Berlin is one of the largest cities in Europe with 3.4 million inhabitants. Environmental issues could easily be forgotten in a capital that is reportedly the second largest in terms of population in Europe. However, there are cafes, hotels and attractions for green-minded guests.

Climate neutral diningFoodorama claims to be Germany’s first climate neutral restaurant positioned at diners with a conscience for the environment. With renewable resources used for the interior and a strategy to offset CO2 emissions, this new eatery claims to be the leanest on the environment and greenest place around.

Boasting an organic menu of seasonally-grown products, most of which have been sourced locally, Foodorama almost has the word health spelled out at the top of the menu. The restaurant sources fair trade food where possible and pays staff accordingly. There is an English language menu and English- speaking staff.

As an additional touch, all guests walk away with a seed from what the restaurant has dubbed the 'good mojo tree', which is for the Bottle Tree more commonly seen in Queensland. This specimen is magical because of its uniqueness. No two trees are quite the same.

Green accommodation

There are several green hotels in Berlin including the four-star Derag Hotel and Living Hotel Grosser Kurfurst, located in the historical centre of Berlin and the Maritim Hotel Berlin. Both of whom take part in eco-friendly practices such as lowering energy and water usage, recycling, using efficient lighting and using low flow showers and bathrooms.

Four hyphen star Derag Hotel And Living Hotel Grosser Kurfurst is within walking distance of the main city streets and museums. It offers luxury for less impact on the environment. Guests stay in comfortable rooms and have the option of using a sauna, steam room, solarium or fitness area.

Meanwhile, Maritim Hotel Berlin uses colour to create luxury and provides guests with evening entertainment at Le Bar with live music and dancing. It is also within walking distance of the main Kurfurstdendamm high street and scores highly for eco-friendliness in all 505 of its rooms.

Outdoor attractions

Berlin's outdoor attractions are great to enjoy no matter what time of year tourists choose to visit. There are more than 2,500 recreational and green spaces in the city with eco-fans able to choose from a stroll through the forest in Grunewald, walk the gardens of Charlottenburg Palace or pet a pot bellied pig in the grounds of the Domain Dahlem. That’s not forgetting the countryside of nearby Brandenburg on the outskirts of Berlin, which is well worth a visit.

The Tiergarten in the heart of the city is a must see, if only to relax in the Cafe am Neuen See with one of the local beers. Other parks include Volkspark Friedrichshain, the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden in Marzahn and Britzer Garden. Two rivers the Havel and Spree flow through Berlin with Teltowkanal and the Landwehrkanal the major canals. Water covers 6.6 per cent of the city, which makes a trip to the waster side easy and amenable for tourists and locals.

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Berlin’s churches and cathedrals have been battered and bombed. Before the Second World War could even take its toll, one was blown up to make room for a wall. Visiting tourists may want to make the most of the buildings that have survived the test of time in Germany’s capital city.

A top tip is to take a bicycle with you in clement weather. This mode of transport is preferred by the locals and is one way to get around the city from church to cathedral with ease, opposed to relying on buses or taxis that get stuck in traffic between the affordable accommodation in Berlin.

Zionskirche

This church is famous for its history of resistance. According to reports, its reverend Dietrich Bonhoeffer was killed after being sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis. Later on, opposition to the separation of the country also took place here, which resulted in violence following the performance of a punk band, according to sources. Zionskirche still hosts unusual music, including punk, as well as classical concerts.

Kirche Versoehnung

This church was blown up as it was perceived as a threat to the Wall’s security. Its remnants continued to be a prayer house, supporting a congregation of 20,000. The remaining turret was used as a machine gun turret for border patrollers until that was finally destroyed. Visitors today will see little more than a wooden shack that lights up for services during the week to commemorate the victims of the west and east divide. Versoehnung Kirche is now known as the Church of Reconciliation and can be found by the hotels in Berlin centre.

