The Bauhaus Archive/Museum of Design is devoted to the members of the Bauhaus School, who laid the basis for much of contemporary design and architecture. Founded in Weimar by Berlin architect Walter Gropius, it aimed to unite art with everyday functionality, from doorknobs and radiators to the layout of entire districts and apartment blocks.

Walter Gropius himself, the founder of the Bauhaus school (1919-33), designed the avant-garde building housing the Bauhaus Archive/Museum of Design, whose gleaming white shed roofs look a bit like the smokestacks of an ocean liner.

Exhibits behind this striking silhouette document the enormous influence the Bauhaus exerted on all aspects of modern architecture and design. The collection includes everything from study notes to workshop pieces to photographs, models, blueprints and documents by such Bauhaus members as Klee, Kandinsky, Schlemmer and Feininger. Prized collection highlights include the original model of Gropius' 1925 Bauhaus building in Dessau and a reconstruction of Lázló Moholy-Nagy's kinetic sculpture Light-Space-Modulator, a clever kinetic sculpture that combines colour, light and movement.

It's easy to spend an entire day at the giant Deutsches Technikmuseum and the sizable Museumpark. The museum's 14 departments examine technology throughout the ages - from printing and transport to computers - with interactive stations. Demonstrations of historical machines and models take place throughout the museum.

A highlight is the reconstruction of the world's first computer, the Z1 (1938) by Konrad Zuse. Elsewhere there's an entire hall of vintage locomotives and rooms crammed with historic printing presses, early film projectors, old TVs and telephones. A new wing opened in December 2003 holds the museum's stellar collections on aviation and navigation.

Be sure to save some time and energy for the adjacent Spectrum (enter from Möckernstrasse 26; admission included). At this fabulous science centre, you can participate in around 250 experiments that playfully explain the laws of physics and other scientific principles. If you ever wondered why the sky's blue or how a battery works, this is the place to get the low-down.

Berlin's Jüdisches Museum, the largest Jewish Museum in Europe, celebrates the achievements of German Jews and their contribution to culture, art, science and other fields. An architectural work of art, the building and its contents are a major destination in Berlin.

Arranged in a chronological fashion, the exhibit also includes one section about the Holocaust, although this is by no means the museum's entire focus. In fact, what makes Berlin's Jewish museum different is that it looks at Jewish history beyond the very narrow context of the 12 years of Nazi rule.

Jews are not exclusively presented as victims but as vital citizens who have played enormously important roles in Germany through the centuries. One part of the exhibit also deals with the resurgence of Berlin's Jewish population since reunification.

The museum building itself is a stunning work of art designed by Daniel Libeskind and an excellent example of crisp modernism. Zinc-clad walls rise skyward in a sharply angled zig-zag ground plan that's an abstract interpretation of a star. The general outline is echoed in the windows: triangular, trapezoidal and irregular gashes in the building's gleaming skin.

The interior is designed as a metaphor for the history of the Jewish people; 'void' spaces represent the loss of humanity, culture and people, and a field of concrete columns symbolises Jewish emigration and exile.

If you only see one Kulturforum museum, make sure it is the Gemäldegalerie. Opened in June 1998 and housed in a gloriously designed building, it focuses on European painting from the 13th to 18th centuries, with more than 1300 paintings on view.

The collection is famous for its exceptional quality and breadth. It's especially strong when it comes to Dutch and Flemish masters, such as Van Dyk, Hals and Rubens. It also boasts one of the world's largest Rembrandt collections, with 16 paintings on display, including the famous The Man with the Golden Helmet.

Other highlights include works by Cranach, Dürer, Holbein and other Germans. The Italians are represented by Botticelli, Raffael, Titian and many others, while the French collection includes paintings by Watteau and de la Tour. Gainsborough and Reynolds are among the British artists represented here, while the Spaniards field such heavy hitters as Goya and Velázquez.

The galleries radiate out from the lofty Great Hall, which has the dimensions and solemnity of a cathedral. To keep the overwhelm factor to a minimum, grab a map in the huge foyer and prepare to spend at least two hours just to gain an overview. Admission includes free audio guides (German or English) with commentary on selected paintings.

Just north of the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag has been the seat of the Bundestag (German parliament), since 1999 following a complete renovation by Lord Norman Foster. The British architect turned the 1894 building by Paul Wallot into a state-of-the-art parliamentary facility, preserving only the historical shell and adding the glistening glass dome.

