Sightseeing

March 2013
The annual MärzMusik festival (15-24 March) presents a mixture of experimental music performances in venues across the city (maerzmusik.de).

February 2013
Every February, the Berlinale comes to town. One of Europe's most prestiguous film festivals, it showcases hundreds of movies ranging from experimental to blockbuster. And unlike Cannes or Venice, it's relatively easy for mere mortals to get tickets (7-17 February, berlinale.de).

Key Areas

March 2013
After two decades of hype surrounding former East Berlin, there's a new interest in the old West. Kufürstendamm or just Ku'damm as it's affectionately known, is West Berlin's main shopping avenue and it appears to be going through a revival, with one luxury fashion outlet or high-end restaurant opening after the other. High-rollers, this is your street!

February 2013
Potsdamer Platz - the sparkly new downtown neighbourhood built where the Berlin Wall once stood - is a bit of a windswept concrete jungle. But it offers plenty of indoor activities for a cold day, from the German Film Museum to an underground Legoland for the kids. The excellent New National Gallery is only a stone's throw away.

Day Trips

January 2013
One hour by train to the north-west of Berlin, in the town of Oranienburg, is Sachsenhausen, one of the Nazis' first concentration camps. A sombre, yet informative experience - and history lesson (stiftung-bg.de).

December 2012
Three hours' south-west of Berlin lies the charming city of Eisenach, nestled in the verdant hills of the Thüringian forest. The main attraction is the Unesco-protected Wartburg, a wonderfully preserved medieval castle perched on a high outcrop. It was here that church reformer Martin Luther famously translated the New Testament into German in 1521.