SEKAI Explorer Guide Berlin (2011)

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Contributor

This book would not be as it is without the great effort of all supporting Wikitravel user. People who are directly involved in this work are:

Adrian v. Meibom, Alex, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel, Anthony D'abo, Berlin Traveler, Carson Roen, Christian Fernandez, Chuck Smith, Claus Hansen, Colin Jensen, Dan Rasmussen, David, Denis Yurkin, D. Guillaime, erik borowitz, Eugene Ras, Eva A, Evan Prodromou, Fernando, Finn Årup Nielsen, Frederick Heald, Harry Wood, Ian Kirk, James Yolkowski, jan, Jani Patokallio, Jesse Miers, Jim Nicholson, Joe, Joonas Linkola, Jose M. Duarte, Kaci, Kasper Souren, Klaus, Leah Penn, Lyndon J B Nixon, Mark McLaughlin, Marko, Mark Sheffield, matthew field, Matthias Spielkamp, Michele Ann Jenkins, Mike Sharp, Mike Smith, Miles Pateman, Mo, Naiem Megrisi, Niels Elgaard Larsen, Pedro Ignacio Errico, Peter Fitzgerald, Phil Herring, Raf, Ricardo, Robert Breitner-Czuma, Roberto, Rolf Palmberg, Ryan Holliday, S.-A.L., Sascha Claus, Scott Robinson, Sergey Kudryavtsev, simon.farine@gmail.com, smallfee@hotmail.com, Stefan Ertmann, Stephan Schmidt, steve, Svenno, Thomas Hirsch, Thomas Waltz, Tim Sandell, Todd VerBeek, Tom, Torsten Regener, Torsten Spies, Trey Philips, Tyschenko Denis Ivanowitch, w0414269, Wandering, Wikitravel user Adhilt, Wikitravel user Akampfer, Wikitravel user Asb, Wikitravel user Buschaot, Wikitravel user Chromski, Wikitravel user Eiland, Wikitravel user Extrabatteries, Wikitravel user Gary Cziko, Wikitravel user Jsalokan, Wikitravel user Kwertii, Wikitravel user LeahRoisin, Wikitravel user Minime, Wikitravel user Mornow, Wikitravel user Nikai, Wikitravel user Pas, Wikitravel user Pikay, Wikitravel user Shizow, Wikitravel user Spar1124, Wikitravel user Thenothing, Wikitravel user Vkw, Wikitravel user Zepppep, Yann Forget .

Table of Content:

• Districts

Mitte

City West

East Central

North

East

South

• Understand

History

People

Talk

Economy

Orientation

• Get in

By plane

By bus

By train

Stations

By car

• Get around

Public transport ticketing

By train

By underground

By tram

By bus

By bicycle

By scooter

• See

Museums

Private art galleries

Churches

Landmarks with observation decks

History

Zoo

• Do

Explore

Recreation

Festivals

Parades

Theatre, Opera, Concerts, Cinema

Theater

Opera

Cinema

Concert Houses

Sport

Spa

• Learn

Work

• Buy

Flea markets

Credit Cards

• Eat

Waiters and tipping

Restaurants

Breakfast

• Drink

Bars

Clubs

• Sleep

• Contact

• Stay safe

Prostitution

• Cope

Embassies

• Get out

Districts

In Berlin there is more than one downtown area. Berlin has many boroughs (Bezirke), and each borough is composed of several localities (Kieze) — each of these boroughs and localities have their unique style. Some boroughs of Berlin, as noted below, are more worthy of a visitor's attention than others. Originally Berlin was officially divided into 23 boroughs, and these boroughs are still used in Wikitravel as they remain foremost in popular conceptions of the city and are generally of a good practical size and cultural division for visitors as well. Since January 2001, the boroughs have officially been reduced from 23 to 12 for administrative efficiency. The boroughs can roughly be grouped into six districts:

Mitte (Mitte)
The historical center of Berlin, the nucleus of the former East Berlin, and the emerging city center. Cafes, restaurants, museums, galleries and clubs are abundant throughout the district, along with many sites of historic interest.

City West (Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf,Schöneberg, Tiergarten)
Ku'Damm (short for Kurfürstendamm) is, along with Tauentzienstraße, one of the main shopping streets in former West Berlin, especially for luxury goods. Many great restaurants and hotels are here and also on the side roads. The district also contains the Schloss Charlottenburg, Tiergarten and the Olympic Stadium. Schöneberg is generally a cozy area for aging hippies, young families and homosexuals.

East Central (Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg)
Associated with the left wing youth culture, artists and Turkish immigrants, this district is somewhat noisier than most, packed with lots of cafes, bars, clubs and trendy shops, but also with some museums in Kreuzberg near the border to Mitte. These districts are undergoing gentrification as they are popular with students, artists and media professionals alike.

North (Spandau, Reinickendorf, Weißensee, Pankow, Wedding)
Spandau and Reinickendorf are beautiful old towns which feel much more spacious than the inner city. Pankow was once synonymous with the East German government, and the villas the SED leaders inhabited still exist.

East (Lichtenberg, Hohenschönhausen, Marzahn, Hellersdorf)
The museum at the site of the 1945 surrender to the Soviet army is of interest, as well as the former Stasi prison, an essential visit for anyone interested in East German history. Marzahn-Hellersdorf has a not entirely deserved reputation for being a vast collection of dull high-rise apartment blocks, as it contains the Erholungspark Marzahn, a large park where various ethnic styles of garden design are explored.

South (Steglitz, Zehlendorf, Tempelhof, Neukölln, Treptow, Köpenick)
South is a mixed bag of different boroughs. Zehlendorf is one of the greenest and wealthiest districts in Berlin, while Neukölln is one of the poorest of the city. Köpenick's swaths of forest around Berlin's largest lake, Müggelsee and the nice old town of Köpenick itself beg to be discovered on bikes and using the S-Bahn.

Understand

History

Berlin is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Berlin does not attempt to hide the less savory parts of its history: a visit to the Topography of Terror [53] (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 of Cold War tension and terror.

- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe [54].

Opened in the spring of 2005, this gigantic abstract artwork covering an entire block near the Brandenburg Gate, including an underground museum with extensive details on the Holocaust and the people who died during it. The blocks start out at ground level on the outer edges of the memorial, and then grow taller towards the middle, where the ground also slopes downwards. 3.5 million visitors in the first year make it one of the most visited memorials in Berlin - and it's worth it, as it's one of the most impressive memorials in Berlin.

- Berlin Wall— A large stretch of intact Wall can be found to the east of the city center along the River Spree in Mühlenstraße near the Oberbaumbrücke.

Known as the East Side Gallery [55], it is a section of the wall that is preserved as a gallery. This can be easily reached from Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Straße. It has many beautiful murals, politically motivated and otherwise. Another place to try is near the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, currently under reconstruction. Two small pieces are also in Potsdamer Platz and in its neighbourhood at the corner between Ebertstraße and Bellevuestraße).

- Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) [56]. (U-Bahn Bernauer Straße 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; instead you will be left with a haunting feeling of what life with the wall may have been really like. The monument itself is a gigantic wasted opportunity, blank and featureless. The inscription on the outside, declaring it a monument to the victims of the "communist reign of violence", has sparked emotional debates and angered many local residents. The documentation center across the street on Bernauer Straße is excellent although most of the documentation is in German. The viewing platform gives you a tiny hint of the true scale of the Wall and how terrifying the "no man's land" between the two sections of walls must have been. When the documentation center is closed, both walls can be visited. There is some space between the concrete plates which allow you to look at the area between the walls. There are also several small holes.

The Memorial is on Bernauer Straße which itself is a street with a great deal of Wall history: the first recorded Wall-related death of the notorious Peter Fechter was here, as was one of the famous tunnels and the famous photograph of the GDR 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— Checkpoint Charlie, a crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, is no more.

Formerly, it was the only border crossing between East and West Berlin 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 construction of the American Business Center and other institutions not given to flights of John Le Carré-inspired fancy.

At the intersection of Zimmerstraße and Friedrichstraße is the famous "You Are 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. This is 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!).

Checkpoint Charlie gained its name from the phonetic alphabet; checkpoints "Alpha" and "Bravo" were at the autobahn checkpoints Helmstedt and Dreilinden respectively. Checkpoint Charlie's atmosphere was not improved at all on 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.

- Tempelhof airport was used in the Berlin Airlift (Berliner Luftbrücke) in 1948-49; in 1951 a monument was added to commemorate the airlifts over the Berlin Blockade. The airport was featured in movies like Billy Wilder's "One Two Three". The terminal building is still fascinating; the halls and neighbouring buildings, intended to become the gateway to Europe, are still known as the largest built entities worldwide, and was described by British architect Sir Norman Foster as "the mother of all airports".

People

Berlin is a relatively young city by European standards, dating 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 been there for only five. It may seem tough to find someone born and raised here! This is part of Berlin's charm: it never gets stuck in a rut.

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 interested only 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"). Another such stereotype is reflected by the short poem: Der Ossi ist schlau und stellt sich dumm, beim Wessi ist es andersrum ("The Ossi is sly and pretends to be simple-minded, and with the Wessi, it relates the other way around"). However, most of the younger generation do not share such biases.

Talk

German is of course the main language in Berlin but you can easily find information in English and sometimes in French. Due to the football World Cup in 2006 all public transportation staff got language training and should be able to help you in English (although possibly with a strong German accent). If you seem to be lost or hesitating in a public transport station a member of staff could come to your assistance but don't count on that. You can easily approach a group of (preferably young) bystanders and ask for advice in English, but try to speak with a kind of British English accent, which is taught at schools in Germany. People will generally be quite helpful, but do not completely rely on this, as even Berliners often do not know all the exact details about their own city's geography, or even on transport schedules, and rather rely on their talent to somehow improvise or even ask fellow Berliners for the way once they do not find the address they want to reach.

Most people under 40 in Berlin are able to speak English with varying degrees of fluency, but it might not be as widely spoken as you might expect, so a few key German phrases are worth having, especially in the suburbs and less touristy places. Basic French and Russian is partly spoken because French in West Berlin and Russian in East Berlin were taught in schools.

There are also 400,000 Turkish origined people living in Berlin mainly in Kreuzberg district. Many of them arrived in early 1960's from remote villages in Anatolia as guest workers but stayed on.

There are some words in Berlin that differ from regular German, especially in the former East Berlin. Here, the language preserved a certain level of dialect.

Schrippe: Roll.

Stulle: Sandwich.

Broiler: grilled chicken (people from west Germany probably won't understand this, they say Grillhähnchen instead).

Economy

One of the most important "products" produced in Berlin by both academic and company-sponsored institutes is research. That research is exported around the world. German labor is highly efficient but comes at high cost. Strong trade unions, the end of West Berlin's pre-reunification subsidies and Germany's dense regulatory environment forced industry to concentrate on high quality and expensive products. Students, housewives and self-employed people are not included in Berlin's official unemployment rate, currently standing at 14 percent.

Orientation

Berlin is - at least in many parts - a beautiful city, so allow enough time to get to see the sights. A good map is highly recommended. While the public transport system is superb, it can be confusing to visitors, due to a lack of directional signs in some of the larger stations, so a good transit map is also essential. Be sure to note the final station/stop of the S-bahn or U-bahn, since that is usually the way direction of travel is indicated. Roads into Berlin can also be confusing, so study your route and drive carefully. Signs point to city boroughs or districts rather than indicating compass directions, so it's a good idea to get to know where the various boroughs or districts lie in relation to each other. This also applies to cyclists.

Berlin's Tourist Information Office [2] is an excellent resource for finding out more about Berlin, providing a wealth of practical information and useful links.

Get in

As the city was divided into two during the Cold War, many major parts of Berlin's infrastructure — such as airports — were built on both the east and west side. After the demolition of the Wall, the challenge has been to merge these formerly independent systems into one that serves all people in the metropolitan Berlin area.

By plane

Berlin has two operational airports [3]:

- Tegel International Airport (ICAO: EDDT, IATA: TXL) located in the north-west of the city is the main airport for flag carriers (Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France-KLM, Delta, Continental, Air Berlin etc.) and a hub for domestic flights as well. The original airport was designed as a hexagon but today two other terminals try to handle the flights of Air Berlin (most flights in Terminal C) and other budget carriers (mostly in terminal D). All flag carrier flights leave from the main terminal building A (Terminal B nowadays contains just the bus gates of Terminal A for Non-Schengen flights), and is also where all airlines lounges are.

Buses from Tegel International Airport operate to S+U Alexanderplatz, Hauptbahnhof (bus TXL [4]), and S+U Zoologischer Garten (buses X9 and 109) for the standard ticket fare . Its takes around 45 minutes to Alexanderplatz,but can change with traffic. Caution! Do not take any train to the "Tegel railway (S-Bahn) station", which is not connected to the airport, but rather to the suburban village called Tegel. It is not possible to walk or to otherwise get easily to the airport from that station. The nearest train stations are Jakob-Kaiser Platz on the U-Bahn line U7, which is 5 minutes from the airport with bus X9/109, Kurt-Schumacher Platz on the U6, 10 minutes from the airport with bus 128, and Beusselstraße S41/S42 (the ring) connected to the airport with an express bus . Tegel International Airport does not have any railway station. Any indication to a Tegel railway station refers to the remote S-Bahn station, even if railway staff at stations in other cities might tell otherwise.

- Schönefeld (ICAO: EDDB, IATA: SXF) This airport — formerly serving the capital of the GDR — southeast of Berlin is the base for most low-cost airlines (e.g. easyJet, Ryanair and Germanwings) and charter flights in addition to traffic from Eastern Europe

The airport is served by the S-Bahn and regional trains. Buses operate between the railway station and the terminal buildings. Normally The S-bahn trains will take you to the center of Berlin but right now (September 2010), renovations to Ostkreuz station have stopped this service and you need to go by S-bahn to Ostkreuz and change there. There are also less regular but faster regional trains that cost the same and stop at these major train stations too. In S-Bahn and regional trains between the airport (zone C) and the city (zone A,B), the public transport ticket (zones A,B,C for €2.80) can be used. Stamp the ticket to validate it before boarding.

- The construction of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (German: Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg), (IATA: BER), [5] has started at Schönefeld and the airport is scheduled for opening on 3rd June 2012. After the opening all air traffic in the Berlin-Brandenburg region will be bundled at BER while the Tegel airport is going to be closed down.

There are numerous direct flight connections between Berlin and major German & European cities. For historical reasons intercontinental direct flights to Berlin were limited. The German flag carrier Lufthansa will mostly fly to its major hub airports Frankfurt and Munich and offer connecting flights to Berlin on a near hourly basis.

The intercontinental flights to Berlin are:

1. Air Berlin, Delta and Continental Airlines have daily nonstop flights to Berlin from New York

2. Air Berlin flies to New York, Miami, Dubai, Moscow, Bangkok, Tel Aviv and Mombasa

3. Hainan Airlines offers flights (in code-share with Air Berlin) to Beijing

4. S7 Airlines flies (in code-sahre with Air Berlin) to Novosibirsk

5. Royal Jordanian has flights to Amman

6. Qatar Airways flies daily to Doha

7. MIAT Mongolian Airlines offers flight to Ulaanbaatar

By bus

Although buses are the slowest form of public transport, the yellow double-decker buses are part of Berlin's transit landscape and they will take you to almost anywhere in Berlin. Besides the normal metro buses, there are also express buses (indicated by an X), but these don't halt at every stop.

The most famous bus line, especially for tourists, is bus route 100, which leaves from Zoo Station ("Berlin Zoologischer Garten") or, if you want to go the other way round, Alexanderplatz. This 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 many of the landmarks of Berlin from one of these yellow double-decker buses. Sit up top as it's easier to see the Bundestag, 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. Line 200 takes nearly the same route, but it goes through the modern quarters around Potsdamer Platz. Either ride is a must for any visitor to Berlin.

By train

If you need to get around the city quickly, take the S-Bahn. Especially the Ringbahn that goes all around Berlin in a circle lets you get to other parts of the city really fast. In the past two years the S-Bahn operated very irregular in the winter months, especially around new year's eve due to security lacks, iced trains and driver's stoppages, so you better avoid planning on the S-Bahn in winter. Most of the time it's a very efficient and punctual way to get around though. If you're looking for the way, use BVG.de, that site includes Busses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram and even ferries. You can simply enter departure adress and arrival adress to see the optimum connection, it's an excellent service. An option to reach Schönefeld airport is to use U-Bahn line 7 until the terminal station Rudow and then take the bus.

In the center, most S-Bahn lines run on an east-west route between Ostkreuz and Westkreuz via the stops Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Jannowitzbrücke, Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Bellevue, Tiergarten, Zoologischer Garten, Savignyplatz and Charlottenburg. Other lines run along a circle track around the city, most notably the S 8 and the S 41, S 42, S 45, S 46 lines, and there's also a north-south connection from Gesundbrunnen through Friedrichstraße and Potsdamer Platz to Südkreuz/Schöneberg.

Regional trains run along the same central east-west connection, but stopping only at Ostkreuz, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Zoologischer Garten, Charlottenburg and Westkreuz, as well as other lines connecting north-south from Jungfernheide or Gesundbrunnen through Hauptbahnhof and Potsdamer Platz to Südkreuz. Long distance trains mostly run to Hauptbahnhof, often with one or two extra stops at other stations.

Stations

During the times of its division, Berlin had two main train stations: Zoologischer Garten (colloquial nameBahnhof Zoo) in the West, and Ostbahnhof in the East. The new 'Hauptbahnhof' may be titled 'Lehrter Bahnhof' on older maps & is situated between the S-Bahn stations Friedrichstrasse and Bellevue.

The new building for the central station Hauptbahnhof [10] was opened in May 2006 and together with Südkreuz (southern cross) and Ostbahnhof (eastern station) - plus minor Gesundbrunnen in the north and Spandau in the north west - form the backbone of all connections. All are connected to either S- or U-Bahn (and in the future, both). All trains travel through central station and a second major hub (depending on the destination you travel to or arrive from). Trains in the regional area (Berlin and Brandenburg) mostly use these stations. Regional trains stop at several stations within Berlin.

By car

All main roads and motorways join the Berliner Ring, or the A10, from which you can access the inner city. The city motorway is usually very crowded during rush hour.

As of January 1, 2008, Berlin requires all cars to have a "Low Emissions" sticker in order to enter the city center (Low Emission Zone, "Umweltzone"). Information on obtaining a sticker (which must be done at least several days in advance) is available here [11]. The sticker can also be order online at [12].

Get around

Berlin is a huge city. You can make use of the excellent bus, tram, train and underground services to get around. Taxi services are also easy to use and a bit less expensive than in many other big Central European cities. You can hail a cab (the yellow light on the top shows the cab is available), or find a taxi rank (Taxistand). Taxi drivers are in general able to speak English. If you ask for a short trip (Kurzstrecke), as long as it's under 2km and before the taxi driver starts the meter running, the trip normally is cheaper, €4. This only applies if you flag the taxi down on the street, not if you get in at a taxi rank.

Check the Berlin route planner [13] (in English) to get excellent maps and schedules for the U-Bahn, buses, S-Bahn and trams, or to print your personal journey planner. The route planer can also calculate the fastest door-to-door connection for you destination for any given day and hour. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) have a detailed fare list on their web site [14].

If you don't know how to get somewhere, or how to get home at night, call +49 30 19449, the Customer Service of the BVG. There are also facilities in most U-Bahn and some S-Bahn stations to contact the Customer Service directly. In 2005 the BVG introduced Metro lines (buses and tram) that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All lines are marked with a big orange plate and a white M.

It's also worth noting that the house numbers do not necessarily run in one direction (up or down). On a lot of streets, the numbers ascend on one side and descend on the other. Especially on long streets, check the numbering scheme first: you can find the name of the street and the numbers on that block at nearly every street corner.

Different from what is usual in some English-speaking countries, Germans usually add the word for "street", "square", "park", etc. when they mention the name of a locality. Thus, they would not simply refer to "Kurfürsten" when talking about Kurfürstenstraße (Kurfürsten Street), as this could also mean "Kurfürstendamm", which is a different road at a different place. "Schloss", which simply means "palace", could refer to any of the palaces in Berlin, as well as to one of the two roads called "Schlossstraße", a shopping centre called "Das Schloss", or the "Schlossplatz" in the Mitte district.

Public transport ticketing

Berlin uses a zone system, but you are unlikely to need to go beyond zone A and B, except on trips to Potsdam or to the Schönefeld Airport (SXF). This is a very large area. The public transport system (U, S-Bahn, bus, tram) uses a common ticket.

Standard tickets (€ 2.30 for A and B) are valid for any travel within two hours of validation, in a single direction, within the appropriate fare zones. There is no limit to transfers. For a single journey you can buy a cheap Kurzstrecke for €1.40, but this is only valid for 3 stops on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn (six stops by bus or tram); no transfers are permitted.

Several options are available for unlimited travel. Prices listed here are only for zones A and B: prices for A, B, and C cost marginally more. Check the machines for the actual prices:

- A Tageskarte (day card) (€ 6.30).

- Quadruple card "4 Fahrten Karte" (4 single trips bought at once for a reduced price) €8.20

- The Berlin CityTourCard [15]: ticket valid for all public transport services in Berlin, Potsdam and the surrounding area and a discount card for many tourist attractions; available in several different version: 48 hrs, tariff zone AB € 15.90 or tariff zone ABC € 17.90 / 72 hrs, tariff zone AB € 21.90 or tariff zone ABC € 23.90 / 5 days, tariff zone AB €28.90 or tariff zone ABC € 33.90; a folded leaflet with inner city map and an overview of the S-Bahn and U-Bahn railway networks of Berlin is included; buy the CityTourCard at any ticket counters, ticket machines of the BVG and S-Bahn Berlin, hotels in Berlin, at the Berlin airports or at the main station (Hauptbahnhof Berlin) or online.

