On 9 November 1989 the Wall opened, and on 1 July 1990 the Wall was being hacked to pieces. The Unification Treaty between the two Germanys designated Berlin the official capital of Germany, and in June 1991 the Bundestag voted to move the seat of government from Bonn to Berlin over the next decade. A huge consortium of public and private organisations was charged with constructing the heart of a metropolis from scratch. In April 1999 the revamped Reichstag reopened and hosted the unified Germany's parliament, and Berlin was again officially the capital of Germany. There are hardly any direct flights to Berlin from overseas and, depending on the airline you use, you're likely to fly first into another European city like Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris or London and catch a connecting flight from there.
Berlin has three airports.
Today it's the main hub for domestic departures and flights to Central Europe. Most buses arrive at and depart from the Zentraler Omnibus-bahnhof in Charlottenburg, opposite the stately Funkturm radio tower. Until the opening of the huge new Lehrter Bahnhof in 2002, train services to and from Berlin will remain confusing because of the extensive construction around town that affects several stations. Trains scheduled to leave from or arrive at one station may be spontaneously rerouted to another. Zoo Station is the main station for long-distance travellers going to and from the west.