which includes an Imax theatre and an office tower. Its neighbour the Kohlhof building has an observation deck at over 90m up.

The Berliner Dom

Completed in 1905, Berlin Cathedral ('Berliner Dom') was inevitably damaged by the bombing during the Second World War, but reconstruction started in the 1970s and the building finally reopened to the public in 1993. The baroque-style building – influenced by the Italian Renaissance – was modified from its original design into a more simplified form during the reconstruction. The Dom can be visited daily, and features a richly decorated interior containing the magnificent Sauer's Organ, the 1530 Elector's tomb, a neo-baroque pulpit and stained glass windows. The Dom's museum, which has been open since November 2005, presents models, paintings and construction plans of the building alongside exhibitions concerning the architects and artists involved.

Gendarmenmarkt

Considered by many to be Berlin's prettiest square, the Gendarmenmarkt is flanked by the twin churches Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) and Französischer Dom (French Cathedral), and the neoclassical Konzerthaus (concert house). The German Cathedral and French Cathedral were both originally constructed in the early 18th century before being destroyed during the war, but were later reconstructed. Both house small museums, and the French Cathedral has a dome which affords great panoramic views of the city. The name of the square comes from the 'Soldier King' Frederick William I, who housed his cavalry (gens d'arms) here during the 18th century.

Berlin Zoo and Aquarium

Founded in 1841, Berlin Zoo is Germany's oldest zoo and also one of the largest zoos in Europe, with around 14,000 animals, most of whom live in open natural habitats over the 74-acre site. The zoo has a modern birdhouse, which has over 550 different species of birds. Adjacent to the birdhouse is the zoo's highly popular aquarium, which boasts more than 250 viewing tanks containing over 9,000 fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and many other marine creatures. And don't miss the Elephant Gate – a magnificent Oriental gate with elephant sculptures that was constructed in 1899 and restored to its former beauty in the 1980s.

The Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum (Jüdisches Museum Berlin) is a lively centre and thought-provoking place that explores Jewish culture and history – from the earliest origins of the Jewish people in Europe, through the Holocaust and to the present day. The museum is housed in a huge metal structure designed by architect Daniel Libeskind,

which opened in 2001. The unique architectural design created an open area enclosed by the internal walls of the museum, called 'the memory void', for those affected by the Holocaust. The story of this period is reflected in several special areas within the building, although the museum is not exclusively about Holocaust, and there are many interactive exhibits.

Museum Island

A unique ensemble of museum buildings, including the National Gallery, the Old Museum (Altes Museum), the Pergamon Museum and the Bode Museum. The National Gallery specialises in works from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as international contemporary art, and is also famous for its collection of French impressionist art. The Old Museum houses a collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th century paintings and statues, whereas the massive Pergamon Museum is divided into five sections: the Antiquities Collection, the Middle East Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Far East Collection, and the Museum of Popular Art – and would take several days to view properly in its entirety! Finally, the Bode Museum has outstanding exhibits of Byzantine and early Christian relics on show.

Top 10 shopping hotspots

You won't go short of options when going for a spot of bargain hunting in Berlin. From well-known shopping boulevards such as Ku'damm or Friedrichstrasse, to a variety of malls, department stalls and smaller boutiques, there are many shopping destinations that should be high on your list of visiting priorities.

Whatever it is you are looking for, whether it is fashionable clothes, antiques, or other specialised items, Berlin will provide you with a huge choice. We've selected some of the locations you just won't want to miss.

Friedrichstrasse

Some of the most elegant shops in Berlin are situated in this shopping district, including the large Galeries Lafayette department store, which offers a touch of France, from fashion through to food. For local fashion, though, the neighbouring Unter den Linden area is excellent; here you will find a selection of boutiques, mainly between Friedrichstrasse and the Brandenburg Gate. New specialist and smaller clothing stores have also sprung up recently in the Nikolai Quarter.

Kurfürstendamm

The Ku'damm – including the Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf and Schöneberg areas – is probably the city's most lively and famous shopping district. The Ku'damm, which stretches on for around two miles, has plenty of great shopping malls, boutiques, restaurants and bars. Historically it has been associated with some of the exclusive labels such as Prada, Cartier and Versace, but these days they share the shopping streets with just about every conceivable retailer. Some of the best shopping is to be found in the smaller streets just off the Ku'damm itself.

KaDeWe

A tourist attraction in its own right, the Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) is a massive department store located at the end of Tauentzienstrasse. With no fewer than eight floors of shopping, the store has everything that you might need – from designer label clothes and fashion accessories to a large food hall (with its legendary

delicacies department) on the sixth floor. The KaDeWe is also famous for being the only department store in the city to escape destruction during the Second World War.

Potsdamer Platz Arkaden

Berlin's flagship shopping mall houses around 120 shops, both large and small, and numerous places to eat. There is a good selection of boutiques and stylish department stores – all housed in an ultra-modern building that features high glass ceilings and large marble columns. The three-tiered Arkaden has shops such as Benetton, Esprit, and Eddie Bauer, and if you fancy a break after hours of walking around the shops, you may be tempted to take some time out in the cinema complex, theatre and casino located next to the mall.

Wilmersdorfer Strasse

A traditional shopping boulevard boasting a huge number of shops and department stores. Although the pedestrian zone here isn't the prettiest, the majority of it was built in the 1970s and has remained relatively unchanged since. The range of shops, however, is extensive, with many of the major chain stores placed alongside smaller, independent retailers. The section between Kantstrasse and Schillerstrasse is a good place to head if you are looking for value-for-money clothing.

Gropius Passagen

One of Berlin's biggest shopping centres and named after the renowned 1920s architect Walter Gropius. The centre's 180 shops include most of the major chain stores and a number of smaller, specialised shops – as well as a host of fast-food restaurants, cafes and bars, which continue to operate after the shops have closed for the day. There's even a multiplex cinema as part of the complex.

Flea markets

There are plenty of flea markets around Berlin; however the majority take place on a Sunday morning. But if your stay is longer than a weekend, some of the most popular include those at Strasse des 17 Juni, Arkonaplatz, Boghagener Platz, Heidestr, and Moritzplatz. If you're prepared to do some rummaging, you may find something of interest. There's anything from bric-a-brac to something a little more interesting like antiques or relics of the communist past.

Quartier 206

The smallest and most luxurious department store in town, offering primarily French women's and men's designer clothes, perfumes and home accessories. The building has an art deco feel, featuring glass and black and white marble, which is complemented by the international designer names on show such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. It's a stylish store, densely packed with luxury items – with price tags to match!

KulturKaufhaus Dussmann

Literature, music and classic movies are among the items that can be found within the KulturKaufhaus Dussmann. This four-storey store caters to customers in a special way: you can take advantage of the listening terminals or borrow portable CD players as you browse; you'll be able to gain access to their internet terminals; you can peruse the international newspaper stand; and you can even purchase theatre tickets in store.

Schönhauser Allee

A main road placed right in the middle of the up-and-coming Prenzlauer Berg area. It has a range of smart, stylish stores selling clothes, accessories and jewellery, much of which is handmade so you can take home a piece of Berlin creativity. If you are looking for international brands of any kind, then the Schönhauser Shopping Arcade ('Schönhauser Allee Arcaden') is the place to be, as it offers a broad range of products.

Top 10 entertainment spots

In Berlin the entertainment never ceases: there's always plenty to do whenever you head out into the city. Berlin offers something for everyone – from the highbrow delights of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra to a thriving cabaret and music scene.

You'll find 'kneipes' (cosy pubs), bars and lounges around the city, all of which are thoroughly relaxed, while the nightclubs generally spring into action late at night. The city also has a thriving cafe culture – especially in what used to be East Berlin .

We've selected a few out of Berlin's many great venues here – and a visit to any one of these will give you a taste of what makes Berlin's entertainment culture so special.

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse

The Berlin Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the world's premier orchestras, and its home, the Berliner Philharmoniker building in the Kulturforum, is a significant piece of modern architecture – with its design giving the orchestra's theatre some unique acoustics. The building is well worth a visit in its own right, but you should certainly try to see the Berlin Symphony Orchestra in action if you can. Concerts given by the orchestra are very popular and are often sold out many weeks in advance – so you'll need to plan ahead!

Die Hackenschen Höfe

Located in the heart of the old East German capital is a massive complex of around a hundred bars, shops and restaurants, called Die Hackenschen Höfe. It's a stylish mini-mall and has become one of the most popular places in the city to go for a coffee and a relaxing break. It attracts all manner of visitors, who can opt to check out the many galleries and boutiques – as well as enjoy a drink in the fashionable cafes.

Wintergarten Varieté, Potsdamer Strasse

One of Berlin's famed variety theatres where, seated around tables, you'll be able to enjoy a performance showcasing the talents of the theatre's many magicians, clowns, jugglers, acrobats and bicycle stuntmen. The great thing is that the language barrier proves no problem whatsoever, as the majority of the acts are silent. Before the show, waiters come round to take orders for meals, which are then served during the break. Performances are at 8pm on weekdays, 5pm and 9pm on Saturdays, and 6pm on Sundays. Shows last for just over two hours.

The Oscar Wilde, Friedrichstrasse

This is the place to head for if you are missing your local pub back home, or are anxious to catch up on the latest Premiership match. If you come here when there's a big game on, the place will be packed and generally bouncing, despite the high prices for beer. Traditional English pub grub is served up here, and every Friday and Saturday there's live music. Every second Friday there's also a wild karaoke party – and Quiz Night takes place on Mondays.

Quasimodo, Kantstrasse

The oldest jazz club in Berlin, and very laid back. Although jazz is the main focus, many different styles of music are offered – from Latin to rock. The venue manages to attract some big international names in addition to featuring local talent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The club is open from 9pm to 3am, Tuesday to Saturday – with shows beginning at 10pm.

Dietrich's Bistro, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz

An entertainment bar celebrating the life of Marlene Dietrich, the legendary Hollywood actress. The bar is home to a fun-loving crowd in the evenings, who are enticed by the music and an attentive bar staff. You should also visit the on-site bistro for an American-style meal if you get the chance, as its burgers are considered the best in town. Situated in Potsdamer Platz just next to the Grand Hyatt Hotel and the Musical Theatre, Dietrich's Bistro attracts a smart crowd and has a fast and friendly service.

Green Door, Winterfeldstrasse

The Green Door is an intimate and minimalist 70s-style cocktail lounge which has never lost its popularity. At weekends the place is packed, and there is a bell at the front door (which is green of course!) which you should ring if you wish to gain access late on. The door policy is pretty liberal – so you should get in, provided you don't look too sloshed! The exotic cocktails are perfectly prepared by the bar staff, and are the reason people come back here time after time. The choice of cocktails is wide-ranging – so much so that you'll probably find yourself there at the bar until they usher you out around 3am.

Riva, Dircksenstrasse

A chic cocktail bar whose mood is created by the thick dark curtains which surround the place. The bar area consists of an odd tunnel-like space with a curved ceiling painted in bright red, yellow and purple squares. Leather benches run along the walls and give you a good view for when you want to sit down and do a bit of 'people watching' – or you could sit at the oval-shaped centrepiece bar, which provides even better views of all the 'beautiful people' who have gathered here.

Casino Berlin ,Alexanderplatz

This famous casino is located on the 37th floor of the Park Inn Hotel, and is worth visiting just for the panoramic view of Berlin at night. Entry to the gaming club is 5 euro, and if you are one who enjoys a gamble, there are gaming tables including roulette and blackjack. There are nearly a hundred slot machines to be found on the ground floor, which looks as though it could have been literally lifted out of a Las Vegas casino. The gaming tables are open until 2am.

Far Out, Ku'damm

Situated at the end of the Ku'damm, Far Out is a club that organises themed nights – such as non-smokers nights, soul nights, African nights, and even over-30s nights. The huge dance floor generally comes alive after midnight – and it is not unheard of for things to keep going until 6am! There's usually a mixed crowd and an array of 'interesting' characters to be spotted.

Top 10 carbo-loading hotspots

Carbo-loading is all about eating more carbohydrate-rich foods – such as bread, pasta, cereals, beans, rice and potatoes – during training. But when you are away from home and out of your regular routine, sticking to your nutritional plan can sometimes fall by the wayside. To ensure this doesn't happen and that you are fuelled for the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, we have compiled a list of the ten best spots where you can go to stock up on your carbs in the final days before the race.