- The Berlin CityTourCard Museumsinsel [16]: valid for 72 hours in the tariff zone A and B plus free admission to all museums on the Museumsinsel of Berlin (Old National Gallery, Old Museum, Bode Museum, New Museum and Pergamon Museum); it costs €31.50; a folded leaflet with inner city map and an overview of the S-Bahn and U-Bahn railway networks of Berlin is included; buy the CityTourCard Museumsinsel in hotels, at the main station (Hauptbahnhof), Tegel airport and Schoenefeld airport, Zoologischer Garten, Alexanderplatz and Friedrichstraße or online

- The Berlin WelcomeCard [17] (€ 16.90/22.90 for 2/3 days); available in 8 different versions, including Berlin WelcomeCard Museum Island; Free travel with all methods of public transport for 48 hours, 72 hours or 5 days from the day of purchase; save up to 50% on more than 160 tourist and cultural highlights; Handy guide in pocket book format with insider tips and tour suggestions; City plan for Berlin and Potsdam and a Network plan for public transport. You can order the Berlin WelcomeCard in various sales points (berlin airports, main station, Hotels or online).

- Weekly passes (€ 27,20).

- Small group ticket (€ 15.00) for up to five persons. If you are traveling more than two trips a day, this ticket is cost-effective for three persons and above.

Purchasing tickets:

All tickets are available at vending machines at U- and S-Bahn platforms. English and other European languages are available. Payment is mostly by local bank cards and coins, and banknotes. If you need assistance most larger stations have staffed ticket counters where you can ask questions and buy tickets. Buses will accept cash, and make change for tickets. Hotels may sell tickets as well.

In some places like Zoologischer Garten and Eberswalder Straße, people will try to sell used tickets to you. Be aware that you can go only one direction with a single-journey ticket (check the validation stamp and be careful as this could also be a pickpocket trick). Don't pay more than half the price.

Validating tickets:

You need to validate your ticket using the machines on the U- and S-bahn platforms or in the bus. The machines are yellow/white in the U-Bahn and the bus, and red on S-Bahn platforms. Validation simply means the machine prints a time stamp onto the ticket. Once validated, a ticket which is still valid will not have to be re-validated before each single trip. Whilst it might be tempting to try to avoid buying a ticket, be advised that plain-clothed inspectors do patrol the trains. There is a €40 fine if you are caught with an unvalidated ticket. If caught attempt to show a state/provincial id if you are from outside the EU. This will make it less likely that your ticket will ever be mailed to you.

By train

If you need to get around the city quickly, take the S-Bahn. Especially the Ringbahn that goes all around Berlin in a circle lets you get to other parts of the city really fast. In the past two years the S-Bahn operated very irregular in the winter months, especially around new year's eve due to security lacks, iced trains and driver's stoppages, so you better avoid planning on the S-Bahn in winter. Most of the time it's a very efficient and punctual way to get around though. If you're looking for the way, use BVG.de, that site includes Busses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram and even ferries. You can simply enter departure adress and arrival adress to see the optimum connection, it's an excellent service. An option to reach Schönefeld airport is to use U-Bahn line 7 until the terminal station Rudow and then take the bus.

In the center, most S-Bahn lines run on an east-west route between Ostkreuz and Westkreuz via the stops Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Jannowitzbrücke, Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Bellevue, Tiergarten, Zoologischer Garten, Savignyplatz and Charlottenburg. Other lines run along a circle track around the city, most notably the S 8 and the S 41, S 42, S 45, S 46 lines, and there's also a north-south connection from Gesundbrunnen through Friedrichstraße and Potsdamer Platz to Südkreuz/Schöneberg.

Regional trains run along the same central east-west connection, but stopping only at Ostkreuz, Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße, Hauptbahnhof, Zoologischer Garten, Charlottenburg and Westkreuz, as well as other lines connecting north-south from Jungfernheide or Gesundbrunnen through Hauptbahnhof and Potsdamer Platz to Südkreuz. Long distance trains mostly run to Hauptbahnhof, often with one or two extra stops at other stations.

By underground

The Berlin U-Bahn (subway/metro) is something to behold; it is so charmingly precise! There are no turnstiles to limit access, so it is technically possible to ride without a ticket, but if caught by a ticket checker you will be fined €40 so it is probably not worth the risk. All U-Bahn stations now have electronic signs that give the time of the next train, and its direction based on sensors along the lines.

Detailed maps can be found in every U-Bahn station and on the trains. Don't be confused by the alternative tram maps. U-Bahn stations can be seen from far by their big, friendly blue U signs. Together with the S-Bahn [18] (which is administered by Deutsche Bahn and mostly runs aboveground), the U-Bahn provides a transportation network throughout greater Berlin that is extremely efficient and fast. On weekend (Friday to Sunday), as well as during the Christmas and New Year holidays, all U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines (except line U4) run all night, so returning from late night outings is easy, especially given the average start time of most 'parties' in Berlin (11PM to 1AM). During the week there is no U-Bahn or S-Bahn service from appr. 1AM to 4:30AM, but metro trams/buses and special Night Buses (parallel to the U-Bahn line) run every half an hour from 12:30AM to 4:30AM.

By tram

The trams are mostly found in East Berlin, as in the West the tram lines were removed to facilitate more vehicular traffic. If you don't have a ticket already, you can buy one inside the tram.

Two types of tram service are available. Metrotrams frequent more often as well as by night. Tram routes not so identified stop more frequently and may even include picturesque single-track rides through forested areas far east of the Mitte district.

By bus

Although buses are the slowest form of public transport, the yellow double-decker buses are part of Berlin's transit landscape and they will take you to almost anywhere in Berlin. Besides the normal metro buses, there are also express buses (indicated by an X), but these don't halt at every stop.

The most famous bus line, especially for tourists, is bus route 100, which leaves from Zoo Station ("Berlin Zoologischer Garten") or, if you want to go the other way round, Alexanderplatz. This 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 many of the landmarks of Berlin from one of these yellow double-decker buses. Sit up top as it's easier to see the Bundestag, 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. Line 200 takes nearly the same route, but it goes through the modern quarters around Potsdamer Platz. Either ride is a must for any visitor to Berlin.

By bicycle

Cycling is another great way to tour Berlin [19].

Berlin has no steep hills and offers many bicycle paths (Radwege) throughout the city (although not all are very smooth). These include "860 km of completely separate bike paths, 60 km of bike lanes on streets, 50 km of bike lanes on sidewalks, 100 km of mixed-use pedestrian-bike paths, and 70 km of combined bus-bike lanes on streets (City of Berlin, 2007)" (Pucher & Buehler, 2007 [20]). Bicycles are 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 (usually from €7.50 per day). In addition, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) placed many public bicycles [21] throughout the city in 2003. These can be unlocked by calling a number on the bicycle with a cellphone, after registering with the service. Seeing Berlin by bicycle is unquestionably a great way to acquaint the traveler with the big tourist sites, and the little sprees and side streets as well. Although it's good to carry your own map, you can also always check your location at any U-Bahn station and many Bus Stations. You can create your own bicycling maps online, optimized by less busy routes or fewer traffic lights or your favorite paving [22]. If you are not familiar with searching your own way through the city or you want more explanation of the sights you visit, you can get guided bike tours (with bike included) on Berlin Bike [23].

Cycling around the city Rental opportunities - most places have a rental charge of between 8 EU (too cheap) with ajority at 12 Eu / day - they are excellent value and freedom to see the big city. Take a look at Fat Tyre rentals and tours - the four and half hour cit wide tour is great value and many friendly service - as of 20/03/11

By scooter

There is also the possibility to explore Berlin by scooter (e.g. http://www.berlinscooter.de). Fast, funny and quite cheap it´s possible to combine sightseeing in the city and good places outside Berlin like Potsdam and the many lakes in the north and south of Berlin.

See

Museums

Berlin is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Berlin has a vast array of museums. Most museums charge admission for people 16 years of age or older - usually €6 to €8 (a day ticket with which one can also visit the other state museums is the only thing available and doesn't count for special exhibitions) for the big museums. Discounts (usually 50%) are available for students and disabled people with identification. A nice offer for museum addicts is the three day pass 'Museumspass' SchauLUST-MuseenBERLIN[24] for €19 (reduced €9.50), which grants entrance to all the normal exhibitions of the approximately 70 state-run museums and public foundations. Most museums are closed on Mondays; notable exceptions include the Altes Museum[25] and the Deutsches Historisches Museum[26], which are open daily. Museumsportal Berlin [27], a collective web initiative, offers easy access to information on all museums, memorials, castles and collections and on current and upcoming exhibitions.

A short list of important museums (for a more detailed list check the district articles) are:

- Museumsinsel [28]. Literally "Museum Island", this area is best known for the vast Pergamon-Museum, which houses an extensive collection of ancient Greek, ancient Middle-Eastern and Islamic art and architecture. Other museums which belong to the Museum Island are the Altes Museum (with the Egyptian and the antique collection), the Alte Nationalgalerie (with mainly German paintings of the 19th century) and the reopened Bode-Museum with its fantastically presented sculpture collection and Byzantine art. The recently reopened Neues Museum houses the Egyptian collection, Neaderthal and other pre-historic archeological finds, and some of the treasures unearthed at Troy. This is the only museum on Museums Insel that requires a timed entry ticket. It's best to get a timed ticket online ahead of time as time slots fill up quickly.

- Deutsches Historisches Museum, Unter den Linden 2, Tel. +49 30 203040 [29]. German historical museum covering everything from pre-history right up to the present day. One can spend many, many hours here!

- Jüdisches Museum, Lindenstraße 9-14, Tel. +49 30 25993 300 [30]. 10AM-8PM. Jewish Museum. Learn about the history of Jews in Germany. Permanent exhibition on two millennia of German-Jewish history, changing exhibitions and impressive modern architecture by Libeskind. There is a small unrelated Jewish Museum at the Oranienburger Straße Synagogue.

- Gemäldegalerie, Matthäikirchplatz, Tel. +49 30 266 2951 [31]. At the Kulturforum. Thousands of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th century. Works from Dürer, Raffael, Tizian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Rubens.

- Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Straße 50, Tel. +49 30 266 2951 [32] At the Kulturforum. Art from the 20th Century. This museum often houses temporary exhibitions during which the permanent collection is usually not on display. (As of December, 2009, the permanent collection is closed while the building undergoes repairs.)

- Museum für Naturkunde [33]. Near the main railway station. Natural science museum with a big collection of dinosaur skeletons, fossils and minerals. Reopened after restoration in late 2007.

- Mauermuseum at Checkpoint Charlie [34]. This museum is situated at the most famous historical checkpoint between the two Berlins.

- Museum of European Cultures [35]. The biggest of its sort in Europe. At the museum district of Dahlem.

- Ethnological Museum [36]. Again one of the world's most comprehensive museums. At the museum district of Dahlem. Well worth a visit for its splendid collection of Pre-Columbian archaeology! It now includes the:

- Topography of Terror [37]. This open-air museum documents the terror applied by the Nazi regime. It consists of excavated prison cells located directly under a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall.

- DDR Museum [38]Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 1, 10178 Berlin. This small museum just over the river from the Berliner Dom. Really interesting with all the displays in German and English, it gives a good insight into life in the former GDR.

- Musikinstrumenten-Museum[39]Tiergartenstraße 1 (am Kulturforum), 10785 Berlin. This museum is part of the Staatliches Institu für Musikforschung PK and has an amazingly wide range of historic and unusual instruments on display.

- Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité [40] Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin. Interesting exhibition charting the development of European hospitals from the 14th Century to the present day.

- Ramones Museum Berlin [41]. The Ramones Museum Berlin pays tribute to the Punk band The Ramones. It displays more than 300 unique and original Ramones memorabilia.

- The "Berlinische Galerie" [42] is the city museum for modern art, architecture, and design. The museum is just around the corner from the Jewish Museum at Alte Jakobstraße 124-128.

- Story of Berlin [43] Kurfürstendamm 207-208i, close to the Uhlandstraße metro, the last stop on the U1. Museum in the centre of a mall. In addition to the history (including the World Wars), culture, transportation, architecture and an exhibit of life in the city since medieval times, it is unique to feature an authentic cold-war era bunker. The 20 minute tour is included in the cost of the entrance ticket, and is at the top of each hour, alternating in German and English.

Private art galleries

As Berlin is a city of art, it is quite easy to find an art gallery on your way. They provide a nice opportunity to have a look at modern artists' work in a not-so-crowded environment for free. Some gallery streets with more than about a dozen galleries are Auguststraße, Linienstraße, Torstraße, Brunnenstraße (all Mitte, north of S-Bahn station Oranienburger Straße), Zimmerstraße (Kreuzberg, U-Bahn station Kochstraße) and Fasanenstraße (Charlottenburg). A directory listing of all Berlin's art galleries can be found on The Art of Berlin: Complete Berlin Art Gallery Directory [44]

- Art Center Berlin Friedrichstraße [45], Friedrichstraße 134, Tel. +49 30 27879020. Four floors of exhibitions with a relatively good variety of genres and artists. A very nice oasis of calm from the busy Friedrichstraße.

- Galerie Eigen & Art, Auguststraße 26, Tel. +49 30 280 6605 [46]. One of the most famous German art galleries, home to the Neue Leipziger Schule (Neo Rauch et al.)

- loop -- raum fur aktuelle kunst [47], Jägerstrasse 5, 10117. Known for being the "incubator" of future famous Berlin artists. Primarily featuring sculpture video, and painting.

Churches

There are some historically interesting and architecturally remarkable churches which are the following:

- Berliner Dom— The biggest and most impressive church in Berlin, built at the turn of the century (19th/20th) as an expression of imperial power. Located next to the museum island. Entrance is €5, and you can climb on top of the dome for a beautiful view over the Berlin center.

- The Twintowers of the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) and the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) face each other at the Gendarmenmarkt in Central Berlin, flanking the Konzerthaus.

- Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche— Highly symbolic church, dating back to 1891-95, with two modern buildings designed by Egon Eiermann in 1961, a hexagonal bell tower and an octagonal worship hall, aside the ruins from World War II.

- Marienkirche— Located near Alexanderplatz, this is not only the highest church tower in Berlin (90 m), but also one of the oldest churches left in the historical center of Berlin (which is totally torn down in this area). Entrance is free and inside are many treasures from the old days.

- Nikolaikirche— The oldest church in Berlin, dating back to the beginning of 13th century (at least the stones next to the ground). Does not serve as a church. Changing exhibitions inside, entrance free.

- St. Hedwigs Kathedrale— Domed Church located at Bebelplatz/Unter den Linden, the oldest (mid 18th century) and one of the biggest Catholic churches in Berlin, interior was redesigned in a modern style in the 1950s - but still many treasure chambers in the basement.

- Friedrichswerdersche Kirche— Nice church located near Unter den Linden/Museum Island, finished in 1830 by Schinkel - English Neogothic style. Nice exhibition inside (neoclassical statues and an exhibition about Schinkel's life and work upstairs), entry is free.

Landmarks with observation decks

While Berlin has relatively few high-rise buildings, there are several monuments with observation decks. Probably the most famous of all is the TV Tower near Alexanderplatz, the tallest tower in Germany and second largest in Europe, which has a rotating café at the top spinning 360 degrees in just 30 minutes! 40 seconds is all it takes to reach the top by lift. But there are also other great observation desks, the main ones are listed below (for others have a look in the district pages).

- Bundestag— The German Parliament building, near the Brandenburg gate, was renovated by Sir Norman Foster and reopened in 1999 with a spectacular new glass dome, which offers a great view of Berlin. Visitors may pre-book[48] free tours of the building and enter with confirmed reservation at scheduled times through the north portal. Due to continued terrorist threats, individual visitors now need to register upfront to visit the glass dome and terrace [49]. Book well in advance as individual entry is limited to a max. of guests per day. The template is only in German available, so joining a tour is an easy open for last-minute travellers.

- Berliner Funkturm— 150 meter high lattice tower with open-air observation deck 124 meters above ground. Only observation tower on insulators! Located in the Western fair district, out of city center.

- Berliner Fernsehturm, Alexanderplatz [50]. The TV tower is Germany's tallest construction: 368 meters high. Observation deck 204 meters above ground. Costs €10,50 as of March 2010. Be wary of the weather changing; the fog can come in during the rather long queues and you may not be able to see anything at the top. There is a restaurant and a bar in the observation deck. You need to buy tickets from the ticket office, then join a separate queue to get into the tower.

- Siegessäule (Victory Column), Tiergarten. An old (1865-1873), 60 meter high monument with panoramic views of the very center of the city. Unfortunately there is no elevator, so be prepared for 285 steps. The statue of Victoria on the top is the place where the angels congregate in the famous film "Der Himmel über Berlin" by Wim Wenders. It has also become something of a symbol for the annual Love Parade techno music festival.

- Kollhoff Tower, Potsdamer Platz [51]. The fastest elevator in Europe takes you approximately 100 meters high.

- Europa Center, Zoologischer Garten,[52]. Shopping center with a panorama floor at the 20th floor (90 meters). In Budapester Straße, overlooking Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church. Entrance is €4 or €2 if you show a receipt from one of the restaurants in the Europa Center.

- Europe Centre-Berlin Window— 100 meter high building in Berlin City West with a breathtaking 360 degrees view over the capital. An elevator takes you to the 20th floor.Upstairs you can have a drink if you'd like. 4,50 EUR for adults, 3 EUR for seniors, students and groups.Daily 10AM-6PM. Tauentziestrasse 11, next to Saturn Market(enter on the first floor)

History

Berlin is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Berlin does not attempt to hide the less savory parts of its history: a visit to the Topography of Terror [53] (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 of Cold War tension and terror.

- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe [54].

Opened in the spring of 2005, this gigantic abstract artwork covering an entire block near the Brandenburg Gate, including an underground museum with extensive details on the Holocaust and the people who died during it. The blocks start out at ground level on the outer edges of the memorial, and then grow taller towards the middle, where the ground also slopes downwards. 3.5 million visitors in the first year make it one of the most visited memorials in Berlin - and it's worth it, as it's one of the most impressive memorials in Berlin.

- Berlin Wall— A large stretch of intact Wall can be found to the east of the city center along the River Spree in Mühlenstraße near the Oberbaumbrücke.

Known as the East Side Gallery [55], it is a section of the wall that is preserved as a gallery. This can be easily reached from Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Straße. It has many beautiful murals, politically motivated and otherwise. Another place to try is near the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, currently under reconstruction. Two small pieces are also in Potsdamer Platz and in its neighbourhood at the corner between Ebertstraße and Bellevuestraße).

- Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) [56]. (U-Bahn Bernauer Straße 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; instead you will be left with a haunting feeling of what life with the wall may have been really like. The monument itself is a gigantic wasted opportunity, blank and featureless. The inscription on the outside, declaring it a monument to the victims of the "communist reign of violence", has sparked emotional debates and angered many local residents. The documentation center across the street on Bernauer Straße is excellent although most of the documentation is in German. The viewing platform gives you a tiny hint of the true scale of the Wall and how terrifying the "no man's land" between the two sections of walls must have been. When the documentation center is closed, both walls can be visited. There is some space between the concrete plates which allow you to look at the area between the walls. There are also several small holes.

The Memorial is on Bernauer Straße which itself is a street with a great deal of Wall history: the first recorded Wall-related death of the notorious Peter Fechter was here, as was one of the famous tunnels and the famous photograph of the GDR 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— Checkpoint Charlie, a crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, is no more.

Formerly, it was the only border crossing between East and West Berlin 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 construction of the American Business Center and other institutions not given to flights of John Le Carré-inspired fancy.

At the intersection of Zimmerstraße and Friedrichstraße is the famous "You Are 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. This is 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!).

Checkpoint Charlie gained its name from the phonetic alphabet; checkpoints "Alpha" and "Bravo" were at the autobahn checkpoints Helmstedt and Dreilinden respectively. Checkpoint Charlie's atmosphere was not improved at all on 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.

- Tempelhof airport was used in the Berlin Airlift (Berliner Luftbrücke) in 1948-49; in 1951 a monument was added to commemorate the airlifts over the Berlin Blockade. The airport was featured in movies like Billy Wilder's "One Two Three". The terminal building is still fascinating; the halls and neighbouring buildings, intended to become the gateway to Europe, are still known as the largest built entities worldwide, and was described by British architect Sir Norman Foster as "the mother of all airports".

Zoo

Berlin has two zoos and an aquarium. The Berlin Zoo in the west is the historic zoo that has been a listed company since its foundation. It's an oasis in the city and very popular with families and schools.

- Berlin Zoo [57]. The largest range of species in the world. The zoo lies directly in the heart of the City West (opposite Bahnhof Zoo at Hardenbergplatz) and is especially famous for its panda bears and Knut, the polar bear cub born in captivity in late 2006 -but has since died in March 2011. The Elephant Gate (Budapester Straße) is the second entrance next to the Aquarium and a traditional photo stop for most visitors because of the architecture.

- Aquarium [58]. Part of the Berlin Zoo, located at Budapester Straße in an historic building. Still the largest aquarium in Germany and a host to an amazing variety of fish, crocodiles etc. One of the best places on a rainy day with children.

- Tierpark Berlin [59]. Located in Friedrichsfelde, the Tierpark is more spacious than the historic Berlin Zoo and has been open for some 50 years. The compound also comprises a small château with its adjacent park.

Do

Explore

Go on a 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.

