Berlin

The neoclassical arch that is the symbol of the city and of a reunited Germany — once stranded in the death strip of the Wall, now the backdrop to every celebration. Stand in Pariser Platz beneath it; simple, free, and heavy with history.

Germany's parliament, crowned by Norman Foster's great glass dome — a spiral ramp up inside it for a 360° view over the city and down onto the debating chamber, a deliberate symbol of transparency. Free, but you must register online ahead.

The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, a 1.3km run of it turned into an open-air gallery — 100-odd murals including the famous socialist 'fraternal kiss'. The most powerful, and most photographed, piece of the Wall left standing.

Five world-class museums on an island in the Spree, a UNESCO site — the bust of Nefertiti in the Neues, the vast Pergamon altar (partly closed for works), classical treasures and Old Masters. Pick one or two; a day here barely scratches it.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe — 2,711 grey concrete slabs in undulating rows that you walk into and lose yourself among, disorienting and silent, with a searing information centre beneath. Free, sombre, and unforgettable.

Berlin's nightlife is a religion, and Kreuzberg is its parish — canal-side bars, tiny live venues, late kebab stands and clubs that don't fill up till 3am. Start with a Berliner Pilsner by the water, follow the crowd, and pace yourself.

The 368m Fernsehturm spiking over the old East, the tallest building in Germany — a lift to the observation deck and revolving restaurant for the best view over the whole flat sprawl of the city. The unmistakable needle on the skyline.

A whole disused airport turned into the city's most surreal park — Berliners cycle, skate and kite-buggy down the old runways, barbecue on the aprons and drink in the huge open space. The most Berlin thing there is: a monument to doing what you like.

Berlin's two great street foods — the döner kebab, arguably perfected here by the city's huge Turkish community, and the currywurst, a sliced sausage doused in curried ketchup. Eat both, standing up, for a few euros. The taste of the city.

A Sunday institution on the old death strip — a big flea market of vintage and junk, buskers, and a legendary outdoor karaoke in the amphitheatre where hundreds cheer strangers on. Grab a beer, find a spot on the grass, and soak up Berlin at play.

The largest palace in Berlin, a baroque-and-rococo confection with gilded state rooms and formal gardens laid out along the river — the Prussian kings' answer to Versailles. A grand, green half-day out in the elegant West.

Berlin is the world capital of techno, and its temple is Berghain — a former power station where the party runs from Saturday night deep into Monday. Notoriously tough on the door; if it's not your scene, the city is full of other clubs that are.

On Bernauer Straße, the one place that preserves the Wall as it really was — a surviving section with the death strip, watchtower and border installations intact, plus a moving open-air documentation of the families it split. The Wall, properly explained.

When the sun's out, the city decamps to the biergarten — long benches under the chestnut trees, a cold Pils or a Berliner Weisse with a shot of syrup, and pretzels and sausages. Prater in Prenzlauer Berg is the oldest; find any and settle in.

The most beautiful square in the city — the grand concert hall flanked by the matching domes of the French and German cathedrals, elegant and symmetrical. Lovely by day, glorious floodlit at night, and home to a fine Christmas market in December.