Tuesday, March 3, 2009

United Kingdom to Berlin

By Tom Martens

United Kingdom visitors to Berlin, the beautiful capital city of Germany, will not be disappointed. The city?s popularity with tourists means there are dozens of available flights at all price levels from the UK?s major cities, including London, Manchester and Birmingham. Berlin is served by three international airports; Tegel International Airport, Schonefeld International Airport and Tempelhof International Airport. UK travelers can land at either Tegel or Schonefeld. Tegel is the busiest airport in Berlin. Berlin also serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport.

With a population of about 3.4 million, Berlin is both the largest city in Germany and one of the largest cities in Europe. Winters are cold, spring and fall can be chilly, but summers are warm. Rainfall is moderate, and there is usually light snow between December and March.

World War II and the Battle of Berlin largely destroyed the city, and in the aftermath of the war, Berlin was divided between east and west. Since reunification in 1990, however, there has been a building boom, with no plans to scale back soon. The capital city of Germany boasts world class museums, parks, shopping, and museums. It also is home to booming nightlife, diverse architecture, a popularity modern art scene, and dozens of festivals.

The Berlin Film Festival is one of the largest and most famous film festivals in the world, and the city is headquarters to more than one thousand film and television production companies. Hundreds of national and international productions are filmed in Berlin each year. The late actress Marlene Dietrich was a native of Berlin.

Germany's capital is also a major center for politics, media, culture, and science, its economy based on providing services. It is home to many media corporations, convention venues, environmental services, and creative industries. Other key factors in the Berlin economy include optoelectronics, information technology, traffic engineering, truck and auto manufacturing, and biotechnology. The history of Berlin as a center for medicine and medical technology stretches back over 100 years. Berliner Rudolf Virchow founded cellular pathology, and Robert Koch discovered the organisms that cause anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Berlin offers plenty of green space, dozens of parks, and two major zoos. The Botanischer Garten, home of the Botanic Museum Berlin, hosts one of the largest and most diverse gardens on the planet. Berlin is also world-famous for its bicycle trails. Cyclists accounted for 12 per cent of the total traffic in this bicycle-friendly city in 2007.

With hundreds of hotels for every budget, Berlin is an affordable destination for all visitors. Plan a trip to Berlin and you will not be disappointed. You will agree with millions that Berlin deserves its reputation as one of the biggest tourist destinations in Europe, Full of history, charm, and culture, Berlin will be an exciting destination for you.

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