- Ticket B City – Tours by architects in Berlin, [60]. Showing the city of Berlin on hand-picked architectural routes. Led by selected architects in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish. Anything is possible - tours from the water, on land or in a helicopter. They arrange your special tour on contemporary architecture in Berlin with many exclusive visits to the interiors of buildings and unforgettable experiences.

- Alternative Berlin, [61]. English tour starting at 11.00AM and 1.00PM each day at Alexander Platz TV tower in front of Starbucks coffee. This tour uses Berlin's transit system to cover a massive amount of territory and focuses on the underground sites and sounds of Berlin, including art & graffiti culture, technological wonders, and landmarks of rock & electronic music. The tour takes three and half hours. Free (but tipping is more or less standard - the tour guides don't receive any other salary).

- The Berlin Experts, [62]. Offers daily in-depth walking tours of Berlin's architecture, history, and culture. All tours include some history as well as other tidbits of trivia not commonly known. Especially popular is the Deconstruction/Construction Tour which provides an offbeat perspective of contemporary Berlin. They also offer special tours for cruise ship passengers.

- Stern und Kreisschiffahrt, [63]. By far the biggest boat company in Berlin. They offer tours on most lakes.

- Admission Free Berlin, [64]. Website giving a daily overview about free sights, parties and cultural events in Berlin.

Recreation

Pick up a copy of Exberliner [65], the monthly English-language paper for Berlin to find out what's on, when and where. It provides high quality journalism and up-to-date listings. If you understand German, the activity planners for the city, zitty [66] and tip [67], are available at every kiosk. Be prepared to choose among a huge amount of options.

- Parks

Berlin has many great parks which are very popular in the summer. Green Berlin [68] operates some of them.

- Tiergarten is Berlin's largest park. In the summer and on weekends you will see loads of families with their barbecues.

- Viktoriapark (Kreuzberg) offers superb panoramic views across south Berlin. National monument by Schinkel on top of it.

- Schlossgarten Charlottenburg is inside the area of the Charlottenburg Palace [69], but the green area of the park is free, so you can go there to have a walk even if you are not interested in the palace. It covers a large area and you can get in from the entrance just near the "New Pavillon" (Neuer Pavillon a.k.a. Schinkelpavillon) placed on the right of Luisenplatz. The nearest station is Sophie-Charlotte Platz on the U2.

- World's Garden (Gärten der Welt) in Marzahn. Inside you can find a large, well-established Chinese garden, a Korean garden, a small Bali's Garden/Glasshouse, an Oriental Garden with nice fountains and a cloister and a Japanese garden which is a project by the city partnership of Berlin and Tokyo. Open daily from 9AM-4PM, in April and October until 6PM, from May-September until 8PM. Best time for a visit is in spring or summer. Entrance is 3 €. To get there, take the S7 until "Marzahn" station and continue with bus 195 until Eisenacher Straße.

- Lakes, Beaches

- Wannsee is called Berlin's "bath tub". The Strandbad Wannsee is the most famous bathing area for locals. Take the S-Bahn lines S1 or S7 to the station Nikolassee and follow the crowd!

- Müggelsee in the south east of Berlin is a popular swimming spot.

Festivals

- Berlin Film Festival, [70]. The city's largest cultural event and an important fixture in the global film industry's calendar (up there with Cannes). 250,000 tickets sold, 400 different films screened and a host of associated parties and events every year. In contrast to e.g. Cannes, all screenings at the Berlinale are open to the public. Tickets are inexpensive and relatively easy to get for the "International Forum of Young Film" screenings and the "Berlinale Panorama" (movies which are not in the competition).

- Lange Nacht der Museen, +49 30 90 26 99 444, [71]. A large cultural event in January and August with museums open until 2AM and extra events around the city.

- Fête de la Musique, [72]. All kinds of music around the city on this day coordinating with a similar day in several French cities.

- Oberbaumbrücke Festival, (just under the Oberbaumbrücke). In August (check the exact dates). artists are selling their works, amateur tango dancers are giving public performances and you can contribute to a collaborative painting on a very long canvas spread on the street along the festival.

Parades

- Christopher Street Day - as the Germans name their gay prides - 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.

- Fuckparade [73] in August. The Fuckparade (Hateparade in the early days) started as an antiparade or demonstration against the commercialized Love Parade, and was first on the same date as the Love Parade but later the date was shifted. The Fuckparade is a political demonstration, with political speeches at the beginning and the end and the parade with music between. The general motto of the Fuckparade is "against the destruction of the club scene". The music is quite different than at the Love Parade: mostly independent/alternative/extreme electronic music.

- Hanf Parade in August. The Hanfparade is the biggest European political demonstration for the legalization of hemp for use in agriculture and as a stimulant.

- Karneval [74] in late February or early March. As a lot of people in Berlin originally came from the southern or western area of Germany where Fasching, Fastnacht or Karneval is celebrated, a carnival parade was also established in Berlin. It grew bigger and bigger (about 500.000 to 1 million people watching), but the costumes and cars are rather boring and the people are not as dressed up as in the "original" big carnival parades (Cologne, Mainz, Düsseldorf). Since 2007 the traditional route across Kurfürstendamm was chosen.

- Karneval der Kulturen [75] in May or June (on Whit Sunday). 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 and political groups also participate. Similar events are also held in Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Theatre, Opera, Concerts, Cinema

Berlin has a lot of theater houses, cinemas, concerts and other cultural events going on all the time. The most important ones are listed here.

Theater

- Deutsches Theater. Classical theater with impressive line up of actors and directors.

- Volksbühne am Rosa Luxemburg Platz. Sometimes controversial, modern theater.

- Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz [76]. Modern theater.

- Theater am Kurfürstendamm [77]. Popular theater with tv celebrities in modern plays.

- Theater des Westens [78]. A historic theater in the former West Berlin, only musicals today.

- Friedrichstadtpalast [79]. Cabaret shows and revues with actresses from the former East German ballet.

- Berliner Ensemble [80]. Contemporary theater.

- English Theater Berlin[81] Theater that features all plays/music theater in English

Opera

- Komische Oper [82]. Modern operas.

- Deutsche Oper [83]. Classic opera house of West Berlin.

- Staatsoper Unter den Linden [84]. The impressive building and royal history make the building alone worth a visit.

- Neuköllner Oper [85]. Voted several times best off-opera house and known for its modern and contemporary pieces. Mostly in German as usually relating to developments in Germany. Very creative and innovative.

Cinema

There are about a hundred cinemas in Berlin, although most of them are only showing movies dubbed in German, without subtitles. Listed below are some of the more important cinemas also showing movies in the original language (look for the OmU - "original with subtitles" - notation). Most movies which are dubbed in German are released a bit later in Germany. Tickets are normally €5 to €7. Monday to Wednesday are special cinema days with reduced admission.

- CineStar [86]. The "CineStar Original" cinema located inside the Sony Center at the Potsdamer-Platz shows only movies in original version (e.g. in English, without subtitles).

- Babylon Kreuzberg [87]. Also non-mainstream movies in this small cinema built in the 1950s.

- Central [88]. Repertory cinema located in an ex-squat near Hackesche Höfe.

- Kino Moviemento [89]. The oldest cinema deutschland (1907). Located between Kreuzberg and Neukölln.

- Eiszeit [90].

- Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe [91]. Located on the 4th floor of the Hackesche Höfe. Very broad range of movies.

- Neue Kant Kinos [92]. One of the few old cinemas (founded 1912) left in Berlin's western city. Mostly non-mainstream European movies.

Concert Houses

- Philharmonie [93]. Berlin Philharmonic orchestra is one of the best in the world. Famous building and outstanding musicians make a reservation essential. Cheaper tickets are usually available 2-4 hours before the concert if not sold out.

- Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt.

Sport

In Berlin you can do virtually all sports

- The most popular sport is football, which is played all over the city. The Berlin FA [94] lists all the clubs. Not to be missed is the Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 2006 world cup final. Hertha BSC Berlin [95], Berlin´s highest professional football team, plays there during the Bundesliga season in spring, fall and winter.

- Basketball: Alba Berlin [96], known as The Albatross are consistently the best basketball team in Germany, and one of the best in Europe. With fans crazier than most in the NBA, Albatross games at the o2 World arena are an exciting way to take in one of the world's greatest sports.

- Public swimming pools can be found around the city. Check out BBB [97] for pool listings and opening times.

- Sailing on one of the many lakes is also popular. You can find sailing clubs and most universities have ships as well.

- Golf is popular as well. You can find golf clubs all around Berlin, although for non-members Motzen has one of the best.

- Ice hockey: The Berlin Eisbären (Polar Bears) [98] play this fast, exciting and very physical sport during the winter. The excitement is heightened by the singing and chanting of the crowds, who are fueled by the copious quantities of wurst and beer available.

- Floorball is booming faster than ever before in the German capital. A sum of teams defines the cascade of the local floorball scene, whereas the decorated Bundesliga site of BAT Berlin probably embodies the most prominant one.

- American Football: After the closing of NFL Europe and the related end of Berlin Thunder (triple winner of the World Bowl), the Berlin Adler (Eagles) [99] are Berlin´s No. 1 team playing in German Football League.

- Australian Football: The Berlin Crocodiles [100] host regular matches in the summer.

Spa

Spas are very trendy.

- Day Spa [101]. In Riverside hotel next to the Friedrichstadtpalast.

- Club Oasis Fitness Centre & Spa, Grand Hyatt Berlin Hotel, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2, +49 30 2553 1234 (berlin@hyatt.de), [102].

- Adlon Day Spa [103] One of the best spa's in town right next to the Brandenburg Gate in the Hotel Adlon

- Sana's Day Spa for Women [104] Located in Zehlendorf, this small spa offers privacy for women and daily fresh blended products.

Learn

Berlin has three major universities:

- Freie Universität, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, +49 (0/30) 838-1, [105]. Founded after World War II in West Berlin and today the city's largest university by number of students, the Freie Universität has an impressive range of faculties and outstanding professors.

- Humboldt Universität, Unter den Linden 6, +49 (0/30) 2093 - 0 (fax: +49 (0/30) 2093 - 2770), [106]. The oldest university in Berlin with an impressive record of alumni and professors – Albert Einstein, G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, to name but a few. During the Cold War it was the main university in East Berlin and after reunification there have been efforts to reinstate its former glory.

- Technische Universität, Straße des 17. Juni 135, +49 (0/30) 314-0 (fax: +49 (0/30) 314-23222), [107]. Technical university founded in West Berlin after World War II with a good reputation for its research.

There are several smaller universities and colleges in Berlin but the current restructure of the university makes it difficult to give an overview. The responsible senator of the City of Berlin has a good overview page. [108]

Work

The current economic climate is stable but to find work in Berlin is not easy. A sound level of German improves your chance as only few multinational companies are present in Berlin. Any kind of skills (especially language) that separates you from the masses will definitely improve your chances for a job.

If you have an academic background then teaching English (Spanish, French & Latin are good, too) or private tutoring (e.g. math) for pupils is always a possibility as Berlin is a young city and education is in strong demand. Otherwise working in a bar might be an option but it'll be tough, because wages are low and big tips are uncommon. Chances are much better when big trade fairs (e.g. "Grüne Woche", bread & butter or ITB) or conventions take place so apply at temp & trade fair agencies. The hospitality industry and call centers are constantly hiring but wages are very low unless you can offer special skills (such as exotic languages) or background.

Berlin has a growing media, modeling and TV/movie industry. For daily soaps, telenovelas and movies most companies look for people with something specific. Apply at the bigger casting and acting agencies.

For English-language jobs, if might be worth checking out the classified ads of this monthly magazine for English-speakers, Exberliner [109].

Buy

Berlin is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles, and this section should contain a brief overview. Please help to move listings if you are familiar with this city.

Due to federal liberalization, shopping hours are theoretically unlimited. Nevertheless, many of the smaller shops still close at 8PM Most of the bigger stores and nearly all of the malls are open additionally until 9 or 10PM from Thursday to Saturday. Sunday opening is still limited to about a dozen weekends per year, although some supermarkets located at train stations (Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstraße, Innsbrucker Platz and Ostbahnhof) are open also on Sundays. Many bakeries and small food stores (called Spätkauf) are open late at night and on Sundays in busier neighborhoods (especially Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain). Stores inside the Hauptbahnhof central station have long working hours (usually until about 10 or 11PM), also on Sundays.

The main shopping areas are:

Ku'Damm and its extension, Tauentzienstraße remain the main shopping streets even now that the Wall has come down. KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) at Wittenbergplatz is a must visit just for the vast food department on the 6th floor. It's reputedly the biggest department store in Continental Europe and still has an old world charm, with very helpful and friendly staff.

Friedrichstraße is the upmarket shopping street in former East Berlin with Galeries Lafayettes and the other Quartiers (204 to 207) as main areas to be impressed with wealthy shoppers. The renovated Galeria Kaufhof department store at Alexanderplatz is also worth a visit. The main shopping area for the alternative, but still wealthy crowd is north of Hackescher Markt, especially around the Hackesche Höfe. For some more affordable but still very fashionable shopping there is Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain with a lot of young designers opening shops, but also lots of record stores and design shops. Constant change makes it hard to recommend a place, but the area around station Eberswalder Straße in Prenzlauer Berg, around Bergmannstraße and Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg and around Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain are always great when it comes to shopping.

For cheap books, a nice choice is Jokers Restseller in Friedrichstraße 148 (tel +49 30 20 45 84 23) where there is a wide variety of secondhand books. For souvenirs, have a look just in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche; these shops sell almost the same items as others, but are cheaper, but not all the staff speaks English. You can also get cheap postcards there (from €0.30 while the average price for normal postcard is €0.50-0.80). For collectible stamps go to Goethe Straße 2 (Ernst Reuter Platz, U2), where you can find a Philatelic Post Office from the Deutsche Post. They generally speak English. For alternative souvenirs (design, fashion and small stuff from Berlin designers and artists), go to ausberlin [110] near Alexanderplatz; it's a bit hidden at the other side of Kaufhof at the Karl-Liebknecht-Straße.

Flea markets

You can find dozens of flea markets with different themes in Berlin (mostly on weekends), but worth checking out is the big one at Straße des 17. Juni:

- Straße des 17. Juni, between Ernst-Reuter-Haus and S-Bahn: Tiergarten.

- Mauerpark, on Sundays, next to Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark in Prenzlauer Berg (U-Bahn: Eberswalder Straße).

- Arkonaplatz, on Sundays, close to Mauerpark, so it can be combined with it.

Credit Cards

Note that most stores and supermarkets only accept local EC/Maestro Cards. Visa/Mastercard Cards are accepted mostly at Tegel Airport and also at the McDonald's in Alexanderplatz bahnhof.

Eat

Ich bin ein Berliner

Everywhere in Germany outside Berlin, jelly doughnuts are known as Berliner, but in Berlin, they're called Pfannkuchen. This in turn means "pancake" everywhere else, so if you want a pancake in Berlin, you have to ask for Eierkuchen. Confused yet?

A staple in Berlin is currywurst. It's a bratwurst covered in ketchup and curry powder. You can find them all over Berlin by street vendors. It's a must try when in Berlin. Two renowned Currywurst stands are "Konnopke's Imbiss" below Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn station on line 2 and "Curry 36" opposite the Mehringdamm U-Bahn station in Kreuzberg (only two stops south of Checkpoint Charlie). Both of these offer far friendlier service than many of Berlin's more upmarket eateries.

Eating out in Berlin is incredibly inexpensive compared to any other Western European capital or other German cities. The city is multicultural and many cultures' cuisine is represented here somewhere, although it is often modified to suit German tastes. Vegetarians can eat quite well with a little bit of research and menu modification even if Berlin seems like a carnivore heaven with all the sausage stands. Many kebab restaurants have a good selection of roasted vegetables and salads. Falafels are also tasty and suitable for vegetarians.

All prices must include VAT by law. Only upmarket restaurants may ask for a further service surcharge. 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 and cash is usually preferred. Most likely to be accepted are Visa and Mastercard; all other cards will only be accepted in some upmarket restaurants.

One of the main tourist areas for eating out is Hackescher Markt / Oranienburger Straße. This area has dramatically changed during the years: once full of squats and not-entirely-legal bars and restaurants, it had some real character. It is rapidly being developed and corporatized, and even the most famous squat - the former Jewish-owned proto-shopping mall "Tacheles" - has had a bit of a facelift. There are still some gems in the side streets, though, The "Assel" (Woodlouse) on Oranienburger Straße, furnished with DDR-era furniture, is still relatively authentic and worth a visit, especially on a warm summer night. Oranienburger Straße is also an area where prostitutes line up at night, but don't be put off by this. The area is actually very safe since several administrative and religious buildings are located here.

For cheap and good food (especially from Turkey and the Middle East) you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln with their abundance of Indian, pizza and Döner Kebap restaurants. (Berlin was the birthplace of the Döner Kebab about 30 years ago.) Prices start from 1,50 € for a kebab or Turkish pizza (different from the original Italian recipe and ingredients). If you are looking for a quick meal you could try getting off at Görlitzer Bahnhof or Schlesisches Tor on the U1 line - the area is filled with inexpensive, quality restaurants.

Kastanienallee is a good choice too - but again not what it used to be since the developers moved in (much less exploited than Hackescher Markt, though). It's a popular area with artists and students and has a certain Bohemian charm. Try Imbiss W, at the corner of Zionskirchstraße 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.

Waiters and tipping

The custom in Germany is to tell the waiter how much you’re paying (including the tip) when you receive the bill — don’t leave the money on the table. If there is confusion with the tip, remember to ask for your change, Wechselgeld (money back).

Add a 5-10% tip (or round up to the next Euro) to the bill if you are satisfied with the service, but remember that even if waiters don't get paid much anywhere, in Western Europe they are not dependent on tips to make a living as they are in the U.S., and it is possible to live on one's hourly wage. If the service has been very good and friendly feel free to tip more (especially when they help you with the language!).

Restaurants

All restaurant recommendation are in the corresponding borough articles of

- Kreuzberg & Friedrichshain— Young and independent student area with a big Turkish community in Kreuzberg.

- City West Heart of West Berlin with good quality restaurants.

- Mitte Political and new center of East Berlin with upmarket restaurants.

- Schöneberg City slickers and street cafe atmosphere.

- Prenzlauerberg Buzzing Prenzlberg and its lively student scene.

Breakfast

It is very common to go out for breakfast or brunch (long breakfast and lunch, all you can eat buffet, usually from 10AM to 4PM, for €4 to €12 - sometimes including coffee, tea or juice). Here are some special tips (especially see the district pages of Berlin/City West#Breakfast & Berlin/East Central#Eat):

For children

- Charlottchen, Droysenstraße 1, tel +49 30 324 47 17. Buffet breakfast and institution for parents and prepared for children of all ages, indoor play room!

- Strandbad Mitte, Kleine Hamburger Straße 16, tel+49 30 24 62 89 63. Playground next to the restaurant and good breakfast.

Buffet breakfast (brunch)

- City Guesthouse Pension Berlin, Gleimstraße 24, tel +49 30 4480792 [111]. Breakfast buffet, daily 8AM to 11AM, price per person 05,00€

- Cafe Sarotti-Höfe, Mehringdamm 57, tel +49 30 60 03 16 80. Located in a former chocolate factory with buffet for €6! U6/U7, Mehringdamm.

- Operncafé, Unter den Linden 5, tel +49 30 20 26 83. On Sundays, they have a nice jazz brunch with live music in an intimate atmosphere (reservation strongly recommended), all other days, a standard buffet applies. Bahnhof Friedrichstraße.

- Grüne Lampe, Uhlandstraße 51, tel +49 30 88 71 93 93. Excellent Russian breakfast buffet.

Individual style

- Telecafé, Panoramastraße 1a, tel +49 30 242 33 33. Enjoy breakfast in front of a city view right at the top of the Fernsehturm.

- Dachgartenrestaurant Käfer, Platz der Republik 1, tel+49 30 22 62 99 0. Breakfast from 9-10:30AM at the top of the Germany's parliament.

- Oderberger Straße, street in Prenzlauer Berg with a large variety of breakfast cafés.

Upper-class

- Café im Literaturhaus, Fasanenstraße 23, tel +49 30 882 54 14. Classical style, waiters in livreé.

- Desbrosses, Potsdamer Platz 3, Tel. +49 30 337 77 64 00. The Ritz Carlton imported a whole French brasserie which freshly bakes bread.

Drink

- At Warschauer Straße (which you can reach via S-Bahn and U-Bahn station Warschauer Straße) and more specifically Simon-Dach-Straße and around Boxhagener Platz you can find a wide variety of bars. It is common for locals to meet at Warschauer to go to a bar there.

- Die Legende von Paula und Ben, Gneisenaustrasse 58, U7 Südstern,[112] Small and cosy bar with a large choice of cocktails, spirits and wine. For those who are hungry this place serves tapas and for those who want to smoke some cigars.

- Cafe 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 from "junk coffee" as it's possible to be.

- Brauhaus (brewpubs) brew and sell their own beer on the premises. There is usually a public viewing area onto the brewery. Try Gaffel Haus [113], Brauhaus Georgbraeu [114], Brauhaus Mitte [115] and Brauhaus Lemke [116].

- Green Mango (karaokebar)[117], Bülowstrasse 56/57, U2 Bülowstr./ U7 Yorkstr. is the biggest karaokebar in Europe and they also have 150.000 karaoke playback.

- 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 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 from which to choose, 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 Irish pub in the Europa Center at Tauentzienstraße is famous. Located in the basement of a skyscraper, you will find a big Irish pub and a rowdy crowd on the weekend. It also claims to have the longest bar in all of Berlin!

- If you want to get some tap water in a bar ask for "Leitungswasser" (if you just say "water" (Wasser), you will receive mineral water.) This is common if you drink coffee. They should not charge you for it but you should order another drink as well.