Gedächtniskirche

This 19th century church stands ruined in the centre of Berlin. The Gedächtniskirche hotels look modern and odd next to the restored building. It was in service for less than half a century when it met its end during the Second World War. Now restored it has been given a colourful tower which points to a bustling high street by much of Berlin’s accommodation. The church is named after Wilhelm I, who appears in the church mosaics.

St Thomas Kirche

The gypsy community around this church would give the cheap hotels in Berlin a run for their money. People have been living around this area for a long time at what has been translated as the Wagon Castle, which is now more sizable than the church’s congregation. According to records, the large Protestant church of St Thomas used to attract more than 150,000 worshippers. Today, estimates are that it serves 1,800. Its local community claims to be against the system while others have accused the dwellers of “imitating poverty”.

Berliner Dom

Visitors have highly commended attending a service at this green and gold domed church. It is one of the largest in Europe and its splendour is reflected in a €5 (£4.07) entry fee. Visit the prayer, wedding and baptism chapels. There is even a crypt beneath the church containing one of the royal families, the Hohenzollern, who were a noble family of Germany, Prussia and Romania.

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Politicians, community leaders and protestors turned out in a show of force for the closing of Berlin's Tempelhof Airport. An October referendum was not enough to save the structure, which had been losing the city more than 150 million of Euros over recent years, airport spokesperson Ralf Kunkel told the BBC.

One of the protestors reportedly wanted the airport to be a Unesco heritage site. Although it has not quite achieved this accolade, it has listed building status because of its historical past. Many of the best hotels in Berlin are clustered around Tempelhof, which was built by the Nazis and served as the hub of the Berlin Airlift of 1948 to 1949.

Several champagne corks blew at the end of October as officials and visitors staying in the hotels near Tempelhof toasted the airport goodbye and some businessmen and women took the last flights off the runway. The Remaining airports in Berlin are now Schoenefeld and Tegel, with replacement Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BBI) not scheduled for completion until 2011.

Berlin Schoenefeld Airport

This airport is close to the city centres and transport facilities. There are plenty of hotels by Schoenefeld Airport if you do not want to go straight into the city when you land. Taxis and buses are available by the terminals and there are also car hire facilities. Schoenefeld has business facilities in the Hugo Junkers Lounge and a free children's play area.

Tegel Airport Berlin

It is best to reserve a room around Tegel flying in on a long-haul as it is 8km from the city centre. However, taxis are available as well as a Jet Express Bus which runs to the underground and S-Bahn train station at Jungfernheide. It will also go to city centre destinations, ask and see. If you are stuck in Tegel for a few hours, there are shops, restaurants and bars to browse, eat or drink.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport

It is due to open in 2011 to replace Tempelhof, whose future is uncertain. If the fanfare for the opening of BBI is anything like that for the closure of Tempelhof, expect something nothing less than spectacular, with the involvement of local TV stations. However, as airport spokesman Ralf Kunkel explained: "Tempelhof has been losing so much money, it made losses of 150 million euros over the past few years. We have to close it and we're also building a new international airport for Berlin at Schoenefeld."

Future for Tempelhof

Despite being the hub for the coal, food and medicine supplies that kept half of Berlin alive when the Russian's conducted a blockage in 1948, Tempelhof will close. It has a chequered past as it was initially built as symbol of Nazi pride. To mark its history a 'candy bomber' plane took off, which was the name given to aircraft that dropped sweets by parachute by local children. At its height one Allied aircraft was landing at Tempelhof every 90 seconds, the BBC reported.

Although the building will be preserved, its future lies with the German senate. Ideas so far have included a zoo, a housing estate, a park, a museum, a film studio and a football stadium.

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It has been described as "best situated to discover Berlin", "first class" and "one of the best in Germany" by guests. Last week the messages left on online guest books were made concrete by the results of a vote from 167,000 tourism officials from 200 countries at a World Travel Awards ceremony held in Poprad, Slovakia.