12 Apostel, Georgenstrasse

This place is perfect for carbo-loading, especially as it never closes. It's located under the arches of an S-Bahn railway bridge – so seeing the building's decorated Michelangelo-style ceilings judder when trains go past will prove to be an interesting experience. Although it's a touch pricey, the food is nonetheless superb – and you might want to come back after the race to enjoy one of the enormous pizzas on offer.

Pranzo e Cena, Goltzstrasse

'Pranzo e Cena' literally translates as 'breakfast and lunch', but you can eat here whenever you want to. The restaurant has an ornate tiled front and offers Italian cuisine. You can mix with the trendy locals here, and the staff are as equally welcoming as the public – plus the service excellent. Meals are good value; the homemade pasta is the one to go for, with the 'Tris di Pasta' (three different kinds of pasta) option possibly being the best value.

Ottenthal, Kantstrasse

An intimate Austrian restaurant that looks like a Viennese coffee house, with busts of Mozart and Mahler in the entrance hall. You will find some unusual dishes on offer, but most come with decent-sized potion of homemade pasta or potatoes. The food is of exceptionally good value, and the place is a good post-race venue as well, since many of Berlin's finer restaurants are closed on Sunday – and the cakes and desserts can be a great treat.

Capt'n Schillow, Strasse des 17 Juni

This is an eating venue with a difference: it's a boat that has found its last resting place on Berlin's Landwehrkanal. You need not worry about it being too cold to sit out on deck, as there is also indoor seating downstairs. The menu largely features a variety of fish dishes, but there's enough carbs – namely potatoes – served up to make it worth the visit. Prices are very reasonable.

Trattoria Ossena, Oranienburger Strasse

Huge portions are the order of the day at Trattoria Ossena – so much so that you'll probably want to go light on the starter in readiness for a family-sized potion of pasta for the main course. Pasta is served here al dente,

meaning 'firm to the bite' so it may be a little harder than you're used to, so just let your waiter know if you want it to be softer. Your only other concern will be wondering how you are going to eat your way through it all! There are other Trattoria Ossena restaurants on Oranienstrasse and Rosenthaler Strasse.

Francucci's, Kurfürstendamm

A large Italian restaurant which attracts both locals and tourists – giving you enough assurance that it'll be a good place to eat. Francucci's has been in the Berlin restaurant scene for a long time, and is the place to go to for some refined eating. A particularly good special is the tagliatelle with spinach and parmesan, and there is a fine selection of wines should you choose to indulge a little – but go easy! The 'Wagenradpizza'  ('cartwheel pizza'), with a diameter of over half a metre, is best left for a post-race treat.

Trulli, Hermannstrasse

A friendly Sicilian restaurant located close to the Boddinstrasse metro station – meaning it's never going to be the place for a quiet, intimate meal! The restaurant gets lots of passers-by who pop in for a bite, and if you are in a hurry yourself, there is even a takeaway service. The meals are exceptionally good value for money – and the restaurant can also cater for your taste if you are looking for something a little more extravagant.

Pastabar, Schlüterstrasse

You won't come here for beautiful surroundings; instead, you'll come for the pasta – and lots of it! The interior's red blind and multicoloured lighting may be a little off-putting, but there are over a hundred different pasta dishes to choose from. If this range of choice is rather too bewildering, you might want to limit yourself to one of daily specials, which are available for around 10 euro.

Borchardt, Franzoesische Strasse

If you allow yourself a little indulgence then you might want to reserve a place at this French cuisine restaurant, which attracts everyone of importance – including, in the past, the German Chancellor. At Borchardt you can enjoy top class food within a dining room containing high marble columns – as well as being seated near celebrities and politicians if you're lucky.

Monsieur Vuong, Alte Schönhauser Strasse

You'll always be able to get a seat at Monsieur Vuong's provided you are patient, since the place does not take reservations. The restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine and attracts a mixed crowd, many of whom come for the cheaper set menus. Also, if you are in particular hurry, most of your meal can be prepared as a takeaway.

Berlin top sightseeing tours

If you are in Berlin to run the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, it could possibly be your first time there. Although the running event will likely be your main focus, it’s inevitable that you’re going to want to see some of the sights other than those along the marathon route.

A sightseeing tour can be just the ticket and will allow you to see as much as possible in the limited time that you have here. Berlin has a vast range of sightseeing tours – so here are a few of the best to make the task of choosing a little easier.

City Circle Tour

What is it?

A daily sightseeing tour on a double-decker bus – starting every 15 minutes. You can listen to a spoken guide through a set of earphones (with English one of eight language options). You can hop-on/hop-off at 15 different landmarks all around the city at your leisure – or, if you so choose, you can stay on the bus for the full two-hour tour to get a thorough orientation of the city. Operates from 10am to 6pm.

Who is it best for?

Those trying to get acquainted with the city, or those who like to explore 'a bit at a time' without the restraint of a long single trip of several hours. This tour is also a good option to take if you are travelling with children.

How long does it take?

The tour in its entirety takes two hours, but you may disembark at any of the 15 hop-on/hop-off points situated in various locations throughout Berlin , including the Ku'damm, KaDeWe, Potsdamer Platz, the Jewish Museum, Checkpoint Charlie, the Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz, Berliner Dom, Friedrichstrasse and Brandenburger Tor, among others.

How much is it likely to cost?

Full day ticket: adult – 20 euro; child – 10 euro. Child prices are applicable to children aged 7-13 years; infants aged 6 years and under are free of charge.

Discover Berlin Walking Tour

What is it?

A guided walking tour recounting the city's Prussian, Imperial, Nazi and Cold War past, and pointing out notable historic landmarks along the way. Your guide will give you an account of how Berlin was first founded, and you'll be shown many of the significant sites in the city's history, including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Nazi Air Ministry, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Dom, Pariser Platz, Museum Island and Pleasure Garden, Bebelplatz (site of book burning by the Nazis), Potsdamer Platz, Unter den Linden, Friedrichstrasse, the Russian Embassy, the War Memorial and the Royal Hunting Grounds (Tiergarten).

Who is it best for?

Those who don't mind putting in a bit of legwork to discover Berlin and its history.

How long does it take?

The tour takes four hours.

How much is it likely to cost?

Adults – 12.00 euro; youth (aged 14-26) – 10 euro. Children aged 13 years and under are free of charge.

Berlin City Bicycle Tour

What is it?

A bike ride along a scenic route through the Tiergarten Park and by the River Spree, passing by all of the city's main sites – from the Berlin Wall and Hitler's Bunker to the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. Midway through the tour you can experience the pleasure of one of Berlin's most popular beer gardens. Other tour highlights include following the line of the Berlin Wall and riding over the final battlefield of the Second World War in front of the Reichstag. You can pass through Checkpoint Charlie, ride underneath the Brandenburg Gate, and visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Who is it best for?

Those seeking to see as much of the city as possible in less time than it takes to walk.

How long does it take?

Four hours. Tours set off at 11am daily from Coffeemamas at Hackescher Markt S-Bahn Station.

How much is it likely to cost?

Adults – 22 euro; concessions – 19 euro. These prices include bicycle rental.

Berlin Boat Tour

What is it?

A comprehensive tour along the River Spree and some of its canals. Tours originate at the Treptow quays (take the S-Bahn to Treptow Park to get there) and depart every day at 9.45am and 2.10pm. The boat tour is a great way to experience the city of Berlin's historical and modern sights from a different perspective. Highlights include: the Mühlendammschleuse, the Nikolai Quarter, the Palast der Republik, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, the Reichstag, Lehrter Bahnhof (Berlin's new central station, due to open in 2006), Bellevue Palace, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Charlottenburg Palace.

Who is best for?

Those looking for a good change of pace and a different view of the city.

How long does it take?

Four hours in total.

How much is it likely to cost?

Single – 11 euro; return – 16 euro.

One for after the race...

Berlin Insider's Pub Crawl

What is it?

An insider's night out around Berlin that avoids all the overly 'touristy' venues. From sleek lounges to rustic pubs, you can check out everything that Berlin has to offer. The pub crawl gives you a chance to meet up with some fellow 'outsiders' – or even to get to know some of the locals. Your ticket also gains you club entry and free shots along the way.

Who is it best for?

Those looking to let their hair down and visit the best drinking spots off the normal tourist trail.

How long does it take?

You have five hours with your guide, after which you are free to suit yourself. You should meet the rest of your group at 8.30pm at Coffeemamas under Hackescher Markt S-Bahn Station.

How much is it likely to cost?

The standard price is 10 euro.

How to get around Berlin

You shouldn't have many problems getting around: Berlin, despite its size, with its integrated public transport system of railways, buses and tramways (known as BVG), allows you to reach every location and sight in town in a safe and convenient way.

Regardless of your marathon schedule, it makes sense to use some of your free time to look around the city – although it's unlikely you're going to cover much of Berlin under your own steam, purely because it's just too big! The size of the city means it's a good idea to take advantage of the extensive network system of underground lines (U-Bahn), overground railway lines (S-Bahn), buses and tramways, and any other methods of transport that are at your disposal.

An interconnected three-zone system (ABC) allows you to hop from bus to U-Bahn to S-Bahn to tram with one ticket – but for most travel purposes, using zones A and B will be sufficient.

Typical examples of the types of ticket for zones A and B are as follows:

* Single fare ticket (Normaltarif): costs 2.10 euro, can be used for a one-way journey, and is valid until two hours after cancellation. Cannot be used for return or round trip journeys.

* Short-Hop Ticket (Kurzstreckentarif): costs 1.20 euro and is valid for three U- or S-Bahn stops and six bus or tram stops only. * Day Ticket (Tageskarte): costs 5.80 euro and is valid for any number of U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus or tram stops until 3am the day after you initially validated it. * 7-Day-Ticket (Wochenkarte): costs 25.40 euro, can be used for any number of U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus or tram stops, and is valid for seven days after stamping. This ticket is also transferable.

There are, of course, several other ticketing options that may be worth looking into.

A word of advice

Although there are no ticket barriers in Berlin's underground network, you must have a validated ticket. There's a validating machine next to the ticket machine – you should stamp your ticket here before starting your journey. Spot-checks are often carried out and being caught can cost you a fine of around 40 euro. There is an English translation on ticket vending machines at each station, so there is really no excuse.

Some of the most common and suitable ways to get around are explained below:

Trains

The U-Bahn (subway) is a very simple to find your way around, but obviously you're not going to see much while you're travelling underground! The U-Bahn trains are very fast and efficient, and each train's direction of travel is determined by sensors along the lines. All U-Bahn stations are very simple to spot with their big 'U' signs and have electronic displays that give you the time of the next train.

Taking the overground S-Bahn allows you to cast your eye over many of the great sights in Berlin. For example, the route between the Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz stations passes by Tiergarten Park, which contains the Siegessäule (Victory Column) and the Reichstag, as well as many important federal buildings. Alternatively, a ride on the Ringbahn (S-Bahn-Circle) gives you the chance to get an overview of the city centre within an hour's ride.

Buses

Buses are frequent and a great way to get around the city. Routes 100 and 200 are particular favourites for a spot of sightseeing since they take in many of the notable landmarks. The good thing is, multiple-ride tickets bought for the railways are valid on the buses too – but if you are setting out on the bus first, the driver will be unable to sell you a multiple-ride ticket, although they can be bought at some vending machines at bus stops. Correct change is advisable when buying tickets. There are also some night buses operating between 1am and 4am.

Trams The trams operate largely in eastern Berlin and ticketing works on the same basis as ticketing for the buses. Trams are a convenient method of transport as you can hop on and off as you see fit, provided you have a multiple-ride ticket.

Taxis Taxis are numerous and available at almost all times and can be spotted, as is usual, by their illuminated roof light. Most taxi drivers speak English, but it is best not to take this for granted. Fares start at 2.50 euro from the moment you get in, and each km costs around 1.50 euro, depending on the time of day. There's normally a small surcharge for baggage.

Car In general, unless you have an overwhelming desire to sit in heavy traffic and then ride around trying to find a parking space, don't bother driving. Use the excellent public transportation instead. If you are mad enough to give the car a go, you'll be infuriated by the inability to turn left on most major avenues.

Bicycle Berlin has very few steep hills but does have heavy traffic, and that may be reason enough for deciding to opt against taking to the roads on a bike. In the city and suburbs, it is best to confine your cycling to cycle zones, which are marked out with solid red lines. Your best option may be to take a bike to explore some of the city's outlying parks and forests. Both the U-Bahn and S-Bahn provide specific compartments for bicycles for a small extra charge, although transport of bicycles on trains is not permitted during rush hour. A 24-hour bicycle rental costs in the region of 20 euro.

