Because no matter what you are looking for in a holiday, Berlin has it all. Shopping, culture including street art, museums, theatre and opera, nightlife in cafes and clubs, leisure in parks and on beaches – there is nothing you won’t find, and this variety makes Berlin my dream destination every year.

My favourites: Berlin Kreuzberg has been a no-go area for many years but has developed into the best hub for artists and youth culture, offering countless bars and trendy shops, especially on Orienburger Straße. But before you hit them, you should eat the best Currywurst you’ll find in Germany at Konnopke Imbiss in Schönhauser Allee a food stall that has existed since 1901.

Mitte area in East Berlin offers dozens of museums and galleries and is slated as the future centre of town. A highlight is the Museumsinsel (Island of Museums) and in particular the Pergamon Museum, the most visited museum in Germany. Don’t miss sitting on the stairs of the Pergamon Altar or walking through the Ishtar Gate, a relic from the ancient city of Babylon. It always make me feel like I have left the modern world and been transported back centuries.

The TV Tower on Alexanderplatz is the 4th tallest construction in Europe, affording 360° views all over Berlin and into the surrounding countryside. Because of its glorious and often inglorious past, Berlin offers a historical legacy that has been tailored for this tolerant and culturally diversified metropolis. Two of the biggest events of this nature are the Christopher Street Day and the Carnival of Cultures on Whit Sunday that represents the cities many ethnic groups. People dance, sing and celebrate together – no matter where they are from in an experience not easily forgotten.

If I feel like enjoying a cultural evening, I mostly visit the Friedrichsstadtpalast, which is famous for its theatres, or the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. But many cabarets and concerts are also offered in the O2 Arena or Waldbuehne, which was built for the 1936 Olympic Games and is one of the most beautiful open air theatres in Europe.

And if you have the chance to visit Berlin in summer, you should stop by at the beach because Berlin has transformed itself into the capital of beach bars. Between the Reichstag, Museumsinsel and the East-Side-Gallery, along the river Spree, you can sit underneath palm trees at a beach bar or on the sand, and almost feel like you on one of the big South European beaches. There is nothing better than finishing off a day full of sightseeing or shopping with a cold beer in the sun, sand between your toes and watching young people playing beach ball.

Having it all – that you can get only in Berlin!
**This short Travel Story was submitted as part of the Holiday Travel Writing Competition. **