BerlinImage:Flagge_Berlin.png|thumb|300px|right|The Berliner Flag Image:Brandenburg_gate.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz '''Berlin''' is the capital city of Germany and one of the constituent states (''Länder'') of the Federal Republic, with a population of approximately 4.2 million people within its metropolitan area. Berlin is best known for its historical associations as German capital, for its lively nightlife, for its many cafes, clubs, and bars, and for its numerous museums, palaces, and other sites of historic interest. Berlin's architecture is quite varied: though badly damaged in the final years of World War II (in which Berlin formed the backdrop Nazi Germany's downfall), Berlin has reconstructed itself greatly and it is now possible to see representatives of many different historic periods in a short time within the compact city centre, from a few surviving Medieval buildings near Alexanderplatz, to the ultramodern glass and steel structures in Potsdamer Platz. ==Districts== Image:berlin_map.png|thumb|550px|Districts of Berlin Some districts of Berlin are more worthy of the traveller's attention than others. Following are the districts of greatest interest: *Berlin/Mitte|Mitte - the historical centre of Berlin and the nucleus of the former East Berlin. Many cafes, restaurants and clubs throughout the district, along with many sites of historic interest.. **Berlin/Unter den Linden|Unter den Linden - The royal showpiece street in central Berlin, it leads from Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate. Many historic buildings line the street, such as Humboldt University. **Berlin/Museuminsel|Museuminsel ("Museum Island") - several large art museums. **Berlin/Alexanderplatz|Alexanderplatz - home to the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), an icon of Berlin and the second largest structure in Europe (after Moscow's TV Tower), which is easily visible throughout the city's central districts. Visitors can ride to the top of the tower in an elevator for amazing views of the city. Also home to the Galeria Kaufhof, a large shopping center. **Berlin/Scheunenviertel|Scheunenviertel *Berlin/Kudamm|Ku'Damm - the lively ''Kurfürstendamm'' district, the nucleus of the old West Berlin, has many shops. *Berlin/Potsdamer Platz|Potsdamer Platz - divided in two by the Berlin Wall, this area has been newly developed since reunification in a modern style. It has a large shopping center and movie theatre complex. *Berlin/Tiergarten|Tiergarten - a district of parks and monuments, sandwiched between the two main centres of the city *Berlin/Charlottenburg|Charlottenburg - centred around the ''Schloss Charlottenburg'' *Berlin/Schoneberg|Schoneberg (''Schöneberg'') *Berlin/Kreuzberg|Kreuzberg - associated with the left wing youth culture and Turkish immigrants, this district is somewhat noisier than most of *Berlin/Prenzlauer Berg|Prenzlauer Berg - a trendy area undergoing regeneration, north of the city centre. Popular with students, lots of cafes and bars. Berlin has been officially divided into 12 large districts (''Bezirke'') since January 2001, a simplification of the previous 23 smaller districts (''Stadtteile'', ''Bezirke'') that was undertaken purely for administrative efficiency. The smaller districts remain foremost in popular conceptions of the city, however, and are generally of a more practical size and cultural division for the purposes of the traveller. <table border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 style="clear:both"> <tr> <th> </th> <th>New borough</th> <th>Old boroughs</th> </tr> <tr> <td>I</td> <td>Berlin/Mitte|Mitte</td> <td>Berlin/Mitte|Mitte, Berlin/Tiergarten|Tiergarten, Berlin/Wedding|Wedding</td> </tr> <tr> <td>II</td> <td>Berlin/Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg|Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg</td> <td>Berlin/Friedrichshain|Friedrichshain, Berlin/Kreuzberg|Kreuzberg</td> </tr> <tr> <td>III</td> <td>Berlin/Pankow|Pankow</td> <td>Berlin/Prenzlauer Berg|Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin/Weissensee|Weissensee (''Weißensee''), Berlin/Pankow|Pankow</td> </tr> <tr> <td>IV</td> <td>Berlin/Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf|Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf</td> <td>Berlin/Charlottenburg|Charlottenburg, Berlin/Wilmersdorf|Wilmersdorf, (unofficially shared between these two) the Berlin/Kudamm|Ku'Damm district</td> </tr> <tr> <td>V</td> <td>Berlin/Spandau|Spandau</td> <td>Berlin/Spandau|Spandau (unchanged)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>VI</td> <td>Berlin/Steglitz-Zehlendorf|Steglitz-Zehlendorf</td> <td>Berlin/Steglitz|Steglitz, Berlin/Zehlendorf|Zehlendorf</td> </tr> <tr> <td>VII</td> <td>Berlin/Tempelhof-Schöneberg|Tempelhof-Schöneberg</td> <td>Berlin/Tempelhof|Tempelhof, Berlin/Schoneberg|Schöneberg (''Schöneberg'')</td> </tr> <tr> <td>VIII</td> <td>Berlin/Neukolln|Neukölln</td> <td>Berlin/Neukolln|Neukölln (unchanged)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>IX</td> <td>Berlin/Treptow-Köpenick|Treptow-Köpenick</td> <td>Berlin/Treptow|Treptow, Berlin/Köpenick|Köpenick</td> </tr> <tr> <td>X</td> <td>Berlin/Marzahn-Hellersdorf|Marzahn-Hellersdorf</td> <td>Berlin/Marzahn|Marzahn, Berlin/Hellersdorf|Hellersdorf</td> </tr> <tr> <td>XI</td> <td>Berlin/Lichtenberg-Hohenschönhausen|Lichtenberg-Hohenschönhausen</td> <td>Berlin/Lichtenberg|Lichtenberg, Berlin/Hohenschoenhausen| Hohenschönhausen</td> </tr> <tr> <td>XII</td> <td>Berlin/Reinickendorf|Reinickendorf</td> <td>Berlin/Reinickendorf|Reinickendorf (unchanged)</td> </tr> </table> ==Understand== Berlin was multicultural before Berlin existed! The surrounding area was populated by Germanic Swabian and Burgundian tribes, as well as Slavic Wends in prechristian times, and the Wends have stuck around. Their modern descendents are the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbian Sorbian] Slavic-language minority who live in villages near the Havel and Spree rivers. Starting in the 1600s, with large numbers of French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution, Berlin has welcomed asylum seekers, religious, economic or otherwise. In the second half of the 20th century Turkish ''Gastarbeiter'' (guest workers) and large numbers of immigrants from communist countries, including the former Yugoslavia and Vietnam, not to mention Soviet soldiers who refused to return home, have made Berlin more multicultural than ever. Berlin is also a youth-oriented city. Before German unification, West Berliners were exempt from the West German civil/military service requirement. Social activists, pacifists and anti-governmental people moved to Berlin for that reason alone. Musicians and artists were given state subsidies, it was easy to stay out all night thanks to liberal bar licensing laws, and studying years at the university was a great way to kill time. Prenzlauer Berg is said to be the place in Europe with the highest baby-per-capita rate. Berlin is a relatively young city by European standards, dating only to the thirteenth century, and it has always had a reputation as a place filled with people from elsewhere. Someone who has lived in Berlin for ten years will see themselves as a "true Berliner," looking down on the person who has only been there for five. It's sometimes tough to find someone born and raised here! This is part of Berlin's charm: it never gets stuck in a rut. But it's not all beer bashes and café-sitting. One of the most important "products" produced in Berlin by both academic and company-sponsored institutes is research. Research is exported around the world just like something tangible. It makes more sense to export research than products. German labor costs are tremendously high: unions such as IG Metall make the American auto industry's unions look like tea parties, and high labor costs mean expensive products. Today we have student strikes for no tuition fees. The universities are overfilled and most schools do not get enough money for material. The 18% unemployment rate in Berlin is calculated without students. Some famous artists of the region and their best-known works include Lucas Cranach the Elder, Lucas Cranach the Younger, Johann Gottfried Schadow, Marlene Dietrich (''The Blue Angel'') , Leni Riefenstahl (''Triumph of the Will''), Bertold Brecht (''Threepenny Opera''), Käthe Kollwitz, Kurt Tucholsky, Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Walter Gropius, Paul Klee, FW Murnau (''Nosferatu''), Fritz Lang (''Metropolis''), Volker Schlöndorff, Wim Wenders (''Wings of Desire'' (German: ''Der Himmel über Berlin'')), Blixa Bargeld/Einstürzende Neubauten, Christopher Isherwood, Gunter Grass (''The Tin Drum''), members of the Bauhaus architectural movement. A certain uneasy detente still exists between some former residents of East and West Berlin (and Germany). ''Wessi'' evolved as a derogatory nickname for a West German; its corollary is ''Ossi''. The implication here is that after reunification, the West Germans automatically assumed the way they do things is the right way, and the way the Easterners should start doing it, too. Westerners got a reputation for being arrogant. They saw the Easterners as stubborn Communist holdouts only interested in a handout from the "rich West." Consider a shirt for sale in a shop inside the Alexanderplatz Deutsche Bahn station: ''Gott, schütze mich vor Sturm und Wind/und Wessies die im Osten sind'' ("God, protect me from the storm and wind, and Wessies who are in the East"). Berlin, especially the former East, has evolved into a cultural mecca over the last decade and a half. Artists and other creative souls flocked to the city in swarms after the wall fell primarily due to the extremely low cost of living in the East. Despite the increased prices and gentrification as a result, Berlin has become a center for art, multimedia, electronic music, and fashion among other things. The particularly high number of students and young people in the city has only helped this cause. Just stroll down a street in Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, or Mitte to get a glimpse of the new East Berlin. ==Get in== ===By plane=== Berlin has three airports - Tegel (TXL), Schönefeld (SXF) and Tempelhof (THF). Of these, Tegel and Schönefeld (served mostly by low-cost carriers) are the important ones, while Tempelhof - a relict from the pre-war era of small airplanes - only has a limited number of connections mainly by commuter planes. Various airlines serve direct flight connections between Berlin and major German and European cities. Lufthansa, the domestic German airline, serves Tegel. However, it will be difficult to book a direct flight to Berlin from outside Europe. Most airlines will fly to the major hub airports such as Frankfurt and Munich and offer connecting flights to Berlin. *[http://www.berlin-airport.de/PubEnglish/index.html Berlin airports homepage] ===By