Berlin

• Hotels
  Our choice of Berlin's best character hotels.
  
• Essential Berlin
  Quick guide to Germany's capital.
  
• Berlin Feature
  Peter D. Clee looks to the future in Germany's capital.

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  Hotels
  Our choice of Berlin's best character hotels.
  

  Hotel Adlon *****
  Stadt Mitte, Berlin
  A grand hotel at the turn of the 20th century, the Adlon has recently undergone a massive refit to make it one of the grandest hotels at the turn of the 21st... (more)

  Hotel Palace *****
  Kurfurstendamm, Berlin
  A fabulous city centre setting and relentless attachment to quality make the Hotel Palace one of Berlin's best. As well as the facilities you'd expect of a five-star establishment, guests at the Palace also have free use of... (more)

  Regent Schlosshotel Berlin *****
  Grunewald, Berlin
  Once a sumptuous private mansion, the Ritz-Carlton Schlosshotel has recently been extravagantly refurbished under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld to make it one of the best stopovers in Berlin. Design credentials and high levels of service apart... (more)

  Hotel Brandenburger Hof, Relais Chateaux****
  nr. Kurfurstendam, Berlin
  A stunningly attractive hotel, where design takes centre stage, the Hotel Brandenburger Hof is well positioned in the centre of the city. Built within the imposing walls of a turn of the 19th/20th century mansion... (more)

  Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre ****
  Nuernbergerstrasse, Berlin
  One of Berlin's top hotels, the Crowne Plaza's main claims to fame are an unbeatable location plus superb facilities that include a swimming pool, sauna, solarium, massage service and gym... (more)
  
  Grünau Hotel ****
  Kablower Weg, Berlin
  A really special hotel full of interesting and unique features, the Grunau is also well located for transport links and some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the Berlin area. The hotel has a sauna, steam bath and tanning studio and, much more unusually, a pneumatic post system via which drinks can be ordered!... (more)
  
  Hotel Savoy ****
  Charlottenberg, Berlin
  This elegant hotel offers excellent, friendly service that complements its first-rate facilities. In addition, the Savoy offers an impressive range of amenities that are hard to beat including a roof garden... (more)

  Hotel Bleibtreu ****
  Berlin
  Called 'one of the most beautiful hotels in Berlin' by the Berliner Zeitung, the Bleibtreu (trans. 'Stay True') has marked itself out from the crowd by using mostly modern urban Italian design alongside an attention to detail that includes unusual features such as a florist... (more)

  Hotel Berliner Hof ***
  Kurfurstendamm, Berlin
  Strategically located in the middle of some of the most popular tourist sights, the Berliner Hof is next door to the Europa Centre and virtually next door to the famous Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche... (more)

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  Essential Berlin
  Quick guide to Germany's capital.

  Berlin Feature ...click here
  

Introduction
Ten years on since reunification, Berlin has not only reaped the fruits of economic investment but is one of Europe's most culturally ambitious cities. Commercial interests proliferate in West Berlin while the East's historical sites have been augmented by a thriving multi-cultural scene. Both sides have been caught in the construction upheavals and architectural projects that have seen Germany's capital make history once again as it reclaims its hold on the centre of national government.

Top Sights
Whatever part of the city you are in, more than likely there's a building site nearby. Berlin's skyline is dominated by the looming presence of cranes - a reminder of the work still being done on this sprawling city, a fact that becomes clearer if you climb to the top of the huge transparent dome - designed by London architect, Sir Norman Foster - of the German Parliament, the Reichstag. From the dome it is also possible to see Berlin's most historic landmark, the Brandenburg Tor. Built in 1788, the gate was sectioned off by the Berlin wall but went on to win a coveted place in post-war history books as the site of re-unification celebrations in 1989. Other great places from which to view Berlin include the 285-step Siesgessaule (Victory Column) in the Tiergarten and the Fernsehturm, east Berlin's 1,200 foot TV mast which has a revolving café at its summit.

Not far across the River Spree from the Brandenburg Tor lies the only genuine piece of Berlin Wall in the whole city, at the Gedenkstatte Berliner Mauer (Memorial Site Berlin Wall), while the entire wall history is retold in the Haus Am Checkpoint Charlie, half an hours walk along the historic Friedrichstrasse. Outside the museum is the site of the famous checkpoint itself though all that is left is the sign bearing the infamous 'No Crossing' slogan. Between the two wall venues is most of old Berlin, whose highlights are the Berliner Dom (Cathedral) and Hamburger Bahnhof, a 19th century train station given a makeover as a museum for modern art. Museum fans should also visit Museuminsel (Museum Island), which includes at least four major museums in its grounds.

