I’ve seldom had as many visitors as I get now that I live in Berlin. The German capital has become Europe’s number one hot spot. And for all of you who don’t have that friend in Berlin with an extra couch, Escapio offers you a selection of the best Berlin hotels, everything from hip to chic. Berlin’s mayor Klaus Wowereit’s now famous line about his city being „poor but sexy“ sums up this place quite succinctly. Indeed, Berlin tourists are particularly interested in experiencing that certain je ne sais quoi flair so unique to this once so divided city. Nowhere else visitors will find as many parties going on as here. New clubs, fashion labels and bands seem to burst onto the scene every day. And yet, perhaps the best song to reflect this particular Berlin mood is the ambivalent Peter Fox‘ anti-hymn hit Black to Blue“ with its telling line:„Good morning Berlin, sometimes you use to be so ugly.“

There are so many museums, exhibitions and monuments in Berlin that it’s very hard to know where best to start. And this is why we have put together our own selection of top 5 Berlin sights, just to jump-start that big city feeling for you.

1) Get things going with a simple bus ride. Take a city tour on the city’s own BVG bus line 100 from Zoologischen Garten to Alexanderplatz. The ticket will only set you back 2.10 euros for a ride that will take you all the way across town along sites that include a great look at the Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Hackescher Markt. And while you’re at it you can enjoy the innovative audio guide from Culture-to-Go. Berlin creative artists’ narratives turn this bus ride into an amusing and highly informative city tour.

2) Of all the Berlin museums, the Pergamon Museum is arguably the most impressive. Constructed between 1910 and 1930 on the city’s famous Museum Island (the island itself a sight worth seeing), it has attained world-wide fame primarily through the awe-inspiring reconstructions of three particularly famous ancient world structures – the colossal Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus and the stunning blue Ishtar Gate, with its accompanying Procession Road to Babylon and Mshatta Facade.

3) Taking in a concert at the Berlin Philharmonie is an absolute must for any music enthusiast who visits Berlin. And even if Sir Simon Rattle may not be conducting when you attend, this imposing concert hall always offers its listeners an unforgettable sound experience. Many concerts are booked out months in advance of course, but with a little luck you might get one of the tickets that were returned.

4) In order to get a true feel for the many-faceted and sometimes subtle differences between the long-divided eastern and western sides of the city, the best way to go is to take a closer look at two particularly representative districts: The elegant stores, cafes and restaurants located on streets near Charlottenburg’s Savignyplatz are perfect examples of the old West-Berlin culture. Berlin-Mitte in the east, on the other hand, is despite some overly zealous reconstruction work in places. An inviting district due to the large number of original structures built in the old Berliner building style still standing and the lively art and art gallery scene that has established itself there. Dozens of galleries have popped up along Auguststraße, Oranienburger Straße and Linienstraße. And directly in the hip Oranienburger Straße neighborhood is where you can find the chic design hotel Casa Camper where not just scene-insiders feel at home.

5) Prenzlauer Berg’s Kulturbrauerei offers a huge array of concerts, films and other cultural events. Assorted cafes and restaurants are housed directly in the old brewery complex, but nothing is stopping you from also stepping outside and taking a little walk along Kastanienallee and plunge yet a bit deeper into the another wild side of the bustling Berlin scene.