Berlin is the capital city of Germany and one of the 16 states (Länder) of the Federal Republic of Germany. Berlin is the largest city in Germany and has a population of 4.3 million within its metropolitan area and 3.4 million within the city limits. Berlin is best known for its historical associations as the German capital, for its lively nightlife, for its many cafes, clubs, and bars, and for its numerous museums, palaces, and other sites of historic interest. Berlin's architecture is quite varied: though badly damaged in the final years of World War II, Berlin has reconstructed itself greatly, and it is now possible to see representatives of many different historic periods in a short time within the compact city center, from a few surviving medieval buildings near Alexanderplatz, to the ultramodern glass and steel structures in Potsdamer Platz.
In Berlin there is more than one downtown area. Berlin has many districts or boroughs, called Bezirke, and each district has its unique style. Each Bezirk is composed of several Kieze - a Berlin term referring to "neighborhood", with their unique style. Some districts of Berlin are more worthy of the traveller's attention than others.
Following are the districts of greatest interest:
Mitte - the historical center of Berlin and the nucleus of the former East Berlin. Many cafes, restaurants, museums, galleries and clubs throughout the district, along with many sites of historic interest.
Charlottenburg - heart of City West and centered around the Schloss Charlottenburg
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - associated with the left wing youth culture, artists and Turkish immigrants (the latter especially in Kreuzberg), this district is somewhat noisier than most, lots of cafes, bars and clubs, but also some museums in Kreuzberg near the border to Mitte.
Prenzlauer Berg - a trendy area undergoing gentrification, north of the city center. Popular with students, artists and media professionals, lots of cafes and bars
Schöneberg - cosy area for ageing hippies, young families and homosexuals. Famous are the markets on Saturdays, the street cafes (e.g. Akazienstrasse) and the laissez-faire life style.
Zehlendorf - Zehlendorf is one of the greenest and wealthiest districts in Berlin and the biggest university in town (Freie Universität) is located here, but often ignored are the great museums and some important historical buildings.
Areas of interest that are not districts but known rather by name than by district
Ku'Damm - one of the main shopping streets in Berlin, especially for luxury goods. Many great restaurants and hotels, also in the side roads.
Potsdamer Platz - once divided in two by the Berlin Wall, this area has been newly developed since reunification in a modern style. It has a large shopping center and two movie theatre complexes (3D IMAX and a multiplex showing only original English versions of first-run films). On fine days, the piazza under the spectacular dome of the Sony Center (designed by Helmut Jahn), has become a mecca for both Berliners and tourists.
Berlin has been officially divided into 12 large districts (Bezirke) since January 2001, a simplification of the previous 23 smaller districts (Stadtteile, Bezirke) that was undertaken purely for administrative efficiency. The smaller districts remain foremost in popular conceptions of the city, however, and are generally of a more practical size and cultural division for the purposes of the traveller. New names are usually compounded from the old names (e.g. Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf merged to Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf).
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