The Swissotel Berlin won Germany's Leading Business Hotel at the awards ceremony. Members of staff at the hotel, which has long been considered one of the best hotels in Berlin, speak several different languages, including English and French. There is enough room for an entourage of cars in the underground 150-space parking arena and it is near several of the major attractions in Berlin, most notably the shops.

President of Swissotel Hotels & Resorts Meinhard Huck said the award came in addition to five other accolades gleaned from the Asian edition of the World Travel Awards. "These recognitions emphasize our company credo 'a passion for perfection', which stands for warm Swiss hospitality combined with quality, efficiency and reliability," he explained.

Shop along the Kurfurstendamm

This shopping street by Swissotel Berlin stretches for 3.5km. Kurfurstendamm was partly destroyed in the second world war and therefore has several different architectural styles. From 1883 to 1886 it was laid out as a boulevard. In the 1920s, Berlin's intellectuals met here and Marmorhaus, which has since closed, became the first film theatre. It is also the home of the internationally renowned Cafe Kranzler, which gained a reputation for being one of the finest eateries in the capital city after being founded 175 years ago. Check out the other hotels along the Kurfurstendamm for a definitive list.

See the Gedächtniskirche

This is a church in the heart of the commercial district, which was built in the late 1800s by Kaiser William. The tower, or 'hollow tooth', survived Allied bombing and it remains an example of neo-Romanesque architecture today. Also well-kept are the nave, bell tower and foyer. As well as the Swissotel Berlin there are plenty of other hotels by the Gedächtniskirche. Be sure to pay the Gedachtniskirche a visit, the interior shows off many historic mosaics and paintings.

Browse the designer goods at the KaDeWe

Although the Swissotel is not as close to the KaDeWe shopping centre, as it may first appear, it is not far from the six-storey shopping arcade. Shops like Armani and Tiffany are a mere stone's throw from the hotel. Visit KaDeWe if you like gourmet cuisine. The sixth floor is full of wine, champagne, confectionary and special dishes with diners able to look over the city as they enjoy their food. Meanwhile, the fifth displays telecommunications, stationary and toys and the fourth goes to interior design and home ware. The third floor houses children's clothes, leaving the remainder full of clothes for adults.

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Three in four people prefer to go away with their partner rather than their friends according to a survey by visitbirmingham.com. Now uber-couple Brangelina have chosen to move to Berlin after six months in Provence, reportedly to patch up their marriage, maybe a trip to Europe's "alternative" capital is just what you need.

Find your own Palais Schlosspark

Short of a bob or two for a multi-million pound Palais Schlosspark, like Brad and Angelina's? Some of the best hotels in Berlin can be found in nearby Steglitz-Zehlendorf, while the cheap hotels in Berlin are mainly located in Friedrichshain.

Low rents attracted a laidback artistic community in Friedrichshain. There are plenty of low-price bars, cafes and restaurants here, where you can mock up your own Brangelina getaway.

Fly by night

Rekindle the romance by taking your pick from one of several flights around the city with Air Service Berlin. Brangelina have a helicopter pad at their new gaff, so why can't you chopper around the city too?

The Air Service Berlin company runs Raisin Bomber flights with leather armchairs, seaplanes from the Spree River and flights by hot air balloon. All the experiences take in the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building. The price is €146 (£116) with children under 11 half-price, which would be perfect for Brangelina's young brood.

Want to see Wannsee Lake?

Brad and Angelina's new mansion skirts Wannsee Lake, which is made up of Grosser and Kleiner (Bigger and Smaller) Wannsee. The waterways are located on the river Havel and are separated only by Wannsee bridge. The larger of the two lakes covers 2.7 sq km, leaving little hope of catching a glimpse of the Hollywood couple from the other side.

However, Stern and Kreis do offer 25 different trips around Berlin by water, with some on a hotel boat lasting several days. Not many people know seven per cent of Berlin is made up of water and Wannsee is well known as a natural swimming area. According to the Berlin Tourist Office, you can even surf it. Unlike Brad and Angelina there is a charge to get to the water to enjoy a picnic by the pool with your spouse. In Steglitz-Zehlendorf nothing comes for free.

