Berlin - a dichotomy between ancient and modern

The mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit likes to describe his city with the slogan “poor, but sexy”. What makes Berlin, the German capital, poor is obvious. It’s millions of Euros in debts and a high rate of unemployment that make Berlin a notoriously broke city, however what makes it so sexy?

Berlin is alive! It has (only) 3,5 million inhabitants which might look small in world perspective, although it is the biggest city in Germany. I think it is a must-see city when you travel Europe as it has so much to offer. Not only is it a multicultural city that combines ethnic groups from all over the world but it also accommodates a wide range of ages from heaps of young students (Berlin has several Universities) to older pensioners. Most interesting for a tourist might be the incredible range of museums and historic places though. The world famous Pergamon Museum is situated in Berlin and displays exhibits from all over the world and from different ages in history, an example is the well-known reconstructed Ishtar Gate. The amazing thing about Berlin is you don’t have to go to a museum to experience history. Berlin is full of places from former and recent history. Original buildings from the 18^th century but especially the history of the 20^th century are the main topics here. Berlin’s division into 4 sectors and the building of the Berlin Wall separating East and West was overcome 20 years ago with the fall of the Wall, but the marks remain and this part of German history will hopefully never be forgotten and is on display in several museums and at historic places all around the city.

As I said earlier, visiting Europe Berlin is a must and a place definitely worth exploring and checking out.