More about Berlin

On flights to Berlin you will be arriving in the capital city of Germany and the country’s largest city, with a population of some 3.5 million people. The greater area the city lies within, northeastern Germany’s Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, is home to 4.5 million people and is renowned for its economic prowess and cultural diversity.

Berlin’s economy is fuelled by its dynamic service sector, such as its creative media corporations, but it also is a world leader in industries such as IT, biotechnology, renewable energy, biomedical engineering and electronics.

Berlin is an exceptionally green capital city with a temperate seasonal climate. About a third of Berlin’s area comprises parks, forests, lakes and rivers. Its plethora of festivals, international events, art exhibitions and lively nightlife make holidays in Berlin an attractive prospect for millions of tourists every year. In addition, its public transport network is excellent and it has already garnered status as a continental hub for air and rail transport.

Etihad Airways flights to Berlin land at Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport (TXL), the main international airport in Berlin. Berlin Tegel Airport is located in Tegel, an area in Reinickendorf borough, about 8km northwest of Berlin. This airport is scheduled to close on June 3, 2012, after which Etihad flights to Berlin will land at the newly built Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), in German called Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt, some 18km south of central Berlin.

What to do in Berlin

If it’s your first flight to Berlin, you’ll be amazed at the variety of attractions and activities on offer. Largely rebuilt after the Second World War, Berlin is a young city with young vibe. Cafes, bars, nightclubs and all manner of cultural events are well attended day and night. However, there are spectacular remnants of its centuries old past to visit.

Not to be missed on your Berlin holiday is Museum Island, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site lying in the middle of the Spree at the eastern end of Unter den Linden. Here you can find five of Berlin’s most famous museums – most notably Neues Museum and the Pergamon Museum, a world-leading archaeological museum.

Most people visiting Berlin would want to visit the Berlin Wall, which was mostly demolished between June and November 1990 though you can find a restored bit of it along the southern border of Wedding and Mitte. Tourists flock to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous east-west border control during the Cold War which has now become a tourist centre.

Next up take in an amazing aerial view of the city from the Reichstag, home of the German Parliament. A visit to the popular Topography of Terror is a must for those flying to Berlin for the first time. This permanent outdoor exhibition is built on the site where the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were headquartered during the ‘Third Reich’.

If it’s nature you’re after, head to Mauer Park in the middle of Prenzlauer Berg to watch Berliners busily interacting in its quaint markets. Or get out of the city and head into the real country with a visit to Grunewald, Berlin’s largest forested area, just south-west of Charlottenburg. Finally, no visit to Berlin is complete without dancing until dawn in any number of its vibrant nightclubs!