bus=== As with all major cities, many bus companies offer transport to Berlin. See bus companies in Europe. ===By train=== The German train corporation ''Deutsche Bahn'' offers ICE connections between Berlin and other large German cities. If you arrive in Berlin on DB, you are entitled to use your ticket to travel by S-Bahn -- but not U-Bahn (the city subway system) -- to your destination, because the S-Bahn is a part of DB. ==Get around== Berlin's city centre is conveniently compact and most of the major sights and venues can be accessed easily enough on foot. Failing that, or in case of bad weather or little time, traveller can make use of the excellent bus and train services to get around. Taxi services are also easy to use, if much more expensive. You can hail a cab (the yellow light on the top shows the cab is free), or find a taxi stand (Taxistelle). Be sure you get the driver's attention before you get in at a taxi stand; he or she may be asleep. (There is a fixed discount price for short distances with a taxi, named "Kurzstrecke", amounting to 3 €, but you have to hail a cruising taxi: taxis at taxi-stands will not do a "Kurztrecke.") Check the [http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de/fahrinfo/bin/query.exe/en?ld=bvg& Berlin route planner] (in English) to get excellent maps and schedules for U-Bahn, Bus, S-Bahn and Tram or to print your personal journey planner. The [http://www.bvg.de/e_index.html Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)] (in English) have a detailed fare list on their web site. All tickets are valid for all means of public transportation even including ferries! Most people will be happy with a single-trip ticket inside Berlin (Zones AB) for 2.00 € or with a one-day ticket for 5.60 € (Zones AB). When travelling together with at most five people a group-one-day ticket for 14.00 € (Zones AB) might be the best choice. Day tickets are not good for 24 hours, as their name may imply but at least they are valid until three of the following morning. ===By train=== The Berlin U-Bahn (subway) is something to behold. It is so charmingly precise! There are no turnstiles to limit access, although trying to scam rides can lead to a ticket that can easily be more than 50 euro (and most residents claim to see ticket checkers once a month; if you're determined to scam, the morning papers print the lines with controllers for the day). In addition, all U-bahn stations now have signs that give a time of the next train, and its direction. Detailed maps can be found in every U-bahn station, and route maps can be found on every train. U-Bahn stations can be seen from afar by their big, friendly blue U signs. Together with the S-Bahn (which is administered by Deutsche Bahn and mostly runs aboveground), the U-Bahn provides a transportation network throughout the greater Berlin that is extremely efficient and fast. On Friday and Saturday nights, as well as during the Christmas and New Year holidays, many U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines run all night, so returning from late night outings is easy, especially given the average start time of most 'parties' in Berlin (11pm?). ===By bus=== Buses are the easiest way to see the city. Bus 100 leaves from Zoo Station ("Berlin Zoologischer Garten") or U-Bahn station Alexanderplatz and crosses most of historic Berlin, including many of the sites listed here. For the price of a city bus ticket or daily pass it's possible to see much of the city from one of these double-decker tour buses. Sit up top - it's easier to see the Reichstag, as well as the many historic buildings on Unter den Linden. If you're lucky, you'll get the legendary bus-driver who delivers a commentary (in Berlin-accented German) on the trip. Bus 200 takes nearly the same route, but through Potsdamer Platz. ===By bike=== Bicycle is another great way to tour Berlin. Berlin offers many ''Radweg''s throughout the city (although not all are very smooth), and has very few steep hills . Bicycle is a very popular method of transportation among Berlin residents, and there is almost always a certain level of bicycle traffic. Bicycle rentals are available in the city, although the prices vary. In addition, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) placed many '''[http://www.callabike.de public bicycles]''' throughout the city in 2003. These can be ''unlocked'' by calling a number on the bicycle with a cellphone (handi). Seeing Berlin by bicycle is unquestionably a great way, that will acquaint the traveler with the big tourist sites, and the little Sprees and side streets as well. Although its good to carry a map, in Berlin maps can be found at any U-Bahn station, and many Bus Stations, thus often eliminating the need to carry a map at all times. For more information on cycling Berlin, *[http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/unterwegs/e_uw_fahrrad.html Berlin by Bicycle] *[http://www.adfc-berlin.de ADFC Berlin] German Bicycle Club (Berlin) ==See== ===Museums=== Berlin has a vast array of museums. Most museums and galleries charge admission - usually about €6 or thereabouts for an adult, normal concessions apply. However, many of the state run museums, including most of the ones below, are free on the first Sunday of each month. *'''Berlin/Museuminsel|Museuminsel'''. Literally "Museum Island", this district is best known for the vast '''Pergamonmuseum'''. ===History=== Berlin does not attempt to hide the less