Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, and also a city-state in its own right. A symbol of 20th-century history and reunification, it is now one of Europe's most dynamic centres of art, music, startups and nightlife. Its turbulent past and creative present make it utterly distinctive.

Berlin sits on the flat plains of northeastern Germany, surrounded entirely by the state of Brandenburg, threaded by the Spree River and dotted with lakes, parks and forests. The climate is temperate continental.

Berlin is a global capital of contemporary culture, famed for its techno scene, world-class museums on Museum Island, street art and an open, experimental spirit. It is a magnet for artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Capital of Prussia and then the German Empire, Berlin was devastated in the Second World War and divided by the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. The wall fell in 1989, and the reunified city became the capital of a reunified Germany once more.