Mention Berlin and most people think of its troubled history, but it is making a name for itself as the most attractive city in Europe for entrepreneurs.
Q&A:Berlin: Getting there and exploring.
Which airlines link Berlin and the UAE? Air Berlin has direct service to Dubai. Air France-KLM, Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways operate services via various cities.
What is Berlin's population, and how does the standard of living compare with other European cities? About 3.4 million people live in Berlin, with about a third in the east. Rents are relatively low compared with other German cities and there are many affordable places to dine. The city is consistently low on global cost-of-living surveys. It ranks below Munich, London and Dubai.
What is the climate like in Berlin?Berlin has a European continental climate, with slightly colder winters and warmer summers than cities on the coast. Temperatures consistently fall below zero in December through to January, while warm, temperate summer weather often continues until the end of September.
Is there much for the culture vulture?Berlin has three opera houses and more than 100 theatres and halls for performances. There are also nine castles and various buildings built by Prussian kings. There is the Brandenburg Gate and the border where the Berlin Wall split the city. Some small souvenir shops even sell what is advertised as fragments of the original wall, so tourists can take home a part of history.
It lacks the financial heft of Frankfurt, the beauty and media buzz of Hamburg and Munich, and the industrial might of the Ruhr region, so its identity is not quickly quantifiable.
But the euro-zone sovereign-debt crisis has raised the profile of the city to that of de facto capital of the single-currency bloc. It is in Berlin that the crucial decisions about the future of Europe are made.
The German economy is the euro zone's biggest, with a GDP of US$3.3 trillion (Dh12.12tn) last year, way ahead of that of its neighbour France, at $2.6tn, according to the IMF.
The low cost of living, the ease of setting up businesses and the mix of nationalities contribute to Berlin's attractiveness.
The Soviet-era lattice of streets in East Berlin is now full of small businesses and trendy bars, catering to a young, creative crowd.
A government report in June found that Berlin was Germany's top location for start-ups in information and communications technology.
And not one of Germany's top 30 companies is based in the city.
Top 5: Things to do in Berlin.
1 The Pergamon Museum.
2 The Schloss Charlottenburg Palace.
3 Losing your weekend on Berlin's sizzling dance floors.
4 Shopping for kitsch and couture in the Scheunenviertel district.
5 Standing before history at the Reichstag.
Source: Lonely Planet
Although not many major companies have their headquarters in Berlin, about one third of the world's 50 largest companies have offices there. And it is easy to understand why: the city has extremely efficient infrastructure and transport. The Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station, is vast and spacious, and Berlin Tegel Airport is unusually close to the city centre.
For those seeking a break from the business of business, Berlin's history is evident around every corner - Prussian architecture, relics of the Third Reich and scars of the Cold War.
Berlin also has a thriving art scene and the wide variety of restaurants that travellers expect to find in a cosmopolitan European city.
The Quote: "Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)" US president John F Kennedy, speaking to West Berliners in 1963