Berlin is back – back as the capital of a reunified Germany and back as one of Europe’s greatest – and most vibrant – cities. After WWII, Berlin was a crippled pawn, sandwiched between East and West, with a literal and metaphorical wall deeply dividing the two halves. The northeastern German city even suffered the ignominy of losing its capital status, as the West German government fled to Bonn. Today, the Cold War and the iconic events of November 1989, which saw the Berlin Wall torn to pieces by those whom it had oppressed for so long, are starting to seem like a distant memory and all the talk in Berlin is of the future.

In the biggest construction project in Europe since WWII, a new Berlin has emerged from the forest of cranes dotting the no-man’s land that was the divided city’s dead heart. Potsdamer Platz is the most voluminous project but the most symbolic recent construction is at the Reichstag. British architect Norman Foster has rejuvenated the German parliament with an impressive glass dome that symbolises the new transparency in German politics – that of a nation with nothing to hide, which is attempting to distance itself from the ghosts of its past.

Coupled with this wave of recent construction is a city laden with historical charm – from the old streets of East Berlin, which are slowly being restored after remaining unchanged for 50 years, through to the grand architecture of Museumsinsel and Unter den Linden, and the green lung of the Tiergarten Park.

Tourism is on the rise, as visitors come to savour the intoxicating mix of old and new. Big business, too, is booming and key industries such as electronics, manufacturing and information technology reflect the dynamism of the German economy.

Contrary to the usual cliches about Germany, Berlin is a city with a laid-back attitude and some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. In Berlin today, there is everything from authentic beer halls and old Soviet era haunts right through to buzzing style bars and Latino nightclubs.

Berlin’s climate is equally eclectic, with hot summer days giving way to occasionally freezing temperatures during the long grey winter. Today’s quintessential Berlin experience is to laze through a summer day in the Tiergarten with the murmur of construction just out of earshot, sipping on a chilled Pilsner beer, while absorbing the rush and hum of one of Europe’s finest capitals.

Cologne (Köln) is a vibrant German city famous for its awe-inspiring cathedral, Romanesque churches and atmospheric brewhouses.

Despite its strong religious background, Cologne has a reputation as a goodtime town and its Carnival is one of the biggest in Europe. Visitors can sample the city’s famous hospitality in its brewhouses – Cologne boasts more breweries than any other European city.

Cologne also offers some fine museums featuring rich Roman remains and an important artistic heritage.

Despite losing most of its historic centre in WWII, a small proportion of Cologne’s Altstadt survives, right by the river. But the major draw for visitors is Cologne’s cathedral, known as the Dom, arguably the world’s greatest gothic edifice and Germany’s most visited attraction.

The fifth biggest city in Germany, Frankfurt on Main (Frankfurt am Main), has gained enormous economic power thanks to its position as a key transport hub and its status as a major venue for international trade fairs. Located in the middle of the highly productive Rhine-Main region, right at the centre of Europe, the city is the financial heart of Germany but also of the European Union.

History
A settlement since at least 3000BC, Frankfurt’s long history of commerce stems from its central geographical location on the Main River and the Frankfurt Messe (fair). The Messe has been going since the 12th century (it is mentioned in a Jewish manuscript dating from 1160) and the city received its official Imperial privilege to hold an annual trade fair in 1240.

Financial city
The Frankfurt Börse (Stock Exchange) began trading in 1585. If Frankfurt’s political aspirations were dashed by the choice of Bonn as capital of the Federal Republic in 1949, the city has directed its post-war energies all the more wholeheartedly into its uncontested financial role. The modern skyscrapers of banks and corporations in the central business district are potent symbols of Frankfurt’s economic strength and create a skyline that is more North American than European.

Culture
Most of Frankfurt’s visitors come for one of the numerous trade fairs, exhibitions and congresses. But Frankfurt has got another side. As the birthplace of Germany’s most revered writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), the city is at pains to impress with its cultural pedigree. Excellent museums, high-calibre performance groups and local festivals tempt too.

Weather
The city’s climate is generally mild and well balanced with warm, occasionally wet, days in summer, with temperatures sometimes reaching 30°C (90°F) and more, and chilly winter days, when temperatures range between -10°C (14°F) and 10°C (40°F).

The second biggest city in Germany (after Berlin), Hamburg has the cosmopolitan feel, the conspicuous consumption and most of the cultural accoutrements of a north European capital.

Culturally Hamburg is said to have more in common with its trading partners and neighbours in the Low Countries, Denmark and even England, than it does with southern Germany. Its people are famously modest, yet worldly and usually very helpful.

Visitors will find Hamburg easy to get around thanks to its compact centre and excellent transport system. There are relatively few major landmarks, and nothing of iconic status except perhaps the red-light district of St Pauli where Hamburg sailors traditionally took their R'n'R.