Top 10 insider tips for every visitor

Berlin is massive, the western side alone being around four times the size of Paris, so it is quite easy to be daunted at the prospect of exploring. But as with any city there are a few tips and tricks for the tourist to employ in order to get around more easily. Here are a few hints to help you find your feet and make your stay a little more enjoyable – and perhaps a little less expensive.

Berlin WelcomeCard

Definitely not one to be without. It provides free travel on all buses and trains in the Berlin-Brandenburg public transport network operating anywhere within the A, B and C fare zones in Berlin. The WelcomeCard can be used for one adult and up to three children (under 14) for either 48 hours (16 euro) or 72 hours (22 euro). It also includes a coupon booklet which saves you money by providing discounts on over 120 attractions including museums, restaurants and shops. WelcomeCards can be bought at many locations, including underground stations, tourist information centres and many Berlin hotels.

SchauLUST museum ticket

The 'SchauLUST Museen Berlin' is a three-day museum pass that permits visits to over 70 of Berlin's museums and collections on three consecutive days. Costing 15 euro for adults and 7.50 euro for concessions, it provides access to the buildings of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SMB-PK), including the Pergamon Museum, the Egyptian Museum and the Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery). You can also visit the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, the German Technology Museum, the Brücke Museum, and many others.

Weekend shopping

If you are planning a spot of shopping then you may have to be up and about early. Most stores in Berlin, even the major department stores, currently open around 10am on Saturday and close around 2pm – and then do not open their doors again until Monday. However, more stores are now beginning to open all weekend, so you may be able to find what you’re looking for if you have time to venture out. A number of stores are generally open at the railway station all weekend, but you won't be that impressed with their prices. An alternative could be to visit The Weekend Flea Market Tiergarten, which is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

Bus lines 100 and 200

The sheer size of Berlin makes it advisable to use public transport to explore the city. The most recommended bus routes to take on the main tourist trail are the 100 and 200, since they go past many of the most important sights. These large circular routes make their way from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz, and riding one of these buses is virtually like going on your own sightseeing tour without having to listen to an annoying guide all the way round.

Learn a little of the lingoAlthough many Germans do speak excellent English, it is advisable for both reasons of politeness and practicality to be prepared with a few words of German in order to get by. Unlike most of Western Europe, many Berliners learned Russian rather than English as their second language, which may occasionally present you with a few problems. However, even if your attempts end up butchering the language, the fact that you’ve at least tried to speak the native tongue will usually be appreciated.

SnackingSnacks are very much a part of the Berlin scene, and come in many shapes and sizes – from a huge Currywurst (a large curried sausage) through to a Turkish kebab. Berlin has the world's largest Turkish population outside of Turkey itself, meaning that there are stalls or shops on nearly every street corner. The good news is you can forget about the kebabs you have at home after a night on the town – the kebabs sold in Berlin are the real thing, are relatively inexpensive and can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Berlin nightlifeThe great thing about getting out at night in Berlin is that there is literally something for every taste – from popular to the more bizarre! It is worth bearing in mind that many nightspots don’t begin to get even remotely lively until about 10pm, so tailor your night out to suit that. If you're going to be out late, you should remember that much of the public transport ceases or cuts back at around midnight, although there are still some night services operating on the trains and buses.

Validate your ticketIf you’re buying a ticket for the trains or trams, don’t think that simply buying one is your ticket to ride. You will find there’s a small machine next to the ticket machine in which you have to ‘validate’ your ticket. Just place your ticket in the slot and it will get validated with a time. Be warned: spot checks are made on tickets, so even if you have bought one but not validated it, you could end up facing a hefty fine.

Tipping adviceMost of the time you need not worry about tipping when in restaurants or at your hotel, as service charges are generally added to bills in Berlin. Some of the smaller cafes and bars are excluded from this custom – in these cases it is standard practice to round up the bill to the nearest Euro. The cost of service is usually stated on menus.

Wall souvenirsEverywhere you go it’s likely that you’ll find vendors selling what are supposedly pieces of the Berlin Wall, often at extortionate prices. The best advice is to avoid these as there’s no way of knowing whether they’re genuine or not. If you really have to have a piece of the infamous monument, the only sure-fire way of ensuring it’s genuine is to go and get some yourself. Even though you are not supposed to take it, many visitors do in fact hack off their own piece. If your conscience won’t allow you, then just watch others as they attempt to do it in an inconspicuous manner!

Top 10 museums and galleries

Berlin is an excellent city in which to visit museums. There are over 170 museums in Berlin, housing historical relics and art on a grand scale, and this number continues to grow as new establishments spring up throughout the city. War has often influenced and shaped Berlin’s historic landscape, but the city is now recovered and is recognised as one of Europe’s art capitals.

There has been a concerted effort to bring back many of the vast collections which were plundered in the aftermath of the Second World War, and Berlin also continues to attract contemporary art, meaning it provides something for culture vultures and history buffs of all tastes. We’ve selected a few of the best museums for your viewing pleasure.

Alte Nationalgalerie

Known for its collection of 19th-century German and French Impressionists, the Alte Nationalgalerie also has the world's largest collection of the works of one of the most renowned of all Berlin artists, Adolph von Menzel. Other paintings include those from the romantic and classical movements as well as the Biedermeier era – the latter of which is well represented by the works of Caspar David Friedrich and Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

Altes Museum

The Altes Museum contains many Greek and Roman relics – and appropriately enough the building itself was designed to resemble a Greek Corinthian temple. Its main floor features the Antikensammlung (Museum of Antiquities), where there is a collection of Greek and Roman antique decorative art. Some of the finest Greek vases of the black-and-red-figures style, from the 6th to the 4th century BC, can be found there. There is also a Brandenburg-Prussian art collection elsewhere in the building, where you can view an exceptional bronze statue of the goddess Luna.

Filmmuseum Berlin

The Filmmuseum Berlin (Berlin Film Museum) gives a chronological tour – with exhibitions and displays – of the history of German cinema. One of the main exhibitions focuses on the link between the Berlin and Hollywood film industries. The extensive collection within the museum includes thousands of screenplays, film posters and film programmes, as well as a million stills of scenes, portraits and productions. There is also a tribute to German actress Marlene Dietrich – including extensive memorabilia from her own collection – and a room devoted to the controversial Leni Riefenstahl’s Nazi propaganda films.

Egyptian Museum

Considered one of the best Egyptian museums in the world. The collection’s prize asset is the famous coloured bust of Queen Nefertiti, which dates from about 1,360 BC and was discovered in 1912. Other noteworthy attractions include the head of Queen Tiy, the head of a priest in green stone, and the Kalabasha Gateway, which was built by Emperor Augustus in 30 BC. There are also other displays containing jewellery, papyrus, tools, weapons, and objects relating to the Egyptian belief in the afterlife.

Pergamon Museum

The massive Pergamon Museum houses several departments, the most popular of which is probably the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, housed in the north and east wings of the museum. Of special interest is the Pergamon Altar – an ancient Greek temple dating from 180-160BC – which is so huge that it has a room all to itself. The Near East Museum, in the south wing, contains one of the largest collections anywhere of antiquities from ancient Babylonia, Persia and Assyria. The museum's upper level is devoted to the Museum of Islamic Art, containing many miniatures, carpets and woodcarvings.

The Story of Berlin

A multimedia portrayal of eight centuries of Berlin’s history through photos, films, sounds and colourful displays. From the founding of Berlin in 1237 to the present day, the exhibition chronicles events such as the plague, the Industrial Revolution, the Golden 1920s, the Second World War, divided Berlin during the Cold War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

GemaldegalerieThe Gemaldegalerie (Picture Gallery) houses a significant collection of more than two thousand European paintings from the 13th-18th centuries. There are masterpieces from all eras, including works by artists such as Bruegel, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Rubens. Italian paintings from the 14th-18th centuries, Dutch paintings from the 15th-16th centuries, as well as old German paintings from the Late Gothic and Renaissance periods, also feature heavily. There are familiar paintings guaranteed in almost every room you enter.

Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin Wall Museum)

This museum documents the human history of the Berlin Wall and is located next to the legendary Checkpoint Charlie border crossing. Original objects from successful escapes by East Germans to West Berlin are on show – including chairlifts, false passports and hot-air balloons. Photos document the construction of the Wall, the establishment of escape tunnels, and the post-war history of both parts of Berlin from 1945 until today, including the airlift of 1948-1949 when the Soviets tried to blockade part of the city.

Dahlemer Museum

A massive complex of museums, the largest being the Ethnologisches Museum (Museum of Ethnology), which has over half a million artefacts from all continents. In the same complex, the Museum of Far Eastern Art is devoted primarily to Japan, Korea, and China, with artefacts dating back as far as 3,000 BC. A fine collection of Indian art is on exhibit in the same building at the Museum für Indische Kunst, covering a span of 40 centuries. The Dahlemer Museum's Department of Music allows visitors to hear folk music recordings from around the globe.

Hamburger Bahnhof

Berlin's museum for contemporary art is housed in the former railway station, Hamburger Bahnhof. Its main exhibition area is dedicated to art from the second half of the 20th century onwards, and contains many works belonging to the private Berlin collector, Erich Marx – including those by internationally renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Anselm Kiefer and Joseph Beuys. Paintings, sculptures, graphics, photographs, videos and multimedia displays are just some of the works you can view here.

Top 10 things to do that are totally free

You may find that Berlin is just about as expensive as most other major European cities, and the costs of a visit – even a short one – may be of concern. But the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do for free while you're there. Visiting some of the free attractions and landmarks or taking advantage of free activities will help you make the most of your time without overstretching your budget.

Here is our guide to some of Berlin's many free attractions:

Free walking tour

This free tour starts at Starbucks Cafe on Unter den Linden and takes in all the sights within the area, including the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Gendarmenmarkt and more. The tour takes place every day at 11am, 1pm and 4pm, and is free – although many tourists will give generous tips to the tour guide.

Berlin Wall art

The Eastside Gallery consists of 1.3km of undisturbed Berlin Wall, featuring more than a hundred pieces of art – all painted directly onto the Wall. This is probably the world's longest open-air art gallery and is definitely worth viewing! It's a short walk from the Ostbahnhof station, which served as East Berlin's main railroad facility.

Free admission Sundays

Depending on your length of stay, you could take advantage of free admission to all the state museums on the first Sunday of every month, including the Pergamon, Alte Nationalgalerie, Altes Museum , Ägyptisches Museum , Gemäldegalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Sammlung Berggruen, and the Museum for Gegenwart at Hamburger Bahnhof. Expect crowds, though, as you won't be the only one taking advantage. Sunday opening times are 10am-5pm.

Treptower Park

This massive park's central area is dominated by the 1949 Soviet Memorial, placed here in the former East Berlin . The Memorial's epic size puts even the Cenotaph in the shade. When entering the monument you will be met by a huge granite statue representing Mother Russia, surrounded and protected by kneeling soldiers. Treptower Park's burial ground is said to contain the remains of five thousand soldiers who died in the Battle of Berlin, and is lined by marble sculptures depicting scenes from the war. It's also worth mentioning that admission to all of Berlin's parks is free.

Volkswagen showroom

Every type of car under the VW brand can be found at the huge Volkswagen showroom on Friedrichstrasse at the corner with Unter den Linden. You'll find everything made by Seat, Bugatti, Skoda and Bentley presented in this glossy three-level mall. In the basement, a short film in English gives an insight into the developments in space travel in which the company has been involved. The Bus 100 route stops right in front of the showroom.

Reichstag

The Parliament building is best viewed by arriving early (before 9am) to avoid all the queues. Entry is free, but once inside, you have to tour on your own. You can climb to the top of the glass dome for some great views of the city, and walk around the exhibition of black-and-white photos portraying the history of the Reichstag since its birth in 1894 up to the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Stasi Museum

A great free museum displaying a permanent exhibition of Stasi (East German secret service) surveillance devices and information about daily life in the old East Germany. A museum guide book in English will cost you 2.50 euro, but is a recommended purchase as it will enable you to get the most out of the museum experience.

KaDeWe department store

Berlin 's largest department store is generally always crowded despite its massive floor space, but you could quite possibly spend a good few hours exploring the six floors of shopping without even parting with a single euro. Also, if you want to have a bite to eat, a visit to the restaurant and cafe on the seventh floor need not cost you the earth.

