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My Berlin
something for everyone

Introduction
to
My Berlin

FESTIVAL

The most beautiful thing about Berlin is


that it appeals to so many tastes. History buff? Try taking in the 175 museums and countless memorials scattered
throughout the city. Twenty-something
on a party holiday with friends? Take a
bar crawl through the wild and alluring
streets of Kreuzberg,Friedrichshain, and
Neuklln, then spend entire weekends
in some of the most famous clubs in
Europe. Art enthusiast? Make your way
round the hundreds of unique, independent galleries, or simply take a walk

PRETZEL

DENKMAL

around the city to see artwork on every


other wall. No matter your interests,
Berlin will match them.

DOM

The last century has seen its almost


complete destruction several times, yet
somehow - through two world wars, the
Soviet invasion, and the Berlin Wall - it
keeps coming back, ever stronger. Its
identity may have been fractured with
the tragedies it has faced, but this is exactly what makes it such an interesting
city - every fracture provides a new way
of experiencing it. No other European
city can claim such a vast character. It is
both centuries old and completely modern, both urbanised with tower blocks
and littered with greenery.

SOMETHI

MARKET
MAUERPARK
BERLIN

oubtless, tales of this ever-adapting, exuberant city that is Germanys


capital have already reached you. Dating back to the 13th century, Berlin is
now one of the most populous urban
areas in Europe, and there is little question why: with a relatively low cost of
living for an urban area; a regular, reliable transport system them covers the
city and its suburbs; and a history that
could never be fully covered in a school
syllabus, it is arguably one of Europes
most tourist - and migrant - friendly
cities.

DEUTSCHLAND

FRIEDREICHSHAIN

POTZDAMERPLATZ

FRIEDRICH STRASSE

reichsta

We cannot emphasise enough, there is


always something for you in Berlin. You
could spend years taking in everything
the city has to offer, yet still be surprised
when stumbling across a small, rustic
caf with the best cappuccino in town.

MUSEUM

Your journey in Berlin will never be complete, but we hope to guide you through
the first exciting steps.

TOPOGRA

BRANDENBURG
MARKT GATE
WATERGATE
FABRIK

ALEXANDERPLATZ
PLATZ
TIERGARTERN

ALEXANDERPLATZ
FRIEDRICH STRASSE
TIERGARTERN

Address

BRANDENBURG GATE
WATERGATE

BERLIN
BERLIN

Key:
reichstag
ag

PRETZEL

Museums and Art


DENKMAL

PLATZ

Sights

PRENZLAUER

General

PRENZLAUER

FRIEDREICHSHAIN

POTZDAMERPLATZ

FESTIVAL
MARKT
DEUTSCHLAND
FABRIK

Website
UNTER DEN LINDEN
Opening Hours
UNTER DEN LINDEN Public Transport
Price (if applicable)

p.4-11

p.12-31
p.32-51

HISTORY BUFF
M DOM
HISTORY BUFF

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

p.52-61

Streets and Tours

BAR BUM

BAR BUM

GALLERY
GALLERY
Entertainment

POTZDAMERPLATZ

POTZDAMERPLATZ

KARL MARX ALLEE


Outdoors

MUSIC LOVER

UNTER DEN LINDEN


NIKOLAIVIERTEL

UNTER DEN LINDEN


NIKOLAIVIERTEL

MARKET
MAUERPARK
MUSIC LOVER
BERLIN

p.62-87
Eating and Drinking
SOMETHING
FOR
EVERYONE
ING FOR EVERYONE
KARL MARX ALLEE
p.88-97

