CAPITAL BERLIN - POPULATION 82.4 MILLION - AREA 357,021 SQ KM - OFFICIAL LANGUAGE GERMAN
November 2009 marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the now effortlessly cool capital (many of its coolest bits are in the former East) will celebrate the occasion in style. The city's Brandenburg Gate will also feature in the 2009 Athletics World Championships, held from 15 to 23 August – the marathon finishes beneath its iconic columns. It is not all about elite athletes though – activities adventures are on the up and up in Germany, which boasts a world-class network of walking and cycling trails. Some are well trodden, but head to the North Sea and Baltic coasts to get away from the crowds, or to western Pomerania's Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, an absolute delight of sleepy villages and more than 1000 lakes.
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