Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

Germany is on Central European Time (CET).

Berlin is the capital city and one of 16 federal states of Germany. It is also Germany's largest city, a continental hub for air and rail transport and one of the most visited tourist destinations in the EU.

The city is recognised for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts, extensive public transportation networks and a high quality of living.

The site of Checkpoint Charlie, one of the renowned crossing points of the Berlin Wall, is still preserved and also has a museum. The museum exhibits a comprehensive array of material about people who devised ingenious plans to flee the communist East. Zoologischer Garten Berlin, the older of two zoos in the city, was founded in 1844, and presents the most diverse range of species in the world.

The Karneval der Kulturen, a multi-ethnic street parade celebrated every Pentecost weekend, and the Christopher Street Day, which is Central Europe's largest gay and lesbian pride event, celebrated the last weekend of June, are supported by the city's government. Berlin is also well known for the techno carnival Love Parade, club transmediale and the cultural festival Berliner Festspiele, which include the jazz festival JazzFest Berlin.

The city is also home of the European Film Academy and the German Film Academy, and hosts the annual Berlin Film Festival, called the Berlinale. Founded in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With over 430,000 admissions it is the largest publicly attended film festival in the world.

City of Berlin website: www.berlin.de