Along the western path of the Berlin Wall there's Potsdamer Platz, Europe's busiest square during the pre-war years and now a shrine to big business including Sony, whose magnificent glass and steel HQ is a just one example of Berlin's achievements in modern architecture. Nearby Potsdamer Platz is the Neue National Gallery, where the prime exhibit is the building itself, a superb testament to the talents of Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe - whose mark on the city is cemented with the famous Europa Center (see below). Further west, past the several miles long Tiergarten, is the Bauhaus Museum, created by the design-for-life movement's founder Walter Gropius.

Culture Opera and classical concerts are high on the Berliner agenda, with the renown Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performing at the Philharmonie. Occuping a central place on Unter Den Linten is the majestic Staatsoper that hosts ballet as well as opera. Variety is also popular in the city - Chamaleon Variete in particular stages shows where even a language barrier won't block the fun.

Shopping
Apart from the lively Kurfurstendamm, which is home to the 100 store-packed Europa Center, Berlin has a whole range of department stores including the Galaries Lafayette which specialises in French-made products. Kauf-Haus Des Westens could rival Harrods with its foodstore and occupies the whole of the sixth floor. Porcelain aficionados would do well to visit the Staatliche Porzellan Manufafaktur where delicate, handmade china can be picked up for half the usual price. Strasse Des 17 Juni, which runs through the Tiergarten, hosts a well-attended handcraft and antiques fair every weekend.

Nightlife
The days when the west could lay claim to all the hip hangouts have long gone. Kreuzberg was once the undisputed capital of cool, with its alternative, punk and squatting tradition fused with an accommodating Turkish population. With the end of the wall, the trendy young headed north to Prenzlauerberg, on the other side of Berlin Mitte (city centre), where cheap flats were readily available. Both now compete for the city's anarchic heart with both chic and kooky bars, cafes and clubs.

In Mitte the best place to head for arty bars and tasty treats is Oranienburger Str. Here too you can sample the city's alternative beat with a visit to the Tacheles building, an abandoned factory which was first used by squatters before becoming an artists' colony. These days the place is compromised by being to close to the beaten track and you are as likely to bump into a fellow tourist as a budding painter. Still it has a decent, though edgy, bar and thumping nightclub.

In the west the Ku-Damn in the Charlottenburg district is the pick of the crop for more mainstream and upmarket outings with its huge range of pubs, bars and nightclubs.

One of Europe's leading Jazz capitals, Berlin hosts an annual international jazz festival. The city's main jazz venue, the A-Trane, is host to many combos. For some Berlin will forever be associated with Cabaret. Your hotel will be happy to advise you on what shows are available during your visit. Even if your German is nil to non-existent you will find an evening of songs and performance a true Berliner treat

Aside from local German fare, diners should sample the great value and delicious Turkish food that is at its best in Kreuzberg.

Hotels
Berlin is bursting with hotels but that can make it all the harder to find one with sufficient charm to help make your stay a memorable one. With that in mind, the HotelGenie has come up with a wish-list of some of the most character-laden establishments in town, from, among others, the superbly located Savoy and the chic Bleibtrau, to the grand Crowne Plaza, historical Adlon.

Essential Info
Currency - Deutschmark - written as DM. There are 100 Pfennigs to the Mark and 2 Marks to the Euro and US dollar.

Weather - Warm summer climate though wet days and overcast skies are common. Winters can be mild and damp or very cold and bright. Temperatures hover around 23C in the midsummer moths and can reach as low as minus three in December.

Airports
Tegel Airport (7KM from the centre).
Two buses run every ten minutes to the city centre on a journey lasting thirty minutes. The ticket covers all public transport in Berlin. Take the shuttle bus to the S-Bahn station where trains leave every 20 minutes to the Zoo and Friedrichstrasse stations.

Useful Links

• Art in Berlin
  www.art-in-berlin.de
  Offers information for everyone interested in art and culture. There is news and addresses to art services. This site is only available in German. An English version will be available soon.

• Funguide to Berlin
  www.funguide-berlin.de
  Want to know what's up in Berlin? This site provides info to the famous Loveparade, eating-out venues, discos and hotels. This site is only available in German.

Hotelgenie.com carefully selects all hotels in this guide to bring you a choice of fine, character-rich establishments, many at exclusive discounts.