Yesterday capital of Prussia and cultural center of the Golden Twenties, today the gateway to eastern Europe - Berlin is once again making a new beginning. One can sense the fresh vibrancy everywhere, on the boulevards, in the art and flea markets, in the 300 trendy night-spots and the 7,000 pubs and restaurants. Visitors can enjoy three opera houses, two great concert halls and 35 theatres, plus cabarets, musicals and revues. Art-lovers are also spoilt for choice at no fewer than 170 excellent museums. The vibrant metropolis of Berlin lies in the middle of the state of Brandenburg, just a few miles away from countless lakes, historical castles, stately homes, abbeys, heaths, pine forests, river valleys and tree-lined country roads. Yesterday capital of Prussia and cultural center of the Golden Twenties, today the gateway to eastern Europe - Berlin is once again making a new beginning. One can sense the fresh vibrancy everywhere, on the boulevards, in the art and flea markets, in the 300 trendy night-spots and the 7,000 pubs and restaurants. Visitors can enjoy three opera houses, two great concert halls and 35 theatres, plus cabarets, musicals and revues. Art-lovers are also spoilt for choice at no fewer than 170 excellent museums. 

Few cities have such a wealth of unspoilt nature and cultural attractions in the direct vicinity. Berlin is linked to its environs both by the Spree and Havel rivers and by their common historical heritage, reflected in the many fascinating sights. Brandenburg is well worth a visit while you're in Berlin -you can see a great deal even in a few hours or a short day-trip.

Berlin's museums present art works of international appreciation. More than 150 museums invite to see collections of the world culture such as the Pergamonaltar or the bust of Nofretete, painting works from Giotto and Breughel over Caspar David Friedrich and Picasso to contemporary artists. Spectacular new buildings like the Filmmuseum or the Jewish Museum and the reopening of great museums like the Old National Gallery enhance the fascinating range of Berlin's museums.

After the reunification the Jewish community has grown continuously. Several restaurants, theaters and music performances represent Jewish life especially in the area around Oranienburger Straße. The New Synagogue Berlin - Centrum Judaicum and the Jewish Museum Berlin trace the German-Jewish history. Reminding of the destruction of Jewish life during the National Socialism, there are locations such as the House of the Wannsee-Conference, the foundation "Topography of Terrorism" and the planned memorial for the murdered Jewish in Europe.

Berlin is a city where the delicate threads of Jewish history and culture interweave into an intricate web. Some places stand as a stark reminder of the obliteration of what was once vibrant Jewish life. the Wannsee villa, the loading ramp at Grunewald S-Bahn station and the "Topography of Terror" permanent exhibition. Others are testimonies of the Jewish past – Ephraim-Palais, the New Synagogue, Jewish cemeteries in Mitte and Weißensee – or the focus of its Jewish present: the Jewish Community Centre, the offices of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, seven active synagogues, the Jewish "Volkshochschule" and the Jewish Museum. Nowadays, attitudes towards Jewish culture are a touchstone of the broader community's tolerance. At the same time, the ever growing numbers of Jewish community members are tangible evidence of Berlin's renaissance as a living site of Jewish life.