The Holocaust Memorial

Newly opened in May 2005, the Holocaust Memorial occupies a vast site immediately south of the Brandenburg Gate, and is made up of more than 2,700 giant concrete slabs. The Memorial's underground information centre is interesting, although you'll have to be patient due to the queues and security checks required to gain access to the centre's exhibition.

Street artists

Berlin's streets are usually filled with a variety of entertaining street artists, especially on the Breitscheidplatz and along the Ku'Damm. A mime artist dressed as a clown will often be seen mimicking passers-by outside the cafes on the eastern side of the Ku'Damm, while street musicians can be found at various locations through the city.

Top spots for your last taper run

After weeks of pounding out the miles, the last thing you want to do is ruin your chances by overdoing it. Ideally, you will be scaling down your training for the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON in the final few days before the event, and your last run should perhaps be nothing more than a 20-minute session.

Some people prefer to do their last run on the Friday, others choose the Saturday – it’s completely up to you. Going for that final taper run is not only a conclusion to months of training but can also help to focus the mind and make you more relaxed in preparation for the challenge ahead.

Finding a spot for the last run is not difficult, even in the busy city of Berlin. The numerous parks, promenades and riversides provide excellent routes on which to stretch your legs in readiness for the big race. We’ve selected a few of these prime places below.

Tiergarten with Government District

This is a relatively flat route, passing directly through the new government district. Begin at Hansaviertel, and then pass by the new Ministry of the Interior and Bellevue Palace (the official seat of the German Federal President). You can also plan your route so that you go past the administration buildings of the German Parliament, as well as the Reichstag and the new Federal Chancellery. You can then head for the Grosser Tiergarten, considered Berlin's own ‘Central Park’.

Schlosspark Charlottenburg

Head for the baroque garden at Schlosspark Charlottenburg. Once there, you can pass by the Mausoleum of Queen Luise as well as a number of beautiful pavilions, extensive lawns and ponds. Your route could also take you by the River Spree in the east. The route you take can be easily varied and the paths are well maintained, although they are not illuminated.

Banks of Landwehr Channel

Another flat route through green spaces and urban streets – this time following the Landwehr Channel. If you plan to pass through Kreuzberg via the district’s lesser known and more relaxed areas, you’ll discover a beautiful inner urban running route. Highlights along the way include the upmarket Kreuzberg residential areas with stately old buildings and extravagant residences. There are no significant inclines in the area, and your path will be lit up in the evening if you keep to the streets.

Volkspark Hasenheide

The Hasenheide Public Park is a sprawling green space containing several play areas, an open-air stage and a petting zoo, among many other things. The tree-lined paths around the park are well maintained and the trees are ideal for cover in case it rains during your last run. There is also the option of running through a few inclines, depending on your own personal preference.

Volkspark Schöneberg

This is a long stretch of green space between the residential areas of Schöneberg and Wilmersdorf. The area is largely flat although there are several slight inclines. Along the way lies the former broadcasting station of the RIAS (Radio in the American Sector) which today is the home of Deutschlandradio. Nearby is also the Schöneberg town hall from where US President John F. Kennedy gave his legendary ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech in 1963.

Lietzensee Lake

A lap around the lake covers just over 2k and is a flat route – perfect for your pre-race preparation. The park surrounding the lake is always open to the public but is not illuminated after dark, so it’s best to run here during daylight hours. The number of circuits you complete can of course be varied according to your training plan.

Volkspark Friedrichshain

The Friedrichshain Public Park is Berlin's oldest park and contains one of the best-known and most beautiful fountains, the Märchenbrunnen. There is also a garden of remembrance for those killed during the German revolution in 1848. You can run here at any time of the day as the park is permanently open and all its pathways are lit. The terrain provides a versatile running route, featuring flat sections and inclined paths between its two hills.

FREE AGAIN

2. The Reichstag

The Reichstag is the traditional seat of the German Parliament. When the historic building was remodeled in the 1990s, it was adorned with a modern glass dome, offering a look into the parliamentary proceedings and a stunning view of the Berlin skyline.

3. Museum Island

Berlin's Museum Island is home to five world-class museums and the Berlin Cathedral; this unique ensemble of museums and traditional buildings on the small island in the river Spree is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

4. East Side Gallery Berlin

The East Side Gallery is a colorful section of the Berlin Wall, which once divided the city into East and West Berlin.This last piece of the original wall has been turned into the largest open-air gallery in the world, displaying more than 100 paintings by international artists.

5. Holocaust Memorial Berlin

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is one of the most impressive and moving monuments to the Holocaust. The architect Peter Eisenmann designed this sculpture, which is laid out on a 4.7 acre site and covered with more than 2,500 geometrically arranged pillars. The adjacent underground museum holds the names of all known Jewish Holocaust victims.

6. Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz was built entirely from ground up in 1995. You will find bold and utopian architecture here, a large shopping center and lots of movie theaters, which are the venue for the annual Berlin International Film Festival. The dome of the Sony Center, which was modeled after Mount Fuji, is lit by different colors at night and is the landmark of this area.

Getting There: Metro Stop "Potsdamer Platz" (line U2, S1, S25)

7. Unter den Linden - Boulevard

Stroll down the grand boulevard "Unter den Linden", which stretches from Museums Island to the Brandenburg Gate. The street is lined on both sides by noteworthy historical statues and buildings, like the Humboldt University, the State Opera, the State Library, the German Museum of History, and embassies.

Getting There: Metro Stop "Unter den Linden" (line S1, S25)

8. Memorial Church in Berlin

The Protestant Memorial Church of Berlin is one of the city's most prominent landmarks. The church was heavily damaged by air-raids in World War II, destroying its tower, which was preserved as a war memorial. A new, strikingly modern concrete church with wonderful blue stained glass windows was built adjacent to the original church.

Getting There: Metro Stop "Zoologischer Garten" (Line U2, U12, U9, S5, S7, S75, S9)

9. Art Galleries at Hackescher Markt

The area around Hackescher Markt boasts the most interesting and eclectic galleries and street art in Berlin. For the best gallery hopping, head down Auguststrasse and its adjacent side streets. On Thursday evenings, you might catch some opening shows (with free wine and snacks).

Getting There: Metro Stop "Hackescher Markt" (line S5, S7, S9, S75)

10. Tiergarten in Berlin

Relax in the Tiergarten, the green heart of Berlin, and find out why so many Berliners love this park. On more than 600 acres, you can enjoy lush lawns, leafy paths, small creeks, and traditional beer gardens.

Getting There: Metro Stop "Potsdamer Platz" (line U2, S1, S25) or "Bellevue" (line S5, S7, S9, S75)

Cheap Eats in Germany

Eating out in Germany doesn't have to break the bank; there are many inexpensive and delicious eateries, called "Imbiss". Try some German specialties like Bratwurst,

Kartoffelsalat (potatoes salad) or Currywurst, a hot pork sausage, cut into slices and seasoned with curry sauce (2-3 Euro).

Some of my favourite "Imbiss"- snacks are Falafel and Döner Kebab, a rotisserie lamb or chicken, carved thin and packed in toasted Turkish bread with salad, tomatoes, and a sauce of your choice (3 Euro).If you are craving fresh sandwiches, rolls, or pastries, make sure to stop by a local "Bäckerei" (bakery). If you want something good on-the-go, try:

Döner Kebab, rotisserie lamb or chicken, carved thin and packed in a toasted Turkish bread with salad, tomatoes, and a sauce of your choice (3 Euro)

Curry Wurst, a Berlin original: hot pork sausage, cut into slices and seasoned with curry sauce (2 Euro)

Bring Your Student ID to Germany

If you have an international student ID, bring it! You'll be rewarded with discounts on everything from sights, shows, and museums, to movie theatres, swimming pools, and hostels.

Berlin - Getting Around:Public Transportation: You don't need a car in Berlin – in fact, the city has the least cars per capita for all of Europe. Berlin's public transport system (known as “BVG”) is fantastic. Tickets are 2.10 Euro for a two-hour pass, and 5.80 Euro for an unlimited day pass. With one ticket, you can use the:

Subway (U-Bahn) Tram (Strassen Bahn) Rapid transit (S-Bahn) Bus

Bike: A great way to get around Berlin is by bike; the city is known for its highly developed bike lane system. You can rent a bike and explore Berlin on your own, or take part in a guided bike tour .

There are so many great clubs in Berlin, and it seems that every weekend, new clubs open up. It is impossible to list them all, but here we proudly present the crème de la crème: The best 5 clubs in Berlin.

Dining Out - Find the Best Places to Eat in Berlin

There are so many great places to eat in Berlin, and it sometimes seems a bit overwhelming to pick the right spot. Here is a selection of some of the best Berlin restaurants that will satisfy even the most ardent foodies. From regional German cuisine, to high-class French fare, there is something for every taste and every budget.

Margaux

Margaux is a hotspot for German politicians and actors; black marble floors, antique mirrors, and sandalwood colored sofas create an elegant and intimate atmosphere. The Michelin-starred chef Michael Hoffman adds an experimental twist to traditional French fare and offers a "Voyage de Cuisine"; a multi course meal that includes such culinary specialties as charcoal-smoked pollock, served with oyster-chives parfait, salad of sea urchin, and cockles. Reservations are a must.

Address: Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin; Phone: +49 30 22 65 26 11 Opening Hours: Mo-Sa 7:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Costs: Entrees 28-49 Euro, multi course menus 95 and 165 Euro

Prater

The Prater is famous for its regional German dishes served in generous portions; the "Wiener Schnitzel", a tender veal cutlet alongside a warm potatoes salad, or the chanterelle mushrooms with German bread dumplings are especially tasty. The Prater has a rustic old-world charm and resembles a traditional German beer hall; during the summer, you can sit outside in one of Berlin's oldest beer gardens.

Address: Kastanienallee 7-9, 10435 Berlin; Phone: +49 30 448 5688 Opening Hours: Mo-Sat 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., Sun 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Cost: Entrees 8 - 15 Euro

Gugelhof

Restaurant Gugelhof, which celebrates the hearty fare of Alsatian cuisine, became famous in 2000, when former U.S president Clinton asked then German chancellor Schroeder to take him to this restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg.Gugelhof is well-known for its rich and regional cuisine, and the highlights of the menu are sausages, sauerkraut, and Tarte Flambees.

Address: Knaackstraße 37, 10435 Berlin; Phone: +49 30 442 9229 Opening Hours: Mo – Fri, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat, Sun, and on holidays, 10 a.m. –

11 p.m.

Costs: Entrees 7-15 Euro

I Due Forni

I Due Forni is a laid-back Italian restaurant cantina-style that has the best pizzas in town: Crisp, thin-crust, and topped with fresh ingredients. The place is decorated with colorful revolutionary memorabilia, and the waiters are known to be a bit quirky. I Due Forni is buzzing day and night, and reservations are recommended.

Address:Schönhauser Allee 12, 10119 Berlin; Phone: +49 30 44017 333 Opening Hours: 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Costs: Pizzas 5.50-8.50 Euro

Paris Moskau

Paris Moskau is set in a half-timbered house from 1898, right next to the train lines that once connected Berlin to Paris and Moscow. The inside is a wonderful combination of old and new: Heavy antique furniture with clear, constructivist murals covering the walls.

Paris-Moskau serves up delicious seafood creations such as pine-nuts crusted codfish, potatoes risotto, or scallops with passion fruit. Outdoor seating available.

BEST CLUBS

1. Weekend Club

For a hip vibe with sweeping views of Berlin, hit the Weekend Club. It is located on the upper floors of an old office building on Alexanderplatz.

With the Bar and furniture at the center of the Weekend Club, the panoramic windows looking out on Berlins cityscape are the signature of this hotspot. Make sure to take the elevator all the way up to the roof and get a breath of fresh air on the rooftop terrace.

Berlin and international DJs spin electronic, pop, and house music from Thursday till Saturday to keep you dancing til daybreak – there is no better place to watch the sunrise.

Address: Alexanderplatz 5, 10178 Berlin Metro: U2 or S3,5,7,9 Alexanderplatz Open: Thu-Sat 11 p.m. - open end; roof terrace is open daily from 7 p.m.

2. Watergate

The Watergate Club is located in the heart of Kreuzberg. It has two levels, and the lower dance floor, called waterfloor, is spectacular: It has a wide floor to ceiling glass front that overlooks the river Spree and an illuminated bridge – it feels like you are dancing on water.

The Watergate has an ever changing line-up of international DJs who specialize in house and drum and bass music. On warm summer nights, enjoy the breeze on the outside deck over the water.