savoury parts of its history: a visit to the '''[http://www.topographie.de/en/ Topography of Terror]''' (Mitte), for example, provides interesting but sobering insights into the activities of the Gestapo in Berlin during the Nazi years (1933-1945). Many of the walking tours also discuss scenes both of Nazi activity and Cold War tension and terror. *'''Berlin Wall'''. It's tough to find the last remnants of the Wall these days, unless souvenir sellers are less crafty than they seem (their 5-DM Wall chunks look suspiciously like plaster of paris. Iron Curtain, indeed!). One place to try is near the Martin Gropius Bau museum, currently under reconstruction. There is a section of the wall that is preserved as a gallery, but viewers in search of excellent graffiti art would be better served by looking out the window from the U-Bahn. *'''Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstatte Berliner Mauer)'''. (U-Bahn Bernauerstrasse U8 or S-Bahn Nordbahnhof S1, 2, or 25, follow the signs in the stations (wall is Mauer in German)) Often missed by tourists but an absolute must for anyone interested in this part of the city's history. It's a memorial to those who died crossing so you won't, fortunately, get the tackiness of the Checkpoint Charlie area but you will be left with a haunting feeling of what it may have been really like. The monument itself is a gigantic wasted opportunity, blank and featureless, and the inscription on the outside, declaring it a monument to the victims of the "communist reign of violence," has angered many local residents, but the documentation center across the street on Bernauer Str. is excellent, although most of the documentation is in German.The viewing platform gives you a tiny hint of how massive the Wall was, and how terrifying the "no man's land" between the two walls must have been. :The Memorial is on Bernauer Strasse which itself is a street with a great deal of Wall history - the first recorded Wall related death was here, one of the famous tunnels and that famous photograph of the DDR border guard leaping over the barbed wire. Various monuments can be found along the entire length of the street, documenting nearby escape attempts and tunnels; captions are in German, English, French, and Russian. The Memorial itself is a complete section of 4th generation wall - both inside and outside sections, and you can peer through from the east side to see the remains of the electric fence and anti-tank devices in the death strip. It really helps you understand what an incredible feat it was to get from one side to the other -- and why so many died doing it. *'''Checkpoint Charlie/Berlin Wall'''. Checkpoint Charlie is no more. Formerly, it was the only border crossing between East and West Germany that permitted foreigners passage. Residents of East and West Berlin were not allowed to use it. This contributed to Checkpoint Charlie's mythological status as a meeting place for spies and other shady individuals. Now the remains of the Berlin Wall have been moved to permit building, including the American Business Center and other institutions not given to flights of John Le Carré-inspired fancy. :At the intersection of Zimmerstrasse and Charlottenstrasse is the famous "You Are Now Leaving the American Sector" sign. The actual guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie is now housed at the Allied Museum on Clayallee. For a more interesting exhibit, go to the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, a private museum with kitschy memorabilia from the Wall, as well as the devices GDR residents used to escape the East (including a tiny submarine!). :How did the checkpoint get its name? From the American military spelling alphabet - checkpoints "Alpha" and "Bravo" were at the autobahn checkpoints Helmstedt and Dreilinden. Checkpoint Charlie's atmosphere was not improved any 27 October 1961 when the two Cold War superpowers chose to face each other down for a day. Soviet and American tanks stood approximately 200 meters apart, making an already tense situation worse. *'''Hugenottenmuseum''', in Französischer Dom, Platz der Akademie. The Hugenottenmuseum represents the ongoing influence on Berlin by the Huguenots who emigrated from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Crown Prince Friedrich William encouraged them to settle here because most of them were skilled workers or otherwise useful to the kingdom. One memorable artwork, in room nine of the museum, pictures Crown Princess Dorothea exclaiming "But he's a refugee!" upon being presented a very valuable set of jewels by Pierre Fromery. The generally agreed-upon view of refugees as poor, without resources let alone diamonds, was blown apart by the talented French Protestants forced to leave their country due to religion. :One of the most notable effects of having such a large French population was their influence on the infamous Berlin dialect. Berlinerisch words such as Kinkerlitzchen (from French "quincaillerie" - kitchen equipment) and Muckefuck (from French "mocca faux" - artificial coffee) are unique to the area. :The Französischen Dom (Dom = Cathedral) itself was built to resemble the main church of the Huguenots in Charenton, France, destroyed in 1688. It has housed the museum since 1929. *'''Käthe Kollwitz Museum'''. Käthe Kollwitz's reputation as a social activist who used art as a means to express her support of pacifism was hard-won. Her son was killed in the first World