At the Charlottenburg Palace, city of Berlin, Germany

 "What good is sitting alone in your room?

Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret...."
-- Liza Minnelli, Cabaret lyrics
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(in Germany's capital and largest city) Berlin lies at the heart of the North German Plain, on an east-west geographic axis that helped make it the capital of the kingdom of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. Berlin’s former "glory" ended in 1945 but the city survived the destruction of World War II, and was rebuilt to achieve amazing economic and cultural growth.

+ Modern Berlin's combination of glamour and grit seldom fails to arouse the interest of those exploring its vibrant culture, cutting-edge architecture, great food, intense parties, and richly textured history. This is a city that staged a revolution, was the Nazis' headquarters, severely bombed, and divided in two before being reunited (and that was just in the 20th century). Walk along remnants of the Berlin Wall, marvel at the splendor of a Prussian palace, visit Checkpoint Charlie, or stand in the room where the Holocaust was planned. (Berlin is like an endlessly fascinating 3D textbook, where the past still lingers to sometimes haunt the present.

+ A party paradise, Berlin is the city that truly never sleeps. At times it seems as though Berliners are the lotus-eaters of Germany, folks who love nothing more than a good time. The city's vast party spectrum caters to nearly every taste, budget, and age group. From basement clubs to industrial techno temples, chestnut-canopied beer gardens to fancy cocktail caverns, saucy cabarets to ear-pleasing symphonies, this city delivers hot-stepping odysseys, and not just after dark and on weekends, but pretty much all day (and all night).

+ In the 21st century the city has become a giant lab of cultural experimentation, thanks to a spirit that nurtures and encourages new ideas. Top international performers still grace Berlin's theater, concert, and opera stages; international art-world stars like Olafur Eliasson and Jonathan Meese make their home here; and Clooney and Hanks shoot blockbuster films in the German capital. Highbrow, lowbrow, and everything in between, there is room here for the full gamut of cultural expression.

+ Despite being a multicultural metropolis, Berlin maintains the unpretentious charm of an international village. Locals and expatriates observe the credo "live and let live," while placing emphasis on personal freedom and a creative lifestyle (rather than material wealth and status symbols).

+ Shown here is the Charlottenburg Palace. One of Berlin's few sites that still reflect the grandeur of the Hohenzollern clan, which ruled from 1415 to 1918, it was initialy a summer retreat but grew into a baroque palace with opulent private apartments, richly decorated festival halls, collections of precious porcelain, and paintings by French 18th-century masters. You can turn a stroll in ithe palace park into a day of admiring royal treasures.