Address: Falckenstein Strasse 49, 10997 Berlin Metro: U1 Schlesisches Tor Open: Thu-Sat 11 p.m. - open end

3. Tresor

The Tresor (meaning "vault" or "safe") is a legendary institution of Berlin's nightlife – it was the cities first techno club and introduced electronic music to a Germany no longer separated by the wall in the early 90's.

After closing down in 2004, Tresor celebrated its resurrection in an old power plant in Kreuzberg in 2007. Ever since, Tresor has been throbbing with hard and loud electro, acid and industrial music. It is a must-dance for real techno lovers who like to party until midmorning of the next day.

Address: Köpenicker Strasse 70, 10179 Berlin Mitte Metro: U8 Heinrich-Heine-Strasse Open: Wed, Thu-Sat midnight - open end

4. White Trash

White Trash is many things – a restaurant with great hamburgers, a smoky bar, and a seedy club with several stages spread out over two floors. The interior of White Trash is a mix of Asian kitsch and tacky American memorabilia.

Make your way past the bars to the club downstairs, housed in a kitschy artificial cave where you can get your daily dose of eclectic live music; bands sweat out everything from Country and Rock, to Electro, Punk, and Indie. You'll find many American expats at White Trash, and the staff speaks English. Come here before 8 p.m. when the entrance is free.

Address: Alte Schönhauser Allee 6-7, 10119 Berlin Metro: U2 Senefelder Platz Open: daily, 6 p.m. - open end

5. Maria am Ostbahnhof

Maria am Ostbahnhof is a Mecca for fans of progressive electronic music; the giant club consists of two separate halls and can accommodate up to 1,500 people. Maria is famous for its international DJ sets, experimental and contemporary live music.

The Maria Club is huge, but if you want a more intimate atmosphere, head to the small and loungy club called Josef, located inside the Maria. In summer, you can also chill outside; Maria is located right on the bank of the River Spree.

Address: Stralauer Platz 34-35/ An der Schillingbruecke, 10243 Berlin Metro: S 3, 5, 7, 9 Ostbahnhof Open: Thu-Sat, 11 p.m.-open end

August Fengler Lychener Strasse 11 Not so august night out

Bar am Luetzowplatz

7 Luetzowplatz Champagne and suits

Bar Lounge 808 42-3 Oranienburger Str.

Lounge bar named for kicks

Berghain & Panorama Bar

Am Wriezener Bahnhof

Don't say we didn't warn you!

Cafe Berio Maassenstrasse 7 Superior cafe with fantastic terrace

Das Haus B Warschauer Platz 18 Haus of fun

Delicious Donuts Rosenthaler Strasse 9 Sweet... and sometimes sticky

Deponie No. 3 Georgenstrasse 5 Lively place to kick off the party

Felix ClubRestaurant

Behrenstrasse 72 High class jinks

Green Door Winterfeldtstrasse 50 What's in a name?

Greenwich Gipsstrasse 5 Have a mean time in Greenwich

Hafen Motzstrasse 19 Stalwart of the gay scene

Haifisch Bar Arndtstrasse 25 Sushi and cocktails without yuppification

Harry's New York Bar

Lutzowufer 15 A slice of the Big Apple

Havanna Hauptstrasse 30 Ditch the Teutonic temperament

Hudson Bar Elssholtzstrasse 10 Manhattan-inspired watering hole

Kaffee Burger Torstrasse 60 Eclectic goings on

Kims Karaoke Mehringdamm 32 Belt out some Britney

KingKongKlub Brunnenstrasse 173 A Mecca of monkey business

KitKatClub Kopenicker Strasse 76

Two fingers or four?

Lido Cuvrystrasse 7 Running the gamut of live music

Luisen-Br�u Luisenplatz 1 Fun by the metre

Marcus Br�u Muenzstrasse 1-3 Pour your own pint

Maria am Ostbahnhof

Stralauer Platz 34/35 Cooler than cool

Meininger Hostel Hallesches Ufer 3 Seven floors topped by a terrace

N.N. Train Cocktail Bar

Hauptstrasse 159 Cocktail bar with a great track record

Pinguin Club Wartburgstrasse 54 Pick up at Pinguin

Q-Dorf Joachimstalerstrasse 15

Sweaty disco extraordinaire

Reingold Novalisstrasse 11 Golden spot to while away the hours

Rio Chaussee Strasse 106 Blame it on Rio

Rockz Simon-Dach-Strasse 37

Rock video paradise

Room 14 Boxhagener Strasse 14

Rock 'n' roll friendliness

Sage Club Kopenicker Strasse 76 Still doing the business...

Schokoladen Ackerstrasse 169-70 Any sign of Charlie?

SchwuZ Mehringdamm 61 Cruise into SchwuZ

SO36 Oranienstrasse 190 A Kreuzberg classic

Speakeasy Berlin Schumannstrasse 16 Prohibitive good fun

Spindler & Klatt Kopenickerstrasse 16-17

Make way for S & K's Hyde-side

Strandbar Mitte Monbijou Park Oh I do love to be beside the Spreeside...

Tacheles Oranienburger Strasse 54-56a

The essence of a crazy decade

The Oscar Wilde Pub

Friedrichstrasse 112A Best bacon butty in Berlin!

Tresor Kopenickerstrasse 59-73

A giant awakes...

Victoria Bar Potsdamerstrasse 102 Majestic place for a drink

Watergate Club Falckensteinstrasse 49 Scandalous night out by the river

Weekend Club Alexanderplatz 5 It's dirty, it's wild... it's the Weekend!

White Trash Fast Food

Schonhauser Allee 6/7 A blast from the Commie past

EVENTS

Berliner Gauklerfest

Pariser Platz 10117 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

The Gauklerfest, held August 3 to 12 along the stretch from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburger Tor, includes gourmet eats, shopping, and entertainment ranging from music to … fire-eating and juggling. The historic buildings of Unter den Linden serve as a picturesque backdrop.

Berlin Festival

Seydlitzstraße 6 12247 Lankwitz, Berlin, Germany

In the tradition of Berlin as a world metropolis for alternative contemporary music, the Berlin Festival will welcome the musical avant-garde to the city on July 27 and … 28. The grounds will include sporting and camping areas (www.tentstation.de). Two-day tickets cost €40-€60 with a camping space.[link]

Amerikanisches Volksfest

Clayallee and Argentinische Allee

Berlin-Dahlem's annual German-American Festival will take place this year from July 27 to August 19. Organizers of the event will use Los Angeles, the city of angels, as … the thematic inspiration for musical performances and American food specialties

Internationales Berliner Bierfestival

Karl-Marx-Allee and Strausberger Platz

From August 3 to 5, you can visit the booths of 240 breweries along a 2.2 kilometer stretch of Karl-Marx-Allee (from Frankfurter Tor to Strausberger Platz). At various … times throughout the festival, the breweries will serve 1,750 kinds of beer from 80 different countries

German History Museum

Unter den Linden 2 10117 Berlin, Germany

Get your German history infusion in this nifty shop downstairs in the newish I.M. Pei extension. In addition to the museum's exhibition catalogues, on subjects ranging … from Teutonic prehistory to post-reunification blues, the shop carries a superb selection of books on Berlin and German photography as well as documentary CDs and DVDs. If you still need more German history (and really, who can ever get enough?), check out the films screening in the museum's Zeughaus Kino

Hamburger Bahnhof

Invalidenstrasse 50 10557 Berlin, Germany

Contemporary work is the focus here as the Hamburger Bahnhof struggles for its place in the city's artistic (and budgetary) sun. Its shop is big and stocks an eclectic … collection of art books (Taschen heavy of course) and glossy magazines. The selection offers lots of theory too, if that's what floats your boat -- and of course tiny TV towers and Brandenburg Gates, the ever popular Berlin buy.

Deutsche Guggenheim

Unter den Linden 13 10117 Berlin, Germany

While the exhibitions at the Deutsche Guggenheim are occasionally disappointing (though refreshingly small) due to the limitations of its collection, the museum shop is a … delight. Most of the art books on offer examine contemporary artists whose work at one point or another has appeared in the museum, and it also displays a clever selection of artsy accessories and witty gifts. The tiny cafe is a dozen seats slipped into the shop (so you can eyeball your fellow art lovers), while in warm weather it spills out into the courtyard of the Deutsche Bank building. And remember: On Mondays, the museum waves the usual entrance fee!

Bauhaus Museum

Klingelhaessferstrasse 10785 Berlin, Germany

The Bauhaus shop is light on heavy books but has a wide selection of sleekly designed household objects. Clocks, carafes, and desk sets designed by the masters of … fashionable functionality are available to transform your dingy digs into a high value dwelling machine. For a finishing touch brighten up the walls of your horrid little hovel with the shop's vintage Bauhaus posters

Martin-Gropius-Bau

Niederkirchnerstrasse 7 10117 Berlin, Germany

Reflecting the eclectic exhibitions of the house itself, the museum shop carries tomes concerning the visual arts, architecture, archaeology, anthropology, and art theory … along with a large selection of the postcards, fridge magnets, and other cultural effluvia that museum shops are compelled to carry these days. After stuffing the saddlebags full, water your camels at the airy and elegant cafe across the lobby, a restful oasis for your cultural caravan.

Museum for Photography

Jebensstrasse 2 10623 Berlin, Germany

As it's housed in the same building as the Helmut Newton Foundation, celebrating the lifework of Berlin's favorite photographic son, you'll be sure to see some of … Newton's naked glamazons lounging about in any exhibition the museum is hosting. The shop is a shutterbug's dream, with thousands of volumes examining every aspect of photography theory and practice as well as surveying photographers from every era. It was at one time Taschen's official Berlin outlet. You can also pick up all manner of trinketry emblazoned with sexy Newtonian imagery, then cool off with a hot beverage at the Cafe Einstein next door

Berlinische Galerie

Alte Jakobstrasse 124 10969 Berlin, Germany

This shop (and the accompanying museum) focuses on artists who have lived and/or worked in Berlin, ranging from Max Liebermann to Hannah Höch to Marwan. If you need … a George Grosz postcard or a John Heartfield fridge magnet you can pick them up here and then compose obscene poems for your Dadaist friends over a decadent lunch at the museum's Cafe Dix.

Old National Gallery

Bodestrasse 3 10178 Berlin, Germany

The tiny shop downstairs sells catalogs and posters accompanying all the Alte Nationalgalerie's exhibitions as well as a fine selection on 19th-century painting, Berlin … history, and "garden art." Pick up a dainty souvenir for mutti while enjoying coffee and sweets at the even tinier cafe just beyond the bookshelves.

Zapatos de Baile

Wissmannstrasse 12049 Berlin, Germany

Throughout your holiday stay, you may notice a collective agreement on the shoes of choice in Berlin: Converse, Vans, ballerina flats, and what I call the classic mambo … shoe. The latter is like a distant cousin of the classic wingtip, albeit a more girly and urban relative. If you've watched West Side Story with meticulous deliberation, you'll have seen the Puerto Rican women sporting a variation of this timeless pump.

And because I understand you can't afford a custom made pair expertly stitched by LaDuca in Hell's Kitchen, I present to you the cheaper simulacra. Not exactly the trashy German cousin, but the more, shall we say, frugal one?

Tienda Latina Café

Mittenwalder Strasse 27 10961 Berlin, Germany

Cheap ethnic eats belong in Kreuzberg, and Tienda Latina is no exception. The simple Colombian eatery is the kind of place you're more likely to find in Jackson Heights, … Queens, with its family run ambiance and no nonsense appearance. If you've only a snack in mind, try the empanadas. The tasty baked pockets are filled with your choice of beef or vegetables, similar to Indian samosa. If you want something powerful as penicillin, then try the spicy avocado soup followed by the Bandeja Latina, a conglomeration of chicken, pork, fried eggs, and sweet plantains.

SODA Club

Schonhauser Allee 36 10435 Berlin, Germany

Now that you've purchased from Zapatos de Baile those red & black Rita Moreno dance shoes, naturally you want to dance. On the southwest corner (Schönhauser and … Sredzki) of the Kulturbrauerei stands a large, proud nightclub. Every Thursday and Sunday, the SODA club hosts Caribbean and Latin dance night. For 4€ and with appropriate attire, you can dance your booty away with all the best Berliners gone Latin. If you're unsure about your salsa skills, the first hour offers dance lessons with professional instructors. Now what will they say back home when you tell them you went all out on the dance floor with some salsero from Prenzlauer Berg?

