What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Germany

Berlin

City officials have allocated $51 million to save what remains of the once-dreaded Berlin Wall. Only a few strips are still left. In the euphoria that accompanied the collapse of the wall in 1989, few bothered to think about it as a monument to history—or even as a tourist attraction. Most Berliners wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. But now an attempt will be made to preserve what's left so that future generations can see how the superpowers in the Cold War stood nose-to-nose for four decades.

In November of 2007, the German Parliament agreed to provide $650 million (US) to finance the reconstruction of Berlin's old city palace. The actual job will cost $810 million, with the State of Berlin making up the difference in expenses. The palace dates from the Middle Ages, and in 1701 it became the major residence of the Kings of Prussia. Allied bombs virtually leveled it in 1945, and the new East German Communist rulers wiped out all trace of it, because to them it suggested capitalistic imperialism. In its place they erected the dull Palace of the Republic in the 1970s.

More and more cycle outfitters are opening up in Berlin, which is ideal for two-wheeled traffic, as the city is almost entirely flat and one of the greenest in Europe. The city marks bike trails along major streets, especially in the leafy neighborhoods of the former West Berlin. A bike is also ideal for exploring old East Berlin, a city still in development with remnants of the old Communist architecture appearing side by side with 21st-century construction projects. One of the best of the new companies is Bikes & Jeans in Mitte (Friedrichstrasse 129 (tel. 030/447-6666), which rents bikes for 15 euros for 24 hours.

Hotel Concorde Berlin, Augsburger Strasse 41 (tel. 030/800-9990; www.berlin.concorde-hotels.com) has opened near the Kurfürstendamm, a government-rated five-star hotel of contemporary elegance. All 311 rooms and suites are outfitted with modern luxury and technology and are among the most spacious in Berlin.

Ristorante Arlecchino, Meinekestrasse 25 (tel. 030/881-2563) continues to attract serious foodies with its refined take on Italian cuisine. The pastas such as tagliatelle with salmon or penne with bacon and tomatoes are freshly made in the kitchen. Meats and poultry dishes are deftly handled by the multi-lingual staff.

First opened almost 100 years ago, Clärchens Ballhaus, 24 Augustrasse (tel. 030/282-9295) has re-emerged as a landmark in old East Berlin. The legendary dance hall opened in the autumn of 1913 right before The Great War, and the club thrived until the end of World War II. A hot DJ and live bands rage through the night, with occasional tango dancers, and even Johann Strauss music. Gypsy street musicians are a favorite. Everybody from wild Turks out for a night on the town to elderly East Berlin couples fill the joint. Nazi officers once used the top floor as a private club.

In Potsdam, which is outside Berlin, the most acclaimed and romantically scenic restaurant since before the war has opened in the Bayrisches Haus Hotel. It's Friedrich-Wilhelm at Im Wildpark (tel. 0331/55050), serving a regional and international gourmet cuisine. In winter a fireplace blazes, with summer guests retreating to the open-air terrace. The cuisine is market fresh, creative, and wonderfully delicate, but you pay a lot for what you get.

Saxony & Thuringia

Dresden

Nearly destroyed by Allied bombs, this city on the Elbe River in Eastern Germany continues its march ever onward, with the opening of the new Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe, Neumarkt 9 (tel. 0351/43-860; www.desaxe-dresden.steigenberger.com), built on the site of a famous 18th-century hotel that once stood here. Many of its luxuriously furnished 185 bedrooms open onto views of the unfinished Neumarkt. In another development, the artsy and newly renovated family-owned Raskolnikoff Pension, Bohmische Strasse 34 (tel. 0351/80-457060) has restored its six bedrooms, although only two of them come with a private bathroom. The hotel is named after a Dostoevsky character, but you won't find any Crime and Punishment here, only a contemporary art gallery, cozy restaurant, and courtyard garden.

One of the city's best restaurants is Lesage, 1 Lannestrasse (tel. 0351/4204-250), oddly positioned in the "Transparent Factory of Volkswagen," a stunning glass structure where you can witness the newest VW models being assembled by workers in white lab jackets. The restaurant itself is tucked away near the entrance. Here you can feast on such mains as pillowy cheeks of veal with lentils and black salsify or else saddle of young wild boar with cabbage and roast dumplings. If you wish, you can drive off in a new Phaeton.

