Berlin makes my spine tingle. This has nothing to do with the look of the place, but a lot to do with what’s gone on there in the past. And that indefinable thing called Zeitgeist.
Photo by compujeramey
Please, go to this city if you get the chance, but don’t pass judgement till you’ve had a real look round. I say this because a friend from Melbourne recently stopped off en route to Moscow by rail, and hated the place. He was there all of five minutes. Well, 24 hours – all of which he wasted getting lost. Don’t fall into this trap. Be forewarned that Berlin is big, big, big. Go with the intention of coming to grips with it. If you’re just passing through, force yourself to accept defeat: this is one city you can’t easily discover on your own. Another friend, who used to live there, recommends taking a boat trip or a guided walk – or, even better, a combination of both. Then you can strike out independently because, despite its vast size, Berlin has fantastic public transport systems: the S-Bahn (trains), U-Bahn (underground), buses and trams.
When you get lost (and you probably will), you can reorientate yourself at a BlueSpot instant information terminal; there are about 64 dotted around the city. Not only do they help with tourist information of all kinds (including sightseeing, dining, culture and shopping), they also offer free emailing and internet.
Berlin was once Europe’s nightlife capital; there are those who say it still is, so you’ll probably want to sample at least some of what's on offer. And while you can’t relive the days of Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht or the Berlin Dadaists, you can have a darned good time pretending to.
And here’s another hint for the Berlin-bound. This is a city with many sides to it. For starters, the Berlin of the Weimar Republic, the World War II Berlin, the Cold War Berlin; the old Berlin, the cultural Berlin, the new and uber-cool Berlin. Do a bit of advance planning to ensure you see the things that interest you most. For a couple of the more interesting districts, try Prenzlauer Berg (formerly in the east; old buildings undamaged by war; cafes, interesting shops; very hip - that's it on the right) and adjacent Friedrichshain (especially Simon-Dach-Strasse and Boxhagener Platz).
Photo by Mishkabear
You might also like to consider investing in a Berlin Welcome Card (travel and sightseeing discounts).
It’s impossible to visit Berlin without thinking of the days of WWII: Wilhelm Strasse has some reminders. This road runs into Unter den Linden, which leads to an embarrassement of riches, including the Brandeburg Gate at its eastern end. But I don’t want to get into individual attractions here – there really are too many. There's just one thing you just might miss seeing, as there’s not a lot of it left, and that’s the remains of the Berlin Wall. You can reach a section of it via the U-Bahn U8 to Bernauer Strasse or S-Bahn Nordbahnhof S1,2 or 25; it's signposted from the stations. There are also cycle tours 
along the wall’s former length. Another section stands at Niederkirchnerstrasse, while the remains of Checkpoint Charlie have been reconstructed on Friedrichstrasse. Between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrucke, there's a section just over a kilometre long that is now the open-air East Side Art Gallery.
My final tip is for a great Berlin view: from the beehive-shaped glass dome of the Reichstag, pictured on the right. You’ll probably have to queue, but it won’t cost a thing.
Auf wiedersehen, pets.
Photo by lostajy