Berlin is one of the most interesting cities in Europe right now. I’ve just come back from a long weekend in Berlin and I can’t get enough of the place. Let me share some tips on great bars, restaurants, hotels and markets to make the most of a short break or long weekend in Berlin.

Berlin is a city constantly in transition. Decimated in World War 2, divided for decades by the Berlin wall, it was the epicentre of the ideological conflict between Soviet communism in the east and western democracy.

Since the wall fell in November 1989, Berlin has been constantly rebuilding itself. The result is a thriving independent scene, an almost total absence of chain stores and a mosaic of vibrant, bohemian neighbourhoods. The people are incredibly friendly and what it lacks in glamour it more than makes up for in ingenuity and dynamism. Here are my top tips what to do while you’re there.

I’d almost entirely shun Charlottenberg and the western districts – if you’ve been to European capitals like London and Paris, you’ll have seen it all before.

Stay...

...in the Mitte (‘middle’) district around Friedrichstrasse. It’s convenient for the U-bahn (subway) to most districts. I stayed at the Hotel Tryp but there are other bargains throughout this area. The old Jewish area north of the Häagen Dazs café in Hackescher Markt is particularly interesting. Or try an apartment stay further north at the Brilliant Apartments in Prenzlauer Berg.

See...

• Berlin has an incredible street scene and is best enjoyed on foot – the free walking tour (donations welcome) from New Berlin takes in, amongst others, the Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag (parliament) and Checkpoint Charlie, a key feature of the Berlin wall.
• Visit Tascheles, a former department store turned creative squat, for a glimpse of Berlin’s underground scene.
• The “Museum Island” district features the incredible Pergamon Museum and also the Egyptian Museum of Berlin, both well worth a visit.
• Berlin has a thriving antique market every Saturday, 10am to 5pm opposite Tiergarten S-Bahn (overground) station. Lots of retro prints, clothing and furniture.
• Get a flavour of Berlin on Saturdays at the sensational Winterfeldtplatz food market – from raclette to currywurst (a local curried sausage speciality) and all points in-between.

Eat and drink...

• Daytime, Prenzlauer Berg is a fascinating area, focused along Oderberger Strasse. Pick up a brunch of bircher muesli at Café Krone and a coffee at nearby Bonanza Coffee Heroes – beans are roasted on-site.
  
• Soak up the evenings like a Berliner in Friedrichshain, another great neighbourhood. Eat at Volckswirtschaft, an uber-friendly organic local joint. The schnitzel is legendary. Romantic bars abound on nearby Simon Dach Strasse – try Dachkammer for its retro furniture and decor or the Spanish tapas vibe of Tafelgold and Tafelsilber.
• Kreuzberg, to the south, is a lively up-and-coming area. Go for drinks at the eclectic Café Luzia - nab the room-within-a-room, entering through its tiny door. Then head for dinner nearby at the wood-panelled Welt Restaurant, part of the original market hall. Try the spatzel – a German take on carbonara. Head next door to low-key Lerchen & Eulen for cocktails and nightcaps or No Kangaroo – a surreal Austrian ski-chalet bar with chair-lifts for bar stools. Listen out for the bathrooms’ soundtrack of bleating sheep and lowing cattle!
• Hackescher Markt is full of boutique art galleries (like the Institute for Contemporary Art) and the old Jewish apartment blocks are now a diverse range of design shops. Experiment with a huge list of German beers at Aufsturz then try the lively bistro-style dinner at Altes Europa - washed-down with Spätburgunder (pinot noir) red wine. Then see out your evening at the famous retro live-music and dancing venue Clärchens Ballhaus.
• West Berlin Areas like Charlottenburg and the area around Kurfurstendamm are higher-end and more genteel. Parisienne-style cafe culture abounds here attracting a different crowd. It has a tendency to shut down quite early.
• Nightlife in Berlin is an ever-changing thing. There's a huge underground scene, focused around East Berlin in Kreuzberg and, increasingly, the area around Schlesisches Tor. Things kick off pretty late (around 11pm) and, incredibly, may not shut for days. Go with your mind open and, occasionally, your eyes closed!

There’s a lot to see and do, but in Berlin pretty much anything goes, so get involved. Chances are, you'll find me there too.