The view from the top is one of the highlights of visit to Berlin, as much for the 360-degree panorama of the city as for the close-ups of the dome. From the outdoor viewing platform you can climb the spiralling ramp inside the dome itself. At the top, displays document the building's history.

The Reichstag has been the setting of numerous milestones in German history: the proclamation of the German republic, the Reichstag fire in 1933 allowing Hitler to blame the communists and seize power, the Soviet attack a dozen years later which destroyed the building, and the enactment of the reunification of Germany on 2 October 1990.

If you've been to any of the other Guggenheim museums, especially those in New York and Bilbao, this small, minimalist gallery space - a joint venture between Deutsche Bank and the Guggenheim Foundation - might be a tad disappointing but still, curators mount several exhibits a year featuring international contemporary artists.

If you only have time for one museum in Berlin, make it the Pergamon for a feast of classical Greek, Babylonian, Roman, Islamic and Middle Eastern art and architecture. The giant complex, which was only completed in 1930, harbours under one roof: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of Near Eastern Antiquities and the Museum of Islamic Art.

All three collections are worth seeing at leisure, but if pressed, make a beeline to the following highlights. The museum's undisputed crowd magnet is the Pergamon Altar (165 BC) from Asia Minor (in today's Turkey). It's a gargantuan raised marble shrine surrounded by a vivid frieze of the gods doing battle with the giants. Walk up its steps for close-ups of the Telephos Frieze, which depicts the life story of the legendary founder of Pergamon. The next room presents the immense Market Gate of Miletus (AD 2), a masterpiece of Roman architecture. It's also impossible not to be awed by the reconstructions of the Babylonian Ishtar Gate, the Processional Way leading up to it and the facade of the king's throne hall. All are sheathed in glazed bricks glistening in a luminous cobalt blue and ochre.

The restored landmark Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), a symbol of division during the Cold War, now epitomises German reunification. It was against this backdrop in 1987 that then-US president Ronald Reagan uttered the now famous words: 'Mr Gorbachev - tear down this wall.' Two years later, the Wall was history.

The gate's northern wing contains the Raum der Stille (Room of Silence), where the weary and frenzied can sit and contemplate peace.

At the second-largest consumer temple in Europe, after Harrod's of London, the assortment is so vast that if they don't have it, it probably doesn't exist. This legendary 6th-floor gourmet food hall is a culinary universe selling only the best of anything - Veuve Cliquot to oysters, chorizo to harissa - from around the world. Don't expect any bargains.

The name, by the way, stands for Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West).

Veterans of the Berlin designer scene, Ralf Hensellek and Thomas Mrozek specialise in making professional women look good in clothing that's feminine but not fussy, sexy but not vulgar, and always well-tailored. Their smart dresses, skirts and shirts go easily from office to dinner to nightclub, but they won't go out of fashion by the next season.

The lost art of handmade sweets has been lovingly revived in this little basement store with its integrated show kitchen. Watch master candy-makers Katja and Hjalmar using antique equipment and traditional recipes to produce such tasty delights as tangy sour drops or green leaf-shaped maiblätter (May leaves), a local speciality made with woodruff.

There's usually a line out the door of this teensy pizzeria and for good reason: the pizzas are tasty, toothsome, generously topped and cheap. If the weather permits, grab one and head across the street to Monbijoupark. Pasta dishes are available too.

Despite the pepper-red walls, good-looking clientele and beautiful dishware, this bustling eatery only looks expensive. The Vietnamese fare is made to order and is uniformly delicious, as are the fruit cocktails and exotic teas. No reservations, so be prepared to queue or, better yet, come during the afternoon off-hours.

Two of civilization's greatest treasures - wine and books - form the name, decor and soul of this ristorante run with charm and panache by a Sardinian family. The pizza is excellent but chef Bruno truly shines when it comes to experimental flavour combinations. Strawberry salmon, and tagliatelle with wild boar in a chocolate-based sauce are truly excellent.

Wife Debora, meanwhile, keeps the service running as smoothly as a well-oiled machine.

This unpretentious place is a favourite among Berlin politicos needing some sustenance after a tough day in the Bundestag. You'll spot familiar faces hunkered over the plain wooden tables fortifying themselves on hearty choucroute (a sauerkraut-based stew), cheese fondue, flammekuche (a pizza-like dish) and other Alsatian soul food.

It took culinary wunderkind Michael Hoffman only a year to wow the Michelin testers with his cuisine avantgarde classique. What may sound like an oxymoron actually translates into first-rate ingredients, refined flavours and artistic presentation. And somehow, the divine dishes taste better still against those lush, back-lit onyx walls.