The Black Forest (Schwarzwald)

Baden-Baden

After a long slumber, Germany's most famous spa is percolating once again after dark. Attracting visiting celebrities, the bar at Medici, Augustaplatz 8 (tel. 07221/2006) has become the most fashionable in town. The late-night, designer-jeans crowd flocks to the lively but riotously noisy Bombay Rooms, Kaiserallee 4 (tel. 07221/3974370) for drinks and fun, later heading downstairs to Max's to dance the night away.

Frankfurt

In the heart of Frankfurt's new Europa Quarter, the Mövenpick Hotel Frankfurt City, Haager Strasse 5 (tel. 069/7880750; www.moevenpick-hotels.com) has opened. This government-rated, four-star business and conference hotel lies right next to Frankfurt's trade fairgrounds. Filled with contemporary furnishings, it has attractive architecture and an inviting ambience in all its 288 comfortable rooms spread across seven floors. Superior rooms and junior suites offer added luxuries. Special features include aphorisms from the works of Goethe above the headboards.

In general, Frankfurters prefer international or foreign food when dining out, everything from Thai specialties to tandoori dives. One of the more elegant choices for an evening out has opened in the courtyard of the Städel (access from Holbeinstrasse). It is Holbeins (tel. 069/660-566-66), with a stylish décor that has been likened to dining in a jewel box with a backdrop of paintings by old masters. Marvelously fresh ingredients cooked with admirable care and precision characterize the cuisine, ranging from the most tender Argentine filet mignon to grilled Canadian lobster in vanilla foam.

The Rhineland

Cologne

Long surpassed by Düsseldorf for fashion, Cologne's pedestrian-friendly layout is blossoming with some of the chicest stores along the Rhine. Fashionistas are flocking to Apropos Coeln, 12 Mittelstrasse (tel. 0221/272-5190; www.apropos-coeln.de) for the latest from Prada or Jil Sander. Storefronts continue to open in the Friesen district, including the Lebanese-born Perla Zayek, 94 Friesenwall (tel. 0221/256-022; www.perlazayek.de) or Atelier Ludvik, 43 Palmstrasse (tel. 0221/2774568; www.ludvik-cologne.de), where you'll find funky, feminine togs by designer Fenja Ludwig.

Hamburg

This maritime and media center is a city undergoing rapid change. A "city within a city" is growing up in the former docklands that extend two miles along the Elbe River. Known as HafenCity, this emerging borough is expected to double the population of central Hamburg with a concert hall, bars, slick office buildings, and hundreds of waterfront apartments. Still in transition and still a construction site, HafenCity can be toured daily at 3pm. Tours leave from Am Sandtorkai 30 (tel. 040/369-01799).

A monument to The Beatles is being constructed here in the city where the Fab Four launched their international career 45 years ago. Radio station Oldie 95, the sponsor, raised $625,000 for the steel monument, which is being built on the corner of the St. Pauli district where The Beatles sang "Love Me Do" in 1962.

Fashionistas, models, and the media elite are flocking to Tarantella, Stephansplatz 10 (tel. 040/65-067-790; www.tarantella.cc) in the Casino Esplanade. The open kitchen hides no secrets as chefs concoct dishes with lobsters plucked from a tank and crispy suckling pig with creamy sauerkraut. Another fashionable newcomer is K & K Kochbar, Rothenbaumchaussee 11 (tel. 040/36-11-16-36) with such inventive dishes as octopus carpaccio with sorbet (we're not making that up).

Lower Saxony & North Hesse

Wolfsburg

Just a 30-minute train ride from the city of Hannover, Phaeno Science Center has opened (Willy-Brandt-Platz 1; tel. 0180/10-60-600; www.phaeno.com) in the city of Wolfsburg. Rising above the Mitteland Canal, beside the main rail station, this is a museum of exploration and science, suitable for both adults and children. Inside the museum, a surreal landscape of concrete crates and cones creates a sculptural backdrop for some 250 hands-on, kid-friendly interactive exhibits and installations.

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