War, after which her art took a turn for the morose. When her grandson was killed in World War II, her art became even darker and more brooding as she contemplated the huge loss of life Germany had suffered. Both her own personal losses and those of the nation affected her art. After the war ever-present artistic themes for Kollwitz - death, violence, war, misery, guilt and suffering - took shape as the drawings, prints, sculptures, original posters and woodcuts housed in this museum. *'''Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium)'''. Built by Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games, the Olympic Stadium is already crumbling! (So much for 1000-Year-Reich architecture lasting that long). It is one of the better examples of Nazi-era neoclassical architecture, and is still used for sporting events. It is the home of the most successful soccer/football team of Berlin, Hertha BSC, being heavily modernized in 2004/2005. A visit to a Bundesliga football match can be safely recommended, as football is a main ingredient of German public life (matches start Saturday 15.30 or Sunday 17.00, be there at least half an hour earlier). The Olympic Stadium is where Jesse Owens won four gold medals and proved Hitler's Aryan superiority theory dead wrong. The neoclassical architecture is meant to remind the viewer of the splendors of Greece, Rome - in other words, universally-acclaimed great civilizations. Were Nazi architects looking for a shortcut to respect this way? By reusing time-tested architectural components (columns, etc) instead of pushing forward with a genuinely modern twentieth-century, entirely new architectural concept, did they think their designs would garner more positive attention? It's difficult to say. To the west of the Stadium itself is the Maifeld with the Langemarck hall and the Belltower, both can be visited. It is still quite in the condition of before 1945 (except for the deterioration), so you can witness there the helplessness of the German authorities to cope with the area. :For a glimpse at the Olympiastadion when it was new and not falling apart, rent Leni Riefenstahl's movie Olympia. Riefenstahl has been accused of purposefully producing propaganda for the Nazis, though in her autobiography she denies it. There is no argument, however, that she is an excellent filmmaker. Though the Nazis may have helped fund some of her productions, Riefenstahl's artistic vision is undeniable. * '''Tempelhof airport''' was used with the Berlin Air-Bridge (Berliner Luftbrücke) 1948 till 1949 and featured in movies like Billy Wilders "One Two Three" with James Cagney, Horst Buchholz and Lilo Pulver. ==Do== ===Explore=== *Go on a '''Walking Tour''' of Berlin - the Mitte and surrounding districts are sufficiently compact to allow a number of excellent walking tours through its history-filled streets. You'll see amazing things you would otherwise miss.... Details are usually available from the reception desks of hostels and hotels. Some options include: :*'''The Original Berlin Walks''' - http://www.berlinwalks.de/ :*'''Brewer's Best Of Berlin Walking Tours''' - http://www.brewersberlin.com/ ===Recreation=== *Sunbathing on the banks of the Havel and Spree Rivers. *Pick up a copy of EXBERLINER the monthly English-language paper for Berlin. It provides high quality journalism and up-to-date listings. Find out what's on and where in English. (www.exberliner.com) * If you happen to understand German, the activity planners for the city [http://www.zitty.de zitty] and [http://www.tip-berlin.de tip] are available at every kiosk. Be prepared to choose among a huge amount of options. ===Festivals=== *the '''Berlin Film Festival / Berlinale''' [http://www.berlinale.de/] - next dates: 10-20 February 2005. The city's largest cultural event and an important fixture in the global film industry's calendar (up there with Cannes and Venice...). 150,000 tickets sold, 500 films screened and a host of associated parties and events. ===Parades=== *'''Loveparade''' - Each July, techno takes over Berlin, a chance for Berlin youth culture to take over the city as the parade and related events are supposed to create a massive party atmosphere devoted to love, tolerance and just plain fun - although looking at the faces of people walking around might give you another impression. Top DJs from everywhere dominate the discos, Berlin proves itself the capital of gay culture in Europe as drag queens roam the streets with impunity, and people in their twenties from all corners of the continent gather to dance together and celebrate in the streets and clubs. Consider it the county fair of the techno scene with a twist - street vendors, floats, and more hair colors than a cosmetology convention. The German music channel VIVA  sponsors contests and broadcasts from the parade all day. Dr Motte, the DJ founder of the Love Parade, originally intended it to be a small gathering for people in the dance music community - it's grown to over a million attendees every year! It was discontinued in 2004, but may yet be revived. http://www.loveparade.de/ *'''Fuck/Hate Parade''', The Fuckparade is at the same time as the Loveparade - With a big difference: The Fuckparade is political. The general motto of the Fuckparade is "against the destruction of the club scene". The other difference is the music played: underground club, goa, gabber, gothic... *'''Hanf Parade'''. End of August. The Hanfparade is the biggest european