Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/232206
38 maltatoday, TRAVEL SUNDAY, 22 DECEMBER 2013 A colourful jumble of vision, vitality and energy Berlin Why go? Though Berlin was a construction zone yesterday, today it is one of Europe's most exciting metropolis. The German capital has always followed the motto that that which changes is what makes Berlin. The city is a paradise for everyone who loves the beginning more than the end and the unknown more than the routine. Between Alexanderplatz and Kudamm, life is a colourful jumble of vision, vitality and energy. The east is flourishing, the west is shining and Berlin has been filled with colour. Where to go? Constructed between 1788-1791 the Brandeburg Gate was simply one of the many city gates surrounding the formerly small city of Berlin. A pleasant square designed next to the gate was named Pariser Platz, which is still home to many important buildings today such as the Hotel Adlon, the Academy of the Arts, and the British and US Embassies. Just south of Pariser Platz one can find the Holocaust Memorial. After the Federal Government's move from Bonn to Berlin, the Reichtag building from 1894 was awoken The Ku'damm Church is at the end of West Berlin's most prestigious shopping street after decades of inactivity on the border of the Berlin Wall. From the new glass dome, visitors can appreciate a 360° view of the bustling city. From its construction in 1871 until 1938, the Victory Column was located directly in front of the Reichstag, however it was moved to its current location at Grosser Stern by the Nazis for reasons of prestige. By the 19th century, the central boulevard Unter den Linden (Under the Linden Trees) was Berlin's most splendid promenade and parade street. Even today the avenue has not lost any of its old charm. The boulevard is home to the main building of Berlin's Humboldt University, the German Historical Museum, the Berlin Cathedral, the Berlin State Opera and it even traverses Museum Island. The Bahnhof Zoo train station is not only surrounded by the centre of West Berlin, but also Berlin's most important shopping district. Ku'damm stretches from the ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church to Berlin's high-class residential district of Halensee. This street was formerly the horse-riding path of the Prince Elector (Kurfürst) of Brandenburg to his hunting palace; today the street is Berlin's most expensive street, where many high-end brands have placed their flagship stores. West Berlin's Ku'damm can only be rivaled by East Berlin's Friedrichstrasse. Exclusive stores, hotels, and cafes can be found on one of the most well-known streets in the city. Alexanderplatz was more than simply the center of former East Berlin, it was also architecturally the center of the entire GDR. For this reason the socialist design of Alexanderplatz remains fascinating today: wide streets spread out from the square 'Alex' is also surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in the city, including the largest structure in Berlin: the Fernsehturm (TV Tower). Alexanderplatz is also bordered by the oldest churches in the city: the Church of St Nicholas built in 1230 and St Mary's Church, built in 1294. West of the high-end suburb, Westend, there was sufficient undeveloped land for the Nazis to realize their megalomaniacal architectural concepts for the 1936 Olympic Games. In dimensions unimaginable at that time, the Olympia Stadium was constructed here in the 1930s – today the stadium is not only home to Berlin's soccer team, Hertha BSC, but also hosts rock concerts and athletic championships. The site of the Berlin Wall that came down on 9 November 1989 is now host to a number of memorials and museums where Breliners remember the deaths of 136 people who tried to cross the 167.8 kilometre border between east and west. Where to eat? With a name that requires no translation, the Burgermeister (www. burger-meister.de) below the U-Bahn tracks is where Kreuzbergers go when in need of a meat fix. There are six types of hamburgers; vegetarians are welcomed with a tofuburger, but others should try the meistaburger, laden with mustard, onion, bacon and barbecue sauce, with a side of chilli-cheese fries. The breakfast menu at Manstein is admittedly small (though the German standard, two poached eggs in a glass with toast, is represented, as is a platter filled with assorted cheeses and meats for layering on buttered bread), but having breakfast at Manstein is more about the location than the food. Situated on a sunny street corner in a residential area to the west of the city, Manstein is across the street from Charlottenburg's Lietzensee park. Travels With My Fork (www.twmfsupperclub.moonfruit.com) is a versatile pop-up restaurant specialising in pintxos, the tiny dishes served in Constructed between 17881791 the Brandeburg Gate was simply one of the many city gates surrounding the formerly small city of Berlin bars in the Basque country. The event began last autumn as a themed supper club: one night was Mexican, another was called 1001 Nights and served Persian cuisine – yet another was south Indian in flavour and given for Diwali. The focus on pintxos evolved after the Scottish-American couple came back from a trip to the Basque region with food cravings and realised that Berlin's tapas restaurants mainly served patatas bravas and chorizo. Now locals can enjoy piquillo peppers stuffed with bacalhau and baby eel tartlets. With a dining room like a dark stage, the low-level lighting focuses on the tables, the company and the main act of the evening, Reinstoff's (www.reinstoff.eu) fabulous food. One Michelin star doesn't seem to be enough praise for the innovative menu – split into "nearby" and "faraway" food – the avant-garde cooking techniques and astounding presentation of the dishes, as well as the Spanish and German wines and excellent service. Despite its credentials, the atmosphere at Reinstoff is casual and relaxed. Where to stay? At the Soho House Berlin (www. sohohouseberlin.com) the colour swatch of the interior ranges from the matte red of the bed frames to the deep turquoise of the chairs in the events space; juxtaposed with exposed beams and brickwork, and button-tufted upholstery. The vast Relax Spa Area is a huge pull for visiting sophisticates, and the decadent heated rooftop pool is a hotspot for Mitte scenesters, and the bistro serves Italian-influenced cuisine. These premium services aren't re- served exclusively for members: visitors who book one of the hotel's 40 bedrooms are afforded all the same luxuries. Cosmo (www.cosmo-hotel.de) is a textbook execution of high-end hotel design and luxury in the heart of the museum quarter. The various modern rooms – with light, creamy walls, transparent grey roller-blinds, and steely headboard – offer a very warm welcome, and feather bed covers and noise-insulated, floor-to-ceiling windows ensure your slumber time goes undisturbed. The sophisticated interiors are a fine retreat from the bustle of the nearby Unter den Linden, but a glance from your window will quickly inspire you to join it: the Pergamon Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and the Berliner Dom are all nearby. Built at the turn of the last century in West Berlin, the Pension Funk (www.hotel-pensionfunk.de) has original high ceilings, bright rooms and wooden stairs – and some ghosts from the past. In the 1920s, Asta Nielsen, the silent movie star met lovers in the house (Charlie Chaplin paid her a visit a couple times). The atmosphere is deliciously old fashioned, with Jugendstil furniture and art nouveau windows. It's located a few steps away from the Ku'damm – Berlin's Champs Elysées – buzzing with cafes and shops. How to get there? Air Malta and Lufthansa offer daily flights to Berlin. Flights leaving Malta on 29 December and returning on 3 January were priced at €656.03 (with Air Malta) and €316 (with Lufthansa) including taxes on the day of going to print. Flying time is approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes.