For most of the latter part of the 20th century, Berlin has stood as a symbol of the division between East and West, split by the infamous fortified wall erected to separate the socialist sector from the democratic district. When the Berlin Wall was pulled down in 1990 the city discovered that it suddenly had two of everything, most notably two very distinct societies separated both socially and economically. The past decade has seen Berlin embracing unification and rebuilding itself as a modern European capital.

More than 100 streets have been reconnected, and signs of the Wall's existence have all but disappeared. Years of division are still reflected in the new city's architecture, however, with a modern city of skyscrapers, retail centres and urban developments in the West contrasting with most of the pre-War city that remains in the East.

For nearly 30 years the Wall sealed off the imposing Brandenburg Gate from the West, but now traffic passes through it freely. Similarly Alexanderplatz, which was one of the main centres of 1920s Berlin, and later post-war East Germany, has once again become one of the city's focal centres. The site of the infamous Check Point Charlie with its threatening monitoring tower erected to ensure no one crossed over from East to West, is now a museum, and while the tower no longer stands, visitors can see the East Side Gallery, a surviving chunk of the real Wall, now decorated by local artists.

Berlin is once again a vibrant centre for the arts, with many museums, galleries and theatres. At the Kulturforum visitors will find a number of impressive museums and concert venues from the spectacular Berliner Philharmonie concert hall to the complex's Picture Gallery, which houses a vast collection of European paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Berlin still boasts a fantastic nightlife, and while tastes have changed since the height of the cabaret halls of the 1920s and 30s, there is a vast array of venues catering to all tastes. Berlin's calendar is also packed with festivals and parties from the Christopher Street Day gay and lesbian parade in June to the Jazz Fest Berlin in November. All this contributes to an ever-evolving city that makes a holiday in Berlin an exciting and attractive prospect.

Brandenburg Gate

Address: Berlin

Checkpoint Charlie

Address: Friedrichstraße 43-45 Berlin

Admission: EUR12.50 (adults), EUR5.50 (under 10s) Daily 9am-10pm; documentary films are screened throughout the day, with showings of the historically significant feature films 'Mit dem Wind nach Westen' daily every two hours and 'Mein Kampf' daily at 7:30pm

Telephone: (030) 253 725-0

Berlin Wall Eastside Gallery

Address: Mühlenstraße Berlin

Admission: Free

Berlin Jewish Museum

Address: Lindenstraße 9-14 Berlin

Admission: EUR5 (adults), children under six free; concessions available Monday 10am-10pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10am-8pm.

Telephone: (0)30 2599 3300

Hamburger Bahnhof

Address: Invalidenstraße 50- 51 Berlin

Admission: EUR12; children under 16 free. Concessions available. Tuesday to Friday 10am-6pm; Saturday 11am-8pm; Sunday 11am-6pm. Guided tours are conducted on Sundays at 4pm.

Telephone: (0)30 397834-11

Potsdamer Platz

Address: Berlin

Admission: Panorama platform: EUR6.50; concessions available The panorama platform is usually open daily, 10am to 8pm.

Legoland Discovery Centre

Address: Sony Centre, 4 Potsdamer Platz Berlin

Admission: EUR15.95 (adults), EUR12.95 (children 3-11); concessions available. Discounted tickets available via the website. Daily 10am-5pm; closed 25 December.

Telephone: (0)30 30 1040-10

The Story of Berlin

Address: Kurfürstendamm 207-208 Berlin

Admission: EUR10 (adults), EUR5 (children aged 6-13). Other concessions available. Daily 10am-8pm. Last guided tour at 6pm.

Telephone: (0)30 887 20 100

Gendarmenmarkt

Address: Berlin

Charlottenburg Palace

Address: Spandauer Damm 10-22 Berlin

Admission: Old palace: EUR12; new wing: EUR6 including audio guide. Photo permission is EUR3. 10am-6pm (April to October) and 10am-5pm (November to March); closed Mondays.

