Berlin is a fascinating city and a monument of living history. It is home to over 3 million people and is the vibrant and beautiful capital of Germany. There was plenty to see - from graffiti covered remnants of the Berlin Wall, which came down in1989, to the newly renovated Reichstag.

Visiting Berlin for the first time, as I was, you’re struck by the architecture and the history. The Reichstag is testament to this. Sitting proudly on the landscapeat Platz der Republik 1, (00 49 30 2270), the imposing structure has been transformed by our own eminent architect, Lord Norman Foster. Intended to symbolise a new, democratic Germany, its stroke of genius is to let light into a building famous for its negative associations. The beautiful dome, or cupola, is well worth a visit. A ramp winds its way up to the top (there is a lift however), where you can enjoy fabulous views over the city, whilst exclaiming over the beauty of this open-aired structure. The dome is open daily from 8am -10pm and admission is free. http://www.bundestag.de/.  The nearest Subway is Unter den Linden. I have restricted mobility and I found that public transport had excellent facilities for disabled travellers. Over 50 underground and over 100 train stations are equipped with elevators or ramps, to provide easy access to the platforms.

Indeed, some transport companies offer free or reduced rate transport to disabled passengers and their escorts.

The Wall and the East Side Gallery on Mühlenstrasse, is the biggest slice of the notorious Berlin Wall. This is a section of the Wall that has been painted by artists interpreting the events on November 9, 1989, when the Wall came down. The result is an open-air gallery containing a host of colourful and imaginative images, some satirical and some shocking. In my view, the East Side Gallery is a must for first-time visitors to the city. The barren wasteland which surrounds the Wall is oddly fitting and gives you a good idea of how the Wall would have appeared several decades ago. Admission is free. www.eastsidegallery.com. The nearest Subway would be Ostbahnhof.

Checkpoint Charlie can be found at Friedrichstrasse, 43-44, (00 49 30 2537 250) and is open daily. This is a truly remarkable museum, as it is easy to forget the extraordinary risks taken by those who wanted to escape communist East Germany. False-bottomed cars, detailed photographs of escape tunnels, and improvised balloons and aircraft form part of the story of the divided city. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main gateways for crossing between the two halves of Berlin during the Cold War. Checkpoint Charlie is located at a small intersection with no stop sign or traffic light so as you’re concentrating on taking a great photo don't forget that you are on a city street with plenty of traffic coming through. Located at the intersection of Friedrichstrasse & Zimmerstrasse, the nearest Subway would be Kochstrasse. www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm.

The city centre of Berlin is a delight to explore and there are plenty of taxis and taxi stands. The train and bus systems are, as you would expect, superbly efficient, the new buses have been fitted with a ramps that can be lowered, to permit convenient access for wheelchairs. The trams consist of modern trains with a low floor, which also have ramps that can be lowered. An excellent idea that should be introduced in all countries, is that you can press a special stop button in order to get on or off the tram, and the conductor will lower a ramp for you.

There are even bicycle rickshaw services in the shopping areas, offering a convenient and environmentally friendly way of getting around. But beware, as the experiencecan be bone rattling! 

EATING

I went to the warm and exceedingly friendly Anheim Restaurant on Friedrichstrasse 134, visavie Friedrichstadtpalast, 10117 Berlin. Tel: +49 30 280 44 700. www.restaurant-anheim.de.

I had Fillet of pork with slices of vegetables in port wine sauce for 22 € (approx £19) and as you can see, washed down with a juicy red! Every evening there is a pianist on the grand piano in the Atrium playing jazz and classic standards that really added to the ambience.

Openingtimes: Mon - Sun: 11:30 – 12 midnight. Disabled access.

However, for that taste of home, the Tea Lounge at The Ritz Carlton on Potsdamer Platz 3(00 49 30 3377 77) serves traditional English tea, complete with scones and Devon cream! Throughout the summer the tea is served in the spacious hotel garden. Or, try the Dressler Restaurant at Kurfürstendamm, 207-208 (00 49 308833 530). This is one of three popular cafés on the ‘sunny side’ of Berlin. Here the pavements are wide enough to allow tables, so you can sip a Campari and orange and watch the world go by.

SLEEPING

I stayed at the Melia Berlin; it has 20 rooms with wheelchair access, barrier-free access to all areas of the rooms. Door peephole height adjusted for wheelchair users and barrier-free access to the bathroom and shower. Melia Berlin,Friedrichstraße, 103, 10117, Berlin. Tel: +49 (30) 20607900, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Bookings by telephone (from The UK): 0808 101 4566

Don't leave without: Tasting

… a sausage, or Würste. There are over 150 different types of German sausage, although Berlin’s most popular sausage is the cürrywurst. This is a pork sausage served with a special curry-tomato sauce and is available from most sausage stalls. People say that cürrywurst is best served with beer, and since Germany also produces top-quality beer, that makes for a delicious combination. Celebrities, such as Madonna and George W. Bush, are known to enjoy them.

Seeing

Potsdam, It is just outside the city but is definitely a ‘must-see’. Home of the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasties, it is a separate city barely half-an-hour out of central Berlin. The big attraction is Sanssouci, Frederick the Great's magnificent landscaped park surrounding his palace, but there is a lot more to see, such as the immigrant-built Dutch quarter Cecilienhof, where Stalin,Churchill and Truman conferred over post-war Europe and a 19th-century Russian colony of timbered houses at the foot of a pearl-like Orthodox chapel.

Potsdam can be easily reached by train (RE1) or S-Bahn (S7) and is located in zone C, a daily ticket was DM8.50 for a return and is also valid on all the local trams and buses.

Factfile:

Flights: Direct flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester operate several times a day. Tegel Airport in the western part of Berlin, but the budget airlines usually fly to Schönefeld, to the southeast of the city. Fares vary little throughout the year. Both airports are fully equipped for wheelchair users. Also, the new system of public telephones throughout Berlin is a new lowered design to suit the elderly, children and wheelchair users.

Climate: Berlin's climate is typical for continental Europe, and very variable. Go between May and October to experience the city during its most reliable weather period.

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Language: The visitor will face no language problems in Berlin as most people speak English (of course, your attempts at a little German will be most appreciated).

• Hello –Hallo
• Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen
• Please - Bitte
• Thank you - Danke

Time zone: GMT + 1 hour

Web: Website for people with disabilities travelling in Berlin: www.visitberlin.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_behinderte.php.

Also, anexcellent tour company that I’ve used in many cities called Viator: viator.com/search/Potsdam.