IF there is ever a good time to visit Germany, this year has to be it. As host of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the country will see 32 teams compete for the coveted trophy between June 9 and July 9 in its 12 major cities, including Berlin, of course.

Even if the game does not capture your imagination, the city will. Berlin's history goes back to 1100, making it one of the European capital cities with the richest modern history. Many were, and still are, fascinated by Berlin's role in the Cold War, where it was the focal point between the West - led by the Americans and British - and the former Soviet Union and the Eastern communist bloc.

Begin your tour of the city at the Brandenburg Gate. First constructed in 1791, the gate was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the gate was incorporated as part of the Wall, and it saw the first trickle of people from East Germany crossing the border to the West. Today, the Brandenburg Gate remains a symbol of reunification.

Within walking distance lies the Reichstag -  home to the German parliament. The Reichstag's most distinctive feature is its huge glass dome, which, ironically, was not part of the original building.

Years after World War II - which saw most of the Reichstag destroyed - British architect Sir Norman Foster was called to work his magic. The glass dome was his signature for this project, offering visitors who were willing to brave the snaking queues a nice view of the Mitte district. The dome's structure also gives visitors a top-down look on the members of the country's lower house when they are seated below.

A stone's throw away lies the Soviet War Memorial, which commemorates the victory over the Nazis with a huge bronze statue of a soldier, flanked by two Russia tanks- reportedly among the first few to roar into the city more than 60 years ago.

The 368.03m tall Fernsehturm, or television tower, is another 'modern' relic of the city's 29-year-old division. Sited at the Alexanderplatz, the city's main square, this tallest structure in the city was apparently an attempt to project the communist leadership's political, architectural and technological might.

Visit the Berlin Holocaust Memorial and the Jewish Museum, designed by American architects Peter Eisenman and Daniel Libeskind respectively, for a sombre reminder of the horrors of World War II.

Berlin is also a treasure trove for art lovers. Be prepared to spend an entire day on ?"Museum Island", an enclave of five museums within strolling distance of one another.

Of course, being a sizeable city of 3.4 million, Berlin is not only for art and history buffs. Those with a compulsion to shop must stop at Kaufhaus des Westens (or KaDeWe) for its range of foodstuffs and household goods.

Finally, a visit to Berlin is incomplete without a trip to the Berlin Wall. It will take quite a bit of imagination to figure out where the guard posts, barbed wires, search lights, and barking dogs used to be. Do head to the Berlin Wall Museum next to Checkpoint Charlie - a border crossing that was the site of many eyeball-to-eyeball standoffs between the two political enemies.

History buffs may want to take with them the tiny concrete pieces salvaged from the Wall itself. But others can gawk at the quirky range of contraptions that East Germans reportedly used, as they dug, vaulted, drove and, in some cases, flew to freedom.

Kent Chan is a freelance writer.

Note: This article was part of the Natas Travel 2006 Special published in The Straits Times on March 23, 2006. As a reference to the project's main lead, 'Travel is a numbers game', it's original headline in print was: '215 years later, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate still impresses'.