Telephone: (0)3 319 694 200

Berliner Dom

Address: Am Lustgarten, Museum Island Berlin

Admission: EUR7, or EUR10 with audio guide; concessions available. Guided tours: Monday to Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday 12pm-8pm. (Closes 7pm October through March.)

Telephone: (0)30 20269 119

Pergamon Museum

Address: Am Kupfergraben 5, Museum Island Berlin

Admission: EUR10 (adults), free for children under 16. Daily 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Thursday.

Telephone: (0)30 2090 5577

Tiergarten

Address: Berlin

Museum fuer Naturkunde (Nature Museum)

Address: Invalidenstr. 43 Berlin

Admission: EUR6 (adults); EUR3.50 (children); concessions available. Tuesday to Friday 9:30am–6pm; Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays 10am-6pm. Last admission 30 minutes before the museum closes. Closed Monday.

Telephone: (0)30 209 38591

Domaene Dahlem

Address: Königin-Luise-Straße 49 Berlin

Admission: Museum: EUR3 (adults); EUR1.50 (children) Open daily 10am-6pm. Closed Tuesdays.

Telephone: (0)30 666 3000

Berlin Zoo-Aquarium

Address: 32 Budapester Street Berlin

Admission: Aquarium: EUR13 (adults); EUR6.50 (children). Zoo and Aquarium: EUR20 (adults); EUR10 (children). Concessions available. Open daily from 9am to 6pm

Telephone: (0)30 254 010

Grips-Theater

Address: Altonaerstrasse 22 Berlin

Admission: EUR4-18, depending on the show. Most shows start at 7:30pm, but there are some matinees from time to time. Theatre closes from late June to mid-August.

Telephone: (0)30 397 474 77

Allied Museum

Address: Clayallee 135 - Outpost Berlin

Admission: Free Daily 10am-6pm, closed Wednesdays

Telephone: +49 / (0)30 / 81 81 99 -0

Reichstag

Address: Platz der Republik 1 Berlin

Admission: Free Daily 8am to midnight.

Telephone: 030 22 73 21 52

Carnival of Cultures

Where: Streets of Kreuzberg District,Berlin

When: June 2012 TBA

Berlin International Film Festival

Where: Potsdamer Platz,Berlin

When: 9 - 19 February 2012

Christopher Street Day

Where: ,Berlin

When: June 2012 TBA

Classic Open Air

Where: Gendarmenmarkt,Berlin

When: July 2012 TBA

Berliner Gauklerfest (Juggler's Festival)

Where: Around Opernpalais Unter den Linden,Berlin

When: August 2012 TBA

Berlin Christmas Markets

Where: Various,Berlin

When: December annually

New Year's Eve

Where: Brandenburg Gate,Berlin

When: 31 December annually

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Open Air

Where: Waldbühne,Berlin

When: July 2012 TBA

Berlin Marathon

Where: ,Berlin

When: 25 September 2011

JazzFest Berlin

Where: Various,Berlin

When: 3 - 7 November 2011

Nocti Vagus Dark Restaurant

Address: Saarbrücker Str. 36-38 Berlin

Food Type: Modern Eclectic

Dachgarten

Address: Platz de Republik 1 Berlin

Food Type: Local

Bamberger Reiter

Address: Regensburgerstrasse 7, Schöneberg Berlin

Food Type: Local

Grossbeerenkeller

Address: Grossbeerenstrasse 90, Kreuzberg Berlin

Food Type: Local

Diekmann im Weinhaus Huth

Address: Alte Potsdamer Strasse 5, Tiergarten Berlin

Food Type: French

XII Apostel

Address: Bleibtreustrasse 49 Berlin

Food Type: Italian

Zur Letzten Instanz

Address: Waisenstrase 14-16, Mitte Berlin

Food Type: Local

Florian

Address: Grolmanstrasse 52 Berlin

Food Type: Local

Ganymed

Address: Schiffbauerdamm 5, Berlin-Mitte Berlin

Food Type: Local