political demonstration for the legalization of hemp for use as agriculture and stimulant. *'''Christopher Street Day'''. The CSD is a well-known annual political demonstration for the rights of the gay culture organized in all major German cities. Even if you are indifferent about the issue, the Christopher Street Day is usually a worthwhile sight as many participants show up in wild costumes. *'''Fête de la Musique'''. In June. Everywhere in Berlin there is different music at this day, which coordinates with a similar one in several French cities. *'''[http://www.karneval-berlin.de/ Karneval der Kulturen]'''. In May. The idea of the "Carnival of Cultures" is a parade of the various ethnic groups of the city, showing traditional music, costumes and dances. Other - more modern/alternative/political - groups also participate. Similar events are also held in Hamburg and Frankfurt. ==Learn== ==Work== Under the current economic climate, work is very scarce in Berlin. If you don't speak good German it's unlikely that you will find work easily, though if you are an EU citizen, a student or have a work permit you may be able to scrape by teaching English or working in a bar but it'll be tough, there's not much work around. ==Buy== Since shopping hours were extended last year until 8pm on a Saturday in most places shopping has become much easier. Previously you had to rush around to get everything done before 4pm, or even 1pm in some parts of town. Sunday opening is still sadly not on the horizon, though if you have time to queue you can go to Friedrichstrasse or Ostbahnhof Stations to supermarkets there on Sundays. Note, the queue is usually to get IN the supermarket! Ku'damm remains the main shopping street even now that the Wall has come down. KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) at Wittenbergplatz is a must visit even if just for the vast food dept (which has an extremely confusing layout). It's reputedly the biggest department store on Continental Europe and still has an old world charm, with very helpful and friendly staff. Be aware that on a Saturday this shop can be unbearably busy, and seems to be full of rich, arrogant and extremely rude customers, so go during the week if you can. ==Eat== Eating out in Berlin is ridiculously cheap compared to any other West European capital, or indeed even most other German cities. The city is very multicultural and most cultures' cuisine is represented here somewhere, although it's often very highly modified to suit German tastes. For eating out, note that it is best to ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down - it's not that common to accept credit cards in restaurants in some parts (especially the former East) of the city. One of the main tourist area to eat is '''Hackescher Markt / Oranienburger Strasse'''. This area has dramatically changed from what it was even two years ago. Once full of squats and probably not entirely legal bars and restaurants it had some real character and was a great place to be. However, it is rapidly becoming developed and corporatized, even the most famous squat, the former Jewish-owned proto-shopping mall "Tacheles" has had a bit of a face lift. So this means that while there is a now a good choice of restaurants and bars in the area, they are very overpriced and the food is at best average quality. The "Assel" (it means Woodlouse:) on Oranienburger Strasse furnished with DDR cast off furniture is still relatively authentic and worth a visit, especially on a warm summer night. Oranienburgerstrasse is also an area where prostitutes line up at night, but don't be put off by this. Prostitution is legal in Berlin and the area is actually very safe. For extremely cheap and good food you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln with many, many Indian, Pizza and ''Döner Kebap'' restaurants. (It's Kreuzberg where the Döner Kebap was invented 30 years ago.) Prices start from 1 EUR for a Kebap and 1.50 EUR for a pizza. For good cheap food Kastanienallee is better, again not what it once was since the developers moved in but still not yet as exploited as Hackescher Markt. It's a popular area with artists, and students and has a certain Bohemian charm. Try Imbiss W, at the corner of Zionskirchstr. and Kastanienallee, where they serve superb Indian-fusion food, mostly vegetarian, at the hands of artist-chef Gordon W. Further up the street is the Prater Garten, Berlin's oldest beer garden and an excellent place in the summer. Note that the custom here is to tell the waiter how much you're paying, including the tip, when you are presented with the bill, rather than to leave the money on the table. Normally 10% is ok (or round small amounts up to the nearest Euro or next Euro), but waiters don't get paid much anywhere so if the service has been good feel free to tip more. (Waiters in Europe, however, are not dependent on tips to make a living, as they are in the U.S., and it is perfectly possible to survive, albeit not luxuriously, on just one's hourly wage.) Berlin is famous for rude service, though my experience generally is that it's rarely bad per se, just a little cold in some places. The service by contrast is far far better than what you would get in Vienna. ==Drink== *At '''Warschauer Straße''' (which you can reach via S-Bahn and U-Bahn station ''Warschauer Straße'') and more specifically '''Simon-Dach-Straße''' you can find a wide variety of bars, from sport bars to comfy waterpipe bars. It