About Berlin

Berlin offers visitors an incredible array of sights that reflect its long history, dramatic events of the 20th century, and its burgeoning place in the modern world. As the largest city in Germany, over 3.4 million people call it home. A veritable global city, 147 foreign embassies can be found there. It is a city rich in culture, science, business, history and the arts.

Dating back to the 13th century, Berlin has served as a capital a multitude of times. It has been the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weinmar Republic, the Third Reich and modern day Germany. Post World War II, Berlin, along with the German state, were divided into the German Democratic Republic and Federal Republic of Germany, known in English as East and West Germany. In 1990, the fall of the Berlin wall saw the reunification of the state and Berlin was once again the capital.

Berlin is among the top three convention cities in the world and boasts Europe’s largest convention center, the Internationales Congress Centrum. The main airport, Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), saw over 19 million travelers pass through its gates last year. Berlin hosts many large international conventions each year, drawing large numbers of visitors.