La Casa del Habano

Fasanenstrasse 9 10623 Berlin, Germany

You've shopped a full day through the Ku'Damm grind; furthermore, you've just had a delightful dinner in some out of the way place, no doubt recommended by Gridskipper. … Now you've a nightcap in mind. You're thinking: elegant lounge without too many umbrella drinks and bleach blondes to match ... Ah, yes, you remember now reading about that Cuban lounge inside the unassuming but modish Hotel Savoy, where Thomas Mann used to stay, and oh, yes, how lovely a Cuban cigar would accompany that nightcap. Now you've no longer a reason to regret choosing a holiday in Berlin over Havana.

Instituto Cervantes Berlin

Rosenstrasse 18 10178 Berlin, Germany This longstanding multicultural structure is home to many Latin American and Catalonian venues. It hosts a variety of events including theatrical works, contemporary … photography exhibitions, and lectures.

Cueva Buena Vista

Andreasstrasse 66 10243 Berlin, Germany

In our opinion, the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic) outranks all of Latin America both in cuisine and music. Flavors are more layered, complex, and … downright ambrosial. With such Dionysian generosity of spirit, it's no wonder Caribbean folks are more likely to shake their bums than come up with perpetual "isms." At Cueva Buena Vista, you can experience all the joys of the Caribbean in one locale. The Cuban restaurant, aside from the outstanding menu, is host to the hottest salsa night jam parties. Every Friday and Saturday beginning at 11 p.m., prepare to eat, sweat, and come away speaking pitch perfect Spanglish.

CLUB WILD AT HEART

Wiener Str. 2010999 Berlin ph.: 030-61074701fax: 030-61074702info@wildatheartberlin.de

open every day 8. p.m

TIKI HEART Cafe & ShopWiener Str. 20 • 10999 Berlin-Kreuzbergsubway: U-Goerlitzer BHF • BUS: M29Open From:Cafe: everyday from 12 amShop: Mo - Sa from 12 am till 8 pm

Weinbar Rutz, Berlin

A wine store, bar, and Michelin-starred restaurant under one roof, this softly lit Mitte spot has a 900-bottle list that will transport a Riesling fanatic straight to Valhalla. Let the city swells ascend to the main restaurant; we prefer the gemütlich-plus menu at the bar downstairs. Anyone for puffy sliced bread dumplings served beside grandma-style beef roulade? Or a burger of Saumagen (a hog-maw sausage from Pfalz) gilded with foie gras and paired with Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling from the same region? Dinner for two $98.

Wohnzimmer

LettestraSSe 6 10437 Berlin, Germany

The pioneer. You may never get to appreciate the charmingly rundown Victorian décor; when the sun shines, everyone sits outdoors. Be prepared to relax next to a … stranger, who will presume he or she can sit with you. If you're bored, you can self-entertain by counting how many shoeless men in three-pieced suits walk by. True to its name (Wohnzimmer = "Living Room"), one immediately feels cozy, like visiting granny in the East Village. Light snacks and small salads are offered daily. For a cool summer treat, next door is an ice-cream parlor offering a variety of exquisite flavors. Keep in mind it's self-service, so you have to go inside to place your order.

Café Liebling

Raumerstraße 36 10437 Berlin, Germany

With no sign and a crumbling gray façade, this inconspicuous café is a "Helmi" hangout, both by day and evening. Watch it change from a latte macchiato … café to a stylish cocktail bar. The interior is sleek -- a la New York's Asia de Cuba -- without being obnoxious. For a relaxed evening out with friends, or as an easy starter to your evening rendezvous, Liebling is a good choice. Lovely to sit outside as the late sun sets. If no tables are available and you don't want to split one with Fritz and Heidi, take your milky coffee and go sprawl on the lawn across the street, among all the non-balcony-owning locals.

Cafe Im Nu

Lychener Strasse 49 10437 Berlin, Germany

Its name refers to a caffeine-free wheat-malt coffee from East Germany, more commonly known as children's or granny's coffee. Im Nu is the typical European-style … bistro-café, with dark wood paneling and bistro-style tables. French art-deco wallpaper and paintings add the finishing touches. Breakfasts are tasty and always reliable. Weekends offer a typical Berlin-style breakfast buffet at a flat rate. (Achtung! weekend crowd!)

Toast

Raumerstrasse 12 10437 Berlin, Germany

A small Italian-style café that can easily seat three; five is a crowd. On the sidewalk is a small ramshackle arrangement of seating. Opens at an early 8 a.m.; you'll have the sun mostly to yourself. Come afternoons if you like shade, quiet, and solitude. Great coffee as well as very tasty sandwiches, with your choice of ciabatta, … panini, or bagel. They also offer a number of elaborate fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies. Having been to Italy often enough to become an espresso snob, this is surely a place I would recommend to Italians looking for the real deal.

Café Kiezkind

Helmholtzstrasse 1 10587 Berlin, Germany

Situated on Helmholzplatz itself, Kiezkind is a pleasant surprise. An ideal café for parents and children, the outdoor tables are surrounded by sand and oversized … toys. The coffee is excellent, as are the various health-conscious cakes. They also offer fruit shakes, open-face sandwiches, and a daily soup. The staff (for Berlin) is exceptionally friendly. A definite alternative to the otherwise crowded cafés on the platz. If you have no children, the parents won't eye you dubiously. Come on a scorching day, and you'll have the sand and toys all to yourself

Lyrik

Kollwitzstraße 97 10435 Berlin, Germany

Readings are only one facet of Lyrik's progressive cultural activities aimed to entertain the P'berg intelligentsia. Here you'll find everything from modernized classical … music to political discussions to erotic reviews.

LiteraturWERKSTATT

Knaackstraße 97 10435 Berlin, Germany

The mission of this organization is to provide a physical space where authors and their public can come together and to support the German-language literary illuminati … abroad. It's not surprising, then, that some of the more recognized literati appear on their program. That said, the Werkstatt can also be credited with discovering and nurturing fresh, young talent.

Lokalrunde

Friedrichstraße 101 10117 Berlin, Germany

Defining itself as an avant-garde review, the show is full of shocking, sometimes politically incorrect, but generally amusing dialogue.

Stirnhirnhinterzimmer

Bergstraße 2 10115 Berlin, Germany

A broad range of genres take center stage at this quirky monthly reading occurring every second Thursday at 8:15 p.m. in Z-Bar. A general, and often unlikely, unifying … principle brings together otherwise disparate literary snippets for the three host authors.

Brauseboys

Liebenwalder Straße 13347 Berlin, Germany

You can find more droll and cheeky text, music, and performance here on Thursdays.

Frühschoppen

Chausseestraße 18 10115 Berlin, Germany

These readings, including dialogue, song, and dance, take place at 1 p.m. on Sundays at Schlot in the Wedding neighborhood of the city. The subject matter is sometimes … a tad nonsensical, at other times sarcastic, and often irreverent. The first Sunday of each month is improv.

Weinberg

Winsstraße 64 10405 Berlin, Germany

Quantity and selection is the name of the game here. This shop doesn't specialize as some of the others do, but it does carry loads of wines (and other inebriants) from … around the world. True to European non-prudery, this liquor store has a children's corner, so the little kiddies can play while mommy tips one back. You'll also find special events centered on wine.

Slow

Prenzlauer Allee 10405 Berlin, Germany

This is the anti-wine snobs stop for all things wine, including cooking courses, chichi snacks, and wine and cheese tastings -- all minus that special pretension that you … often find accompanying wine.

Les Rouges du Midi

Knaackstraße 54 10435 Berlin, Germany

.Here's the place to go for French wines from Languedoc, Provence, and Bandol, including, as the owner will explain, some hard-to-find Bandol reds and roses. … Ostentatious but delicious groceries are available here, too.

Pappa e Ciccia

Schwedter Straße 18 10119 Berlin, Germany

Pick up a bottle and all of the customary Mediterranean wine-drinking snacks: olives, breads, cheeses, and wurst (yes, that too, this is Germany, after all). Or if you … want to kick back and have a glass there, order one of the Italian specialties on the menu.

Verano

Schivelbeiner Straße 23 10439 Berlin, Germany

Connoisseurs of various specialty foodstuffs stop by this café for a coffee, tea, or glass of wine. Wash down tapas and Bocadillos with a glass of Spanish or … Portuguese. And if you like what you have, you can buy some to take home with you. Though be careful with the coffee beans in customs ..

Weinerei

Veteranenstraße 14 10119 Berlin, Germany

We've mentioned it before, this local wine enthusiasts bar and restaurant with the "pay what you please" policy. Put down a euro for your glass when you arrive, help … yourself to the wine (and food), and pay what you find fair before you leave. Plan to toss a few euros per glass of wine into the jar; there is a separate jar for paying the actors on performance night. (The short, original plays are fantastic.)

Wein Peter

Raumerstraße 26 10437 Berlin, Germany

This is our top pick for locally run Prenzlauer Berg wine shops. Peter himself will greet you in the shop (or from his chair out front if the weather's nice), tell you … whatever you'd like to know about European wines, make recommendations, and offer samples. Renounce chips and pretzels in favor of French cheese (delivered fresh on Thursdays) that can be paired with your wine of choice.

Boat Rental Schlachtensee

Marinesteig 6a 14129 Berlin, Germany 030/8037304

The Schlachtensee is one of Berlin's cleanest lakes and a favored summertime destination for swimmers and picnickers. The boat rental is on the east bank of the lake, and … once you wear yourself out rowing around the shoreline looking for skinnydippers, get some refreshment at the Fischerhütte -- favored by Berliners for almost three hundred years.

TeamVenture Sportspark

Haupstraße 2 14979 Großbeeren, Germany

Convenient to the Ostkreuz S-Bahn station, TeamVenture offers one and two man kayaks for paddling about the small Rummelsberger See. If you're young and still feeling … ambitious after your watersport, play a bit of beach volleyball or clamber through their giant rope climb. You'll find me resting my old bones in the shade thank you.

Wassersport Berlin-Müggelsee

Fürstenwalder Damm 838 12589 Berlin, Germany 030/6 48 15 80

At over four kilometers, the Müggelsee is Berlin's biggest lake and the east's answer to Wannsee. Boats of all sorts and even surfboards (hang ten dude!) are available. … Paddle away to quiet spot, toss out a fishing line, break open a six pack, and have a scale of the fish that bit you.

Rent-A-Boat

An der Abteibrücke im Treptower Park 12435 Berlin, Germany 0177 / 2 9932 50

A bit downmarket but convenient to the city and makes for a pleasant afternoon getaway. Drift out on the water in a paddleboat, rowboat, or motorboat and make your way … around the tiny island in the Spree. Afterwards make sure to see the impressively massive Soviet War Memorial.

Der Bootsladen

Brandensteinweg 37 13595 Berlin, Germany 030/362 56 85

Looking for a romantic getaway? Can you canoe? If so, rent one here by the hour, day, or week and paddle through the protected natural landscapes of the Havel … Canal. If you're energetic and insane, you can paddle your way to Hamburg.

Segelschule Wannsee

Am Großen Wannsee 12 14109 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

The Wannsee is Berlin's premiere summertime escape. Rent sailboats, motorboats, and catamarans here, plus rowboats at the nearby beach. Been awhile since you were booted … out of the navy? Sailing classes are available![

Cafe am Neuen See

Lichtensteinallee 2 10787 Berlin, Germany 030/254493 - 00

Perfect for an afternoon's idyll while staying downtown. Rent a rowboat and paddle around this small lake in the middle of the Tiergarten. Once the novelty wears off, you … can hop out and recover your strength with pizza and beer at the cafe.

Schwarzes Cafe

Kantstraße 30 10623 Berlin, Germany

We've mentioned it before, but it warrants space here as well. If your evening took you to the west side of town and you need something post-bar to soak up the rest of … that alcohol, this is the place for breakfast at any hour and the classic "after the bars" bite to eat.

Bar 11

Wiener Straße 21 10999 Berlin, Germany

Though the extra-late hours aren't official, this is another joint known for keeping its doors open until just about brunch time on the weekends. With comfy chairs and … candlelight, it's the most laid back of these late-night options.

AM to PM

Am Zwirngraben 2 10178 Berlin, Germany

Don't expect last call here. This staid, somewhat touristy club at Hackescher Markt should actually be called 24-hours rather than AM to PM. It's open all night and … offers an all-in-one night: music, drinks, dancing, breakfast, and the s-bahn home (it's running conveniently just overhead).