is common for locals to meet at ''Warschauer'' to go to a bar there. *Einstein is one particular example of a home grown coffee chain which has nice staff, great coffee and is fairly priced. In particular, the Einstein on Unter Den Linden is as far removed from "junk coffee" as it's possible to be. *There are lots of Irish bars all over the city, as there are in all European cities. If you like off-the-shelf Irish bars or watching the football in English then you won't be disappointed, but in a city with new cool bars opening pretty much daily and a huge range to choose from, you'll find that these cater mostly to the Irish construction workers and Germans attracted by Irish music, which is often played in them. *The ''LuisenBrau'' next to Schloss Charlottenburg has excellent brewed beer. You can have either a ''helles'' (light) or a ''dunkles'' (dark). Although the beer is quite excellent, the atmosphere is quite touristy, and clearly not as antique as it strives to be. ===Clubs=== * Cookies, Charlottenstrasse 44, 10117 Berlin-Mitte, S+U Friedrichsstr. http://www.cookies.ch (electronic Music) (currently closed due to construction work) * WMF, Stralauer Strasse 58, 10179 Berlin-Mitte, U Klosterstrasse, S+U Jannowitzbrücke http://www.wmfclub.de/ (electronic Music) * Dunckerclub, Dunckerstr. 64, 10439 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Alternative, Hardrock, Independent) * Magnet, Greifswalder Str. 212/213, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Alternative) ==Sleep== ===Budget=== *BaxPax - Skalitzer Straße 104, Berlin (Kreuzberg), Tel. ++49(0)30 695 183 22. http://www.baxpax.de / This hostel is supercentral located in an area that boasts excellent nightlife. Your visit to Berlin isn't complete without at least one overnight stay in this hostel. * Alcatraz - Schönhauser Allee 133a, 10437 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg), Tel. 48 49 68 15, Fax 41 72 58 04, ok@alcatraz-backpacker.de, www.alcatraz-backpacker.de, Double Rooms start at 22 Euro p.P., Common Room starts at 13 Euro, U-Bahn Eberswalder Str. * A&O - Boxhagener Str. 73, 10245 Berlin (Friedrichshain), Tel. 2 97 78 10, Fax 29 00 73 66, hostel@web.de, www.aohostel.de, Double Rooms start at 24 Euro p.P.,Sleeping hall starts at 10 Euro, S-Bahnhof Ostkreuz * Clubhouse - Kalkscheunenstr. 4-5, 10117 Berlin (Mitte), Tel. 28 09 79 79, Fax 28 09 79 77, E-Mail: info@clubhouse-berlin.de, www. clubhouse-berlin.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 46 Euro/room, Sleeping hall starts at 17 Euro, U-Bahn Oranienburger Straße * Corner - Driesener Str. 17, 10439 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg), Tel. 437343 53, Fax 43 73 42 06, corner-hostel@t-online.de, www.corner-hostel.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 20 Euro p. P.,Sleeping hall starts at 14 Euro, U-/S-Bahnhof Schönhauser Allee * David's - Cozy Backbacker Hostel, Bredowstr. 35, 10551 Berlin (Tiergarten), Tel. 3 93 53 59, Fax 39 03 84 20, reservation@hostel-berlin.org, www.david-berlin.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 15 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 9 Euro, U-Bahn Birkenstraße * Die Fabrik - Schlesische Str. 18, 10997 Berlin (Kreuzberg), Tel. 6 11 71 16, Fax 6 18 29 74, info@diefabrik.com, www.diefabrik.com, 2-Bed Rooms start at 49 Euro/room, Sleeping hall starts at 18 Euro, U-Bahn Schlesisches Tor * Generator - Storkower Str. 160, 10407 Berlin (Friedrichshain), Tel. 4 17 24 00, Fax 41 72 40 80, hello@generatorhotels.com, www.generatorhostels.com, 2-Bed Rooms start at 23 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 12 Euro, S-Bahn Landsberger Allee * Jet Pak - Pücklerstr. 54, 14195 Berlin (Zehlendorf), Tel. 8 32 50 11, Fax 83 22 79 05, hostel@jetpak.de, www.jetpak.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 19 Euro, Sleeping hall starts at 12 Euro p. P., Bus X 10 * Lette'm Sleep - Lettestr. 7, 10437 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg), Tel. 44 73 36 23, Fax 44 73 36 25, info@backpackers.de, www.backpackers.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 24 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 15 Euro, U-Bahn Eberswalder Straße * Meininger 10 - Meininger Straße 10, 10823 Berlin (Schöneberg), Tel. 78 71 74 14, Fax 78 71 74 12, welcome@meiningerhostels.de, www.meininger-hostels.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 23 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 12,50 Euro, U-Bahn Bayerischer Platz. Also Meininger 12, Hallesches Ufer 30, 10963 Berlin (Kreuzberg)is part of this hostel * Mitte's Backpacker - Chausseestr. 102, 10115 Berlin (Mitte), Tel. 28 39 09 65, Fax 28 39 09 35, info@backpacker.de, http://www.backpacker.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 22 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 13 Euro, U-Bahn Zinnowitzer Str. This hostel boasts a super central location, only 10 minutes from all the main sights of the city. The theme rooms are astonishing ! * Odyssee - Grünberger Str. 23, 10243 Berlin (Friedrichshain), Tel. 29 00 00 81, Fax 29 00 33 11, odyssee@globetrotterhostel.de, www.globetrotterhostel.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 45 Euro/room, Mehrbett ab 13 Euro, U-Bahn Frankfurter Tor. Also Sunflower, Helsingforser Str. 17, 12243 Berlin (Friedrichshain) is part of this hostel * Pegasus - Straße der Pariser Kommune 35, 10243 Berlin (Friedrichshain), Tel. 29 35 18 10, Fax 29 35 11 66, hostel@pegasushos tel.de, www.pegasushostel.