Bars

Berliners love to drink cocktails, and it's a main socializing point for young people. Many people like to meet their friends in a cocktail bar before clubbing. Prenzlauer Berg (Around U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Str., Helmholtzplatz, Oderberger Straße & Kastanienallee), Kreuzberg (Bergmannstraße, Oranienstraße and the area around Görlitzer Park and U-Bahnhof Schlesisches Tor), Schöneberg (Goltzstraße, Nollendorfplatz, Motzstraße for gays), and Friedrichshain (Simon-Dach-Straße and around Boxhagener Platz) are the main areas. There aren't as many illegal bars as there were in the '90s but bars open and close faster than you can keep up - check out the bar and cocktail guides in the bi-weekly magazines Tip or Zitty. For recommended bars, have a look at the district pages.

Clubs

For more clubs, have a look at the district pages.

The club scene in Berlin is one of the biggest and most progressive in Europe. Even though there are some 200 clubs in the city, it's sometimes difficult to find the right club for you since the best ones are a bit off the beaten track and most bouncers will keep bigger tourist groups (especially males) out. Entrance is cheap compared to other big European cities, normally from 5 to €10 (usually no drink included).

The main clubbing districts are in the east: Mitte (especially north of Hackescher Markt and - a bit hidden - around Alexanderplatz), Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (around Schlesisches Tor) and Prenzlauer Berg (around station Eberswalder Str.). Some mainstream clubs are located in Charlottenburg and at Potsdamer Platz. Electro and techno are still the biggest in Berlin, with lots of progressive DJs and live acts around. But there are also many clubs playing '60s beat, alternative rock and of course mainstream music. Clubbing days are Thursday, Friday and especially Saturday, but some clubs are open every day of the week. Partying in Berlin starts around midnight (weekends) and peaks around 2AM or 3AM in the normal clubs, a bit later in many electro/techno clubs. Berlin is famous for its long and decadent after hours, going on until Monday evening.

Stylish

- 40 Seconds, Potsdamer Strasse 58, 030 890 642 41 (guest@40seconds.de), [118]. Named for the amount of time it takes the elevator to reach the dance floor, this posh club has three roof terraces, a dinner area, and an amazing view of the city. Features mainstream R'n'B and house music. Come here in the summer when it's warm.

- Felix, Behrenstraße 72, tel +49 (0)30 20946329‎ [119]. Stylish club and restaurant on the back side of the Hotel Adlon. It is known for the very popular Thursday afterwork party of the working rich and its weekend upstyle crowd.

- Week-End, Am Alexanderplatz 5 (the building with the Sharp sign on top) [120]. Located in the 12th floor of a GDR office building. Amazing views over the city in classical club style for young people. Parties till the dawn. Recently complemented by the new afterhours club 15th Floor in the same building, as well as a roof bar. Electro, techno and house.

Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain

- Watergate, Falckensteinstraße 49 (U Schlesisches Tor / S Warschauer Straße), [121]. Great electronic/drum'n'bass club with two floors directly at the Spree River - great panoramic view. Open Wednesday (only one floor), Friday, Saturday. Tough door policy.

- Maria am Ostbahnhof, Stralauer Platz 34/35 (next to Schillingbrücke) [122]. Cool location with lots of progressive live sets and concerts (mainly electro/techno, but also independent/alternative Pop/Rock concerts).

- Berghain/Panorama Bar, Am Wriezener Bahnhof (S Ostbahhof), [123]. A huge techno club with a gay majority (Berghain) in an old power generation plant. Be prepared for a tough door policy. Not for teenagers, no cameras allowed (mobile phones with a camera are now allowed, but holders are expressly warned not to use them). Open Saturdays; Panorama Bar (mainly straight crowd) upstairs additionally on Fridays. Parties until Sunday afternoon. Music is extremely loud, for sensitive people, it is recommended not to stay on the dance floor for too long. However, as the sound system is technically high advanced, it is even possible to talk and be understood on the dancefloor.

Mitte

- Tresor, Köpenicker Str. 59-73 [124]. Perhaps THE Berlin techno club. The old venue was closed in 2005 but Tresor reopened in May 2007 in an old power plant in the southeast of Berlin-Mitte.

- Kaffee Burger/Russendisko, Torstraße 60, tel +49 30 280 464 95. Bar and club with GDR living room atmosphere. Russendisko is performed every second Saturday by author Wladimir Kaminer. Sometimes live music (Neo-Polka).

- White Trash Fast Food, Schönhauser Allee 6-7, tel+49 30 50 34 86 68, [125]. Chinese decoration in the location of an ex big Irish pub makes you feel like you're in a Tarantino movie. Alternative concerts, cowboy hats, beards and '60s to '70s style - if those are your things then you have a new home. It also has a restaurant with great burgers and self-brewed beer.

- KitKatClub, now in the Sage Club, Köpenicker Str. 76, [126]. A very famous address, a unique clubbing concept mixing techno/electro/trance music with sexual freedom. Be careful and open-minded, and respect the strict dress code. Nonstop party from Saturday night to Sunday evening. The owner of the KitKatClub (Simon Thaur) is also famous for his extreme-fetish porno movies.

Sleep

After the end of the Cold War, Berlin witnessed a construction boom of hotels and offices. The boom led to a significant oversupply of hotels which resulted in comparatively cheap prices even in the 5 star category. (Off-season prices of €110 per night are seen). Especially for a short visit, it may be best to stay at a place in Berlin-Mitte (around Friedrichstraße example), as most of the main sights are located there. Due to its history most hotels in Berlin are still located in the City West (i.e. Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf), especially close to Zoo station. Alexanderplatz and Anhalter Bahnhof have clusters of 2-3 star budget hotels (i.e. Ibis, Etap). You'll find currently only one hotel ('Meininger', a combined hotel-hostel) located directly at the new main train station, but some large ones are under construction there. The (oddly named) budget hotel chain 'Motel-One' operates various 2-star hotels in the city centre. There are also many 3-4 star 'NH Hotels' offering good value. All major hotel chains are present in Berlin. A good idea to check that the hotel is close to public transport (U-Bahn or S-Bahn) to avoid too long walks.

Cheapest are youth hostels (called Jugendherbergen, only for members) and hostels (similar to youth hostels, but for everyone, mostly backpackers stay here, usually also in one to 32-bed rooms). You will also find bed and breakfast offers (often private) and boarding houses (Pension, more familiar and smaller than hotels).

Check the district pages for individual accommodation listings. Popular hotel districts include:

- Mitte

- Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

- Prenzlauer Berg

- Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Contact

You can find internet cafes and telephone shops all around Berlin. Do a bit of research with the telephone shops because most have a focus region in the world. Many bars, restaurants and cafes offer free wi-fi for their guests.

The mobile network (3G/GPRS/GSM) covers the whole city. If you are coming from a non-GSM standard country (eg.the United States) check your mobile phone for GSM compatibility.

A free wireless network covers parts of Berlin, but requires special software on your computer. More information including maps of Berlin with coverage is available online, [127].

Stay safe

Berlin is a safe place but it has some not-so-well maintained areas, too. No specific rules apply with the exception of public transportation and tourist areas where pickpockets are a problem. Watch your bags during rush hours and at larger train stations.

The police in Berlin are competent, not corrupt; therefore, if you try to bribe them you are likely to spend at least a night behind bars to check your background. They are generally helpful to tourists. Most of the officers are able to speak English, so don't hesitate to approach them if you are frightened or lost. The nationwide emergency number is 112 for medical emergencies and fires, while the police emergency number is 110.

Since the 1980s, there have been localized riots on Labour Day (May 1st). In general they take place in Kreuzberg around Oranienstraße/Mariannenplatz. Nowadays they usually start the night before May 1st, especially in the Mauerpark (Prenzlauer Berg), at Boxhagener Platz and in Rigaer Str. (Friedrichshain) and start again in the evening of May 1st in Kreuzberg and in the mentioned areas. The violent riots have become rather small since 2005 due to the engagement of the citizens who celebrate the Labour Day with a nice "myfest" in Kreuzberg and well-planned police efforts. It is still better to stay out of these areas from 8PM until sunrise. Vehicles should not be parked in these area as this is asking for damage!

Racially-motivated violence is rare but the risk is higher on the outskirts of East Berlin. It is recommended for non-Caucasian tourists to be attentive in areas such as Lichtenberg, Hellersdorf, Marzahn, Treptow and Köpenick in the evening/night especially if alone.

In the bordering neighbourhood of the districts Neukölln and Kreuzberg (between Hermannplatz, Schönleinstrasse to Kottbusser Tor) and Wedding (Alt-Moabit and Märkisches Viertel) the risk of falling victim to robberies and assaults is slightly higher. Tourists should visit these areas with some caution during the night as a mixture of drunken party people and poor neighbourhoods might lead to trouble.

Although harmless, gypsy panhandlers have recently started to beg at local tourist spots such as Pariser Platz next to the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz and the Museuminsel. They are usually women accompanied by their daughters who ask if you speak English and say that they are from the new EU countries such Romania and Poland and trying to raise money to fly home. The story is false, so don't give them money, which would encourage further exploitation of the women and their kids. They also have a new tactic where they hand you a card telling their "story" and asking for money; beware that the children that they carry in their arms will search through your bags while you are reading the card. The best way to avoid this is simply to ignore them and not to respond when they ask you "Speak English?" If you feel scared, don't hesitate to contact the police, as they will help.

Prostitution

Prostitution is a legal business in Germany. Berlin has no major red-light district though some big brothels were built (the biggest is Artemis). Berlin has no "Sperrbezirk" (restricted areas for prostitutes) so the "apartments" or brothels are spread through out the whole city. The Oranienburger Straße in Mitte is infamous for its prostitutes at night. These women are a tourist attraction and the ladies focus only on tourists to request exorbitant prices.

The proximity to Eastern Europe, relaxed visa rules, and the illegal community increase the number of prostitutes. Advertisements are in the tabloids and especially the internet. Human trafficking and illegal immigration is a problem therefore police raids do take place and close down illegal places. Brothels and prostitutes must be registered like normal businesses or will be prosecuted for tax evasion. In general, the police officers are not interested in the clients (especially if you stay calm and especially don't try to argue) but you must have a photo ID (passport copy is fine) with you. Otherwise, you might spend a night at the police station while your background gets checked.

Cope

Embassies

- Afghanistan, Taunusstr. 3, +49 (0) 30 20 67 35 0 (info@botschaft-afghanistan.de), [128]. M-Th 9:30AM-01:30PM.

- Algeria, Görschstr. 45, +49 30 43737-0 (info@algerische-botschaft.de), [129]. M-F 9AM-1PM.

- Angola, Wallstraße 58, +49 (0) 30-24 08 97-0, [130]. M-Tu Th-F 9AM-1PM.

- Argentina, Kleiststraße 23-26 (Wittenbergplatz), +49(0)30 226689 0 (info@embargent.de), [131]. M-F 9AM-5PM.

- Armenia, Nußbaumallee 4, +49 (0)30 405091-0, [132]. M-Tu Th 10AM-1PM, and Tu 2:30PM-5PM.

- Australia, Wallstraβe 76-79, +49 (0)30 88 00 88 0 (fax: +49 (0)30 88 00 88 210), [133]. M W F 9AM-11AM.

- Austria, Stauffenbergstraße 1, +49 (0)30 202 87-0 (berlin-ka@bmeia.gv.at), [134]. M-Tu Th-F 9AM-1PM and W noon-4PM.

- Azerbaijan, Axel-Springer-Straße 54, +49 (0)30 2191613, [135]. M W F 9AM-noon.

- Bahrain, Klingelhöferstraße 7, +49 (0)30-86 87 77 77 (info@bahrain-embassy.de), [136].

- Bangladesh, Dovestr. 1, +49 (0)30 398975-0 (info@bangladeshembassy.de), [137]. M-F 9AM-1PM and 2PM-5PM.

- Belarus, Am Treptower Park 32, +49 (0)30 536 359 0, [138].

- Benin, Englerallee 23, +49-(0)30-2363 147-10, [139]. M-F 9AM-1PM and 2PM-5PM.

- Bolivia, Wichmannstraße 6, +49 (0)30 263915-0, [140]. M-F 9AM-1PM.

- Brazil, Wallstrasse 57, +49 (0)30-72628-0 (brasil@brasemberlim.de), [141]. M-F 8:30AM-1:30PM.

- Cambodia, Benjamin-Vogelsdorff-Straße 2, +49 (0)30-486 379 01 (rec-berlin@t-online.de), [142]. M-Th 08:30AM-noon and 1:30PM-4:30PM, F 8:30AM-1PM.

- Cameroon, Kurfürstendamm 136, +49 (0)30-89068090 (berlin@ambacam.de), [143]. 9:30AM-12:30PM and 3PM-4PM.

- Canada, Leipziger Platz 17, +49 (30) 20 312-0, [144]. M-F 9AM-11AM.

- China, Märkisches Ufer 54, +49 (0)30-27588 0 (fax: +49 30-27588221), [145]. M-F 9AM-noon.

- Croatia, Ahornstraße 4, +49 (0)30 2191 5514 (berlin@mvpei.hr, fax: +49 (0)30 2362 8965), [146]. M-F 9AM-5PM.

- Finland, Rauchstrasse 1, +49 (0)30 50 50 30, [147]. M-F 9AM-noon.

- India, Tiergartenstr. 17, +49 (0)30 257 95101, [148]. M-F 9:30AM-12:30PM.

- Indonesia, Lehrter St 16-17, +49 (0)30 47807 0, [149]. M-Th 9AM-12:30PM and 2:30PM-3:30PM, F 9AM-noon.

- Iran, Podbielskiallee 67, +49 (0)30 84353399, [150]. M-F 8:15AM-4:15PM.

- Ireland, Jägerstraße 51 10117 Berlin, +49 (0)30 220720 (fax: +49 (0)30 22072299), [151]. M-F 09:30-12:30 & 14:30-16:30.

- Israel, Auguste-Viktoria-St 74-76, +49(0)30–8904 5500, [152]. M-Th 9:30AM-1PM, F 9:30AM-12:30PM.

- Japan, Hiroshimastraße 6, +49(0) 30 210 94-0 (info@botschaft-japan.de), [153]. M-F 9AM-12:15PM and 2PM-4PM.

- Mongolia, Dietzgenstrasse 31, +49 (0)30 474806 0, [154]. M-Tu Th 8:30AM-noon, W 1:30PM-5PM.

- Nepal, Guerickestrasse 27 2F, +49 (0)30 343599 -20,-21,-22, [155]. M-F 9:30AM-12:30PM.

- New Zealand, Friedrichstrasse 60, +49-(0)30 20621-0 (nzembber@infoem.org), [156]. M-F 9AM-1PM and 2PM-5:30PM.

- Pakistan, Schaperstr. 29 (U-Bhf Spichernstrasse), +49 (0)30-21244299 (mail@pakemb.de), [157]. M-F 9AM-1PM and 2PM-5PM except F 9AM-12:30PM.

- Russia, Unter den Linden 63-65, +49 (0)30 / 229 11 10 (info@russische-botschaft.de), [158]. M-F 8:30AM-6PM.

- Serbia, Taubertstraße 18, +49 (0)30 / 8957700 (info@botschaft-serbien.de, fax: +49 (0)30 / 8252206), [159]. M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM.

- United States, Clayallee 170, +49 30-8305-0, [160].

- Vietnam, Elsenstraße 3, +49 (0)30 53630-108 (berlin@vietnambotschaft.org), [161]. M W Th 9AM-12:30PM and 1:30PM-5PM.

- Yemen, Budapester Straße 37, +49 (0)30-897 305-0 (info@Botschaft-Jemen.de), [162]. M-F 9AM-3PM.

- Zambia, Axel Springer-St 54a, +49 (0)30 2062940, [163]. M-F 9AM-4PM.

- Zimbabwe, Axel-Springer-Straße 54a/Kommundantenstr. 80, +49 (0)30-2 06 22 63. M-F 9AM-1PM, 2PM-4:30PM.

Get out

- Potsdam is the capital of the surrounding federal state of Brandenburg, not far southwest of Berlin, and makes a perfect day trip. Especially the park of Sanssouci, a world heritage site with its great famous palaces, is worth a visit. You can get there with the S-Bahn S7 or Regional-Bahn RE1 to the station Potsdam Hauptbahnhof or Park Sanssouci (fare zone C). It takes about half an hour from Berlin Hauptbahnhof or Friedrichstraße.

- Sachsenhausen is in outer Oranienburg, a quiet suburb housing the remains of one of the Nazi concentration camps on German soil. There's also a small palace in the center of Oranienburg.

- The Müritz lake region to the north is a national park with a few hundred lakes.

- To the south, Dresden is 2.5 hrs & Leipzig is about one hour by train.

- The beautiful Baltic seashore (e.g. Usedom) is near enough for a day trip by train.

- The Spreewald is a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve. It includes low-lying areas in which the river Spree meanders in thousands of small waterways through meadows and forests. It is a beautiful, unique landscape about one hour south of Berlin and well worth a day trip or a weekend trip to relax from the buzzing city life.

- Frankfurt an der Oder on the Polish border is within easy reach.

- Lutherstadt Wittenberg is about 1.5 hours south of Berlin. Schlosskirche was the church where Martin Luther hung his Theses. Across the street from there is a visitor's center with great information. Great city to tour and one can easily explore on foot.

- The Raststaette Grunewald at the S-Bahn station Nikolassee is a good spot for hitching if you're heading south or west.

The Polish border is just some 90km to the east of Berlin, therefore it might be interesting to do a trip to:

- Szczecin (Stettin) in Poland is about two and a half hours by train.

- Poznań (Posen) in Poland is three hours by train.

- Warszawa (Warschau) in Poland is five and a half hours by train and tickets are available in SparDay/SparNight tariff for EUR 29 or EUR 39.

District Mitte Table of Contents

• Understand

Orientation

• Get in

Public transport

• See

Landmarks

Museums and Galleries

Private art galleries

• Do

Theater

Other

• Buy

Flea markets

Gifts and souvenirs

Record shops

• Eat

Budget

Midrange

Splurge

Splurge

• Drink

Clubs

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Contact

• Get out

Understand
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Here, we speak about the districts in their old sense (Mitte, Tiergarten, Wedding).

Orientation
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The old district Mitte can be divided into several neighborhoods and sub-districts in order to help travellers crossing it:

- Mitte:

- Unter den Linden, the main boulevard, from Museum Island to Brandenburg Gate, crossing the main shopping street, Friedrichstrasse, half way along.

- Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and Lustgarten (the square in front of the Altes Museum and adjacent to the Berlin Cathedral.

- Nikolaiviertel, a quarter near Alexanderplatz which comes close to old town style, but built by the DDR regime.

- Spandauer Vorstadt with Scheunenviertel.

The Spandauer Vorstadt is located north of the River Spree and the Hackescher Markt. It is bordered on the north by the east-west course of the Torstrasse, on the east by Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse and by the northern part of Friedrichstrasse to the west. The eastern part of the area takes its name Scheunenviertel (the "Barn Quarter") from the move in 1672 by the Great Elector of all the hay barns out of the fire-prone city center. In the late 19th century, the area became a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution and pogrom in Russia and Poland. By then it was the center of Jewish life in Berlin.

- Tiergarten is located west of Mitte, the Brandenburg Gate marks the north-south-border.

- Wedding is located north of Mitte, with Bernauer Strasse as its border. There you can also visit some remains of the Berlin Wall.

Get in
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Mitte regained its position as the main transfer point as in June 2006 with the opening of the new main station (Hauptbahnhof), a giant palace of glass and steel, which is at the border of Mitte and Tiergarten. Almost all short- and long-haul trains will arrive and depart from this station. Other main public transport stations are Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz.

Public transport
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Mitte is served by many S- and U-Bahn lines. The S1, S2 and S25 go from north (Oranienburg and Gesundbrunnen) to south (Potsdamer Platz and Schöneberg), the Stadtbahn (city S-Bahn, line 3, 5, 7, and 75) goes from west (Charlottenburg) to east (Friedrichshain). They cross at Friedrichstraße. U-Bahn line 2 connects Mitte with Charlottenburg (west) and Prenzlauer Berg (northeast), the U-Bahn lines 6 and 8 go north to Wedding and south to Kreuzberg and Neukölln.

The most important stations are:

- Alexanderplatz— The main connecting station; old centre of East Berlin, now about to experience a major revival.

- Friedrichstrasse— For Friedrichstr, Unter den Linden and as a connecting station.

- Unter den Linden— For Unter den Linden, Brandenburger Tor and Reichstag.

- Hackescher Markt— For the lively area at the end of Oranienburgerstrasse. Do no miss the Hackesche Höfe which is ca 20 connected backyards.

- Stadtmitte— For Gendarmenmarkt.

- Klosterstrasse— For Nikolaiviertel.

- Potsdamer Platz— For Potsdamer Platz and Kulturforum (the philharmonic, some museums).

- Tiergarten— For the Tiergarten park, the flea market on the Strasse des 17th Juni and the Siegessäule (Victory column).

- Gesundbrunnen— The main station of Wedding, where also some regional trains stop.

See
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Landmarks
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- Berlin from below (Berliner Unterwelten), Brunnenstraße 105 (at Gesundbrunnen station), [1]. Several daily tours 10AM-4PM in different languages. Go on guided tours below Berlin to the WWII bunkers, flak towers, cold war defence shelters, etc.

- Old Jewish Cemetery (Alter Jüdischer Friedhof), Grosse Hamburger Strasse. €9-12 for tours.

- Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), Am Lustgarten (U-Bahn: U2, U5, or U8 to Alexanderplatz. S-Bahn: S3, S5, S7, or S75 to Hackescher Markt), +49 (0/20) 2026 91 36 (info@berlinerdom.de), [2]. M-Sa 9AM-8PM, Sunday and holidays noon-8PM (From October until April the cathedral is open only until 7PM). The city's Protestant cathedral and the burial place of the Prussian kings.

- Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor), [3]. The only surviving Berlin city gate and a potent symbol of the city. This is the point where Straße des 17. Juni becomes Unter den Linden. The gate was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1791 and was intended to resemble the Acropolis in Athens. The Brandenburg Gate now symbolizes reunification, after dividing East and West Berlin for decades)

- Fernsehturm/Alexanderplatz. The Fernsehturm's nickname, "Telespargel" (television-asparagus) does not come close to expressing how this huge monument to tacky 20th-century culture dominates the sweeping, open square. This 368-meter high metal vegetable (it's a TV tower) sprouted from the concrete in the years 1965-69, during a particularly hideous Soviet-inspired architectural era in the East. During certain times of day, sunlight reflecting from the top caused a large cross-shaped light to shine down on the city. Called the Rache des Papstes (Pope's revenge) by nominally atheist East Berliners, the light-cross was an ironic result of socialist architecture. Rumour has it the architect was deprived of more than his next commission after that fiasco. At night, the Fernsehturm sometimes appears to be shooting light beams from the tower section, giving the impression it's a Death Star a la Star Wars.

- Marienkirche/Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, (next to the Fernsehturm). Gothic church, the second oldest (built in late 13th century) of the historical centre of Berlin. It's the highest church tower of Berlin (about 90 m), but seems rather small beneath the gigantic TV tower. The church tower was built in the late 18th century by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the architect of the Brandenburg Gate.

- Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe (Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas), Ebertstraße 20, +49 (0/20) 26 39 43 36 (besucherservice@stiftung-denkmal.de, fax: +49 (0/20) 26 39 43 21), [4]. A vast Holocaust memorial designed by the American architect Peter Eisenman and built close to the Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz, only a few hundred metres from the site of Hitler's bunker. The memorial is a very controversial one with several painful scandals coming to light over the project's life. Some criticize the memorial for only being dedicated to murdered Jews and not to other victims of Nazi genocide. It was later discovered that a company producing an anti-graffiti chemical which was used to protect the memorial owned a company that produced Zyklon-B, which was used in concentration and death camps to kill prisoners. After much criticism, it was decided to continue working with the company, much to the dismay of the Jewish community. Furthermore, Joesph Goebbels', the Nazi propaganda minister, wartime bunker is located under a part of the memorial.

- Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue), Oranienburger Straße 28/30, +49 (0/30) 8802 83 00 (office@cjudaicum.de, fax: +49 (0/30) 8802 84 83), [5].

- Neue Wache (New Guardhouse), Unter den Linden 4, [6]. Originally erected in 1818 to a classically-inspired design by Karl Friedrich Schinkel as a guardhouse for the imperial palace, since 1993 this compact building has housed a small, but extremely powerful war cenotaph, the Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany, continuing its use under East German rule as the primary "Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism". The interior of the Doric column-fronted building is intentionally empty, but for a small but moving sculpture by Käthe Kollwitz depicting a mother cradling a dead child. The statue is positioned beneath a round hole in the ceiling, exposing the figures to the rain and snow.

- The Bebelplatz (formerly Opernplatz), Opernplatz. Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels made Bebelplatz (then called Opernplatz) infamous on 10th May 1933, when he used the square across from Humboldt University to burn 20,000 books by "immoral" authors of whom the Nazis did not approve. Their list included Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Arnold Zweig, Kurt Tucholsky and Sigmund Freud. Today a monument is the reminder, though it blames Nazi students for the episode. When entering the square it's easy to miss the monument. Look dead centre: the monument is underground. A piece of plexiglass allows the viewer to look underground into a large, white room, filled with entirely empty, blank white bookcases. The absence of books reminds the viewer just what was lost here: ideas. But the event did reveal things to come, as author and philosopher Heinrich Heine, whose books were burned, said in 1821: "This was only the foreplay. Where they burn books, they will also burn people". He was correct.

- Pariser Platz. The large square in front of the Brandenburg Gate contains the French and American embassies, as well as the rebuilt Hotel Adlon and the new building of the Academy of Arts.

- Park Inn Alexanderplatz. The tallest multistory building in Berlin at 132 meters. There is a panoramic restaurant in the uppermost floor. Sneak into the main entrance of the Radison SAS business hotel on Karl-Liebknecht Straße. Here you can have a quick glance at the famous Aquadom, the world's biggest cylindrical Aquarium. It was build in 2003 by the US company Reynolds and Hydro Sight [7]. The best news at the end; There is no entrance fee for watching (but for taking a trip with the elevator you have to pay the entrance fee for the whole Sea Aquarium adjacent to the hotel).

- The Reichstag [8]— This imposing building houses the Federal German Parliament or "Bundestag" and was originally completed in 1894 to meet the need of the newly-unified German Empire of the Kaisers' for a larger parliamentary building. The Reichstag was intended to resemble a Renaissance palace, and its architect, Paul Wallot, dedicated the building to the German people. The massive inscription in front still reads: "Dem Deutschen Volke" - 'For the German people'. The Nazi leader Adolf Hitler exploited the fire which gutted the Reichstag building in 1933 by blaming the Communists for the arson and for attempted revolution. There is good evidence to suggest, however, that his followers were actually responsible and that this was a manufactured crisis. When German reunification became a reality, the new republic was proclaimed here at midnight on the 2nd October 1990. The Reichstag has undergone considerable restoration and alteration, not least the addition of a spectacular glass dome designed by the British architect Norman Foster. The Reichstag building is well-known in the art world thanks to Paris-based Bulgarian artist Christo's mammoth 'Wrapped Reichstag' project in 1995. The entire building was swathed in silver cloth for two weeks that summer.

- Russische Botschaft (Russian Embassy), Unter den Linden 55/65, [9]. A vast wedding cake of a building, built between 1949-1951 in the best Stalinist style and meant to symbolize the dominance of the Soviet Union in East German affairs before 1989.

- Weltzeituhr (World Clock), Alexanderplatz (U-Bahn & S-Bahn: Alexanderplatz). Built in 1969, this 16-ton, communist-era clock is one of Berlin's main meeting points. Each of its 24 sides corresponds to one of Earth's 24 time zones and it has the names of some of the world's most important cities written on it.

Museums and Galleries
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Museumsinsel

Based on plans of the famous architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1822 and starting with construction from 1830 onwards, the island in the river Spree was developed as a Museum island by the Prussian emperors. There are five museums today on that island that mainly focus on archaeology and art of the 19th century. After the reunification, all museums were restored (or are restored still) and were brought back to life. The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

- Pergamon Museum, (Museumsinsel), [10]. There are three huge collections housed within this grand building: the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of Near Eastern Antiquities and the Museum of Islamic Art. The Pergamon Museum was the last museum built on Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and was intended to house the great acquisitions brought to Germany by archaeologists of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The museum's best-known attraction is the Pergamonsaal. The Pergamon Altar (165 BC), from the eponymous Asia Minor city-state, is three stories high and served as the entrance gate to an entire complex. It is astounding both because of its size and extremely precise detail, especially in a frieze which shows the gods battling giants. The entire room is the same color as the building's stone, making the details on the frieze section stand out even more. Facing the stairs, on the left hand side of the room there is a small-scale model of the altar which allows the viewer to see where the frieze segments would have originally been mounted. A 1:300 scale model of Pergamon city is on the right side of the room. The monumental market door of Milet is under restoration, but it is still possible to see large parts of it.

- Part of the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) [11]&mdash The most spectacular part of which is the reconstructed façade of the great altar of Pergamon. There is also the perhaps even greater Ish-Tar gate of Babylon, from centuries BC, which is reconstructed together with a strech of the procession way.

- Altes Museum, Museumsinsel, [12]. The main floor houses the antiquities collection in an ongoing exhibit called "Neue Antike im Alten Museum" (New Antiquities in the Old Museum). Directly through the front door, entering from the Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden, now under reconstruction), there is a domed rotunda with red and white cameos, Greek-style, with statues of the gods. To reach the Hildesheim silver collection, go to the back of the rotunda, turn left, walk through the long gallery and turn left into a small room at the end.

- Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Bodestraße 1-3, +49 (0/30) 2090 5801 (ang@smb.spk-berlin.de, fax: +49 (0/30) 2090 5802), [13]. Specializes in 19th century painting and sculpture; Monet, Manet, Cézanne, C. David Friedrich and other important 18th and 19th century artists are well-represented.

- Deutsches Historisches Museum, Unter den Linden 2 (U-Bahn: Französische Straße, Hausvogteiplatz or Friedrichstraße. Bus: 100, 200 und TXL (Staatsoper stop)), +49 30 203040 (fax: +49 30 20304 - 543), [14]. Daily 10AM-4PM. German historical museum covering everything from pre-history right up to the present day. One can spend many, many hours here! €5 for a day, €30 for annual pass. Children and under-18s free.

- Deutsche Guggenheim, Unter den Linden 13-15 (U-Bahn: U6 to Französische Strasse), +49 (0/30) 20 20 930 (berlin.guggenheim@db.com, fax: +49 (0/30) 20 20 9320), [15]. Compared to New York, Bilbao and Venezia, it is a relatively small exhibition place. It usually hosts a temporary exibition and is free on Monday, with a free guided tour starting at 4PM. Since the place is small and the name "Guggenheim" a very famous one, the place is often very crowded.

- Museum für Post und Kommunikation, Leipziger Straße 16, +49 (0/30) 202 94 0 (mk.berlin@mspt.de, fax: +49 (0/30) 202 94 111), [16]. Hours: Tu. - Fr.: 9AM - 5PM. Sa., Su., and holidays: 10AM - 6PM (Closed Monday). Museum for telecommunication and post with many interesting historical objects. Normal ticket: 3 Euro.

- Zille Museum, Propststraße 11, +49 (0/30) 246 32 502, [17]. A museum dedicated to the Berliner artist.

- Museum of Applied Arts divided between two sites - the Culture Forum (together with the Picture Gallery) and Koepenick Castle.

- Ramones Museum Berlin, Krausnickstrasse 23 (off Oranienburgerstrasse), ''0049'' 30 75528890 (mail@ramonesmuseum.com), [18]. The Ramones Museum Berlin pays tribute to the Punk band The Ramones. It displays more than 300 unique and original Ramones memorabilia. You can get a drink at cafe Mania inside the museum. EUR 3.50.

- Berlin Wall Documentation Center, Bernauer Straße 111, +49 (0/30) 464 10 30 (fax: +49 (0/30) 460 69 740), [19]. April to October; Tu. - Su.: 10AM - 6PM. November - March; Tu. - Su.: 10AM - 5PM. (Closed Monday).

- DDR Museum, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 1, +49 (0/30) 847 123 73-1 (+49 (0/30) 847 123 73-0, post@ddr-museum.de, fax: +49 (0/30) 847 123 73-9), [20]. M. - Su.: 10AM - 8PM (Open Saturday until 10PM). A museum dedicated to every day life at the DDR time. The museum has very relaxed rules and you are allowed to touch and examine almost every object, which adds greatly to the experience. Regular admission: €5.50.

- 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 (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.

- Hanf Museum Berlin, (Mitte) Mühlendamm 5 (Bus M48, Station 'Nikolaiviertel', everything else near Alexanderplatz), 030 / 242 48 27 (info@hanfmuseum.de), open Tue-Fr: 10AM-9PM, Sa/So: 12PM-8PM, Mo closed; It is the only hemp museum in Germany; you can see the history of hemp, the culture and use of it. You can see hemp grow. There is a cafe downstairs, with an open wavelan access. 3,- Euros, Kids under 10 go free and tours are possible.

- The Neptunbrunnen bronze fountain by Reinhold Begas. It was erected in 1891 as a present from the city of Berlin to the Kaiser. It stands between the Marienkirche and the Rotes Rathaus, Berlin's 5th town hall, built in 1869. This is one of the nicer Neptune statues in Europe, and there are many. Neptune, trident in hand, presides over the square supported by sea-nymphs with webbed feet carrying him on a seashell. Denizens of the deep (a seal, an alligator, snakes and turtles, among others) spray water at him in homage while languishing mer-ladies pour water into the fountain, clutching sea-nets overflowing with marine bounty.

The Rotes Rathaus, which is the town hall, is so called because it is made of red brick, not due to its former political persuasion. There are nice Prussian rooms inside, which are worth a look.

Looking back in time, it becomes easier to appreciate Alexanderplatz's importance to Berlin. Historically the square was called Ochsenplatz or Ochsenmarkt (Ox-Place or Market), and the southern segment known as Paradeplatz. The section nearer the old town wall housed a wool and meat market until the nineteenth century and the southern section was used to exercise horses. The square was renamed in 1805 when Tsar Alexander I came to town to make a mutual-defense pact with Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III against Napoleon. Five streets which radiate out from the square like spokes are named after their intended destinations (Schönhauser, Prenzlauer, Greifswalder, Landsberger, and Frankfurter Allees - "allée" is another word contributed to the German language by its seventeenth-century French settlers, meaning boulevard.)

In 1882 Alexanderplatz gained a train station, cementing its importance as a transportation center. Four years later, north of the station, Berlin's first large department store, the Zentral-Markthalle opened. The "Berolina," a 7.5 meter high statue by Emil Hundreiser which symbolized Berlin until it was melted down for its copper during World War II, was installed nearby in 1895, close to the then-central police station. All the hustle and bustle would soon come to an end - luckily, doctor and sometime novelist Alfred Döblin immortalized the square in a novel titled Berlin Alexanderplatz in 1929 before everything came crashing down. Literally. During World War II almost everything in Alexanderplatz was bombed out, crashed into or otherwise destroyed.

- The Gemäldegalerie (Tiergarten) (Painting Gallery) [21], Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz (Stauffenbergstraße 40), tel 030-2662101, fax 030-2662103, open Tu- Su 10AM-6PM, Th 10AM-10PM U-Bahn / S-Bahn Potsdamer-Platz, Bus 129, 341 (Potsdamer Brücke), 148, 348, (Kulturforum), 200 (Philharmonie), 248 (Potsdamer Platz)— The Gemäldegalerie contains an astounding array of paintings, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Goya, Velasquez and Watteau. The collection contains works from the old Bodemuseum on Museumsinsel in the East, now closed, and the former Gemäldegalerie in Dahlem. Its strong points are German paintings of the 13-16th centuries, Netherlandish painting of the 15th and 16th centuries, Flemish paintings of the 17th century, and miniature paintings of the 16th-19th centuries. In the newer section of the museum, designed by architects Heinz Hilmer and Christoph Sattler, there is enough space to display 1,150 masterpieces in the main gallery and 350 in the studio gallery - of the almost 2,900 pieces in the European painting collections. Established in 1830, the newly built gallery from 1998 is situated at the Kulturforum complex and has about 7,000 sq m of exhibition space (a complete tour of the 72 rooms covers almost 2 km).

- Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts), Tiergartenstraße 6 (U-Bahn / S-Bahn Potsdamer-Platz, Bus 129, 341 (Potsdamer Brücke), 148, 348, (Kulturforum), 200 (Philharmonie), 248 (Potsdamer Platz)), +49 (0/20) 266 2902 (kgm@smb.spk-berlin.de, fax: +49 (0/20) 266 2947), [22]. Tu-Fri-10AM-6PM, Sa & Sun-11AM -6PM (Closed Monday). The oldest museum of its kind in Germany which, despite great losses during the World War II, still possesses one of the world's primary collections of European applied art. There are two sections to the collection: one located at the Kulturforum in Tiergarten, the other at Köpenick Palace (re-opened 27th May 2004).

- Nikolaikirche. Berlin's oldest church (1230) is a 3-nave hall church. It is in the center of an area destroyed by bombs in the war which was then turned into a faux "old town" by the East German authorities called Nikolaiviertel. The area is more a hodge-podge of relocated buildings than an authentic reproduction, and the newly-built 1988 apartments that attempt to "harmonize" with the older buildings are embarrassing. The church itself is one of the only structures that was renovated rather than rebuilt. It is best known for a sandstone sculpture called the Spandauer Madonna (1290), but there are other interesting pieces here. When the church was destroyed in 1938 and rebuilt in the 1970s, the communist officials intended to use it as a museum, which did not open until 1987. The museum includes sacred textiles and religious sculpture from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The Nikolaikirche is the showplace of the Nikolaiviertel, which isn't saying much.

Private art galleries
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As Berlin is a city of art, it is quite easy to find an art gallery on your way. They provide a nice opportunity to have a look at modern artists' work in a not so crowded environment for free. Some gallery streets in Mitte with more than about a dozen galleries are Auguststraße, Linienstraße, Torstraße, Brunnenstraße (all north of S-Bahn station Oranienburger Straße) and Zimmerstraße (U-Bahn station Kochstraße). A directory listing of all Mitte's art galleries can be found on The Art of Berlin: Complete Berlin Art Gallery Directory [23]

- Art Center Berlin Friedrichstraße, Friedrichstraße 134, Tel. +49 30 27879020 [24]. Four floors of exhibitions with a relatively good variety of genres and artists. A very nice oasis of calm from the busy Friedrichstraße.

- boxoffberlin (a/k/a bob), Zimmerstraße 11, Tel. +49 30 44701555 [25]. Exhibitions of Berlin artists. bob is also a shop for Berlin-Design-Souvenirs and a Café.

- Galerie Eigen & Art, Auguststraße 26, Tel. +49 30 280 6605, [26]. One of the most famous German art galleries, home to the Neue Leipziger Schule (Neo Rauch et al.)

Do
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During summertime you can enjoy an open-air cinema in front of the Altes Museum, showing alternative movies (most of them in original language). It's very wise to buy tickets for the "Sommerkino" in the afternoon if you don't want to join a long queue at night with the chance of not getting a ticket.

Theater
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- Grips Theater, (info@grips-theater.de), [27]. Famous children's theater with a light political touch, European recognition for the musical Linie 1.

- Kabaret Theater Distel, Friedrichstraße 101, +49 (0/30) 20 44 704 (distel@distel-berlin.de, fax: +49 (0/30) 20 81 555), [28]. Cabaret and comedy, political satire in German.

- Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 2, +49 (0/30) 20221-0, [29]. Sometimes plays the 3 Pennys Opera by Brecht.

Other
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- Imax 3D, Potsdamer Straße 4, +49 (0/30) 260 66 400 (imax@cinestar.de), [30]. The worldwide recognised theatre at Potsdamer Straße

- Legoland Discovery Centre, Potsdamer Straße 4, +49 (0/30) 30 10 400 (berlin@legolanddiscoverycentre.de), [31]. An educational attraction for children, featuring a LEGO replica of Berlin

Buy
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- Potsdamer Platz Arkaden is a medium sized shopping mall with the usual variety of department stores and boutiques.

Flea markets
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- Arkonaplatz, Prenzlauer Berg/Mitte, Sundays 10AM-5PM.

- Am Kupfergraben/Museumsinsel, Saturdays and Sundays 10AM-4PM.

Gifts and souvenirs
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- boxoffberlin (a/k/a bob), Zimmerstrasse 11 (U Kochstr.) [32] Only 100 meters from Checkpoint Charlie you will find a small but very interesting place for extraordinary souvenirs and gifts made by local designers. The gallery shows changing exhibitions of contemporary art, films and more from Berlin artists [33] and the little Café offers the best Espresso – fairly traded and organically grown, refreshing lemonades without artificial additives, »Berliner Weisse with a shot« ... in summer also outside in the deck chair. Open daily 11am - 6pm

Record shops
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- Rotation, Weinbergsweg 3 (Mitte) [34]. Offers a vast range of techno, house and electronica. Weekly news. Open Mon-Sat noon-8PM.

- Leila M, Rosa Luxemburg Str. 30 (Mitte), inside Kino Babylon [35]. A large selection of music on CD & vinyl: romantic songwriters, inspiring pop-music, minimal techno, contemporary electronica and so on. Open Mon-Fri noon-10PM, Sat 1PM-8PM.

Eat
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City centre Berlin "Mitte".

Budget
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- Cafe Restaurant Berlin, Gleimstrasse 24, tel 030-4480792 [36]. German & regional cuisine, breakfast buffet daily 8AM-12AM

- Kasbah, Gipsstraße 2, tel 030-2759 4361[37]. Moroccan restaurant, cafe and bar.

- Susuru, Rosa-Luxemburg Str. 17, tel 030-211 1182 [38]. Stylish new Japanese restaurant specialises in Udon dishes - Japanese noodles in a tasty soup. Be prepared to get a bit slurpy with your soup - it adds to the flavour!

- De Nhat, Auguststrasse (near Oranienburger Strasse). The best Vietnamese in town, every meal is 5 euro.

- Schinkel-Klause Unter den Linden, 5 [39]. Restaurant of German cuisine in the Opera House, where it possible to taste Berliner Weisse und Berliner Eisbein for only €13 per dish (be aware the whole leg with side-dish are served, so it's quite an amount of meat per person)

Midrange
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- Midtown Grill, Ebertstrasse 3, 030-22000 6415 (restaurant@midtown-grill.de), [40]. Following the tradition of the old American steakhouses, at Midtown Grill you will find the best steaks in town.

- Block House - [41] a number of restaurants in Berlin, where you can taste wonderful steaks.