Best chef in Berlin

If Angelina and Brad haven't swiped him for their place by now, they should have. Michael Kempf was voted best newcomer by his international peers at this year's Best Chef awards. He perfected his culinary talents in numerous star restaurants, such as the Wald und Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe, Restaurant Fischerzunft Schaffhausen in Switzerland and more recently at Restaurant Dieter Mueller near Cologne.

The Michelin one starred restaurant Facil where Kempf now works in Berlin, can be found behind wall to ceiling windows on the fifth floor of the inner courtyard of the Mandala Hotel. Choose four courses from food like terraine of foie gras, cream of cale fumet or lombardian sturgeon for €75.

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Tread through the Brandenburg Gate, go past the 'chick on a stick' (Victory Tower) featured in the U2 video clip Stay (Faraway, So Close) and come down from the glass dome of the Reichstag for a different view of the city. Berlin is now being touted as the most attractive place to live in Europe for up and coming artists, musicians, literati and thinkers. Get off the well-beaten tourist track from one of the best hotels in Berlin and try our guide for a taste of something different.

The heavy metal bakery

Excuse the pun, but visitors are invited to rock and roll to heavy metal tracks at this nameless bakery in the Prenzlauer Bergn neighbourhood of the city. Bakers bang out dough to heavy drum beats and play air guitar with sausage rolls.

Crazy fringe theatre

Do you like the sound of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, The Rally of a Flying Knife and Kinky Justice? They are some of the shows on through September temporary open-air stadium the Volksbuhne, which is also in the Prenzlauer Bergn quarter. The Volksbuhne was founded in 1914 as a "concept of expanded theatre" for theory, music, literature and film events.

Taste the green fairy

Was absinthe, affectionately known as the green fairy, the reason why fans Vincent van Gogh and Oscar Wilde were ever so slightly squiffy? Try one of the 60 varieties of absinthe at the Absinth Depot on Weinmeisterstrasse and find out. Cocktails like Psycho Surfers, TNT and Hell on Fire will help you on your way with discovering the hallucinogenic properties of this drink, simply burn the sugar on the spoon, stir in well with cold water and drain the glass.

Art geek o'clock

Computer geeks hammer the night away for free from the rooftop panoramaBar at the Tacheles, a renovated multi-storey building in the heart of Berlin. As well as computing, drinking and chillin', this renovated warehouse-style structure offers space for contemporary art installations, experimental showcase and dance. This autumn's installations are titled The World Is Not My Home, Hybrid Dislocation and We Are Important.

Skate till midnight

Crash and burn from Monday to Sunday at Berlin's Skate Hall. Roll around until midnight at this special facility designed for skaters on boards, wheels or blades. A daily ticket is €5 (£3.95) and there are training sessions for beginners. Find the Hall, which has been fitted with grinds, rails and jumps on Revaler Strasse 99.

Get friendly in Friedrichshain

The Friedrichshain is arguably the hippest place to live in Europe with trendy bars, cafes and restaurants. Low rents have attracted a young, laidback artistic community and there are plenty of squats, currently being tackled by the authorities. Come along if only to watch the locals and stare at the mind-boggling graffiti and stay at one of the cheap hotels in Berlin here.

All night ping pong

There's nothing as strange as staying up all night playing ping pong, but in Berlin you can, with a drink in your hand at Dr Pong's on Eberswalder Strasse 21. There are plenty of strange tastes to whet your whistle before you start a match of Tischtennis for €10. Cocktails and snacks are served, but the nuts (or nutters to play table tennis with) are free.

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A battle for better integration is the subject of a special exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Haskala is the name of a Jewish Enlightenment movement.

The exhibition of the same name tells of the struggle of many great thinkers.

Marking the event, Professor Shmuel Feiner's recently published translation of Haskala events from Hebrew will be presented to book editors.

Haskala runs at the Museum from September 22nd near the best hotels in Berlin.