p.98-113
MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL

FOODIE FOODIE
Shopping

p.114-121

p.122-125
BIERGARTEN
BIERGARTEN

Accommodation

HOLOCAUST
HOLOCAUST
MUSEUM
EAST SIDE GALLERY
EAST SIDE
GALLERY
GENDARMENMARKT
SACHSENHAUSEN

GENDARMENMARKT SACHSENHAUSEN

TOPOGRAPHY
APHY
OF TERROROF TERROR

S ur vival
uide
G

Amy Turner

Tourist Tips

DO look out for bikes! The bike lanes in the city are rarely
differentiated from pedestrian areas.
DO try out your German. Dont be shy to test out your language skills. You dont want to come across as rude!
DO Recycle. Recycling is super big in Berlin and you can even
face fines if you refuse to cooperate. Another tip If you take
your used and empty plastic bottles back to the supermarket
you will receive 0.25 in exchange for each one.
DO plan your journeys in advance. This is essential, especially
during the night-time hours, since if you look like a confused
and lost tourist, you may become vulnerable to thieves.
One of the great things about Berlin is that many of the sights
and exhibitions are free to visit such as the Reichstag, the East
Side Gallery and the Holocaust Memorial. A City that is certainly value for money.
If you fancy venturing to explore the nightlife, it is worth
mentioning that most of clubs only get lively post 1am. Great
for the night-owls, not so great for those who really like their
sleep. Something else to remember if you do intend to head
out, is that drinking on the streets and on public transport is
strictly not allowed. Respect locals and wait until you are in a
bar or beer garden.
4 General

Handy Hints

In Berlin, you will quickly discover that it primarily operates as a cash currency, with most
restaurants, cafs and bars not accepting card,
so remember to locate the nearest ATMs before
heading out. The next point should really come
without saying, but always remember to purchase an S-Bahn / U-Bahn ticket (also valid on
trams and buses) as soon as you arrive in Berlin
to avoid getting caught out by the undercover
inspectors, who can fine you up to 60 on the
spot.

Language Essentials
Hallo / Guten Tag Hello / Good day
Wie gehts? (informal) How are you?
Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal) How are you?
Sprechen Sie Englisch? - Do you speak English?
Meine Name ist.. (formal) My name is.
Wie heit du? (informal) What is your name?
Ich heie My name is.
Wie spt ist es? What time is it?
Wie viel kostet es? How much is it?
Wie kann ich da hinkommen? How can I get there?
Wo ist ein/der Supermarkt? Where is a/the supermarket?
Ich mchte ein Briefmark kaufen I want to buy a stamp
Wo ist die Polizeirevier? Where is the police station?

General 5

Public Transport
BVG

(Berliner Verkersbetriebe), Berlins public transport company,


has the city divided into three tariff zones: A S-Bahn ring and within, B outside
the S-Bahn ring until the city boundary and C area approximately 15 kilometres
around the city including the city of Potsdam and Schnefeld Airport (SFX). BVGs
buses and three train systems take you to these areas. The S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Trams
are the designated trains running on railway tracks over above, under and on
the streets respectively.
The S-Bahn, identified by the green and white S symbol, operates from 04:0001:30 with 5, 10 or 20 minute intervals and runs 24 hours on weekends with 30
minute intervals. The three important
lines S5, S7, and S75 run East-West
passing major landmarks such as the
Berliner Dome and Victory Column. The
Ring S41 and S42 - run around the
city-centre.
The U-bahn, (underground, subway)
known for its yellow-coloured trains,
is comprised of the East-West-Lines
and North-South-Lines. It operates
from 04:00-01:00 with 5 and 10 minute
intervals at day and night respectively,
and 24 hours in the weekend. Visitors
have to take note that the U12 is the current combination of the U1 and U2 lines
due to construction.
Regular Trams run schedules every 5-10 minutes. Metrotrams are marked with
M and run at ten minute intervals during the day and every 30 minutes from
0:30.
Buses fill up the routes not covered by other public transport. Metro Buses
M11-M85 run 24 hours a day, seven days a week in ten minute intervals. Night
buses, marked by N, operates from 0:100 from Monday-Friday.

6 General

Passes/Tickets

Single Trip, Day, 7-Day and Monthly tickets or passes are available for sale for
combos of AB, BC and ABC zones that can be conveniently purchased and validated separately by ticketing and validating machines found on the platforms
of most train stations. A ticket commences from the time of validation. It allows
access to all public transport in Berlin: S-Bahn, U-Bahn, buses, trams and ferries.
Fare can be purchased from the bus driver and machine inside the tram as well.
For tourists, special passes which includes 48 hours, 72 hours and 5 days can be
purchased at major train stations, with additional discounts on attractions.

A few extra tips:

Although tickets are not required for entry and exit onto S-Bahn,
U-Bahn, and Trams, inability to present a validated ticket entails a
penalty of 60.00 from random checks or undercover inspectors.
Its common to see live musicians on the S- and U-Bahns performing a short
number for tips.
Lower your expectations on efficiency! Expect 5-10 minutes delay.
Depending on the duration of your
visit and the details it entails, a wide
array of other travel options are available to visitors.

