Berlin has always enjoyed letting its hair down and since reunification the amount of entertainment on offer has swelled even further making the city one of the most exciting in Europe. You can't fault the enthusiasm of the populace as impromptu parties and club nights happen round the clock.

Berlin is also a superb place for high culture with three opera houses and an abundance of arts venues putting on top-notch performances throughout the year.

For the latest information on what's on, contact one of the tourist information centres, the largest of which is at:

Europa Center
Budapester Strasse
Charlottenburg

There are also central offices at the base of the TV Tower and by the Brandenburg Gate. Open: daily. Tel: +49 (0)30-25-00-25. Email: information@btm.de . Entertainment listings magazines Berlin Calendar and Berlin Magazin are also a useful source of information.

Music

Classical

In terms of classical music the most renowned venue is the Philharmonie (Herbert-von-Karajan Strasse 1, Tiergarten. Tel: +49 (0)30-2548-8132), home to the famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and which also plays host to other leading domestic performers as well as major international orchestras. The other major concert hall is the Konzerthaus (Gendarmenmarkt 2, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-203-0921-01), which has a regular and eclectic calendar of performances.

Modern

Forget staid images of the Scorpions and Opus - Berlin 's rock and pop scene is world class and extremely vaied. Throughout the city there are innumerable small bars and clubs to take in live jazz, pop, rock and rap.

Larger venues include the Arena (Eichenstrasse 4, Treptow. Tel: +49 (0)30-533-2030), which hosts a regular bill of club nights in its rambling complex of venues - including a ship - as well as big name concerts by the likes of Avril Lavigne or Joss Stone. It's also worth checking out Columbiahalle (Columbiadamm 13-21, Kreuzberg. Tel: +49 (0)30-6980-980), a slightly less cavernous venue for live music, and Tempodrom (Mockernstrasse 10, Kreuzberg. Tel: +49 (0)30-695-33-885).

Other venues include the Tränenpalast (Reichstagufer 17, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-2061-0011), a former checkpoint between East and West Berlin converted into a concert and musical venue; and the Kulturbrauerei (Knaackstrasse 97, Prenzlauer Berg. Tel: +49 (0)30-4431-5152) which offers a varied programme of live bands, theatre, cabaret and club nights.

Opened up by two musicians in the 1990s, B Flat Bar (Rosenthaler Strasse 14, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-283-3123) is one of the best places in Berlin to hear live jazz of all genres. The stylish bar attracts a generally fairly well-heeled crowd for its almost nightly live performances though it remains unpretentious and dedicated to good music.

Experimental and world dance and music performances are held at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, Tiergarten. Tel: +49 (0)30-397-870).

Theatre

The theatre scene in Berlin is very lively with a wide range of productions taking place from large-scale versions of the classics, to fringe performances of experimental drama.

Among the better-known establishments, Brecht's ghost lives on at the Berliner Ensemble (Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-2840-8155) while a programme of classics from Shakespeare and Molière to Tennessee Williams are shown at the Deutsches Theater (Schumannstrasse 13/14, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-2844-1221).

Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz (Kurfürstendamm 153, Wilmersdorf. Tel: +49 (0)30-890-020) hosts predominantly modern plays, as does the Renaissance Theater (Corner Knesebeckstrasse & Hardenbergstrasse, Charlottenburg. Tel: +49 (0)30-3124-202).

For the avant-garde try one of the three theatres that come under the Hebbel am Ufer umbrella (HAU 1: Stresemannstrasse 29; HAU 2: Hallesches Ufer 32; HAU 3: Tempelhofer Ufer. Tel: +49 (0)30-2590-040) which put on an innovative aray of experimental drama.

Somewhat more predictable modern classics can be seen at the Maxim Gorki Theater (Am Festungsgraben 2, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-2022-11-29), or the Schiller Theater (Bismarckstrasse 110. Tel: +49 (0)30-5318-2292) shows a variety of musicals and drama productions.

Opera and Ballet

Berlin is home to no less than three opera houses - the State Opera or Staatsoper (Unter den Linden 7, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-2035-4555), the Komische Oper (Behrenstrasse 55-57, Mitte. Tel: +49 (0)30-4799-7400) and the Deutsche Oper (Bismarckstrasse 35, Charlottenburg.

Tel: +49 (0)30-343-8401).

The Staatsoper is the most renowned of these and has a packed programme of top notch performances throughout the year, including several of those from the most famous of German composers - Wagner. This said, all three venues offer a fantastic choice of opera and ballet by top international companies.

Nightlife

Berlin is without doubt one of the best cities in Europe for nightlife. Every day of the week there's a huge choice of club nights to choose from and though the emphasis tends to be on techno in many places, there is pretty much something on for everyone no matter what your taste in music. A trend in the euphoria following the Wall's fall was to hold parties in the cavernous concrete venues that the east of the city had in abundance. These have now become established events and make for a uniquely Berlin experience.

It's worth being aware that the Berlin club scene is in a constant state of flux, and whole new areas keep springing up offering the latest batch of clubs and bars, making it hard to keep track of the best spots to go to. As a basic rule, though, the further east you venture, the more underground the nightlife is likely to be: areas like Treptow, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain have all sprouted a great choice of bars in the past few years and no doubt other similar districts won't be slow in following suit.

Otherwise, Mitte has the greatest preponderence of bars and clubs in the city, particularly along Oranienburgerstrasse and the streets radiating from Hackescher Markt. This district might have lost the edge it had in the past, with large numbers of tourists now descending on the area, but there are still plenty of places worth checking out to suit all tastes.

Berlin is a top destination for gay and lesbian nightlife too, with plenty going on around Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg, and, more recently, in Prenzlauer Berg, further east.

Keep an eye out for fliers in bars and posters for what's on - look out in particular for the pocket-sized "Fresh" guide which has listings of all the main club events every month.