KitKat Club

Köpenicker Straße 76 10179 Berlin, Germany

The Piepshow on Sundays is more than the clubers' spot for working off Saturday's hangover. Much as the name implies, this late night at KitKat has a unique theme. Be … sure to check the dress/undress code before you go ("to avoid misunderstandings," as organizers say).

Berghain

Am Wriezener Bahnhof 10243 Berlin, Germany

Looking for someplace to go after the "normal" clubs kick you out at 4 a.m.? That's when things just start to pick up at Klubnacht, where the party begins at midnight on … Saturday and goes on well past dawn on Sunday.

Luxa

Torstraße 56 10119 Berlin, Germany

If you've spent the evening at the southern end of Schönhauser Allee or on Torstrasse, you'll be psyched to come across Luxa, which is open until breakfast. Of course, you can order yourself another cocktail. But the Imbiss is special for its fantastic Middle Eastern food. It's open until 3 a.m. during the week and until 5 a.m. on … Fridays and Saturdays.

SAVIGNY PLATZ

Café Savigny

Grolmanstraße 53 10623 Berlin, Germany

An upmarket interior of chandeliers and classic, marble-topped tables, with a chunk of Parthenon frieze behind the bar and an arty clientele-base. The food is toothy, and … there's an impressive selection of quality international newspapers to thumb through at lunch -- a good time to go because unlike a lot of Berlin nightspots, Café Savigny doesn't look like a cheap goth club in daylight.

Hefner

Kantstraße 30 10623 Berlin, Germany

Banish all thoughts of tacky oak-paneled bachelor pads. This bar on the corner of Kantstrasse and Savigny Platz is more Wallpaper* than Playboy, although they take … their martinis very seriously indeed.

Kollwitzplatz

Le Flo

Husemannstraße 16 10435 Berlin, Germany

A quaint French-specialty shop with all sorts of Provençal goodies: herbs, marmalade, regional olive oils, a number of mustards, Mediterranean sea-salt, meats, … lavender, etc. They also have a nice selection of beautiful rustic soaps in sensual flavors: honey, currant, peach, lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange. Open Tuesday-Friday, 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Kunst-a-bunt

Wörther Straße 39 10435 Berlin, Germany

As the grave-faced owner will attest, this is a serious antique shop. Enter an overwhelming array of vintage silverware, china, vases, tables, lamps, carpets, books, … postcards, photographs, and jewelry, from all periods. A great place if you're looking for the perfect ladle to compliment your silverware, or for a vintage pearl necklace; only keep in mind that nothing will disarm the humorless owner. Open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

StrandBad

Wörther Straße 12 10435 Berlin, Germany

These guys make those well-known bath shops look like amateurs. A medley of upscale delights for the bath and body, including elegant housecoats, bathrobes, slippers, … delicate bath oils and soaps, and dazzling little seashells. Sample the line of cedar-oil bath products; it will make you feel like you're bathing on the mountains of the western Himalaya. Everyone is extremely helpful and speaks English. Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.[

Leporello Papeterie

Rykestraße 46 10405 Berlin, Germany

On one of the most beautiful streets in Kollwitzplatz, Leporello offers an exquisite collection of journals, writing implements, paper of gorgeous patterns, tote and … messenger bags, and all sorts of fun party favors for children. They are also one of the few stores in Berlin that carries variety, though not at the expense of quality. Do visit when you have time to appreciate what they offer -- truly a must for the stationery-obsessed. Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

.....Cache Coeuer

Schönhauser Allee 174 10119 Berlin, Germany

Cache Coeur is more of a boutique than a rummage sale, with only a few racks of lovingly selected clothes largely dating from the 1960s onwards. They also have a range of … bright plastic toys, gizmos, and household doodads from the same perio[

Glencheck

Joachim-Friedrich-Straße 10711 Berlin, Germany

An Aladdin's cave of 1920s to 1950s clothing and accessories situated in Wilmersdorf, towards the western end of the Ku'Damm. The name is a nice little reference to the … German obsession with good old-fashioned British tailoring and tweed, but you can also find flapper frocks and delicate parasols.

Frozen Hibiscus

Damerowstraße 64 13187 Berlin, Germany

Designer Claudia Urbanek's website showcases her handmade men's and women's wear and accessories -- check out her kitschy coconut shell purse, or the 1920s pajamas in … smoky satin. Divine decadence.

Garage

Ahornstraße 10787 Berlin, Germany

Kleidermarkt are a group of giant secondhand stores where you buy clothes by the kilo: Garage is on Ahornstrasse in Schöneberg, Colours at Bergmannstrasse 102 in … Kreuzberg, and Made in Berlin right in the center of Mitte, at Neue Schönhauser 10. Not the place for collectors' items, but there's plenty of everyday wear, wedding dresses and 1980s sequins to transform into clubwear.

Sommerwelt am Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz Berlin, Germany

More beach chairs and plank-wood flooring. Only this time, the crowd is a bit more professional, and the theme is Central and South American. If the beach setting … isn't your style, try relaxing in the Bedouin tent with a water pipe. Check the website for information on live music performances.[

Kaiser's

Fehrbelliner Straße 12 10119 Berlin, Germany

the King (or Kaiser) of Berlin Supermarkets, this is the closest you’ll find to a full service, five-different-brands-of-everything SUPERmarket. Browse the aisles … of Kaiser’s for everything your budget, and sweet tooth, can afford (the generous selection of Haribo gummis is ridiculous). The luxury of having a gourmet coffee selection and deli counter will cost you though, so buying the basics here may not be the right choice for thrifty shoppers.kaisers

Penny-markt

Reinickendorfer Straße 83 13347 Berlin, Germany

As the name suggests, this may be the cheapest of the cheap supermarkets, a true “discounter.” Prices are low, but lines at the cashier are often long. One … advantage: many Penny locations are open until 10pm, a true luxury some of the fancier supermarkets don’t provide.[link]

Aldi

Stresemannstraße 72 10963 Berlin, Germany

My personal favorite. Long the source of politically incorrect jokes (“Why does a blonde steal from Aldi? Because it’s cheaper there.”) this supermarket … remains the true classic of cheap German supermarkets. Don’t let cheap scare you though. Products may be chaotically shelved in shipping boxes, but the quality of the food is reliably good. Intriguingly for international travelers, the chain also sells random things like SIM cards for global phones. Finally, a little known fact: Aldi also owns Trader Joe’s in the U.S.!

Bio Company Shop Friedrichshain gmbh & Co. KG

Voigtstraße 38 10247 Berlin, Germany

The keyword here is “Bio,” or organic. Long a given on the German food scene, “Bio Produkte” are the main attraction at the countless small stores … stocked with organic peanut butter, seitan (the vegetarian white meat!) and fresh local produce. These are the only places where discovering dirt on your lettuce or a worm in your apple may actually mean the store is doing its job. If you’d like to skip the worm and the solidarity-with-the-local-economy-part, go for the more upscale Whole Foods-y chain “Bio Company.”

Okyanus

Opposite Gröbenufer 8, at Oberbaumbrücke, 10997 Berlin

Located on the east side of Oberbaumbrücke, which was once a border crossing and now freely connects Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. They offer the typical Greek, Turkish, … and Mediterranean entrées and seafood ranging from anything with feta to anything with calamari and, of course, the obligatory lamb dishes. Okyanus will step up to the Greek-Turkish differences and overcome them. Just don't tell them that; not one Turkish person will appreciate you ordering gyros, and likewise the Greek will freak if you ask for a döner.

Nocti Vagus

Saarbrücker Straße 36 10405 Berlin, Germany

Yet another example of the dark restaurant trend dishes up customizable, gourmet meals in an allegedly unique atmosphere: total darkness. You're served by blind and … seeing-impaired staff and finished off with a "dark stage" performance; ostensibly, this opens up a new world, in which the other senses are heightened through the absence of sight. It hints at the rich sensory world of non-sighted people.

Hasir

Oranienburger Straße 4 10178 Berlin, Germany

You don't know a thing about Berlin's contemporary culinary world (or Germany's in general) if you haven't tried a Dönerkebab. This tasty Turkish (albeit Germanized) … rolo sandwich is served into the wee hours of the morning at Turkish imbisses citywide (and, for that matter, practically nationwide). For a guaranteed good döner, visit Hasir. Branches exist in several neighborhoods, but Berlin's Kreuzberg is the heart of the city's Turkish culture.

Cupcake

Krossener Straße 10245 Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany

Anyone with ovaries secretly wants to eat cake all the time, but it can be difficult to know when to stop. That's where individual cupcakes come into it, plus cake forks … to slow you down. This new cafe in Friedrichshain has an ever-changing menu of dainty cakes with whipped frosting and sprinkles for blood sugar switchbacks. Also dishes up savory comfort food and root beer floats.[

Botticelli's sketches for the Divine Comedy

Kupferstichkabinett, Matthäikirchplatz 8 10785 Berlin, Germany 030/2662002

Botticelli gave up before he finished the full set of 100 illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy, but 84 of his sketches are held by the Kupferstichkabinett: Look out … for Satan with webbed wings, devouring writhing sinners headfirst.[

Pergamon Altar

Am Kupfergraben 5 10117 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Ripped from a Turkish hillside, the Pergamon altar has its own climate-controlled showcase of a museum on the Museuminsel. Its much-studied marble frieze is a kind of … family tree for Gods and other assorted immortals, who strut their stuff or recline majestically on couches. Imposing in its small hall, just imagine how it must have looked in situ

Ishtar Gate

Am Kupfergraben 5 10117 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

According to the earliest known source, the Ishtar Gate was one of the real seven wonders of the ancient world, before it lost out to the Lighthouse of Alexandria. … Reassembled in the Pergamon Museum, it was built by Nebuchadnezzer II in Babylon in the sixth century BC, and features a ticker tape parade of mystical beasts with prancing golden aurochs and dragons on a background of midnight blue tiles.

The South Sea Hall at the Ethnologisches Museum

Lansstr. 8 14195 Berlin, Germany 030/8301 - 500

Dahlem is a pretty snoozy suburb these days, but the South Sea hall at the Ethnologisches Museum is spectacular: a barn of a building with sail boats and catamarans you … can climb into, reconstructed Polynesian huts and even an antique surf board from Hawaii

Imperial Chinese Throne of the Qing Dynasty

Takustr. 40 14195 Berlin, Germany 030/8301 - 382

In the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst behold an Imperial Chinese throne of the Qing Dynasty. In mother-of-pearl, gold, silver and laquer it depicts the arrival of the … Queen Mother in Paradise, riding bareback on a phoenix - clearly the best way to do inter-heavenly-sphere travel. Positively celestial.

The Fountain of Youth by Cranach the Elder

Stauffenbergstr. 40 10785 Berlin, Germany 030/2662101

Old crones arrive in chauffeur driven wagons, plunge into a restorative pool and emerge (after a bit of Sapphic frolicking) as youthful maidens. Spot the … contemporary echoes

in Cranach the Elder's 1546 masterpiece, The Fountain of Youth in the Gemäldegalerie. It's like Bosch, but more fun.

Nefertiti at the Altes Museum

Am Lustgarten 10178 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

The most beautiful woman in Berlin is a 3,000 year old Egyptian. The city is in love with the bust of Nefertiti that's kept in the Altes Museum even though it was … probably a mere template for grander sculptures of the famous Queen. Gaze on her elegant cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes, then buy the t-shirt, the tea towels and the fridge magnet[

il Syndicato

Weinbergsweg 5 10119 Berlin, Germany

Need to eat and run? Il Syndicato has you covered. Their delicious Piadina sandwiches are made to order with a thin Italian bread, fresh cheeses, veggies, and … fillings to your taste. With after meal espressos only fifty cents, you can keep awake and alert in the event the black helicopters are just behind the trees.

8. zweitradtouren

Fehrbelliner Straße 82 10119 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

The elegant solution. Seconds away from lovely Arkonaplatz and Zionskirchplatz, where you must Sunday brunch and browse the flea market. You may want to finish the day … with used-bike/two-wheel tours. (Sorry, untranslatable word play.) Cruise what is left over of the Wall with a fine Holland-Rad (Dutch-style bicycle) or stay local and have the experienced guide tell you something about all those beautiful old houses you marveled at hours earlier. Here as well you can simply rent your own, and go go go.

RadKom

Rankestraße 3 10789 Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany

This is a beautiful store if you're looking to buy a bike. Fortunately, they also rent bikes. So if your smile can prove toothy enough, you may be able to rent the bike … you would like to buy. (Not.) They are also in the business of offering tours, but you will not find

any clue to that on their website (perhaps my little e-mail will change that). Feel free to inquire with the very friendly and helpful employees for all the information desired.