For an outdoor feel, Berlin has a
convenient bike lane system. Rental
shops are available around the city
that offer 10-12 per day. Ferry transport is also available on a handful of
routes at the outskirts of the city as
part of BVG.

For less of a hassle, taxi starting price
is is 3.90 with 2.90 per kilometre
for the first 7 kilometre and
1.50 per kilometre onwards. Rental cars and carsharing meanwhile are offered
by private companies.
For Berlins specials:
Velotaxi bicycle taxis, made of recyclable polyethylene, charges visitors for
distance 7 for the first kilometer or time 24 for 30 minutes. You can also
experience East Berlins creation, the old Trabi, at 60 for 2 hours. The U-Bahn
Cabrio, an open train that takes you on a guided tour in the U-Bahn system for
35 kilometres from Alexanderplatz costs 40.
Take your pick. Viel spa have fun!

Melody P. Mendoza
General 7

Appy Happy
G

etting to grips with a new city is always daunting, but in the modern age
of iPhones and 4G, it doesnt have to be so tricky to navigate through an unknown
country. Thousands of people visit Berlin every year, and the range of apps in place
to help these travellers reflects these vast numbers. A few of the best have been
collected here to make sure every newcomer to Berlin sees as much of this vibrant
city as possible.

The most frustrating part of being in an unknown city is knowing that everyone around you
knows you are completely lost.
Holding a map at arms-length
and spinning in circles trying to
get your bearings is not a good
look. With this app, you gain
access to offline maps across
the world, naturally including
Berlin. While this basic version
is free, you can fork out 6.99
for the premium version, which
gives you offline directions as
well. Even with the free version
however, you will always know
where you are even if thats
not where you intended to end
up.

8 General

A simple way to check public transport


all over the city. It offers access to the
bus, tram, metro and train services,
giving users the ability to plan whole
journeys, including changes between
different modes of transport. With the
flexibility to search by street, station, or
even particular sights, this app makes
foreign travel easy and stress-free. Although it requires internet access, you
can search at a specified time, so you
can plan your journeys ahead of time
while connected to WiFi, therefore bypassing expensive data costs.

Search through a variety of different events, tours, and places


to find the perfect activity for
you. Use the browse by borough option to see what each
individual district can offer you,
from Kreuzburgs eclectic nightlife to Mittes fantastic sight-seeing opportunities. You can also
download information to your
phone for offline use, giving you
constant access even when outside of WiFi areas.

Its in the name this app quite


simply shows you pictures, information and locations of all the
best street art that Berlin has to
offer. Without even trying, you
will inevitably see some of Berlins famous outdoor galleries
pop up in front of you, but this
guide tells you exactly where to
find the highlights.

In Berlin
Rachael Davies
General 9

Short

of

Berlin

History
Berlin

, established in
1307, is in northeastern Germany and
the countrys capital. Laying on the east
bank of the river Spree, while Cologne
resided on the west and eventually, the
settlements unified.
The citys dark history started as early as
1451, suffering from plagues, wars and
fires during the reign of Friedrich II Irontooth.
In the years 1640- 1683, Friedrich Wilhelm ruled over Berlin, where the city
finally could prosper economically and
enjoy political stability. Berlin became
the capital of Prussia and received royal residence status after elector prince
Friedrich III, became Friedrich I of Prussia in 1701. Up until 1786, Berlin was
the leading industrial city in Prussia and
the decades following saw a number of
classical buildings designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, still standing today.
The German Empire, founded in 1871,
encountered a huge defeat in WWI,
forcing the last emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm

10 General

I to abdicate. Following the Treaty of


Versailles and the creation of the Weimar Republic, Germany had an atmosphere of unrest. The Great Depression
had particularly hit Germany hard due
to the amount of reparations that were
owed following the end of WWI, severely damaging the economy. When Adolf Hitler was appointed as chancellor in
1933, the Nazis quickly sought to seize
power entirely, thus Germanys darkest
chapter began. The main objective being to silence opposition and to punish
those they believed to be the perpetrators in Germanys plight after WWI.
With the implantation of the Third Reich
as a dictatorship, Hitler and the Nazis initiated persecution against communists,
Jews, gypsies and homosexuals. When
WW2 broke out on the 1st of September 1939, this persecution became even
more prevalent. From boycotting Jewish
owned shops, to the pogrom of Kristallnacht in 1938, destroying targeted communities eventuated in forcing Jews into
ghettos throughout Germany and eventually deporting them to concentration

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