Three and a half million inhabitants turn the city, divided until 1989, into a European metropolis, a vital juggernaut that wears itself out daily between Kudamm and Neukölln, between Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg, simply: a bridge without railings...

Is it the commercial sights like the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Gendarmenmarkt, Zoo or the Olympic Stadium that attract numerous visitors from all over the world and make it the most popular city in Germany? Is it the shrill night scene with the solitaire Berghain, probably the most notorious club in Europe at the moment, or is it perhaps the vital art and music scene that gives Berlin its reputation as the most exciting metropolis of our time? Is it the sheer size and diversity of the former imperial capital with its numerous parks and charming lakes in the surrounding countryside that makes it a place of longing for many people?

The fact is that Berlin attracts people. Many come, according to one study, out of a sense of adventure. In 2019, before Corona, nearly 14 million tourists visited the German capital, compared with just under three million in 1996. There are neighborhoods in the once-divided city where English is spoken more than German. As one of the city's online magazines wrote, "Berlin doesn't keep still, but it can take a beating." Or also, "You can always find someone crazier than you." So, in a variation of a Swabian marketing offensive, we would just say: go there, have no expectations, plunge in: Berlin can do everything. Except boring.

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