GRUNEWALD

The Grunewald is an enormous, 32 square kilometer patch of forest between the rich Western suburbs of Berlin and the Havel River. Originally deer and boar hunting territory for the royal family, it has pretty much recovered from the years after World War II, when desperate Berliners raided more than two thirds of its trees for firewood. The well-maintained tracks that crisscross through the trees are teeming with healthy locals striding out with their Nordic walking sticks or fiddling with the gears on their 20-speed mountain bikes, on their way to tuck into piles of hearty German food in gemütlich tourist restaurants. German forests always have a sinister side to them though -- they're the places where Hansel and Gretel are lost, and the fairy tale wolves lurk -- and the Grunewald is no exception.

At one end is Teufelsberg, "Devil's Mountain," constructed from the rubble of World War II. At the other is the Wannsee bay, overlooked by the notorious villa, where the bureaucratic technicalities of the Final Solution were hammered out. On the eastern fringes are the Wilhelmine mansions of Berlin's wealthy, where the super-rich Landauer family in Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories lived. The Grunewald is a funny mixture of art, darkness, money, and bumptious rustic-style Germanity.

Fahrradstation

Auguststraße 29 10117 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

These guys are SO very conveniently and strategically placed all over town, it's hard to miss them. With more than 700 bikes in 5 locations you can't go wrong. The neat … thing here is that they will "just" offer you a bike, and not that annoying tour guide to go along. If on the other hand, you are feeling lazy and leisurely, ask them to organize a tour for you and your buddies, and that annoying tour guide may prove to be someone charming that may want to share a tandem later, or just a beer. Friendly service.

Freibad Pankow

After the division of the city, the East German authorities soon realized they had to make up for some of the facilities lost to the West, and the open air pool in … Pankow was one of their little efforts. The current lifeguard booths look like cut-down versions of the watch towers that once loomed over No Man's Land.[

Kempinski Hotel Bristol

Kurfürstendamm 27 10719 Berlin, Germany +49 30 884340

Strange though it may seem, the first postwar hotel swimming pool in Berlin wasn't completed till 1972. It sits in the five-star Kempinski Hotel Bristol, rebuilt … triumphantly by the Kempinski family in 1952, more than a decade after the hoteliers lost everything to the Nazis' attack on Jewish-owned businesses.

Olympia Stadion Sommerbad

Olympischer Platz 1 14053 Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany

Though the athletes practiced in Stadbad Mitte, the races at the 1936 Olympics were held in this open-air pool by the Olympia Stadion, and it shares the same grandiose … but stark architectural vision. Now restored, it's still open to the public in the summer.

Stadtbad Mitte

Gartenstraße 5 10115 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Completed in 1930, this Art Deco treasure is huge -- at 50 meters, it's considerably longer than many of the DDR era pools, and it's built on a far grander scale. The … spectacular glass roof was rudely shattered by two Allied bombs in 1945, but they failed to explode, and improbably, the building survived both the war and modernizing socialists with many of its original features intact.[

Alte Halle, Stadtbad Charlottenburg

Krumme Straße 10 10585 Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany

Lit by skylights and bookended with trompe l'oeil friezes, this small but classical pool has been carefully restored and can probably only take about eight people … swimming lengths at a time. Best to go when it's just opened, and be the first out when the masses (i.e. more than five people) arrive.

Stadtbad Neukoelln

Ganghoferstraße 3 12043 Neukölln, Berlin, Germany

The large pool (formerly for men only) looks like a flooded basilica with its colonnades and arches, and it boasts statues of two blubbery walruses ridden by cherubs. The … smaller pool (formerly ladies only) is warmer and only a little cozier, resembling a

Roman emperor's best bathtub. All wonderfully, ludicrously showy for a municipal watering hole.

Badeschiff-Sauna

Eichenstraße 4 12435 Berlin, Germany

br>In the summer, Badeschiff is a beach bar and pool (that's floating in the Spree!); come winter, it's a futuristic-looking sauna. The deck, dock, and pool are … covered, creating two saunas and a temperate pool (you can swim out into the nippy winter air at each end). On weekends, it turns clubby, with the hip crowd lounging to the beat of DJed music.

Solf Sauna

Bundesallee 187 10717 Berlin, Germany The retro design of this large sauna isn't intentional -- meaning that it'd be your hum-drum average sauna if it weren't for the "sunbathe as you wish" rooftop … terrace with a view. In addition to the standard sauna and steam bath, there's a thermal pool. The size of the place gives one a sense of anonymity.

Saunabad

Rykestraße 10 10405 Berlin, Germany

The goal here is about more the spiritual and bodily wellness; the objective is also to make friends. And it has an upscale vibe; the peaceful courtyard doubles as a … sculpture garden that can be seen from within the sauna.

Olivin

Schönhauser Allee 177 10119 Berlin, Germany

Sauna meets chic hangout in this trendy "wellness lounge." Cool design, activities such as yoga, and a stylish bar with lounge chairs complete the picture. Visitors … generally toss something on if they're going to hang around after their sweat session.

Kaminsauna

Bornholmer Straße 12 10439 Berlin, Germany

Despite the cheesy homepage, the Kaminsauna is a wholesome family place decked out with the usual facilities: sauna, steam bath, baths/showers for cooling off, etc. In … line with Berlin's Bio (organic) craze, the sauna also offers bio-sauna options.

Gewölbesauna

Fröbelstraße 10405 Berlin, Germany

This quiet recluse is located in the cellar of a nondescript building, giving one the sense of descending into seclusion. There are two herbal saunas, a steam bath, and a … peaceful courtyard. Unwind. You're not likely to see these people again.

Anna Blume

Kollwitzstraße 83 10435 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

Traditionally, no bourgeois German Sunday is complete without coffee and cake with the family, to which you bring a bunch of flowers for granny. This grand café combines … old, mitteleuropean Vienna with laid back Berlin charm, some serious ice cream, giant, slutty creamcakes, and a florist shop with a lovely selection of bouquets.[

La Parisienne

Marienburger Straße 12 10405 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

This little slice of Paris in Marienburger doesn't have much seating room, but if you want to indulge in one of its full-on breakfasts (crisp rolls, croissants, … chocolate-hazelnut spread, jams, and cheese and cold meats) you can order and have it delivered to your apartment or hotel room. They promise they'll have it at your door in less than an hour.[

Spielwiese

Kopernikusstraße 24 10245 Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany

The walls of this Friedrichshain café are lined with shelves full of games: board games, card games, skill games -- everything from Mahjong to Monopoly. If you're … getting into Berlin's café culture of idleness but haven't perfected lolling around doing fuck all, you can sit in Spielweise and expend your excess energy on a round or two of Doppelkopf.

Schnell und Sauber

Torstraße 115 10119 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Schnell and Sauber (Quick 'n' Clean) isn't as cute as Holly's café-laundrette, but it gets the job done. While your clothes are cooking, you can perch on a stool at the … window and watch Torstrasse pass by as you munch a croissant. The dandyish owner likes to help newcomers (especially those who don't speak German), which often means he plunges headfirst into your dirty laundry -- so check your personal boundaries or polish up your Deutsch in advance.

Fußbad Café

Zionskirchstraße 32 10119 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Stepping down into this cellar room, you're knocked sideways by competing aromatherapy oils. You climb into your throne, sink your feet into a dainty basin of warm water … topped with petals, and attack a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. At breakfast you can have muesli and juice with the foot bath, and for a hefty €50 you can go for the "Star Night Luxus" foot soak and massage with a glass of prosecco.

Wrangelstraße 80Linkle

Wrangelstraße 80 10997 Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany

Dutchwoman Linda Eilers presides over Linkle, a café that provides sewing machines, scissors, a cutting table, and its owner's dressmaking expertise as well as coffee. … If you have an outfit you want to alter or even make from scratch, you can rock up during opening hours and start work or take part in one of the courses on offer. Eilers also makes over old handbags as a sideline and offers tailoring services.

Bar Jeder Vernunft

Schaperstr. 24 10719 Berlin, Germany 030/8831582

This cleverly named bar, restaurant, and cabaret (a wordplay meaning "against all reason" or "the bar of reason") is a great place to catch off-the-wall entertainment, … dinner, and a drink in a fantastic atmosphere -- the Spiegelzelt (Mirror Tent). The small venue has launched large careers, so don't hesitate to see a new performer. But if you want to catch a modern classic, this is the place to see Cabaret in context.

Café Moskau

Karl-Marx-Allee 34 10178 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Though the East German architecture and decor of Café Moskau are now considered retro-hip in the new Berlin, this establishment was built as a Communist showpiece and is … steeped in modern history. This is where high-end guests were wined and dined. Now it's an event location with an attached two-floor techno club that's famous for late-night action.[

Clärchen's Ballhaus

Auguststr. 24 10117 Berlin, Germany +49 30 2829295

Also now known as Ballhaus Mitte, this old ballroom isn't yet part of the tourist circuit, despite its location. Rather, Berliners from all walks of life meet here to … dance -- sometimes in thematic attire. Dance classes in various genres are also given. The Ballhaus' charm lies in its authenticity and character (it's a unique alternative to the otherwise overwhelmingly "techno" side of Berlin's club environment). The Spiegelsalle (Mirror Room), in particular, is said to be a classic piece of nostalgia.

Kultur Brauerei

Schönhauser Allee 36 10435 Berlin, Germany +49 30 443526 - 0

This is undeniably one of Berlin's most popular nightlife locations. If you're not into one of the places described above, stop by this complex of bars, restaurants, and … theaters. You'll find art, music, and entertainment that's multicultural and cross-genre; party and intellectual climates exist alongside one another

Weinerei

Griebenowstraße 5 10435 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

This is one of several community-oriented wine bars operating under a unique concept: Put down a euro for your glass when you arrive, help yourself to the wine (and … food), and pay what you find fair before leaving. Plan to toss a few euros per glass of wine into the jar; there is a separate jar for paying the actors on performance night. (The short, original plays are fantastic.)[

Art Openings

Brunnenstrasse and Torstrasse, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Maybe you're a gambler, and you're going to pick up one of Emilie's art investment predictions in lieu of playing the stock market. Or you could just be the type to … mooch

free wine. Either way, hitting some gallery openings is a great way to get a glimpse of up-and-coming artists, mingle with locals ... and enjoy a free glass of wine.

Waldes

Zionskirchstraße 5 10119 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Yuppies past their heyday of binging until the skin turns green will find Waldes a pleasant Friday night experience. For starters, it's primarily a restaurant, and an … exclusive one at that. What the menu lacks in quantity it more than compensates for in quality. No matter how strangely unappetizing the dishes seem, each are perfectly prepared masterpieces. Allow for the additional time necessary for fresh food to be prepared from scratch. It's a lovely, quiet, and subtle atmosphere, though at €8-€15 per dish, it's priced slightly above average.

Sternenstaub

Gneiststraße 10 10437 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

The subtly Victorian bar-café is another street-level joint one can easily overlook. In part, this is because the shutters do not open until 6 p.m. However, if you … decide to venture there, expect to meet very friendly locals. As in, "I live upstairs" or "I live right next door, but really this is my living room." They are eager for new faces and will readily practice English. If you're anything of the discerning kind, the ambience can grow slightly bleak, given how these locals spend every evening together having the same conversations and arguments. But you, you can go there and change the routine, bring some news from the rest of the world, and lighten up the somber mood.

5 Ziegen

Lychener Straße 63 10437 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

I'm not sure how this enormous bar level with the street could be easily overlooked. For six months, I've walked by "5 Goats" and never noticed it until a compatriot … pointed it out. In every way, it's a neighborhood bar kept on the down-low, apparently even from neighbors. Its dark living room aesthetic is welcoming, as are the bartenders. And if you don't care to mingle, you're likely to feel at home as well. The bar is all the way in the back. It's self-service only and opens at 8 p.m.

Birnbaum Bar

Bergstraße 25 10115 Mitte, Berlin, Germany

This under-explored neighborhood has plenty to offer: used books, cafés, bars, restaurants, art galleries, and the unavoidable Web-design storefronts. In short, it's an … upcoming Berlin neighborhood -- and only a stone's throw away from better known areas such as Kastanienallee, Zionskirchplatz, and Auguststrasse. But we dare you to explore where no tourist has gone before, and Birnbaum Bar is a welcoming start. It's slightly upscale but casual.