Berlin

The most reliable thing about Berlin? The fact that nothing can really be relied on and that the German capital is still reinventing itself almost every week, even 30 years after reunification. That's another thing that makes a visit here so exciting.

Living

■ The Ritz-Carlton Berlin
The Ritz-Carlton has 303 luxurious guest rooms and suites and is located directly on the historic Potsdamer Platz. The five-star superior hotel presents itself in a contemporary Art Deco style, combined with excellent service. Pots serves modern German cuisine, while The Curtain Club and the extravagant Fragrances are among the city's top bars.
www.ritzcarlton.de/berlin

■ Schlosshotel Berln by Patrick Hellmann
This hideaway in a stately villa from 1911 with a park-like garden is located in the exclusive, green Grunewald district, just ten minutes from Kurfürstendamm. The high-quality rooms were designed with design elements by Karl Lagerfeld and Patrick Hellmann.
www.schlosshotelberlin.com



getawayS IM BERLINER UMLAND

■ Stolpe Manor House
The prestigious manor house, a member of Relais & Chateaux, in the Peene Valley Nature Park in Western Pomerania is both a luxury hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant. The 19th century estate is beautifully situated on the banks of the River Peene in an extensive park with ancient trees. The rooms and suites are characterized by their very special comfort. The "Gutsherrenküche" restaurant has held a Michelin star since 1998 and in the Stolper Fährkrug you can enjoy hearty Pomeranian gourmet cuisine.
www.gutshaus-stolpe.de

■ Hotel zur Bleiche
The resort and spa in the Spreewald is a good hour's drive from Berlin. Especially the
spacious wellness area and spa with a swimming pool by the fireplace attracts Berliners for a relaxing short break at the weekend. Alexander Müller's cuisine has also won several awards, including a Michelin star. New suites have also recently been added.
www.bleiche.de

■ At Schumann's
The Schumanns Resort in Kirschau in Saxony offers plenty of space on 30,000 m2 with just 63 rooms - a new extension with stylish deluxe rooms and a "Hanging Pool" was recently opened. Two spa areas with three pools and 13 individual saunas offer plenty of space to relax and unwind. Some themed suites offer direct access to the Roman-Greek spa temple. A total of four different restaurants provide a variety of culinary delights.
www.bei-schumann.de

Nanna Kuckuck
Fashion designer from Berlin in an interview

Where I like to eat best
Li Myra between Winterfeldtplatz and Nollendorfplatz is my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. Especially in Corona times, I think it's important to support the restaurateurs in the neighborhood. But that's not the only reason why I like this culinary place, which is a restaurant, café and wine bar, so much. The Mediterranean specialties are wonderful and there are great wines. The hosts go to incredible lengths and are simply enchanting.

Where I like to go for coffee the most?
Baltas near my studio in Berlin-Schöneberg is not a trendy place, but a relaxed and laid-back one. I also get the best ice-crushed caffè latte there. Even in winter, the sun shines there all day, so you can sit outside wrapped up in cozy blankets.

My favorite place?
My favorite place in Berlin is in front of the congress hall, which we Berliners call the "pregnant oyster", by the water. This spot is in the middle of the government district and yet it is pure idyll. I sit there on the banks of the Spree and watch the boats go by. I always have a sketchpad and camera with me, as this is also a place of creativity for me.

My favorite store?
At Hobbyshop Rüther, you can get everything a creative artist's heart can imagine. This specialist craft store is a real mecca for inspiration - no wonder, with a selection of more than 60,000 items. It's so much fun to shop there, I love this store.

No other European city is booming like Berlin. 5-star luxury hotels lure visitors with low prices, but the city clearly owes its charm to its quirky mix of chic and trendy versus poor and sexy.

! Photo Slider: Friedrichstrasse Station © visitBerlin, Photo: Wolfgang Scholvien!

Highlights

Connoisseur special tip
Berlin has more canal kilometers than Venice and leisure captains are experiencing a boom. Incidentally, a pleasure even without a free ticket: The brunch cruise on the "Philippa" (departs from the Baerwaldbrücke) is legendary. Without any annoying tourist guide texts, you can set off on the waterway through the city with a latte macchiato and bagels. Past the beaches in Monbijoupark to the countless lakes near the city.
www.vanloon.de

DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS

in Switzerland
German Embassy
Willadingweg 83, 3006 Bern, Switzerland
Phone: +41 31 3594111
Fax: +41 31 3594444
www.bern.diplo.de


in Austria
German Embassy
Gauermanngasse 2/4, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 1 711540
www.wien.diplo.de

Location

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Area

357.376 km² (Berlin 891,8 km²)

Population

3.5 million

Language

German

Arrival

German Railways

Largest city

Berlin

Capital city

Berlin

Religion

34% Protestant, 34% Roman Catholic; Jewish, Muslim and other Christian and non-Christian minorities. In Berlin, 59% of people are non-denominational, 22.3% Protestant, 9.1% Catholic, 2.7% profess another Christian denomination and 6.2% Islam.

Weather

Spring and summer are the best times to travel

Best time to travel

May to September, for the Berlinale in February

Climate

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature	2	3	8	14	19	22	24	23	19	13	7	3
Min. Temperature	-3	-3	-1	3	8	11	13	10	8	6	2	-2
Hours of Sunshine	2	3	4	5	7	8	8	7	6	4	2	1
Rainy days	10	9	8	9	9	9	11	9	8	9	10	9

Time difference (to MEZ)

Mitteleuropäische Zeit (MEZ) mit europäischer Sommerzeit (kein Zeitunterschied).

Currency

Euro

Visa

No visa is required for entry from an EU country. You are advised to bring a passport or identity card.

Vaccinations

none