Mercure's travel guides

Germany's capital and largest city, with a population of over 3 million, is a vibrant, welcoming destination with a wealth of historical, cultural and outdoor attractions. Even those who shunned high school history lessons will be fascinated by Berlin's story: capital of the Prussian Empire from 1701, then head of the German Empire, Weimar Republic and Third Reich, then devastated in World War II and divided into East and West by the Berlin Wall during the long years of the Cold War. Since the Wall's fall over 20 years ago, the city has become a powerhouse of Europe, both politically and economically. But it's not all history and politics – Berliners know how to have a good time and the city boasts a notoriously alternative nightlife scene.

Each district in Berlin has a separate personality. Mitte is packed with historical sites and important museums, including the Brandenburg Gate, Dom (Cathedral) and so-called Museumsinsel, an island in the River Spree containing five of Berlin's finest art and antiquity museums. Upmarket Prenzlauer Berg and Schöneberg are home to fun pubs, individual boutiques and lively markets while Charlottenburg's Kurfürstendamm Street in the west is the place to hit if you need some serious retail therapy. Trendy Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are notorious for their activist subcultures and alternative scenes.

If you need a break from the hot Berlin summer you'll discover numerous parks and gardens, including an important botanical garden and the massive Tiergarten, created in the 18th century as a hunting ground and now alive with families and groups of friends picnicking and playing or even, in winter, cross-country skiing. Indeed, around a third of the city is covered with greenery or river.

By June 2012, Berlin's main airport will be Brandenburg International, absorbing the existing Schönefeld Airport into its complex. Tegel Airport, a major terminal for national and international flights and located conveniently 8 km (5 miles) northwest of Mitte, is due to close when the new airport is up and running. Fast national and international train services from Germany and Europe pull into Berlin's Hauptbahnhof, or main train station. And although it's generally more fun to walk, public transport is not a problem: an efficient system of U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains and trams as well as numerous buses and taxis will zip you around to wherever you want to go.