Berlin is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in all of the world and the cultural epicenter of Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a joyous occasion, and the reunification of East Berlin and West has brought a renewed prosperity to the old world city.
The area is a rich tapestry of history, and it would be impossible to take in everything in a single visit – but you're welcome to try! The Spree River flows through the center of town, and it provides an excellent starting point for exploration. Take a boat tour on the Spree and view the majestic Reichstag building, home of the German parliament. The building caught fire in 1933 under suspicious circumstances, enabling the National Socialists to solidify their power and establish what Hitler termed the Third Reich, or Nazi State.
One block to the south of the Reichstag stands the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). This former city gate dates to the 1730s, and the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 within yards of it. When the wall fell, the gate came to symbolize freedom and unification. One kilometer further south lies Potsdamer Platz (Potsdam Square), an important public square in the city center. The Berlin Wall literally divided Potsdamer Platz in two, and it became an iconic and desolate "no man's land" between East and West.