- Restaurant Angkor Wat [42] Paulstraße 22, Tel. 030-393 39 22, Mo-Fr. 6PM - midnight & Sa-Su noon-midnight - Very good cambodian restaurant with authentic style. Lunch & Dinner sets are excellent value for money

Splurge
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- Brasserie Desbrosses, Potsdamer Platz 3, 030-33777 6340 (brasserie@desbrosses.com), [43]. The liaison of old and new in the ambiance of an authentic French Brasserie works perfectly with the Brasserie Desbrosses. Here guests may enjoy French cuisine in a carefully restored and leger ambiance.

- Brasserie Ganymed, Schiffbauerdamm 5, 030-28599046. Good French cuisine direct at the terrace of the river and close to the theaters.

- Brecht Keller, Chausseestr. 125, 030-2823843, [44]. Famous basement restaurant in former house of Brecht with Austrian inspired kitchen (receipts from Helene Weigel), reservations essential!

- Chén Che - Teahouse, Rosenthaler Str. 13, +49 30 28 88 42 82, [45]. daily 10.00-24.00H.

- Chi Sing Restaurant, Rosenthaler Str. 62, +49 30 4200 892 84, [46]. daily 12.00-24.00H. Reservation are welcome!

- Grill Royal, Friedrichstr. 105b, 030 288 79 288. Best grill restaurant in town with divine steaks and fresh oysters. Reservation for every night is essential.

- Kuchi, Gipsstr. 3, 030 28 38 66. Excellent sushi restaurant with a nice garden right in the centre of Mitte.

- Ma, Behrenstr. 72 (next to the Hotel Adlon), 030 3011 17 333, [47]. One Michelin star and 18 points from Gault Millau make this asian inspired restaurant one of the best in Berlin.

- Si An Restaurant, Rykestrasse 36, +49 30 40 50 57 75, [48]. daily 12.00-24.00 H.

Around Gendarmenmarkt

Splurge
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- VAU [49]. A Michelin star restaurant, was awarded 17 points from Gault Millau. Reservations are essential.

- Aigner [50]. Haute cuisine mixed with influences from Berlin and Vienna (reservations essential).

- Lutter & Wegner [51]. Berlin cuisine in top style, since 1811. They offer their own sparkling, red and white wine selections.

- Fischers Fritz, Charlottenstraße 49, tel. 030-2' 33 63 63. Offers a Japanese breakfast in the Regent hotel.

Drink
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- Haifischbar, Arndtstr. 25, tel 030-691 13 52 [52]. Bar with sushi and excellent cocktail and whiskey selection.

- Victoria Bar, Potsdamer Straße 102, tel 030-25 75 99 77 [53]. Comfortable bar with a huge variety of cocktails.

- Newton Bar, Charlottenstr. 57 (direct at Gendarmenmarkt), tel 030-20 61 29 90. Impressive bar that is the must hang-out place for the beautiful, the famous and the rich. Excellent cigar and whiskey selection.

- Reingold, Novalisstrasse 11, tel. 030 217 516 45. Lounge in a former locomotive construction hall (1930s style), mix of after work crowd and normal scene.

- Riva, Dircksenstrasse 142, +49 030 24 72 2688. Sa-Th 8PM-after 1AM, F 7PM-after 1AM. This stylish bar, named after Italian football star Luigi Riva, boasts a colorfully displayed curved ceiling painted in red, yellow, and purple squares. It's the perfect spot for grabbing one of the assortment of exotic martinis or champagne cocktails.

- Belushi's, 39-41 Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse, Berlin, +49 30 8145 3960, [54]. 12 till late. A popular English speaking bar with one of Berlin's largest range of live sports events. A very relaxed atmosphere with a 5 hour happy hour each night. Relatively low prices on food and drink.

Clubs
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- Delicious Doughnuts, Rosenthaler Strasse 9, 10119 Berlin Mitte, U-bahn Rosenthalerplatz. Very cozy venue (bar-style) with a relaxed atmosphere. Definitely non-pretentious with a diverse and friendly crowd. Remember to ring the door bell and wait for the door to be opened before you walk in. There is usually a small entry fee. Especially great when coming in the early morning hours.

- Adagio, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1, direct on Potsdamer Platz. A place with chandeliers for the healthy and older (30+) crowd.

- Felix[55], Behrenstraße 72 (backside of Hotel Adlon), Club for the rich and (wannabe) famous. Popular for its Thursday after work party.

- Cafe Moskau, Karl-Marx-Allee 34 [56]. Every Sunday night there is the GMF, a mainly gay party U-Schillingstraße(U5).

- Sophienclub, Sophienstr. 6. Tuesdays is Britpop, Disco on Thursdays and Funk & Soul on Saturdays.

- Grüner und Roter Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2, right and left at the Volksbühne. On weekends hip hop, electro, 80s and indie with freestyle DJs. Grüner Salon also features Swing/Tango/Salsa Parties.

- Club der polnischen Versager, Ackerstraße 170, tel 030-280 937 79 [57]. From Polish films to country music, everything to make our neighbours feel like home. Closed right now till the end of the year (2008).

- CCCP, Rosenthaler Str. 71, tel 0179 69 29 13. CCCP is a GDR-inspired club/bar with a nice atmosphere and alternative music.

- Levee Club, Neue Promenade 10, it is right under the bridge of the trainstation. it is small and comfortable. mainly they play indie and electronic music and sometimes 60ies. people from 18-27 and sometimes older go there. the entrance is mostly cheap.

- 40 Seconds, Potsdamer Strasse 58, 030 890 642 41 (guest@40seconds.de), [58]. Named for the amount of time it takes the elevator to reach the dance floor, this club has three roof terraces and an amazing view of the city. Come here in the summer when it's warm

Sleep
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Accommodation in Mitte is mostly catered for the backpacker or business traveller so the mid-range market is small. When you intend to travel for a trade fair, prices tend to rise fast but not as bad as in Frankfurt. During off-peak times, the splurge hotels offer substantials discounts that bring down the price to mid-range level (120 Euros per night are offered sometimes), so check carefully upfront for special offers.

Budget
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- Amstel House Berlin, Waldenserstr. 31, +49 30 395 4072 (info@amstelhouse.de), [59]. A newly refurbished guest house in an Art Nouveau style building. Four-bedded dorms from €15/person/night. Single and twin rooms en-suite also available. 7 minutes away from the central station, 15 mins from Tegel airport, 2 stops with the U-Bahn from the zoo station Tiergarten.

- baxpax Mitte Hostel Berlin (Mittes Backpacker Hostel), Chausseestr. 102 (U Naturkundemuseum), 28 39 09 65 (info@backpacker.de, fax: 28 39 09 35), [60]. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 11:00. Berlin's first art hostel was completly renovated in early 2011. The rooms are light and stylish! They have a guest kitchen and bike rental. Wifi is for free! from 10 €. (52.53206,13.38018)

- baxpax downtown Hostel Berlin, Ziegelstr. 29 (S-Bahn Friedrichsstr.), 27874880 (info@backpacker.de, fax: 28 39 09 35), [61]. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 11:00. The baxpax downtown Hostel Hotel covering a further segment between Youth Guesthouses and Hotels by the mixture of top level service and the famous multi-cultural and cozy atmosphere. The have a nice bar, a roof top terrace and free wifi! from 13 €. (52.58887,13.46899)

- The Circus Hostel, Weinbergsweg 1a (U-Bahn: Rosenthaler Platz), 2839 1433 (info@circus-berlin.de, fax: 2839 1484), [62]. 2-Bed rooms start at €28 per person, sleeping hall starts at €19. Not to be confused with the hotel of the same name across the street.

- City Guesthouse Pension Berlin, Gleimstrasse 24 (Metro Station Schoenhauser Allee (200m), Central Line U2/S4/S8/Metro Tram), 0(049)30 4480792 (info@berlin-pension.net, fax: 0(049)30 44047489), [63]. checkin: 04:00pm. Offering free Wi-Fi and free parking, these welcoming rooms and apartments are situated in Berlin's popular Prenzlauer Berg district. Alexanderplatz is 8 minutes away by underground train. All rooms include flat-screen TV with cable channels, a cosy seating area and facilities for making hot drinks.

- Citystay Hostel Berlin-Mitte, Rosenstraße 16, +49 30 2362 4031 (info@citystay.de, fax: +49 30 2790 7170), [64]. Citystay is a modern city hostel, opened in April 2005. Comfortable ambience and low prices.

- Gästehaus Berlin Mitte (former Gästehaus der Charité), Habersaathstraße 40a (Metro station Naturkundemuseum, S-Bahn Hauptbahnhof or Friedrichstrasse TRAM M6, M8), +49.30.992 968 820 (info@gaestehaus-berlin-mitte.de, fax: +49.30.992 968 849). checkin: 10.30; checkout: 10.00. * Heart of Gold Hostel Berlin, Johannisstr. 11 (U-Bahn: Oranienburger Tor, S-Bahn: Friedrichstrasse/Oranienburger Straße), 2900 3300 (bridge@heartofgold-hostel.de, fax: 290 44 717), [65]. 2-Bed rooms start at €48/room, big dorms start at €14.

- Helter Skelter Hostel Berlin (former Clubhouse Hostel), Kalkscheunenstr. 4-5 (U-Bahn: Oranienburger Tor, S-Bahn: Friedrichstrasse), 280 44 997 (info@helterskelterhostel.com, fax: 290 44 717), [66]. 2-Bed Rooms start at €46/room, big dorms start at €13.

- Jugendgästehaus Berlin International, Kluckstr. 3, +49 30 261 1097 (service@jugendherberge.de), [67]. Four-bed rooms start at 21 € (depending on age), ten-person-dormitories start at €15, all overnights including breakfast and bedsheets. Central location near Potsdam Square with quiet surroundings. HI-Hostel-membership required, international guests may also pay €3.10 extra for an overnight membership.

- MEININGER Hotel Berlin Central Station, Ella-Trebe-Straße 9 (S-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof), tel. +49 30 666 36 100 (fax: +49 30 666 36 222) (welcome@meininger-hotels.com), [68]. Double Rooms start at €39 per person, dormitory starts at €21. It's next to the Central Station - just 50 m to walk.

- St Christopher's Berlin (Berlin Hostel), 39-41 Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse, Berlin, 10178, +49 30 8145 3960 (berlin@st-christophers.co.uk, fax: +49 30 8145 3960), [69]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: 11AM. A new well maintained hostel with large public bar downstairs located in Mitte. Generally good security and friendly international staff. Part of a large independent hostel chain. €18 with breakfast.

- wombats CITY HOSTEL Berlin, Alte Schönhauser Str. 2, 10119 Berlin (near to Alexanderplatz and Hackesche Höfe in a trendy area), +49/30/8471028-0 (office@wombats-berlin.de), [70]. checkin: 2 p.m.; checkout: 10 a.m.. Opened in 2008, next to Metro Rosa Luxemburg Platz. All rooms with shower and toilet; free WLAN, bar with happy hour etc. 17,00-60,00 Euro.

Mid-range
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- Circus Hotel [71] Rosenthalerstr. 1 - About ten steps from the Rosenthaler Platz U-bahn. Nicer version of the hostel with excellent amenities at affordable rates. Breakfast included, free wifi; free laptops, DVDs, and iPods available to borrow. Reserve early and ask for interior room if street noise bothers you at night. Exceptionally friendly service.

- Hotel Berlin Berlin [72] Luetzowplatz 17 - Located in the heart of the city and just a few minutes from shopping on Kurfürstendamm or sightseeing in the Tiergarten park. Also nearby is the newer Potsdamer Platz area with restaurants, theatres, movies and shops as well as the more elegant area of Friedrichstrasse. Hotel Berlin Berlin is one of the best business hotels in Berlin, with ample conference rooms and discounts for large parties and conventions.

- Flats in Berlin, Office address: Schönhauser Allee 5, 10119 Berlin, +49 (0)30 5471 3890 (info@flatsinberlin.com), [73]. Short term rental apartments in various locations and sections of Berlin. Well priced and located both in Mitte as well as the other locations in the city center.

- NH Berlin Mitte, Leipziger Strasse 106-111, [74]. Located at the heart of Berlin and renovated in 2008, this hotel offers 392 spacious bedrooms, meeting rooms and a spa. Being situated in the heart of the city, there are many sightseeing opportunities close-by.

- Courtyard by Marriott Berlin City Centre [75] Just a two-minute walk to the subway and situated close to Berlin highlights.

- Pestana Berlin Tiergarten Hotel [76] located next to the Tiergaten, Berlin’s largest park, in the heart of the diplomatic quarter and close to the famous Potzdammer Platz. Within walking distance to the unique KadeWe shopping and to the Bradenburg Gate. email:info.berlin@pestana.com

Splurge
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- Esplanade Grand Hotel Berlin, Lützowufer 15 (Berlin-Tiergarten, 10785), 866-597-8341, [77]. Located in the heart of downtown's cultural district; just steps from world-class art, music, theatre, and shopping.

- Hotel de Rome [78]/ Located at Bebelplatz next to Unter Den Linden and the Museumsinsel. The latest addition to Berlin's most luxurious hotels.

- InterContinental Berlin Hotel [79]. Located between Kurfürstendamm and Potsdamer Platz in the embassy quarter and host to many visiting Presidents.

- Hotel Adlon[80], Unter den Linden 77 (Pariser Platz, Unter den Linden), tel +49 (0)30 2261-0, fax +49 (0)30 2261-2222 email: Adlon@Kempinski.com. Located directly at the Brandenburg Gate and was rated the best hotel of Europe in 2006.

- Grand Hyatt Berlin, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2, (berlin@hyatt.de), [81]. One of the best business hotels in town. During the Berlinale film festival, this is the primary hotel to stay because most major attractions are within walking distance.

- The Westin Grand Berlin, Friedrichstrasse 158-164 (at the corner of Friedrichstraße and Unter Den Linden), +49-30-20270, [82]. Five-star Berlin hotel provides newly decorated accommodations facing the famous boulevard Unter den Linden and is in proximity to explore the many legendary sites and cultural attractions in Mitte. Pomp architecture of the GDR.

- The Regent [83]. Former Four Seasons hotel now managed by Radisson SAS. Located next to Gendarmenmarkt near Unter Den Linden.

- The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin [84]. Experience The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin – an unforgettable 5-star hotel just steps from Potsdamer Platz.

- The Mandala Hotel [85]. Hotel on Potsdamer Platz, Kulturforum, Neue Nationalgalerie and the Philharmony.

- Berlin Marriott [86]. Located directly at Potsdamer Platz. Classical Marriott style in an elegant building.

- Maritim pro arte[87]. Good location at the Friedrichstrasse, very popular with international business travellers and excellent breakfast buffett.

- Hilton Hotel Berlin [88], Mohrenstrasse 30. The Hilton Berlin is situated near Gendarmenmarkt. The main tourist attractions are at walking distance from hotel and can be reached fast and easily.

- Art'otel Mitte, Wallstr. 70-73 (next to the Markisches Museum metro stop), +49.030240620, [89]. A stylish hotel though with smallish rooms. Great breakfast - double-check that your reservation includes it. Helpful staff.

Contact
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Get out
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District City West Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

By U- or S-Bahn

• Get around

U-Bahn

S-Bahn

• See

Landmarks

Museums and Galleries

Schöneberg

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

Breakfast

Budget

Mid-range

Kurfürstendamm

Schöneberg

Splurge

• Drink

Clubs

• Sleep

Budget

Midrange

Splurge

• Contact

• Get out

Understand
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The Ku'damm (short for Kurfürstendamm) is the center of the area, it consists of the main shopping streets and the Tauentzienstrasse and Fasanenstrasse, which are adjacent to the Ku'Damm. City West is composed of four boroughs: Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, Schöneberg and Tiergarten.

Charlottenburg used to be the heart of West Berlin and stretches between the Ku'Damm, jointly shared with Wilmersdorf, and the Charlottenburg Palace in the north. The southern part of the district is one of the wealthier areas of Berlin with posh villas and apartments. The northern part is a nice living area. Charlottenburg was the center of the former West Berlin and was well built-up after the war. Today it's mostly an upmarket shopping and living area for city slickers. Charlottenburg has a large, wealthy Russian scene, which has given rise to the area’s nickname, "Charlottograd".

Wilmersdorf has always been a middle and upper class inner city villa and apartment house area. It is quieter but has nice restaurants and cafes. About 80% of Berlin's Jewish population (estimated 25,000 people) — now mostly of Russian descent — live in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

Schöneberg is the traditional center of the homosexual scene in Berlin. Today the borough is gentrified and very popular with young families and middle-aged singles. Old renovated apartments with stucco are pretty common. You can start to walk from U-Nollendorfplatz and head directly to the Winterfeldmarkt (lovely market, open Saturday from morning until early afternoon, all year, on Wednesday there is a smaller market). It is not the main center but the district townhall was the main townhall for West Berlin during the Cold War. The freedom bell (a present by the American people) and several memorials from that time, can be found here. On 9th November 1989, Helmut Kohl (Bundeskanzler from 1983-1998) and Willy Brandt (former Bundeskanzler) cheered from the main balcony as they saw the end of the Berlin Wall. The townhall is an emotional place for most people in Berlin (especially West Berlin).

Tiergarten is, besides a borough, a large park separating the district from Mitte.

Get in
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By U- or S-Bahn
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- Bahnhof Zoo ("Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten")

- Kurfürstendamm (not Kurfürstenstrasse on the same line. These are two totally different areas!)

- Adenauerplatz

A lot of buslines drive all the way down the Ku'Damm. Especially when it rains (or snows in winter) or to get a first impression, it's very convenient to use the buses.

U-Bahn lines U7 (Eisenacher Str.), U1, U2, U3, and U4 (Nollendorfplatz) cross the borough on the north and the south.

Get around
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Charlottenburg is considered the heart of former West Berlin and stretches from the ICC convention center in the west to Ku'Damm (Kurfürstendamm) in the east. Public transport or a bike are often ideal modes of transportation in this area since parking spots are scarce and parking garages expensive. The city bus system (BVG) covers Wilmersdorf extensively, with its the northern-most parts being served by the S- and U-stations Heidelberger Platz or Fehrbelliner Platz.

U-Bahn
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- To arrive at the central bus station, get off at the U-and S-Bahnstation Kaiserdamm (U2) / Messe ZOB ICC (S41, S42, S45) and follow the signs.

- If you want to ride a bus the entire length of Ku'Damm, you can get off at U-Bahn Wittenbergplatz (U1 - U3) or S-Bahn Halensee (S41, S42, S45) (east to west or vice versa).

- To get to Schloss Charlottenburg (palace), exit U-Bahn station Sophie-Charlotte Platz (U2) or Richard-Wagner-Platz (U7).

- Exit U-and S-Bahn station Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9, S3, S5, S7, S75) for the city zoo, the Gedächtniskirche, the Tauentzienstraße (main shopping street) and/or a short walk to Ku'Damm. Friends of the Berlin partner city, Los Angeles, can walk right to the Los Angeles friendship place.

- The rest of Ku'damm can be easily reached via U-Bahn station Kurfürstendamm (U1, U9), Ulandstraße (U1) or Adenauerplatz (U9).

S-Bahn
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- To reach the former center of West Berlin, get off at S-Bahn station "Zoologischer Garten."

- A good place to start exploring Charlottenburg is at S-Bahn station "Savignyplatz." This area includes many popular cafes, bars, restaurants (including fast food), bookshops and boutiques.

Walking south from the Schöneberg centrally located Winterfeldplatz you´ll find Goltzstr with lots of small bars and cafes. Restaurants provide all sorts of food and prices are low, especially compared with other locations in the "touristy" center of Berlin. Around Eisenacher Str (extension of Goltzstr.) you´ll find even more bars and cafes situated in the basement of nice old houses. During WW II this part of Berlin was not destroyed by bombs as much as other parts of Berlin, so you can get an impression of what 19th century Berlin's architecture looked like. If you walk along Grunewaldstrasse to the west, you´ll reach "Bayrischer Platz" and around it the "Bayerisches Viertel" (with many streets named after Bavarian cities), which was destroyed a lot more during WW II (about 60%). Somewhere around there Albert Einstein lived once. You´ll find several memorial signs providing information about the Nazi-regime's rules against gays and Jews.

See
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Landmarks
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- Siegessäule (Tiergarten) (Victory Column). Want to feel like one of the angels in Wim Wenders' classic film Der Himmel über Berlin (a.k.a. Wings of Desire)? Climb to the top of Gold-Else, as the statue of Victory on the top of the Victory Column is known. Just don't jump off if you're not actually an angel. Else was moved to her present location by the Nazis, but was originally built to commemorate Prussian military prowess in the wars against Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870-71). Five roads run into a traffic circle called Grosser Stern, in the center of which is the Siegessäule. Else is visible from much of the city district known as Tiergarten. At the base of the statue are reliefs of war scenes representing the conflicts which this monument memorializes. The Allies forced Germany to take those panels down in 1945, but they were remounted in 1984 and 1987. Currently closed for renovations.

- Schloss Charlottenburg [1] [2]— Charlottenburg palace. One of the oldest buildings in Charlottenburg and actually the reason for the whole city to be built.

- Grunewaldturm— Historic observation tower in the forest near the big Havel River.

- Gedächtniskirche— One of the most famous churches in town and a reminder of World War II.

- Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium). [3] Built by Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games, it is one of the better examples of Nazi-era neoclassical architecture and is still used for sporting events. The Olympic Stadium is where African-American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals, showing once again the idiocy of Hitler's Aryan superiority theory. It is the home of the most successful soccer/football team of Berlin, Hertha BSC, and between 2000 and 2004 was renovated for the FIFA World Cup in 2006. A visit to a Bundesliga football match can be safely recommended, as football is a main ingredient of German public life. (Matches start Saturday 3:30PM or Sunday 5:00PM; be there at least half an hour earlier.)

