GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Berlin hosts football World Cup
The last time the eyes of the sporting world were on Berlin was 70 years ago. And it still ranks as one of the most eye-catching moments in history, as Jesse Owens won his gold and Hitler squirmed during the 1936 Olympics.Fast forward 70 years and the eyes of the world are yet again on the German capital as it prepares for the football World Cup.
The city hosts a number of matches, and has been given pride of place by welcoming world champions Brazil for their first game, June 13, against Croatia, and staging the final on July 9. England, hopefully, will make their only appearance at the Olympiastadion in the final. The Olympic stadium has undergone a £165m renovation to make the 76,000-capacity facility ready for this year's tournament and is a far cry from when Hitler used it for propaganda for his Germany.
But it is not just the stadium which has been improved, the city, which has been neglected by tourists, now boasts fine restaurants, bars, cafes and attractions for visitors. With budget airlines and regular carriers putting the city back on schedules since it was reinstated as the capital seven years ago, Berlin is easy and cheap to get to. And most of the major hotel chains are now there.
Top attractions, apart from the football, include Checkpoint Charlie, the Norman Foster-designed Reichstag parliament building, Brandenburg Gate (left), sections of the Berlin Wall, and the memorial to Jewish victims of the Nazi era (below).
Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, surrounded by the Deutscher Dom, the Französischer Dom and the Konzerthaus. It is ideal for quick coffee or a longer linger over lunch. There are a huge number of galleries, museums and other cultural attractions for visitors, including sites dedicated to art, film, photography and fashion. The city prides itself on its forward-looking culture and the modern is tied in with old Berlin. Shopping is king on the Unter den Linden, Friedrichstrasse and Kurfürstendamm, while fine restaurants are all over the city offering traditional German fare, like the ubiquitous meatball, and international dishes.
Traveling around the city is easy and considerably cheaper than London. The U-Bahn underground, S-Bahn suburban services and trams whisk sightseers around the city for around £4 a day. Deals on tickets and passes are available.
For football fans, the city is turning itself over to fun, festivals and, of course, famous German beer. The Fan-festival takes place from June 7 to July 9 on the Strasse des 17 Juni between the Brandenburg Gate and Sieggesäule in the heart of the city. Huge screens will show matches and fans will be catered for by Berliners.
So, if you find yourself in Berlin in the next month and don't fancy the football, there are hundreds of places to escape to if only for a few hours. http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de
To check out Berlin's role in the World Cup go to http://www.fifaworldcup.com
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