Seat of the German parliament and a firm favourite with visitors. The Reichstag building with its publicly accessible glass dome by leading architect Sir Norman Foster symbolises Berlin's role as the new capital of a reunified Germany.

Symbol of the rebirth of Berlin
The building once housed the parliament of the German Empire and subsequently the Weimar Republic. Situated in the heart of the newly created government quarter, it is where the German Bundestag has convened since reunification. In 1995 the Reichstag building was the setting for one of the most spectacular art events in Europe when it was wrapped by the installation artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Today the new, publicly accessible glass dome designed by the famous British architect Sir Norman Foster attracts visitors in their droves.

Berlin is also a city of museums, housing cultural treasures from all over the world, including the Pergamon altar, the bust of Nefertiti ("Berlin's most beautiful woman"), and works by great masters past and present. This once-divided city brings visitors face to face with history in the 175 museums that are its custodians of history, art and knowledge. A new gallery scene, which has sprung up in the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts, is causing quite a stir in the international art world.

From light entertainment to classical opera: eight great symphony orchestras, including the famous Berlin Philharmonic, and three great opera houses shape the city's musical life. Berlin's desire to entertain and be entertained is a longstanding tradition bound up with the city's legendary "Roaring Twenties". Today Berlin is experiencing something of a light entertainment revival.