Berlin

Mitte

Mitte literally means 'the middle', and the central area is very much representative of Berlin's history. This is where you'll find most of Berlin's most typically visited sites like the Brandenberg Gate, Unter den linden and the Reichstag. The Fernsehturm (TV tower) and the Piccadilly Circus-esque Alexanderplatz can all be found here and the area, whilst touristy, can't really be missed if you're on holiday in Berlin. Cafes, especially round Alexanderplatz tend to be extremely expensive; and besides, the cafe culture of areas like Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg are so vibrant that it's worth waiting to enjoy your cafe au lait! Mitte now includes the two districts Tiergarten and Wedding, where you'll find such major tourist attractions as Potsdamer Platz.

Charlottenberg-Wilmersdorf

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the most prestigious and affluent district of Berlin and has one of highest incomes per household in Germany. It boasts large, lovely buildings on wide, tree-lined avenues and is one of the richest areas to be found in Berlin. Charlottenberg-Wilmersdorf features the largest retail and shopping areas in Berlin, as well as most of the city's most expensive and luxurious hotels. Berlin's most famous shopping boulevard Kurfürstendamm (called Kudamm) with Europe's largest department store KaDeWe are in Charlottenburg. There is very little of the revolutionary spirit that Berlin is famous for here; the punks and Goths you'll come to be very familiar with whilst in this city are pointedly absent in this wealthy area.

Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg

Hipsters, musicians and arty types take note; Kreuzberg will be right up your street! Graffitied, filled with cosy, cool candlelit bars, cafes and restaurants, with makeshift art galleries, great big stomping warehouse parties and a strong art and music contingent, it's what Prenzlauer Berg used to be before the inevitable gentrification occurred. Kreuzberg is one of the poorest areas of Berlin, but what it lacks in ostentatious displays of wealth it makes up in attitude and character. If you're after a great night out away from the well known clubs and bars and want something a bit more alternative, you could do worse than to ask a Kreuzberg inhabitant. For those who like their nightlife long, hardcore and techno infused, the famous Bergain/Panorama bar can be found in Friedrichshain. You'll find some fantastic cafes and bars on Oranienstrasse as well as some truly delicious kebabs thanks to the strong Turkish community!

Prenzlauer-Berg

Prenzlauer Berg is in the district of Pankow and is one of the most aesthetically pleasing areas of Berlin, but don't let that fool you ? it is still very central to the Berlin art scene and continues to develop by the day. The area is packed with trendy shops, cafes, pubs, galleries and unrivalled nightlife. It is similar to Kreuzberg in the buzz that it generates and the youth culture that it attracts, but it has a distinctly more middle class feel due to a certain degree of gentrification that has occurred in the past few years. For those into techno, you'll find the famous Watergate club here with its floor to ceiling glass windows and fantastic floating river terrace.

Schonberg

The upmarket Schöneberg district, south of Berlin's Tiergarten forest, is well stocked with stores and supermarkets, as well as Berlin's famous Zoo and the ruined Kaiser-Wilhelm church. You can also reach the nearby Charlottenburg castle with a brief commute. The area around Nollendorfplatz has been a centre of the gay community in Berlin since the 1920's and early 1930s during the Weimar Republic. Off the south side of the square, to the right in Hohenstaufenstraße is the pub Mutter which makes a highly enjoyable night out, and further on in Goltzstraße is a whole array of pubs and cafés.