Berlin is a city that exists in the tension between its once glorious, and often dark, past and its relentless drive to reinvent itself. This becomes evident if you take the time to explore the city on foot.
Sam Hancock, 20, moved to Berlin 10 months ago, where he is living as part of his degree in English Literature at Warwick University. Between times working as a language assistant at a German high school, he writes his "Berlin Blog," an insightful view of the changes taking place in the German capital.
While visiting some European cities can feel like a trip to a museum, Berlin is vibrant and alive with culture. It has a regular program of lively events -- here are some of the annual highlights.
The German capital is a big place and its penchant for re-invention means it's easy to miss out on the 'real' Berlin. Here's the lowdown on life in the city.
While it might not be as famous for its fashion as Milan or Paris, Berlin is at the forefront of edgy, ultra-hip design. A specialty is temporary 'Guerrilla' fashion boutiques that spring up in the trendiest shopping areas, sell über-cool threads for a few months, and then disappear without a trace. Discovering these hidden treasures is a reward in itself.
Although not famed for its home-grown cuisine, there's some excellent dining to be had in Berlin. Alongside the more traditional French restaurants, such as the superb Margaux (Unter den Linden 78), there is also a huge variety of quality ethnic food, including Turkish, Ethiopian and Moroccan eateries.
Berlin is famous for its raucous nightlife, but its sweaty techno temples and grungy dives have been joined in recent years by a swathe of swanky bars. The fashionable Mitte district has a number of classy options, and the huge windows at Newton Bar (Charlottenstrasse 57) offer the opportunity to see as well as be seen. When you get tired of people watching, move on to the dressy, stylish Greenwich (Gipsstrasse 5). Ultra cool, with walls of illuminated fish tanks, this bar caters to a chic but laid back clientele.
Berlin is a city that exists in the tension between its once glorious, and often dark, past and its relentless drive to reinvent itself. This becomes evident if you take the time to explore the city on foot.
Sam Hancock, 20, moved to Berlin 10 months ago, where he is living as part of his degree in English Literature at Warwick University. Between times working as a language assistant at a German high school, he writes his "Berlin Blog," an insightful view of the changes taking place in the German capital.
While visiting some European cities can feel like a trip to a museum, Berlin is vibrant and alive with culture. It has a regular program of lively events -- here are some of the annual highlights.
The German capital is a big place and its penchant for re-invention means it's easy to miss out on the 'real' Berlin. Here's the lowdown on life in the city.
While it might not be as famous for its fashion as Milan or Paris, Berlin is at the forefront of edgy, ultra-hip design. A specialty is temporary 'Guerrilla' fashion boutiques that spring up in the trendiest shopping areas, sell über-cool threads for a few months, and then disappear without a trace. Discovering these hidden treasures is a reward in itself.
Although not famed for its home-grown cuisine, there's some excellent dining to be had in Berlin. Alongside the more traditional French restaurants, such as the superb Margaux (Unter den Linden 78), there is also a huge variety of quality ethnic food, including Turkish, Ethiopian and Moroccan eateries.
Berlin is famous for its raucous nightlife, but its sweaty techno temples and grungy dives have been joined in recent years by a swathe of swanky bars. The fashionable Mitte district has a number of classy options, and the huge windows at Newton Bar (Charlottenstrasse 57) offer the opportunity to see as well as be seen. When you get tired of people watching, move on to the dressy, stylish Greenwich (Gipsstrasse 5). Ultra cool, with walls of illuminated fish tanks, this bar caters to a chic but laid back clientele.
Travelers get a wonderful chance to witness European history in the making. Years ago, when I got my history degree, I said to myself, "I'd better get a business degree, too, so I have something useful." I've learned over the years that if more people knew more about history, our world would be better off.
The first mosque with a minaret and a dome in Germany's formerly communist east opened on Thursday as police corralled protesters behind a roadblock three blocks away
Nikolai Valuev's disputed decision win over John Ruiz on Saturday (his second disputed decision win over Ruiz, for those who are counting) reportedly drew boos from the crowd in Berlin's Max Schmeling Stadium. It drew basically no response at all from American sports fans, of course, since the bout wasn't actually televised in the U.S. Even had it been, though, it's hard to imagine that the rematch between the 35-year-old Valuev, whose 7-foot height is barely enough to compensate for his rudimentary skills, and the 36-year-old Ruiz, who though adept, always seems to do just enough to underwhelm the judges, would have generated much interest on the first weekend of the college football season. Or on any other weekend, for that matter.
Moments have defined the Olympic Games as much as individual accomplishments. Take a look at 10 snapshots in time that transcended sport and have become a part of history.
Barack Obama touched hearts during an impassioned speech to a 200,000-strong crowd in Berlin, German newspapers agreed, but suspicions remain about the White House contender's motives for courting a European audience.
Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.
In the history of the modern Olympics few, if any, performances have captured the popular imagination in quite the same way as that of American Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games.
When Susan Harris divorced her husband of five and a half years last December, she got the apartment, extra closet space and the covers all to herself.
A fire broke out Tuesday at the Berlin Philharmonic's home, sending thick smoke pouring from the crest of the iconic downtown building as firefighters and musicians rushed to save instruments
An unusual fly-by and the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift were part of the ceremonies held Friday and continuing on Saturday at a major open house at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C.
