GERMANY - Berlin

Berlin - Capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. Although the city was badly damaged in the final years of World War II and broken apart during the Cold War, Berlin has reconstructed itself greatly, especially with the reunification push after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It is now possible to see representatives of many different historic periods in a short time within the city center, from a few surviving medieval buildings near Alexanderplatz, to the ultramodern glass and steel structures in Potsdamer Platz. Because of its tumultuous history, Berlin remains a city with many distinctive neighborhoods loaded with international outlook and tolerance, lively nightlife, thousands of ultra hip cafes, clubs, bars and lively street art. It's all there. Berlin, January 2013.