Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population.Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits.Berlin is a place of stark contrasts. On one hand, reminders of its turbulent past are everywhere. But it's also a modern megalopolis that's geographically nine times bigger than Paris with exciting new attractions and an inherent subversiveness. This juxtaposition makes it a destination unlike any other.

One of Germany's sixteen constituent states, Berlin is surrounded by the State of Brandenburg and contiguous with Potsdam, Brandenburg's capital.Berlin's urban area, which has a population of around 4.5 million, is the second most populous urban area in Germany after the Ruhr. The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region has around 6.2 million inhabitants and is Germany's third-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr and Rhine-Main regions.

Berlin straddles the banks of the Spree, which flows into the Havel (a tributary of the Elbe) in the western borough of Spandau.

Among the city's main topographical features are the many lakes in the western and southeastern boroughs formed by the Spree,

Havel and Dahme, the largest of which is Lake Muggelsee. Due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. About one-third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals, and lakes.

The city lies in the Central German dialect area, the Berlin dialect being a variant of the Lusatian-New Marchian dialects.

Best Time to Go

May through October is the peak travel period in Berlin. Temperatures tend to be moderate, making it a lovely time to walk around, see the historic sites, hang out in the many green spaces and enjoy al fresco dining. Winter isn't the season that most tourists visit due to the less welcoming weather. However, holiday festivities notably the fabled Christmas markets are a bright light in the middle of what can feel like a very long, grey few months.