Dinara Safina and a re-energized Elena Dementiieva will contest an all-Russian final at the German Open in Berlin after both secured straight sets victories in the semifinals on Saturday.
Travelers heading to Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia this year will be greeted by a host of new museums, improved infrastructure and special events. Here's what to expect if you visit.
• She may be in Berlin for business to shoot racy ads for
RICH Prosecco – but that doesn't mean Paris Hilton is skipping the club scene. The heiress hit up Maxxim Nightclub for
a night of (pole) dancing for fellow clubgoers.
Schalke's Brazilian defender Rafinha fired them up to second place in the German Bundesliga table by converting a 44th minute penalty which gave them a 1-0 home win over Hertha Berlin.
The dollar sank to an all-time low against the euro Wednesday amid speculation that the Federal Reserve will soon cut interest rates by as much as half a percentage point.
Two neighborhoods once split by the wall -- the fashionably gentrified Mitte and the gritty, bohemian Kreuzberg -- are brimming with creative energy, a thriving arts scene and stylish hotels.
As both proud bastion of the Prussian kingdom and the dark heart of the Nazi empire then finally as a divided symbol of the Cold War, Berlin has earned its place in the history books of Europe. The past still looms large over Germany's capital- a scarred and sumptuous landscape that continues to awe and inspire - but as a city reunited, reborn and rejuvenated, the streets are once again abuzz with a creative energy and style that is uniquely Berlin. Even before the jubilant collapse of the wall in 1989, West Berlin's isolation in the heart of communist East Germany was a draw for international artists who tapped into the city's pre-war reputation as a haven for decadence and cultural innovation. Superstars David Bowie and Lou Reed were soon followed by Australian Bad Seed Nick Cave, rubbing shoulders with homegrown cinematic talent Wim Wenders. When Berlin's wall came tumbling down, the traditionally liberal city's cool quotient notched a few places higher as revelers converged on what, for a while, was E
Haile Gebrselassie blew away the field to win the Berlin marathon on Sunday but the Ethiopian missed out on a world record as windy conditions and a lack of assistance took their toll.
After months of intense preparation, a fair amount of national soul-searching and near-fanatical scrutiny of the home team, the 18th World Cup kicks off on Friday -- not a day too soon for hosts Germany.
It happens every year. That smug bastard in the next office scores amazing seats to some exotic sporting event, then spends months regaling everyone with tales from his adrenaline-fueled travels.
It happens every year. That smug bastard in the next office scores amazing seats to some exotic sporting event, then spends months regaling everyone with tales from his adrenaline-fueled travels.
Millions of people have gathered worldwide to mark May Day and demand better working conditions, while others also used the annual event to push for political change.
HORST SCHULZE is his own toughest customer. After spending 13 years as the president and COO of Ritz-Carlton Hotels, he went on to form the West Paces Hotel Group, which is in the midst of launchin...
The Scene spent the day with film director Wim Wenders in the German capital. Where are the best places to hang out in Berlin? Which film best captures the city's spirit? Send us your suggestions and ideas and read your comments below.
The Scene talks to German film director Wim Wenders about Berlin's creative re-birth since the fall of the wall, and the city's influence on his own work.
Three suspects have been charged in Germany over an alleged December 2004 plot to kill then-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a visit to the country.
Russian Tatyana Lebedeva became only the second athlete to win the entire Golden League Jackpot of $1 million by winning the triple jump competition at the ISTAF Berlin meeting on Sunday.
The walls of the Reichstag building -- the seat of the German parliament -- in Berlin have survived wars, fires and political upheaval, although not unscathed.
Berlin has unveiled a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, ending 17 years of charged debate over how Germany should remember that grim period of its history.
"Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" has cast her spell on Paramount Pictures, which has signed a deal to co-produce a live-action film based on the Archie Comics character.
In recent weeks dozens of tiny U.S. companies have suddenly begun trading on the Berlin Stock Exchange--unbeknownst, it appears, to the companies themselves. "We are completely dumbfounded to learn...
With European skies as busy as ever and air travel predicted to rise in the years ahead, news that one of the region's airports will close is not being taken lightly.
In the history of the modern Olympics few, if any, performances have captured the popular imagination in quite the same way as that of American Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games.
Twice a day, laundry is sent out for washing from a Berlin hotel -- but the sheets don't stay in Berlin. They go all the way to Poland, to be washed there and returned within 24 hours.
As the economy slides, traders are taking their risks off the floor--at bars modeled after the stock market. After the Australian Stock Exchange closes Monday through Friday at 4 P.M., Sydney broke...
Rarely since the advent of cellophane in 1923 has the packaging industry come up with so many new materials and designs. Today's high-tech flexible packages can look better than traditional bottles...
While most other wannabe U.S. investors in the former East Berlin got snagged in property ownership disputes and a plodding bureaucracy, entrepreneur Alan Wolan's only problem was locating a butche...
A half-dozen castles scattered throughout what was East Germany are on the auction block. They include the sprawling Schloss Boitzenburg, located in its own 15-acre park just 50 miles north of Berl...
The historic events in East Berlin and Moscow, Warsaw, and Budapest provide the most dramatic evidence yet that the Cold War is over and we have won. Socialism is on the run, and democratic capital...
AN EXPENSIVE steak lunch at a Tokyo hotel has so relaxed a Japanese electronics executive that he gives a rare glimpse of his honne, his innermost feelings, to an American guest. He chats about the...
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