An exhibition entitled Totally Manoli? No Problem! runs alongside this event, about Jewish entrepreneurs in the German cigarette industry.

It tells how brands, Manoli, Problem and Massary, were marketed during the First World War and how they were taken over by the Nazis in the Second World War.

The Jewish Museum was created after the community called for a special place to recognise 300 years of ancestry in the city in 1971.

It eventually opened 20 years later and this month celebrates the first birthday of a special Glass Hall extension.

Architect Daniel Libeskind designed the 500 capacity hall for workshops, concerts and theatre.

Admission to the Jewish Museum is €5 (£4.05) for adults and €2.50 for children with young people under six free.

The Museum will be closed on September 30th, October 1st and 9th and November 15th for religious festivals and an understanding and tolerance ceremony.

Berlin carries on from where the German brothers Grimm left off by passing on some of the world's most famous fairytales this autumn.

Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were academics who set about researching one of the best-loved collections of children's stories in history.

They gathered together tales like Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel.

Book a cheap hotel in Berlin for your children to see productions of the plays as well as hear the stories before bed time.

During the Berliner Marchentage, Berlin Days of Fairy Tales, children can listen to readings, hear music and see stage performances of these classics.

The TellStories festival runs from November 6th to 23rd at venues around the city.

Work from famous German writer Johann Goethe is also featured, touching on his romantic, poetic and fictional sides.

But this year the 19th festival will mainly focus on myths and legends from Switzerland.

It will also touch on stories from other countries that border the river Danube.

Take a trip into this fairy wonderland to hear tales of heroes, animals and mythical creatures.

Berlin is renowned for its progressive thinkers.

While you are staying in the city why not check out the outdoor exhibition that commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall?

There's the Jewish Museum, which celebrates integration this autumn, and free attractions like the Brandenburg Gate.

What lies beneath the surface of objects?

Artist Sabine Gross tries to discover whether it is discord or harmony in a series of displays that make up Excavation Chic in Berlin.

She is exhibiting until October 18th at the Magnus Muller Gallery.

Gross has won several awards for her work and taken part in many large exhibitions, including Deep Storage, The Big Nothing and the 10th Triennial of Sculpture.

She received the Dorothea-von-Erxleben grant to teach sculpture for two years at the Academy of Visual Arts in Brunswick last year.

The Magnus Muller Gallery is one of the many attractions of Berlin; other must-sees include the Brandenburg Gate.

Brandenburg Gate is synonymous with Germany and used to be a trading post between both sides of the city.

The East Side Gallery gives visitors a glimpse of important moments in Germany's history, documenting the fall of the Berlin Wall in an open air exhibition.

Some of the wall still remains in this display.

Excavation Chic is close to cheap hotels in Berlin and good transport links. It is open between 12:00 and 18:00, local time, from Tuesday to Saturday.

Today Berlin is considered one of the most fashionable places to live in terms of art, culture and thought.

The capital is home to 153 museums and 50 theatres.

Music goes off with a bang in Berlin this October with appearances from seasoned professionals and up and coming stars at Germany's premiere music festival.

Popkomm has attracted 2,000 applications from people who wanted to take part from 35 nations this year - impressive as the festival has only been running in Berlin for four years.

International and local names get together to discuss the future of music and celebrate in more than 30 clubs around the city.

There are also more than 80,000 partygoers expected to help out with what is the next best thing in music.

People come from as far and wide as the US, South America and Eastern Europe.This year the festival's partner is Turkey, which will have music showcased at the event.

Although the conference and club nights run from October 8th to 10th there is a huge finale under the title Popkomm DJ Club Night on 11th.

The trade fair takes place at the Messe Berlin, which has 26 exhibition halls and easy access to the city's transport system.

Book affordable accommodation in Berlin now because this gig is set to be busy. Last year there were 886 exhibitors, 624 of which were foreign from 57 different countries.

There were 15,400 visitors, a figure which has been rising throughout the festival's history.