At the western end of Unter den Linden is the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), the symbol of Berlin and once the boundary between east and west. Built in 1791 by Karl Gotthard Langhans, it’s crowned by the Quadriga, a winged Goddess of Victory in a four-horse chariot.

Just north of the gate is the Reichstag (8am-midnight, last admission 10pm), where at midnight on 2 October 1990 the reunification of Germany was enacted. Again the home of the German parliament, the Reich­stag has become Berlin’s number one attraction, thanks to Sir Norman Foster’s stunning 1999 reconstruction. The lift to the distinctive glass cupola is free and doesn’t require reservations; tours of the building’s interior can be arranged by writing to Deutscher Bundestag, Besucherdienst, Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin.

Soaring above the city, the restored 368m Fernsehturm (TV tower; adult/ concession €6.50/ €3; Mar-Oct 9am -1am, Nov-Feb 10am-midnight) is Berlin’s best-known landmark. Its aesthetic qualities are debatable, but the views are superb. On the opposite side of the elevated train station is Alexanderplatz (affectionately known as ‘Alex’), the square named after Tsar Alexander I., who visited Berlin in 1805. It was bombed in WWII and rebuilt in the 1960s Soviet style. The World Time Clock (1969) is another GDR curiosity.

Almost nothing remains of the famous Checkpoint Charlie, a major crossing between east and west during the Cold War. However, the Wall’s history is commemorated nearby in the fascinating Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Friedrichstrasse 43-45; adult/ concession €9.50/ €5.50; 9am-10pm), with countless tales of successful and failed escape attempts.

Parallel to a section of the Wall is the site of the former SS-Gestapo headquarters, where the open-air Topography of Terror (Niederkirchnerstraße 8; May-Sep 10am-8pm, Oct-Apr 10am-dusk) exhibition documents Nazi crimes.

SO36 at the  famous Oranienstraße 190 in Kreuzberg’s punk heart is still going strong, with thrashy live gigs and a hugely popular range of gay and lesbian nights.  A must for every visitor!

The arthouse Tacheles (Oranienburgerstr. 54-56) is pretty much the antithesis of prettified Mitte. Yet it's also one of the city majors attractions, and not just for anarchic, underground artists and those who love them. This is still the place to come for mindbending art, the warped sounds of tomorrow and an almost infectious burst of creativity.

Berlin’s famed Museum Island is a scene of heavy construction as its grand buildings are restored. On an island west of the Fernsehturm is the GDR’s Palace of the Republic which occupies the site of the bombed, baroque Berliner Schloss. North of Marx-Engels-Platz looms the great neo-Renaissance dome of the 1904 Berliner Dom (adult/ concession €5/ €3; Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun noon-7pm), the bombastic former court church of the Hohenzollern family.

Of the museums that give the area its name, the  Pergamonmuseum (adult/ concession €8/ €4; Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, Thu 10am-10pm) is crammed with relics of classical Greek, Babylonian, Roman, Oriental and Islamic antiquity. The world-renowned Ishtar Gate from Babylon (580 BC), the reconstructed Pergamon Altar from Asia Minor (160 BC) and the Market Gate from Greek Miletus (Asia Minor, 2nd century AD) are among the artefacts on display. Other good museums include the Alte Nationalgalerie (adult/ concession €8/ €4; Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, Thu 10am-10pm), with classical sculpture and paintings by European masters, and Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s 1829 neoclassical Altes Museum (adult/ concession €8/ €4; Tue-Sun 10am-6pm).

The Neue Synagoge at the Oranienburger Straße with the Centrum Judaicum is one of the most important spots for jews in Germany. The Synagoge was saved due to brave behaviour of the police in the pogromnight 1938. The first stone for the rebuilding was laid on the 9.11.1988 exactly 50 year after the Reichs-Pogromnacht, it was finished in 1995.

The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall runs west from near Warschauer Strasse station. This 1300m section was turned over to graffiti writers and artists who created the East Side Gallery, a permanent, open-air art gallery along the side facing Mühlenstraße. The area can be a bit seedy, although it’s improving with gentrification. The gallery also has a showcase in Ostbahnhof.

In a former train station, about a 10 minute walk west of the Natural History Museum, is Berlins premier contemporary art museum, the Hambuger Bahnhof. Big names lincluding Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Keith Haring and many more form the core collection, wich spans  the second half of the 20th century. At night, a light installation by Dan Flavin bathes the building in mystical blue and green hues.

Tourists flock to the beautifully restored Hackesche Höfe, like bees the honey jar. Multiuse complex combining appartments with restaurants and cafes, theaters, galleries and boutiques, it's one of Berlins success stories. Its definitely worth a visit.

North of Marx-Engels-Platz looms the great neo-Renaissance dome of the 1904 Berliner Dom. Am Lustgarten (adult/ concession €5/ €3; Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun noon-7pm), the bombastic former court church of the Hohenzollern family. It was detailed rebuilt after the war.

The Pan asia feeds with its Crossover-Asia-Kitchen not only Nicole Kidman and other celebrities, but has with its 300 seats and stylish ambience something to look at.