Berlin — Capital of Germany

Berlin (population 3.7 million) is the capital and largest city of Germany, and one of Europe's most historically layered cities. Founded in the 13th century at the confluence of the Spree and Havel rivers, it became the capital of Prussia in 1701, the German Empire in 1871, and the Weimar Republic after WWI. Under the Third Reich it was the centre of Nazi power; after WWII it was divided between East and West, with the Berlin Wall — erected in 1961 and torn down in 1989 — becoming the defining symbol of the Cold War.

Reunified in 1990 and re-established as the capital of united Germany in 1991, Berlin has reinvented itself as Europe's cultural capital — a city of world-class museums (Museum Island holds five, including the Pergamon), cutting-edge contemporary art, and a nightlife scene without parallel in Europe. The Brandenburg Gate, once stranded in the no-man's-land between East and West, is now the symbol of reunification. Berlin is also home to the Reichstag, whose glass dome — designed by Norman Foster — allows citizens to look down on their parliament.