Things to see in Berlin

Bode-Museum houses one of the best collections of antique and Byzantine sculptures in the world. Closed in 1939 and left to decay for over six decades, the museum reopened its doors in 2006 after a £102 million (US$203 million) renovation project. Boasting over 1,700 exhibits, the museum, now back to its former glory, is a must-see not just for sculpture fans, but for anyone with an interest in the arts.

Checkpoint Charlie was the monitoring tower used to control the area around the Berlin Wall that divided the city during the Cold War. It was demolished soon after the 1989 revolution, but the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie museum that stands in its place is well worth a visit to discover the historic significance of this apparently unremarkable site. A cinema shows films on the Third Reich and the Cold War era, and the museum also details the history of the Berlin Wall, a piece of which still stands a short distance from the museum, complete with decorations on the western side.

The best views in east Berlin are from this iconic Berlin landmark at Alexanderplatz. Looking vaguely like the 'Death Star' on a concrete spit, the television tower is Berlin's tallest structure at 368m (1,207ft) and makes for a good reference point as well as being much loved by locals. The communist designers inadvertently made it so that sunlight reflecting on its facets forms a Christian cross. In a sign of changing times, a glare of advertising neon surrounds the base of the tower. Visitors can take an elevator up 203m (666ft) to the viewing platform or the wonderfully communist-era revolving café, for a good look over the city.

British architect Norman Foster has transformed Berlin's Reichstag, which was built at the end of the 19th century and has long since been emblematic of the German State, but was left as a burned out husk at the end of the war. Foster's dome is meant to symbolise the transparency of the democratic government and visitors can pass between its layers to witness the decision-making chamber of the government. The walk through the dome itself is stunning, culminating in sweeping views of the city. The rooftop restaurant provides a way to beat the queues.

The beautiful gold domed New Synagogue was completed in 1866 and was the centre of Jewish life in the Scheunenviertel (Berlin's Jewish district) until it suffered serious bomb damage in 1943. Thanks to renovation in the mid-1990s, its Moorish dome can now be seen in its original glory. The synagogue houses a Jewish Centre, with an exhibition. The Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (Old Jewish Cemetery) is a short walk away (open Monday to Thursday 0800-1600 and Friday 0800-1300).