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 19 Euro p. P,Sleeping hall starts at 13 Euro, U-Bahn Weberwiese * The Circus - Weinbergsweg 1a, 10119 Berlin (Mitte), Tel. 28 39 14 33, Fax 28 39 14 84, info@circus-berlin.de, www.circus-berlin.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 21 Euro p. P., Sleeping hall starts at 13 Euro, U-Bahn Rosenthaler Platz. Also Circus, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 39, 10178 Berlin (Mitte)is part of this hostel * Transit Loft - Immanuelkirchstr. 14, 10405 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg), Tel. 48 49 37 73, Fax 44 05 10 74, loft@hotel-transit.de,www.transit-loft.de, 2-Bed Rooms start at 71,50 Euro/room, Sleeping hall starts at 15 Euro p. P., U-Bahn Senefelderplatz. Also Transit, Hagelberger Str. 53-54. 10965 Berlin (Kreuzberg) is part of this hostel ===Splurge=== *'''Hotel Adlon''' is run by the Kempinsky chain and is famous for the best and most expensive hotels in Germany and their latest flagship hotel is the Adlon in Berlin (the place where Michael Jackson almost dropped his baby out of the window) ''' address''' Unter den Linden 77, 10117 Berlin, '''phone''' +49 (0)30 2261-0 '''fax''' +49 (0)30 2261-2222 '''email''' Adlon@Kempinski.com ==Contact== ==Stay safe== Berlin is a pretty safe place compared to American cities. However by now most European cities have crime problems as well and Berlin is no exception. Not every area in the city should be frequented after nightfall. While the areas crowded by tourists are safe in general at any time of the day or night, residential areas can be more problematic. Some areas in the old districts of Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding (but it's not limited to those districts) are notorious in that regard and have developed a bit of a gang problem in recent years. It needs to be noted though that firearms are rare and thus the level of violence is generally lower than in comparable areas in the United States. Generally speaking, areas largely populated by immigrants often have a street crime problem and caution is advised here. The residential areas of the peripherial and suburban districts of former East Berlin do not have much street crime but some of them are still far from safe for visitors at night. Gangs of racist youths make these areas hazardous to strangers in general but even more so non-white strangers. It needs to be said that in a German context, being of darker complexion i.e. looking Middle Eastern or even Southern European is often already considered "non-white". Areas with large Soviet-style apartment buildings are particularly troubled by such gangs however the problem isn't exclusive to these areas. These areas are however usually remote (much like the troubled Parisian suburbs) and the average tourist won't make many excursions into them. More troublesome to the tourist is that the problems of both minority youth gangs and racist gangs extends into public transport as well. In fact it is safe to say that U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations located in areas with those problems usually are troublespots. Using public transport in such areas can be dangerous as well at night which makes some U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus and tram lines rather unwise choices of transport after a certain time. Again tourist areas are generally unaffected but especially excursions to sights outside of Berlin (like Sachsenhausen) require transport through areas with such problems. Of course attempts to discover Berlin's ethnic side may also lead into such areas. Kreuzberg nights are not only long, they can also be dangerous. In general one needs to be aware of those problems but also understand that attacks and robberies etc. are "hit or miss" occurances and no part of Berlin would be much of a comparison to American "ghettos" in terms of crime. Jaywalking as in crossing streets away from pedestrian crossings is quite common but generally only when cars aren't in sight or far away from the jaywalker. Because of that most drivers don't expect careless jaywalking and will expect people to remain on the sidewalk until no cars are in their vicinity. So if one has to jaywalk, "cautious" jaywalking is recommended. It needs to be said that there are localized riots on May Day. These riots normally take part in Kreuzberg and a small section of Prenzlauer Berg. They usually erupt in the night before May 1st and the evening of May 1st. It is advised to stay clear of these areas at those times. Vehicles should not be parked in these areas either on May 1st. ==Get out== *'''Sachsenhausen''' is a quiet suburb housing the remains of one of the few Nazi concentration camps on German soil. *Escape to '''Köpenick''' and other wooded areas scattered around the city on the weekend *Potsdam is a city not far away west of Berlin and makes a perfect day trip. You can get there with the S-Bahn S1 to the endstation ''Potsdam Hauptbahnhof''. *The ''Raststaette Grunewald'' at the S-bahn ''Nikolassee'' is a good spot for hitching if you're heading south or west. ==External links== *[http://www.btm.de/ Berlin Tourist Information] *[http://www.berlin.de/ www.Berlin.de] - Official Site of the German Capital (available in English and German) WikiPedia:Berlin de:Berlin fr:Berlin ro:Berlin sv:Berlin First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

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