Former Andy Warhol assistant Ingeborg zu Schleswig-Holstein dreamed up the cheery canvases.

Flaunting a subdued urban feel, this private boutique hotel prides itself on lavishing its guests with personal attention. The lobby, with its ice-blue backlit bar, gives way to over-sized, elegant rooms, some with walk-in closets. The hotel's ultimate trump card, though, is its three themed suites: cool Bauhaus, cosy Tuscany and exotic Colonial.

Upon entering, your gaze is drawn to the ice-blue backlit bar anchoring a sleek, mirror-festooned space which does double duty as a breakfast room. The lobby gives way to over-sized, elegant rooms, some with walk-in closets and thoughtful touches such as complimentary mineral water. After a busy day on the tourist track you could unwind with a drink on the rooftop sun terrace, let off some steam and get some as well at a nearby health club or treat yourself to delicious Mediterranean fare at the highly regarded Cassambalis next door. Its congenial owner pairs passions for art and food; regulars swear by the grilled dorado and the tender beef roulade.

Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Marilyn Manson are among the celebs who've slept, dined and partied at this stomping ground for the rich and famous. The moment you step into the lavish, cedar-clad lobby, you sense that it's luxury all the way to the breathtaking rooftop pool. Rooms are wired for connectivity and filled with pragmatic and artistic touches.

In the 342 generously sized rooms and suites, burnished cherry-wood, blue-grey marble and supple Alcantara (a faux leather) create a sumptuous yet contemporary look. Heated bathroom floors and framed photographs by Bauhaus icons Walter Gropius and Lazlo Moholy-Nagy are unique touches. Almost every item, from the fruit bowl to the down comforter, is for sale, in case you'd like to replicate the style at home. Rates include use of the awesome Club Olympus, the rooftop health and fitness centre. Another great unwinding spot is the Vox Bar, which often hums with live jazz and where a mind-boggling selection of over 230 whiskeys forms part of the decor.

If you require quirk to spice up your trip, this eccentric place delivers by the bucket-full. Owner-artist-musician Lars Stroschen has created more than three dozen unique, warped and wicked rooms perfect for those with imagination and a sense of adventure. Just don't expect the usual amenities: this ain't no hotel. It's a work of art.

Freud would have a field day analysing which room you'd pick as your favourite. Would it be the Flying Bed with its slanted floor and bed magically hovering in the air? Or the colourful Castle Room where you sleep atop a wooden fortress? Or maybe you'd prefer something with a sexy edge, like the dizzying Mirror Room, where you can admire yourself from every possible angle, or the Gallery with its rotating round bed and upstairs viewing platform. Every piece of furniture, contraption and accessory was designed and handcrafted by Stroschen himself. Not all rooms have private facilities, but robes are provided for the short trek down the hallway. Some also have kitchen access. Another weird thing about the place? Its location in far-from-hip Wilmersdorf. Still, definitely a place to impress your girl/boyfriend.

This is everything a jazz club should be - intimate, loud and usually packed. The talent on display is invariably top-class and, despite the cosy tables, everyone is standing by the end of the evening. On Monday the local jazz cats play; go on Saturday for the late-night jam session.

Old-fashioned Berlin pubs have their own tradition of hospitality - beer, schnapps and the Berliner humour all served up in rustic, smoke-filled surroundings. This ancient example of the species (first lager poured in 1877) bottles its own flavoured schnapps and fruit wines on the premises.

By day, the opulent baroque salon in front - complete with plump velvet sofas, gold-leaf mirrors and chandeliers - caters to the cafe crowd. After dark, it morphs into an eats-and-lounge act before turning into a chic club hosting a variety of retro and electro nights with occasional 'extras' such as go-go dancers. Dress on the smarter side of casual.

Spiritual home to some of Berlin's most discerning clubbers - the DJs playing here are among the best in their field, whether it's breakbeat, down-tempo or some other strand of electronica. Live concerts often take place here on weekdays and it's now a key address for techno, hosting 'Tresor in exile' nights while the legendary club looks for a new venue.

Berlin's oldest beer garden is also one of the prettiest. It's the perfect spot for quaffing away beneath a canopy of mature chestnut trees. The complex includes a small stage operated by the Volksbühne (People's Theatre), a cocktail bar, a traditional restaurant serving updated German fare, and the popular Bastard club.