Things to do in Berlin

Four days. One for Mitte (Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag dome, Holocaust Memorial, Museum Island). One for the Wall remains (East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse) and Checkpoint Charlie. One for Kreuzberg and Neukölln. One for a day at Sanssouci in Potsdam.

The Reichstag dome by Norman Foster — free with timed booking, climbing the glass spiral inside gives a 360° view over the city. The mirrored funnel at the centre reflects sunlight down into the parliamentary chamber below, a literal piece of post-reunification transparency design.

Neukölln on the south side — formerly the rough district, now full of natural-wine bars, Vietnamese spots and craft coffee around Weserstrasse and Schillerkiez. Prenzlauer Berg for the pre-war tenements and the Mauerpark flea market on Sundays. Friedrichshain on the Boxhagener Platz for cheaper drinks.

Currywurst at Konnopke's Imbiss under the Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn (the original 1960s East Berlin recipe). Döner kebab from Mustafa's at Mehringdamm — a Berlin invention by Turkish immigrants. Berliner Weisse (sour wheat beer) with raspberry syrup at any beer garden. Eisbein (pork knuckle) if you're seriously hungry.

Yes — U-Bahn (underground), S-Bahn (overground), trams in the east and buses combine into a single ticket. The night U-Bahn runs Friday and Saturday all night. Buy a Tageskarte (day ticket) and you have everything covered. Bike lanes are excellent in the centre.

Tempelhofer Feld — the runways of the disused 1930s airport, now Berlin's largest park. You can rollerblade or cycle the actual landing strips for kilometres. The hangars host the Berlin International Film Festival overflow and occasional concerts. Take the U6 to Paradestrasse.