The neoclassical architecture is supposed to remind the viewer of the splendors of Greece or Rome and of the universally-acclaimed great civilizations; it was thus intended as another part of Nazi propaganda. By reusing time-tested architectural components, such as columns, instead of pushing forward with a genuinely modern twentieth-century, entirely new architectural concept, did they think their designs would garner more positive attention? To the west of the Stadium itself is the Maifeld with the Langemarck hall and the Olympic Stadium Bell Tower, Glockenturm [4], (with observation deck), both of which can be visited. Known for its beer, it is said that 99% of the locals are drunk on a daily basis.

For a glimpse at the Olympiastadion in its original state, 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.

Museums and Galleries
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- Bröhan Museum [5] - a small but interesting collection of decorative arts from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods

- Museum Berggruen, Schlossstraße 1 [6]. Near Charlottenburg Palace. Also known as "Picasso und sein Zeit", this not so large, but precious museum hosts a very good collection of paintings and sculptures signed by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, Giacometti, and others from the first decades of the 20th century.

- Kolbe Museum [7]. A museum dedicated to the Berliner sculptor.

- 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.

- The Story of Berlin [8]. A multimedia museum documenting Berlin's history. You can also visit an underground bunker with room for 3000+ people.

- Museum Scharf-Gerstenberg. A museum dedicated to surrealist art. Was to be reopened near Charlottenburg Palace in 2008.

- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtnis-Kirche). This church in Breitscheidplatz is a memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm, and one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. Thick walls and plain decor mark it as neo-Romanesque, but with what's left of the Gedächtniskirche, it's tough to distinguish it as any one style. Allied bombing left only one tower standing on November 22, 1943, but a new location for worship designed by Egon Eiermann was completed in December 1961 (it's the octagonal structure with blue stained glass windows). There is a small memorial museum beneath the tower filled with artifacts from the original church, which was built from 1891-95 to architect Franz Schwechten's specifications.

Controversy arose after the war over the various options presented by the half-ruined cathedral - should it be torn down completely and rebuilt? Or should the destroyed sections be left standing as a memorial, like the infamous Frauenkirche in Dresden? (Firebombed with the rest of Dresden by the Allies, only now is the Frauenkirche finally undergoing reconstruction). The four major sections of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtnis-Kirche (central space, foyer, new tower and chapel) surround the ruined tower of the old church bridge and show the time gap between old and new. Mosaics and other remnants from the old church serve as a monument against war.

Schöneberg
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- Winterfeldmarkt— The markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays are popular with locals. Buy a coffee and browse amongst the stalls; this is a place to unearth hidden gems. Breakfast is served usually until 2-3PM.

- Viktoria Luise Platz— Features stately old houses and a good night time hot spot.

- Akazien-/Goltzstrasse— Restaurants abound here, with cuisines ranging from Afghan to Nepalese and Thai.

- Goya— Historic building opposite Nollendorfplatz. Originally a theater but now revamped as a club for 30+ generation.

Do
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- Lie in the grass and unwind at Lake Lietzensee, especially if you are with children - most of Charlottenburg children know and love the playground there.

- Linger over a coffee at Savignyplatz and people watch.

- Do a boat tour on the Spree River or the Landwehrkanal - many of them start or end at Charlottenburg.

- Visit the zoo. Ask for the price of a one-year pass; it will save you money if you visit more than twice.

- Plötzensee Memorial Center (Gedenkstätte Plötzensee), Hüttigpfad, 13627 Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Beusselstrasse S-Bahn station, then take a 10-min walk or the bus 123 to Gedenkstätte Plötzensee), 030-3443226, [9]. 9-4pm daily. An eerie memorial to victims of the Nazi regime built on the place of a former execution room, where nearly 2900 people where put to death between 1933 and 1945. No admission fee.

Buy
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- For luxury goods visit Ku'Damm (Kurfürstendamm) and Fasanenstrasse. Kurfürstendamm is especially a must visit, between Adenauerplatz and Joachimsthaler Platz (nearly two kilometres), as it boasts a whole range of luxury stores (and hotels and restaurants.)

- For flagship stores and all the big stores head to the extension of Ku'Damm, the Tauentzienstrasse.

- The main pedestrian area of the district (and even Berlin) is Wilmersdorfer Strasse. Start at Bismarckstraße, walk down the pedestrian zone, cross Kantstraße, walk underneath the railroad, and enter the Bio Company store on the right hand side of the road - it was the first supermarket-style "bio" product store in Berlin whose owner once upset the idealists at Kreuzberg by admitting that she wanted to make money with the store.

- Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) [10], Tauentzienstraße 21-24, tel 030 2121 0, fax 030 2121 2620 - the largest department store on the European Continent at Wittenbergplatz has it all. Be sure to check out the food department at the sixth floor, where you can find anything from a baked chicken to a champagne brand bar. Be aware that on the weekends, this place can get quite crowded.

Eat
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The City West is a very good place for quality and is bursting with a big variety of styles and cuisines.

Breakfast
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- Café Sur, Akazienstraße 7, tel 030-782 04 39. Deli that serves a delicous Mediteranean breakfast.

- Cafe Bilderbuch Akazienstraße 28, tel 030-78 70 60 57. Cafe that is stocked with hundreds of books to rest and relax. Good cakes and sometimes on Sunday "Tanztee" (nipping tea and dancing) occurs.

- Miss Honeypenny Winterfeldstrasse next to Winterfeldplatz. Offers excellent a la carte breakfast

- Potemkin Viktoria Luise Platz, Russian restaurant that offers good breakfast varieties and a Sunday buffet. Also a popular coffee/cake break.

- Montevideo Viktoria Luise Platz, offers breakfast sets from around the world and also good lunch offers that attract the local residents

Budget
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- Tulum, a big variety of (Tex-) Mexican food (good bargain) and nice cocktails are served in this restaurant in Wilmersdorf (Am Volkspark 85). Mainly younger crowd.

Mid-range
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Kurfürstendamm
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- Vapiano, Augsburger Str. 43 (On the Joachimsthaler Str. right next to Karstadt on the Kudamm), [11]. 10am-1am. Very popular chain with Italian food (pizza, pasta & salads) with an interesting approach of self-service. You receive a magnetic card and order directly from one of the cooks. They prepare the meal in front of your eyes. The menu is also available in English and the entire staff speaks English. All noodles and the pizza dough is self-made and fresh. The Vapiano's guests can vary from business men to students. 5-9€ for a meal.

- Schweighofer's Weimarer Str 12 [12] tel: +49 0303130127. Excellent Austrian restaurant with a great atmosphere. It is decorated as Austrian living rooms. Very generous portions, but you are welcome to share a course between more people as a starter or desserts. Mains are around 15 Euro. Try the brettljause or tafelspitz, which come highly recommended.

- Lusiada- Portuguese restaurant famous for its mussels, Ku'damm 132a (5min walk from S-Bahnstation Halensee), 10711 Berlin, tel 030-891 58 69.

- Good Friends- Original Chinese food in Berlin, Kantstr. 30 (cnr. Schlüterstr) tel 030-312 24 88 Beware that it's real Chinese style, which may differ from the European "Chinese taste"

- Block House - [13] a number of restaurants in Berlin, where you can taste wonderful steaks.

- El Dorado, Kurfürstendamm 203-205, 030 88 92 65 82 (fax: 030 88 92 65 83), [14]. This restaurant is a great steak house, serving sublime Spanish cuisine. Seating is available outside. €13-19.

Schöneberg
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- Buddha house Akazienstr. 27, tel 030-70 50 99 59. Mixture of Nepalese and Thai food/ You can reserve traditional tables (sitting on cushions, not on chairs).

- Gottlob Akazienstr. 16, tel 030-78 70 80 95. Italian inspired kitchen with excellent weekend buffet or a la carte breakfast.

- Papaya Hauptstr. 159, tel. 030-814 94 254. Good Thai restaurant with original dishes from Isaan and consistent to that interior

- Ypsilon Hauptstrasse 163, tel 030-782 45 39. Serving tasty Greek dishes with a good wine selection to match. Has a big biergarten for the balmy summer nights and plays live Greek music on Friday and Saturday.

- Shayan, Goltzstrasse 23, 2-15-15-47. This is a family run Iranian restaurant with excellent Persian cuisine. Marinated lamb kebabs and the vegetarian khoreshteh esphinaj (stew) are recommended. Don't forget to order the delicious tea at the end of your meal! Lunch €7-10.

- Schöneberger Weltlaterne, Motzstr. 61 near VL-Platz, Very traditional Bavarian kitchen & beers

- Wiesenstein, Viktoria-Luise-Platz 12a, +49-30-219 12 405 Excellent Schwäbisches Food with good Schwaben wines in nice surrounding and neat garden

Splurge
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- Mar y Sol- Tapas and Spanish food, Savignyplatz 5, 10623 Berlin, tel 030-313 25 93.

- Eiffel- Good French restaurant with good value business lunch sets and interesting dinner variations, Ku'damm 105 (3min walk from S-Bahnstation Halensee), 10711 Berlin, tel 030-891 13 05.

- 12 Apostel- Excellent Italian food and one of the best pizzas in town, Bleibtreustr. 49 (oppsite S-Bahnstation Savignyplatz), 10623 Berlin (in Charlottenburg, tel 030-312 14 33) and Hohenzollerndamm 33 in Wilmersdorf. Branches in Steglitz and Mitte.

- Kuchi Kantstr. 30, 10623 Berlin, +49 30 31507815. One of the best sushi restaurants in Berlin. Also serves good pan Asian dishes.

- Moustache- Excellent cuisine franchise next to the river, for the expatriate French in Berlin, Galvanistr. 12, tel 030-342 30 94 (closed on Sundays).

- Sankt Moritz, [15], Regensburger Str. 7, Member of "Chaine des Rotisseurs" with outstanding wine card and excellent cuisine in rooms made by German painter. Named "Maitre of the year 2008"

Drink
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- Café am Neuen See A must-do during the day if the weather is nice. This cafe is more like an outdoor beergarden. Even though it's right in the middle of West Berlin, the "Café am Neuen See" is located in the middle of the Tiergarten next to a small lake. Beers are between 4-5€, giant Pizzas are 8-9€. If you are a (romantic) couple, make sure to rent one of the rowboats and enjoy the silent and romantic scenery.

As nicer the weather, the more packed this place gets. Don't even dream of a place to sit if it's one of the rare, warm Sundays. [16]

- 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.

- Coma, Detmolder Str. 61, near U-/S-Bahn station Bundesplatz. Made up with sand on the floor and two pool tables. XL Cocktails will kick you faster than you would think.

- Zur U-Bahn corner of Eisenacher Str/Grunewald St. One of the last old time Berlin bars in the area, and a great place to sit, drink and meet the locals.

- Train Hauptstrasse 159 SB, (00 49 30) 787 5033. As its name suggests, this bar is actually in an old S-Bahn car. Flashy and famous for inspired cocktails served by friendly bar tenders.

- Green Door, Winterfeldstraße 50, tel 030.2152515. One of the best cocktail bars in Berlin with excellent selection of spirits and a stylish decor to match.

- Salut!, Goltzstr next to Grunewaldstr, tel +49 30 746 98 504. Cafe/bar that offers an impressive cocktail list. Cocktails are mixed with fresh juices and matched with quality spirits. [17]

Clubs
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The club scene of West Berlin is mainly located in Charlottenburg and Kreuzberg. The alternative crowd heads to Kreuzberg, while the mainstream youth of West Berlin go to the Charlottenburg clubs and discos.

- Q-dorf named after the Ku'Damm, this big disco attracts a very young (and drunken) crowd. Rather cheap and usually very crowded with all the stuff you need (or don't want): R'n'B straight from the charts, Eurotrash party music, Mallorca ambiance, beach parties, go-go dancers and so on. Joachimstaler Str.15, near Gedächtniskirche.

- Maxxim, located right next to the Ku'Dorf. A bit more luxurious for the more mature crowd. Mainly R'n'B and house.

- Cascade, similar to the Maxxim, but less r'n'b music, for the wealthy people of Charlottenburg. Nice interior, plays house and 70s/80s. Fasanenstraße 81.

- Havanna, Hauptstraße 30 [18]. Largest Latin music club in town. Dance to the beat when it's open on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Sleep
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Budget
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- Gasteiner Hof, Gasteiner Str. 8, tel +49 30 8620 170 [19]. Rooms from €30, breakfast included. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the breakfast is good. Some rooms have shared bathrooms, which can be quite cold at night.

- Jet Pak City[20], Pariserstr. 58 (U-Bahn: Spichernstrasse), tel +49 30 784 43 60 city@jetpak.de. Award-winning popular hostel. 2-Bed rooms start at €30 per person, sleeping hall starts at €18 per person.

Midrange
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- Aparotel, Osnabrükerstrasse 7 (U-bahn Mierendorffsplatz), ''+49'' 30 364078800 (info@aparotel.com, fax: ''+49'' 30 364078820), [21]. Free WiFi and a kitchenettes in the rooms. Has a cozy restaurant that turns into a lively bar at night. €70.

- NH Berlin City West, Bundesallee 36/37, tel +49 30 86 00 40 [22]. Good location in the City West, has lots of rooms.

- Berlin Lodgings, Office address: Schönhauser Allee 5, 10119 Berlin, +49 (0)30 5471 3890 (info@berlinlodgings.com), [23]. Short term rental apartments in various locations and sections of Berlin. Well priced and located both in Mitte as well as the other locations in the city center.

- Ramada Plaza Berlin, Prager Strasse 12, tel. +49 30 236 2500 [24]. Located in inner city living area with own boarding house.

- Grand City Hotel Berlin Kudamm (Ex Hotel Imperial) Lietzenburger Straße 79-81, 10719 Berlin, tel +49 30 - 88 00 50, [25]. The Hotel Imperial is a perfect starting point to explore the heart of Berlin City West and a shopping tour at the KuDamm as well as the famous department store KaDeWe. Ideally situated with quick connections to Potsdamer Platz or the Hackescher Markt area – all destinations are easy to reach. The nearest U-Bahn station, 'Uhlandstrasse', is a three minute walk from the hotel.

- Best Western Hotel President +4930219030 [26] is a four star 182 hotel located in walking distance to the famous KaDeWe, Kurfürstendamm, Europa Center & the Zoological Garden. Free wireless internet, sauna, steam bath, fitness room, coffee, tea, hot chocolate & more.

- Hotel Pension Enzian Hortensienstr. 28, 12203 Berlin, tel +49 30 - 832 50 75, [27]. A friendly, family run hotel with large double bed rooms. Small hotel with a wonderfull, personal atmosphere. Within 1 minute foot distance is a S-Bahn station, a supermarket and a very good spanish restaurant. Good breakfast, unbeatable service, wireless is 4 Euro per day.

- Hotel Pension Rotdorn Heerstr. 36, 14055 Berlin, tel +49 30 - 30 09 92 92 [28]. Ideal for visitors of the fairground. Small and reasonably priced hotel with large garden and wonderful ambience.

- Hotel Pension Am Park Sophie-Charlotten-Str. 57-58, 14057 Berlin, tel +49 30 - 3213485 [29]. fairground in walking distance. Small house, personal, individual atmosphere.

- Hotel Pension Bismarck Bismarckstraße 70, 10627 Berlin, tel +49 30 - 3127582 [30]. Small, familiar run house with personal ambience.

- Hotel Domicil, Kantstr. 111a, ''+49'' 30 - 329 030, [31]. Fairground directly connected. Kudamm, Savigny place in walking distance. view over the city. private Hotel with best care and perfect public transport connection. Famous Charlottenburg shopping sites around.

- Hotel Alexander, Pariser Str. 37, +49 (0)30-88 71 65-0 (info@hotelalexander.de), [32]. Very clean and friendly hotel in a nice neighborhood Doubles $80.

- Ku 'Damm, Kurfurstendamm 101, 49-30-52 00 55-0 (info@kudamm101.com, fax: 49-30-52 00 55-555). checkin: 3PM; checkout: Noon. Three star hotel for business travelers with a sense of lifestyle and design. Wi-fi available for a small fee (€1.90 per hour, €3 for two hours, etc) or free internet from two free terminals in the lobby.

Splurge
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- Swissotel [33]. Brand new and stylish design hotel direct at the Ku'Damm. Just a step away from anything in the City West and offers good weekend rates. One of the best hotel restaurants in town.

- Steigenberger [34]. Los-Angeles-Platz 1. Located at a quiet square near Kurfürstendamm.

- Hotel Q [35]. Outstanding new design hotel in a side street of the Ku'Damm. Famous for the architecture and design. Very popular.

- Louisa´s Place, [36]. Small but luxurious hotel directly at Kurfürstendamm.

- Brandenburger Hof [37]. Located in a quiet corner of City West, this cozy hotel features a very good restaurant.

- Schlosshotel im Grunewald [38]. May be the luxury hotel with the greenest surroundings in Berlin, a step away from the hectic part of the city. Was home to the German football team during the World Cup 2006.

- Excelsior Hotel Berlin [39] is located in one of the city west in walking distance to the famous Kurfuerstendamm and KaDeWe, commercial areas and the Zoological Garden.

Contact
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Get out
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- Mitte is just a few U-Bahn stops off.

District East Central Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

• See

Kreuzberg

Friedrichshain

Prenzlauer Berg

• Do

Prenzlauer Berg

• Buy

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain

Flea markets

Fashion

Record shops

Decoration

Prenzlauer Berg

Bookshops and Record Stores

Clothing

Fleamarkets

Decoration

• Eat

Budget

Midrange

Prenzlauer Berg

• Drink

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain

Clubs

Prenzlauer Berg

Bars and Cafes

Clubs

• Sleep

Budget

Bed and Breakfast

Prenzlauer Berg

Budget

Midrange

• Contact

Understand
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The former districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain had few things in common (one thing is nowadays for sure the attraction to students, politically left and young creative people), due to their history on each side of the wall. Since the political decision to merge, these two districts work politically together. The name was made by flipping a coin to decide what name to appear first.

Kreuzberg is one of Berlin's most eclectic districts, home to a unusual mix of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creative artists and Turkish immigrants, the last of which make up a third of the population and have earned the area its occasional nickname Little Istanbul. The district has gentrified to a considerable extent in recent years, with dot-coms, marketing agencies, designers, German and international kids from wealthy backgrounds moving into renovated lofts and spacy apartments, but there are still plenty of kebab joints, funky nightclubs, and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan gazing down from Communist Party of Kurdistan propaganda posters.

Get in
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The main entry point for Kreuzberg is Kottbusser Tor, the U-Bahn station on line 1 and 8. The U-Bahn line 1 is the backbone crossing the borough from east to west.

The main gateways for Friedrichshain are the S-Bahn stations Ostkreuz and Warschauer Strasse. There are frequent U- and S-Bahns to the main tourist central in Friedrichshain, e.g. the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery close to the "Warschauer Strasse" station.

The best and fastest way to get into Prenzlauer Berg is either the U-Bahn Eberswalder Strasse or the S-Bahn Schönhauser Allee.

See
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Kreuzberg
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- Jüdisches Museum Berlin (Berlin Jewish Museum) [1]. Designed by Daniel Libeskind with an excellent exposition on the Jewish life in Berlin and the impact of the holocaust.

- Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7 | Stresemannstr. 110, tel +49 30 254 86-0.

- Topography of Terror [2]. This museum documents the terror applied by the Nazi regime.

- Oranienstrasse— A street full of shops, cafes and restaurants.

- Bergmannstrasse— Like Oranienstrasse a street full of shops, cafes and restaurants, but in the other, more middle-class part of Kreuzberg.

- Görlitzer Park. 150-200m along the Wiener Straße (bypassing the fire house and the public swimming pool) from U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof, the park is famous for the Turkish families barbecuing on summer weekends, failed contemporary art and relaxed atmosphere of students.

- Landwehrkanal. Take a stroll for a few kilometers along this canal which runs right through the heart of Kreuzberg. It's peaceful and mostly traffic-free, but full of life in summer. Some parts are lined with bars and restaurants with terraces. Sit on a bench or terrace and watch the world go by on a summer evening.

- Berlinische Galerie

- Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin [3]. Huge technical museum, featuring among many other things an exhibit about computer pioneer Konrad Zuse's work, a collection of old locomotives, and the interactive SPECTRUM science center with various hands-on experiments.

Friedrichshain
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- Karl-Marx-Allee The main street of former East Berlin. It is a big avenue, featuring neoclassical DDR buildings, fountains and lakes.

- East side gallery, the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall still in existence, painted by artists in 1991 (but nowadays rather run down). At Mühlenstrasse, next to the river Spree. Note that the murals are painted on the east side of the wall after the fall of Communism; so they are not from the Cold War, during which murals could only be painted on the west side. The gallery is close to the Ostbahnhof S-bahn station on the west side and the Warschauer Straße S-bahn station on the east side.

- Make sure not to miss the famous mural of a car seemingly crashing through the wall with Brezhnev and Honecker kissing above it. It is actually on the back side of the gallery (it is facing away from the street.) It is just inside the entrance of the Eastern Comfort Hostel, near the east end of the gallery.

- Oberbaumbrücke, arguably the most beautiful bridge in Berlin and the only connection between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

- Der Maerchenbrunnen the Fountain of Legends at the Volkspark Friedrichshain

- Boxhagenerkiez The area around Boxhagenerplatz is filled with bars, cafes and small shops. Boxhagenerplatz itself is a small park with a playground and a cafe, and the nearby Simon Dach Strasse is filled with cheap bars and restaurants. At the weekend you can find many places that serve the famous, cheap Berliner brunch. On Sundays there is a small flea market worth strolling around.

