Leaving behind decades of division and exile from the European mainstream, contemporary Berlin has reemerged as an open-minded, cosmopolitan hub of culture, high and low. Studded with new architecture and confident enough to highlight and reassess the scars of a uniquely eventful 20th century, today it is the proud home of internationally resonant film, gallery, rock music, performing arts and gay scenes, while its nightlife has always remained resolutely wild.
The ideal Berlin sausage stand
Opened in 1930, Konnopke's Imbiss still thrives under the same family management....
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Austrian and south German classics
Ambitious but not over-the-top, artsy but not pretentious, AlpenStueck offers Austrian and south German classics served in a cool ambience....
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Notable German cathedral
The Berliner Dom holds some recommendable concerts, usually of the organ or choral variety....
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Olympic Stadum from 1936
Originally designed by Werner March and opened in 1936 for the Olympics, the 74,000-seat Olympiastadion underwent a major and long overdue refitting for the 2006 World Cup, including better seats and a roof over the whole lot....
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Private museum for the Berlin Wall
The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie is a little tacky, but essential for anyone interested in the Wall and the Cold War....
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Vanished Jewish life documented in extraordinary building
In a truly extraordinary landmark deconstructivist building by Daniel Libeskind, opened in 2001, the Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum) documents the stories of prominent Jews and their contribution to the wider community in Berlin and Germany before the Holocaust....
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Contemporary art in converted station
Focusing on work post-1960 with a special interest in 'the interdisciplinary character of contemporary art', the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwart – a converted train station – mounts big temporary exhibitions drawn from the various collections and archives at its disposal....
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Old National Gallery
With its ceiling and wall paintings, fabric wallpapers and marble staircase, the Alte Nationalgalerie is a sparkling home to one of the largest collections of 19th-century art and sculpture in Germany....
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Vintage and consignment market
Kunst und Trödel Markt lies on the stretch west of the S-Bahn station....
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Sleek cocktail bar
The Saphire Bar is sleekly designed, making it a favorite with local creative types, aims for a sophistication more common in cities like New York and Paris....
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Glorious techno beats in meticulously restored power station
If you're looking for a place to really get yourself going, try the Berghain/Panorama Bar....
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A major symbol of culture in Berlin
To get a true taste of refined culture in the city of Berlin, a visit to the Berlin Philharmonic is definitely in order....
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