This is a double-edged sword for the city, yet one it has handled well in recent years, bringing in new and respectable nightlife while retaining the edgy atmosphere of the district's former existence. It is easy to forget that music (and not just sex) has always been a major part of the area (the Beatles among many other luminaries paid their musical dues in St Pauli) and on weekend nights the Reeperbahn and surrounding streets throb with activity.

By contrast to the seamy port area, the city's major open space, which begins right in the very centre of town, is the Alster Lake. On a warm summer's day do as the locals do and take a cruise from the Binnenalster (Inner Alster) to the Aussenalster and its parkland fringes. Within just a few minutes you will have swapped the steely grey metropolis for a balmy world of green and blue.

Hanover (Hannover in German) has risen since the dark days of the WWII to become one of Germany’s wealthier cities.

Although much of the city on the bank of the River Leine was laid waste by Allied bombers during the 1940s, medieval highlights remain to delight the eye, particularly in the Old Town, whose Market Place, with its distinctive timbered buildings, and 15th-century Old Town Hall are definite ‘musts’ for the visitor.

Elsewhere, the city offers elegant parkland, a range of interesting museums and galleries – and all the attractions of a modern city, for business and leisure visitors alike.

The city’s economy is dominated by the Messegelände to the southeast, Germany’s largest, and one of Europe’s most high-tech show and exhibition grounds, which hauls in millions of visitors every year to attend the various business and leisure events. This vast area was also home to Expo 2000, the first World Expo ever to be held on German soil.

Despite the rather less than spectacular success of the event itself, the Expo 2000 site has proved to be a valuable legacy for the city, and certainly placed Hanover firmly on the city breaks map.

Hanover’s history dates back to the days of the Hanseatic League, when this north German city used its proximity to the Baltic Sea to emerge as a serious economic player. The golden age came in the 17th century, when at the same time Hanoverian George I became the British king, despite the fact that he could not speak English and chose to spend much of his time holed up back in his native city.

Other famous residents have included 18th-century composer Handel, astronomer William Herschel, former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and 1970s rock band the Scorpions.

Like many of the bigger German cities, Hanover is very much a mix of ancient and modern. But it is without doubt an attractive destination, offering all the facilities, shopping and entertainment (it has more than 40 theatres alone) demanded by the modern traveller.

Located to the north of the Bavarian Alps, on the River Isar, Munich (München) is Germany’s third largest city, and is where the country’s wealthy trendsetters like to ‘see and be seen’.

People and places
The citizens of Munich demonstrate a cosmopolitan refinement as well as genuine passion for the region’s many traditions. Tourists flock to the city for the world famous Oktoberfest, to indulge in an orgy of revelry alongside Lederhosen-clad Bavarians, all quaffing vast quantities of beer and sausage. However, there’s more to Munich than this stereotypical image, thanks to its strong cultural scene, richly endowed art collections, romantic palaces and excellent shopping. It is also  the home of BMW cars and centre of the German film industry. Indeed, from balmy summers in the beer gardens to the glittering Christmas markets during snowy winters, Munich is a popular destination all year round.

History
The name München (‘home of the monks’) stems from an early monastery founded in the eighth century. The local monasteries started the beer brewing traditions for which Munich is still renowned. The city was founded by Duke Henry the Lion in 1158, and soon became the seat of the Wittelsbach dynasty, who ruled the duchy, electorate and kingdom of Bavaria until the end of WWI. Their patronage of the arts and extensive collections provided the basis for this affluent city’s world-class museums, theatres and galleries. Despite considerable wartime damage during WWII (when Munich was an important centre for National Socialism), the city has been impressively restored and is now one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations.

Stuttgart, capital of the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, has a lengthy past, but for a period served a pivotal role in the history both of its surrounding region, and later in the formation of modern Germany.

First impressions on entering the city centre (the visitor's first view is highly likely to be on emergence from the central railway station) are of a predominance of modern architecture.

The centre nevertheless has an attractive ‘open' feel. That it is at the heart of one of Germany's most prosperous regions is evident in the high quality of its shops, the many restaurants and its general atmosphere of calm well-being.

It is not without its historical monuments, but the overriding feel is one of a smart modern city entirely in keeping with the image of one of its principal exports, Mercedes Benz cars. Other major industries associated with the city include the Bosch empire.

The capital of the former Kingdom of Württemberg lies close to the banks of the River Neckar, and boasts, in its Bad Canstatt district, some of western Europe's biggest mineral spas.

During the Cold War period, Stuttgart served as headquarters for US forces throughout Europe and Africa (EUCOM). It achieved a certain notoriety during the 1970s, when it was a focal point for the Baader-Meinhof activities terrorist group's trials.

Stuttgart today is an interesting, if not architecturally stunning, city, with a pleasant atmosphere and a strong emphasis on arts, in the heart of rich surrounding winelands.