From history and culture to reggae, burgers and shopping, Berlin has something for everyone. JOSH LAYTON reports...

A MOCK Caribbean village next to a river in Germany seems an unlikely place for a reggae fan to enjoy some of the best the genre has to offer.

I keep up with the world-conquering music thanks to Swindon DJs such as Luchi Fab and MC Ranks, but no one could have predicted the way the sound made famous by the likes of Bob Marley and relative newcomers like Chronixx would take has taken hold in Europe.

I was in Berlin for a three-day break and drifted in to Club Yaam to eat fried plantain and dumplings and talk cross-continent reggae with an African-born bartender.

The capital’s unorthodox, ever-changing side is reinforced by the words “refugees welcome” daubed on a wall outside the venue overlooking the River Spree.

My long weekend – which also coincided with the Berlin Film Festival – combined the city’s old and new sides.

By day, the Cold War trail was put into sharp focus with tensions between the Western Allies and Russia at a height unsurpassed since the previous face-off, when a despised wedge of concrete divided the populace. What remains of Checkpoint Charlie is testament to the corrosive nature of the clash between superpowers, offset somewhat by tourists from the Far East wielding selfie sticks at the former crossing point.

Deutschland 83, Channel 4’s spy thriller, brought all the intrigue and drama of the era to British TV screens in recent weeks, but it’s not quite the same when a man in Soviet fancy dress is asking for a tip to pose with a ‘Cardiff City on tour’ flag.

The Brandenburg Gate is a 10-minute stroll away, the chariot and four horse statues cloaked in the shade while flag-waving groups of teenagers and horse-and-cart drivers bustled in strips of sun below. Another must on the history trail is Berlin Cathedral, where crowds peer at the coffins of clergymen in a dimly-lit crypt and climb a winding staircase to take in the views from a slender walkway around the central dome.

Adolf Hitler’s bunker, or at least the patch of earth where it once stood, is a less publicised facet of Berlin’s past.

All that remains today is a car park, some spindly trees and a rather dull sign with some factual information. A vending machine obscures another sign showing the way to the spot.

A tour guide addressing a group of schoolchildren said she felt Hitler would be given “status” if the site was to become more of an attraction.

Further evidence of Hitler’s reign is available at The Topography of Terror, a grey, bunker-like building visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The Berlin of new was never far away, even at landmarks associated with its altogether more splendid past.

In Gendarmenmarkt square Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwie had attached 14,000 salvaged lifejackets to the grand columns of the Konzerthaus Berlin concert hall as part of a Cinema for Peace gala.

It was a reminder of Germany’s role in the humanitarian crisis gripping the Middle East and Europe which led chancellor Angela Merkel to pursue an open-door policy for refugees. The East Side Gallery, a 1.3km-long stretch of the Wall emblazoned by artists from every corner of the globe, also delivers messages about humanity, tyranny and repression.

Nearby I found the undoubted eating highlight of my trip in the shape of Burgermeister, a box-like fast food joint under a railway bridge where I endured a chilly 15-minute queue for the best cheeseburger I have ever tasted.

An ever-present in Berlin is Ampelmann, the city’s hat-wearing little green man who started life on crossing lights in the East and is now an enduring cultural symbol.

I paid homage by way of purchasing branded sweets in his dedicated gift shop before catching the uber-efficient underground to the Reichstag, plugging in to an audio guide and making my way up a circular walkway to a central platform housing a funnel which acts as a huge ventilation shaft.

Swerving the ubiquitous currywurst stands, I pitched up at at the family-and-dog-friendly Osteria No.1 in Kreuzberg, the superb pizza more than making up for the boisterous children.The world-embracing Berlin of new was much in evidence at Club Yaam, where German reggae sound system Sentinel was on the bill.

The energised collective of DJs and MCs tour the world and would certainly fire up Swindon’s annual Reggae Garden alongside the town’s own acts.

More familiar names were in town for the film festival, with the likes of George Clooney and Channing Tatum gracing the red carpet and Meryl Streep heading the jury for the 10-day celebration of the silver screen. Clooney, 54, put my flying visit in the shade by packing in a photocall for his latest film Hail, Ceasar! and a meeting with Angela Merkel to discuss Syria and the refugee crisis.

A memorable year for the 66th Berlinale festival also included special events to honour the legacies of Alan Rickman and David Bowie. For me though, Berlin is all about the reggae, with Lee Perry among the greats due to shake the city with Jamaican riddims this year.

I tapered my long weekend with shopping on the upmarket Kurfürstendamm boulevard, a few minutes’ walk from my room at the five-star Swissôtel Berlin.

The hotel is blissfully still at night and houses the highly-rated Restaurant 44, a gym and sauna and a late-night bar.

The Swissôtel once ran a sleep package overseen by a specialist named Dr Little Elk who helped travellers fall into a nourishing slumber.

I dragged myself to the airport on the final day, my pockets full of flyers and little green men.

Whether war, peace or music, Berlin truly has the world on its doorstep.

  • Josh paid £150 for a return flight between London Gatwick and Berlin Schoenefeld on easyJet. Check for offers. Visit www.easyjet.com
  •  Rooms at the Swissôtel Berlin start at £91 per night, on a room-only basis. Visit www.swissotel.com or 
    call +49 30 220 100
  •  Visitor info about Berlin is
    available at www.berlin.de/en/