UK to Berlin
March 3, 2009 by Tom Martens
Filed under Flights
UK travelers to Berlin, the historic and modern capital of Germany, will be not be let down. The enduring popularity of Berlin as a vacation destination means there are convenient flights for every budget from all of the UK’s major airports, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Three airports serve Berlin: Tempelhof, Schonefeld, and Tegel, the latter being the busiest airport in the city. Berlin also serves a hub for rail travel across the continent.
With a population of about 3.4 million, Berlin is both the largest city in Germany and one of the largest cities in Europe. Winters are cold, spring and fall can be chilly, but summers are warm. Rainfall is moderate, and there is usually light snow between December and March.
World War II and the Battle of Berlin largely destroyed the city, and in the aftermath of the war, Berlin was divided between east and west. Since reunification in 1990, however, there has been a building boom, with no plans to scale back soon. The capital city of Germany boasts world class museums, parks, shopping, and museums. It also is home to booming nightlife, diverse architecture, a popularity modern art scene, and dozens of festivals.
The Berlin Film Festival, for instance, is among the most famous, as well as one of the largest, film festivals in the world. Berlin is headquarters for over one thousand TV and film production companies. Hundreds of films and television programs are produced in Berlin each year. The late actress Marlene Dietrich was a native of Berlin.
Berlin is also a world center for media, culture, science, and politics, its economy grounded by the service sector. It is headquarters for many media corporations, creative industries, environmental services, and convention venues. Other large concerns in the Berlin economy include traffic engineering, auto and truck manufacturing, biotechnology, and information technology. The history of Berlin as a science center stretches back to the nineteenth century. Berliner Robert Koch discovered the microorganisms that cause anthrax, cholera, and tuberculosis, and Berliner Rudolf Virchow founded the science of cellular pathology.
For lovers of the outdoors, Germany’s capital offers abundant green space, two major zoological gardens, and dozens of parks. The home of the Botanic Museum Berlin, the Botanischer Garten, boasts one of the most diverse and largest gardens in the world. Berlin is also known world-wide for its bicycle trail system. Cyclists accounted for one in eight trips in the bicycle-friendly capital of Germany in 2007.
With dozens of hotels and accommodations at all price points, Berlin is an affordable city for visitors. Plan a trip to Germany?s capital and you won?t be disappointed. It is easy to see why Berlin is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Europe. Full of history, culture and charm, there is much to see and do in Berlin.
