Berlin

‘With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.’

Those were the words of Barack Obama as he addressed Berlin in 2008, and they go some way to capturing the spirit of the place. Sat on one of history’s fault lines, the German capital has become adept at ‘remaking’ itself, and today you’ll find the city in better shape than ever.

Brand new shops, bars, hotels and restaurants have transformed Berlin from battle ground to consumer haven, while the noblest relics of the past have been restored to their former glory.

A building site for much of the nineties, Berlin has now bloomed into a modern metropolis, and this new lease of life is infectious. The streets are alive with young, creative types lured here by the freewheeling spirit, and for art and music there are few better cities to visit right now.

Passionate and iconoclastic, Berlin is like the teenage sibling of Munich or Frankfurt, and will reward those who love a surprise.