Berlin
October 19, 2005
Berlin is located in the north-east of Germany, 70 km west of the Polish border. It was returned to the status of German capital after reunification in 1990.
From its inception, Berlin progressed quickly to become Germany's largest industrial and cultural centre but was devastated during the World War II.
Subsequent political developments divided the country and its capital. The building of the Wall in 1961 drastically and brutally completed this separation. The Wall came down again in 1989, when the people from West and East Berlin were finally reunited returning Berlin to the status of the country's largest city and capital.
The fall of the Wall gave Berlin the rare opportunity to redesign its city center. Once Europe's busiest traffic intersection, Potsdammer Platz has been rebuilt at the heart of the new German capital as an ultra-modern business and cultural plaza.
Ancient Germany, modern Berlin
The city, at the very heart of the state of Brandenburg, is a throbbing hub of contrasting styles. On the one hand, there is ancient art and culture scattered throughout Berlin but concentrated mainly around the Museum Island on the famous Unter den Linden avenue. With a plethora of museums, exhibition halls and glorious old buildings, the city's history calls to inhabitants and tourists alike from every street.
On the other hand, there is the young and vibrant side of the city, born from a revolutionary zeal during the Cold War which eventually gave birth to the world famous Love Parade festival and a host of other alternative events.
A city with sports in its veins
Berlin has increasingly been becoming a center for sports. the city hosted the International German Gymnastics Festival in May 2005. It is one of the world's largest competitive events with over 100,000 participants.
For the 2006 World Cup, football fans are already eagerly anticipating the four preliminary games and quarter finals which will be played in the Olympic stadium but the most anticipated match will, of course, be the World Cup final on July 9.