Prenzlauer Berg
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There are only a few minor sights and museums to explore in Prenzlauer Berg. Of some interest is the atmosphere in the streets, sitting down in a nice café and watching the hip crowds go by.

- The Kulturbrauerei is an ex-brewery and sort of a small city of its own (with nice brick architecture) with restaurants, shops, and different cultural establishments (see below).

- The synagogue in the backyard of an apartment house in Rykestrasse 53 is one of the biggest in Germany.

- The first (and one of the biggest) water tower of Berlin (built 1877) is located at Rykestrasse, corner Knaackstrasse.

- The Gethsemanekirche was the meeting point of one of the leading oppositions against the GDR regime and is a great Neogothic church. Also the only ecumenical Lord's supper with Protestants and Catholics together took place in the Gethsemanekirche (2003).

Do
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- The Wall. [Warschauer Strasse U-/S-Bahn]. The longest stretch of the Berlin Wall, where you can get your passport stamped with the touristy Checkpoint Charlie stamp, among other designs, for 2 €.

- Moviemento. Cinema showing independent and older movies, some in English.

Prenzlauer Berg
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Nearly everywhere the clubs and bars are open till at least 5 o'clock (on weekends).

- Bearpit Karoke, (at Mauerpark), [4]. in summer afternoons as long as the battery last. Outdoor kareoke free, but you can tip.

- The KulturBrauerei is a complex that was once a brewery. There you can find the Jazz Cafe, the SODA restaurant where you can enjoy a fine meal of insects, and some clubs, Club 23, nbi and frannz. The KulturBrauerei [5] also has several cinemas showing alternative movies, the Kesselhaus concert house, and one of the best shop for instruments in Berlin, the "Sound and Drumland". To get there, get off at U-bahn Station Eberswalder Strasse.

- Mauerpark, at the end of the Eberswalder Str., was once a piece of the Berlin wall. Today in the summer it is a nice place to be, especially for young people.

- Kastanienallee and Oderberger Strasse, nice streets with lots of little shops. Nice cafes to sit outside in the summer and watch people pass by.

- Helmholtzplatz, little park with cafes and restaurants surrounding it

- Kollwitzplatz, small nice park with cafes and a great market on Saturday, there is an extensive selection of food (a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.)

- Get you hair cut for €12 at Kopfgeldjäger, Stargarder Straße 76

- Visit the Jewish Cemetery, Schönhauser Allee 23-25, U-bahn station Senefelder Platz

- Schoenholzer Ehrenmal A gigantic Soviet Monument worth a visit!

Buy
toc

Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
toc

Flea markets
toc

- Boxhagener Platz. Sun 10AM-6PM.

- Treptower Hallen/Arena. Sun 10AM-6PM.

Fashion
toc

- Berlinomat, Frankfurter Allee 89 (S+U Frankfurter Allee). Mon-Fri 11AM-8PM, Sat 10AM–6PM.

- Flaming Squeegee, Gabriel-Max Str. 9, Friedrichshain, Berlin, 03027589725 (flaming-squeegee@t-online.de), [6]. Funny, creative selection of rockabilly and punk t-shirts, bar, and band merchandise.

Record shops
toc

- Hardwax, Paul-Lincke-Ufer 44a, [7]. Mon-Sat noon-8PM. THE techno record shop in Berlin; huge back catalogue and weekly news from around the world; also reggae 7" and drum&bass.

- Heisse Scheiben, Ohlauer Str. 44, [8], Mo-Fr 12-7, Sat 11-3; big 2nd hand record store

- Space-Hall, Zossenerstr. 33, [9]. Mon-Fri 11AM-8PM, Sat 11AM-4PM. A large selection of electronic music, from the latest releases to older vinyls.

Decoration
toc

- Lampenladen, Gabriel-Max-Str. 18, [10]. Mon-Fri noon-8PM, Weekend 10-8PM. Huge selection of hand-craft lamps made of silk and bamboos. Located next to Boxhagener Platz.

Prenzlauer Berg
toc

Bookshops and Record Stores
toc

- Dense, Danziger Str. 16. Electronic music.

- Club Sound Records, Eberswalderstr. 32. Techno.

- Da Capo, Kastanienallee 96. 2nd Hand, Rock, Pop.

- Hip-Hop-Records, Schönhauser Allee 49. Hip Hop.

- Vopo Records, Danziger Strasse 31. Punk, Rock.

- Mundo Azul[11], Choriner Strasse 49. International Children's and Youth Literature and Music.

....Oye Records

Clothing
toc

- "tausche", Raumerstraße 8. New Flap, New Bag – tausche Bags Are Different Every Day. Berlin fans from all over the world can be spotted with the television tower, the city map or Berlin’s area code +49 30 on their tausche bags. [12].

- "Princigalli", Stargarder Strasse 67. Quality shoes and cosmetics for ladies.

- "Who Killed Bambi?", Eberswalderstrasse 26. Colourful Tops, Bags & Things.

- Sgt.Peppers, Kastanienallee 91-92. 70's Second Hand.

- Pauls Boutique, Oderbergerstr. 47. Sneakers.

- Eisdieler, Kastanienallee. Sneakers.

- Flagshipstore, Oderberger Strasse 53. Mon-Sat noon - 8PM.

- Hit In TV, Oderberger Strasse (near Mauer Park). Tue-Fri noon-7PM, Sat noon-6PM.

Fleamarkets
toc

- Mauerpark, Bernauer Straße 63-64, 10435 Berlin, tram-station M10 or bus 247 "wolliner strasse" great Sunday flea market for vintage clothing, furniture, rare vinyl; not many professionals. A typical Berlin experience Open Sunday 07:00-17:00

- Eurofloh-Markt, Berliner Str. 80-82, 13189 Berlin, former Schultheiss-Brauerei (brewery), (U2 - Vinetastrasse, Tram 23,24,50,52,53) Open daily 10:00-18:00 [13]

- Rosenthal Flohmarkt, Kopenhagener Str. 79-81, 13158 Berlin, (S-Bahn Wilhelmsruh) Open sat + sun 7:00-14:00

Decoration
toc

- La Lampisterie, Greifswalder Str. 195, 10405 Berlin [14]. Thu-Fri 14:00-19:00, Saturday 11:00-16:00. Great selection of old design lamps in a crazy shop

Eat
toc

Kreuzberg is known for its innovative and good value restaurants. The variety of immigrants can be witnessed in the corresponding restaurants. The following have been recommended in a fast changing market.

Budget
toc

- Morgenland, Skalitzer Str. 35 (U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof), tel. 030 611 3291. Oriental breakfast buffet on weekends (reservation essentiell!), restaurant and bar every day with good food for mid-range prices.

- Nil. Sudanese fast food shop, serves excellent falafel and other Arabic snacks together with its famous peanut sauce.

- To Loc, Wiener Str. 61. Indochinese cuisine. The best Asian kitchen so far. Highly recommended by a local.

- Hannibal, Wiener Str. 69 (U-Bahn Görlitzer Bahnhof), tel. 030 611 5160. Famous for its burgers and weekend buffet breakfast, good cocktails in the evening.

- Tiki Heart, Wiener Straße 20, tel. 030-61 07 47 03. Innovative and creative Asian, Polynesian and South American breakfast.

- Cream, Schlesische Straße 6, tel. 030-61 07 49 80. Urban coffee house culture with own breakfast creations linked to the film "Herr Lehmann" and own coffee creation!

- Meyman, Krossener Str. 11a, +49301638061636, [15]. Su-Th noon-2am, Fr-Sa noon-3am. Kurdish restaurant, Small tables with candlelights, full view of the kitchen €7.

- Yellow Sunshine, Wienerstr. 19 (near Görlitzer Bahnhof), [16]. This vegetarian diner offers "bio fast food": soya burgers, organic french fries and currywurst made of seitan. To be enjoyed with freshly-squeezed fruit juice or a Bionade soft drink!

Midrange
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- RosaCaleta Muskauer Straße 9 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg; Phone: 695 37 859; Jamaican-European Fusion Food, Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 till 01:00 [17]

- Hasir, Adalbertstrasse 10, tel. 614 2373, [18]. The flagship of a chain run by Mehmet Aygun, who has a pretty good claim to inventing the döner kebab as we know it, and the kebab here is among the best in town. Main courses still a steal at €6-11. Open 24 hours.

- Kuchenkaiser, Oranienplatz 11-13, tel. 030 614 02697. Institution for generation 68, breakfast till 4PM and global kitchen highlights every week.

- The Shy Chef, [19]. A secret gourmet restaurant in the home of a local resident, with modern European cooking. The address will be revealed to you when you make your booking.

- Asador Steakhouse, Wilhelmstrasse 22 (corner of Hedemannstrasse), tel. 030 2593 1818. Spanish and Argentinian food. Food is good and portions are not so small, waiters are able to speak English. Have a look at the water and drink prices and the taxes to avoid surprises.

- Angus Restaurant Steak-Haus, Kreuzbergstrasse 11-12, ''+49 030'' 786 27 42. Good food (pizza from €3, pasta, different steaks ect.) while enjoying a nice atmosphere. Its one of the cheapest restaurants in Kreuzberg and because of this very crowded (which is part of the nice atmopshere)

- Turnhalle, Holteistraße 6-9 (Friedrichshain, Warschauer station), ''+49 (0)'' 30 29 364 816 (info@dieturnhalle.de, fax: +49 (0) 30 29 364 836), [20]. This big old gym is turned into a spacious restaurant, lounge and cocktailbar. Free wireless internet. €13 for mains.

- Schneeweiss, Simplonstraße 16 (Friedrichshain, Warschauer station), ''+49 030'' 29 04 97 04 (info@schneeweiss-berlin.de), [21]. 11am-4pm, 5pm-11pm. Very white and clean but still cozy restaurant with knodels, schnitzel and other German food. Very popular, so make a reservation €15 for a main.

- Caldera, Gabriel-Max-Str. 17 (Boxhagernar Platz), ''+49 030'' 34 200 568 50, [22]. Great mediterranean food and fancy cocktails in a romantic atomosphere

- Cayetano, Simon-Dach-Str. 14 (Frankfurter Tor), ''+49 030'' 547 300 42. Mediterran food. Amazing weekend brunch buffet. Free wireless Internet

- Spätzle & Knödel, Wühlischstraße 20, ''+49 30'' 27571151. mo-fr 5pm-midnight , sa-so 3pm-midnight. Simple and informal restaurant but the southern Swabian-Bavaian food is delicious and spot on. And they have the good beer to match the food. €10 for mains.

Opposite the U-Bahnstation Schlesisches Tor is a very good Turkish bakery which offers one of the broadest varierties of pastries, cakes, bread and other sweet stuff.

Prenzlauer Berg
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Prenzelberg is very popular with students and other budget-conscious people but in recent years the area (especially around Kollwitzplatz) has been developed which has attracted more upmarket restaurants. In other words, check the menu before you sit down.

- Konnopkes Imbiss, Schönhauser Allee 44a (U-Bahn station Eberswalder Strasse under the tracks). Famous for their "Currywurst" and truly does sell the best curry sausage you can find. A local would ask for a "Curry mit 'ner Schrippe" (a Currywurst with a roll). Open Mo-Fr 6:00 - 20:00.

- Malzcafe, Knaackstr. 99, tel. 030-440 47 227. Good modern German kitchen for budget travellers with some good veggie choices. Famous with locals.

- Kauf Dich glücklich, Oderbergerstr. 44. European kitchen, very hip and in.

- Neugrüns Köche, Schönhauser Allee 135a, tel. 030-440 12 092. Modern German kitchen with daily changing menus. Opens at 6PM.

- Berliner Currywurst & Coffeeshop Knaackstrasse.98 Direkt An der Kulturbrauerei Tel. 0171/2891768 finest German food www.currywurst-coffeeshop.de

- Kleine Eiszeit, Stargarder Strasse (opposite of Gethsemane Church). The best ice-cream in Prenzlauer Berg, expect a long queue, closed in Winter.

- Prater, Kastanienallee. A beer garden with a restaurant under shady chestnut trees. The oldest beer garden in Berlin.

- Butter, Pappelallee (corner of Raumerstrasse). Good food, nice salads, reasonable prices.

- Fellas, Stargarderstrasse, [23]. Excellent cafe, huge breakfasts, great coffee, free wireless internet.

- Bangkok Treffpunkt, Prenzlauer Allee 46. Thai Restaurant. Excellent service, open until 23.00. Extremely highly recommended for value and food quality by many in the tourist scene. Has same prices as in 1996. [24]

Drink
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Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
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Kreuzberg is a popular area for a drink and most people enjoy the very laid back atmosphere. Usually people tend to go out later so most bars start to fill up from 10-11 PM

- Madame CLAUDE, Lübbener Str.19, tel. 030-84 11 08 61, [25]. Gigs 5 days a week (indie-rock, experimental, folk...). Crazy Deco (everything is upside-down). Open daily from 7PM till late.

- Bar Sofia, Wrangelstr. 93 (U Schlesisches Tor). Small café and bar with a bit tacky but very nice interior. Open daily from 9AM. Hot drinks till 8PM, alcoholic drinks from 6PM

- Konrad Tönz , Falkenstein Strasse. Retro 70s with live DJs playing old vinyl records. Most comfortable chairs imaginable and the barman, Jens, is a local legend for his friendliness and charm. Open Tuesday-Sunday 20.00 - whenever (usually around 3-5AM).

- Zyankali Bar, Großbeerenstraße 64, [26]. The most adventurous bar in Berlin! You'll be surprised what kind of drinks they have on their beverage list. They say some people entered the Zyankali and never came out again.

- Die Legende von Paula und Ben, Gneisenaustrasse 58, U7 Südstern,[27] Small and cosy bar with a large choice of cocktails, spirits and wine. For those who are hungry this place serves tapas and for those who want to smoke some cigars.

- Wild at Heart, Wiener Strasse 20, [28]. Punkrock Club with live music, great deco.

- Wiener Blut, Wiener Straße 14

- Wuergeengel, Dresdener Straße 122. Great Bar for cocktails.

- Bierhimmel, Oranienstraße 181. Cafe during the day, bar in the evenings.

- Luzia, Oranienstr. 34. Hot brand-new bar.

- Wirtschaftswunder, Yorkstraße 81. Is synonymous with the expression "economic miracle". The prices are very low and it has a good local Kreuzberg atmosphere.

- Bar 11, Wiener Str. 21. (U-Görlitzer Bahnhof), [29]. Every day from 6PM till 7AM. Authentic Bar in the heart of Kreuzberg, DJs on the weekend (rock, pop, funk, soul, disco), entrance is free and international audience. Mondays all cocktails half price.

- Orient Lounge, Oranienstr. 13, tel. 030 - 69 56 67 62. Relaxing lounge with good drinks.

- Habermayer, Gärtnerstr. 6, tel. 030-29 77 18 87, [30]. Nice relaxing bar in Friedrichshain with laid back people.

- Freischwimmer, Schlesischen Tor 2, tel 030-61 07 43 09. Bar directly located at the river on a ponton with good food and drinks, good for chilling.

- Cafe Moskau, Karl-Marx-Allee 34.

- Rockcafe Halford, Boxhagener Str. 19-20, [31]. Heavy metal bar with billiard room, friendly staff and a gigantic statue of Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford out front.

- Hops and Barley Hausbrauerei, Wühlischstrasse 22/23 (East of Simon Dach str.), 03029367534 (mail@hopsandbarley-berlin.de), [32]. Microbrewery in former butcher shop. They have a good selections on tap, all own production and from other microbreweries

Clubs
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- SO36, Oranienstrasse 190, [33]. Legendary club whose roots are punk, nowadays plays different alternative and mainstream concerts. Don't miss the GAYHANE, the Turkish "homoriental" gay party.

- Club der Visionäre, Am Flutgraben 1, [34]. Minimal techno, house and techno-house at this atmospheric venue by the water.

- Rosi's, Revalerstraße 29, [35]. Rosi's features grungy underground - the best club in town if you are into that. Nice grill outside with lots of chairs for the warm days, has one chill out floor and one main stage almost in front of a very nice bar. 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month: drum'n'bass, 2nd and 4th Saturday: house electro and on other days concerts and rock parties.

- Geburtstagsklub, Am Friedrichshain 33. Best reggae party in town on Mondays, other days vary.

- Insel Berlin, Alt-Treptow 6, [36]. Three floors, music varies from reggae to techno to indie to gothic.

- K17 [37]. 4 floors of goth, industrial, synthpop, post-punk, wave, metal, hardcore and punk, located in a backstreet of Friedrichshain. Impressive exterior and outdoor bar. Less snobby than some goth clubs, but the unofficial dress code is all black.

- Berghain/Panorama Bar, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, [38]. The world-famous techno, house and hardcore club. It is situated in an old power generation plant near the Ostbahnhof, sports a huge dancefloor and has room for more than 1500 people. Panorama Bar upstairs is open late until Sunday afternoon. Known as one of Europe's (and the world's) best clubs. Gay friendly, with hidden darkrooms and leatherboys. Be prepared for tough door policy on popular nights.

- Watergate, Falckensteinstrasse 49, Kreuzberg [39]. Big club right on the Spree specializing in house, break-beats and DnB. Split-level layout and fantastic night views of the river. The main room is famous for its LED lighting.

Prenzlauer Berg
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Bars and Cafes
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- Morgenrot, Kastanienallee, [40]. Alternative cafe serving vegetarian and vegan food, quite a recommended place for people interested in squats and related issues.

- 103 Bar [41], 49 Kastanienallee, 10119 Berlin - Tel. 03048492651 - Nice place to have a drink, don't miss the White Russian.

- Schwarz-Sauer, Kastanienallee. Very popular bar with a local and international student crowd. Open until 6AM.

- Wohnzimmer, Lettestrasse (corner of Schliemannstrasse), [42]. The first 'trendy' bar in this part of Prenzlberg and still very popular. Serves breakfasts and is open late.

- Intersoup, Schliemannstrasse 31. Small bar that fills quickly; serving spicy Indonesian-inspired soups. Often has live DJs.

- Café MIA, Pappelallee 58, [43]. The first smoke-free cafe in Prenzlberg. Very children friendly and serves good breakfasts and drinks.

- Café & Restaurant Berlin, Gleimstrasse 24, [44]. Daily fresh & delicious breakfast buffet for 4,50€

- Luxus bar, Belforterstrasse. Great small bar, nice with bricks and an aquarium, looks like an old meat store, can be crowded, excellent music

- Zu Mir Oder Zu Dir, Lychener Str. 15, [45]. Everyday from 7PM till late. Very relaxed atmosphere, genuine 70ies interior and excellent drinks, the prices are fair and the bartenders are nice. Music changes from soul to electro.

- Kulturbrauerei, [46]. Close to U-Station Eberswalder Strasse in a former brewery are located several bars. Most famous is the Soda Club with an excellent bar.

- Al Hamra, Raumer Strasse 16, relaxed Mediterranean/Arabic style bar cafe serving good food, with occasional music and movies, has a separate smoking section [47].

- Kakao, Dunckerstrasse 10, popular cafe and bar specializing in chocolate, ran by the chocolate shop next door. Has a great view of Helmholtzplatz and possibly the best hot chocolate in Berlin. [48].

Clubs
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- NBI, Schönhauser Allee 36, [49]. Nice, small club, not really for dancing, with friendly people and live sets. Usually electro or minimal music, as well as indie pop/rock nights.

- frannz, Schönhauser Allee 36, [50]. A relaxed pop/rock club in Kulturbrauerei, also with live music.

- Dunckerclub, Dunckerstr. 64. Alternative, Hardrock, Independent.

- Magnet, Greifswalder Str. 212/213, [51]. Alternative. Some indie concerts and club nights. Take care, there is also a FC Magnet Bar in Veteranenstrasse, which is a cool place, too.

- Icon, Cantianstrasse 15, [52]. Highly popular (and for good reason) basement club near Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn station. DnB, electro, house, hip-hop. Surprisingly popular on Tuesday nights with cheap entry. Saturdays are "Recycle" DnB night. Unpretentious yet cool crowd.

- Dr Pong, Eberswalder Strasse 21. A typically Berlin style club where you can play table tennis and drink cheap beer, very friendly place.

- Bastard, Kastanienallee, next to Prater Beer garden. Mostly punk, ska and alternative music.

- Knaack, Greifswalder Straße 224, [53]. Former communist youth center. Three floors with different music and hosts live concerts.

Sleep
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Budget
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- Baxpax Kreuzberg Hostel Berlin [54], Skalitzer Straße 104, tel. +49 30 6951 8322, email: reception@baxpax-kreuzberg.de [55]. Kreuzbergs first Hostel(est. 2000) is centrally located just off the main drag. Facilities are well maintained with very clean bathrooms/showers. Young (twenties) and mixed crowd. Beer for sale at all hours!

- BackpackerBerlin (Hostel, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg), Knorrpromenade 10 (S-Train Station Ostkreuz , walk along Sonntagstraße), 0049(0)3029369164, [56]. checkin: 13.00; checkout: 11.30. Friendly staff will support your trip and your stay in the lovely area! We are a cosy Hostel providing room types such as dorms and private accomodations.Bathrooms and rooms are very clean and you´ll be equiped with wifi , internet, free coffee/ Tea, washing mashine , computers, common kitchen..Relax or meet other travellers! from 9,90€ on. (52.50843,13.462318)

- Grand Hostel Berlin (Hostel in Kreuzberg), Tempelhofer Ufer 14 (3 minute walk from subway station Möckernbrücke), +49 (30) 200 95 45-0, [57]. Located within one of Kreuzberg's "Kiez" and a 15min walk away from checkpoint Charly, the Grand Hostel Berlin is the right place to sleep for those who want the price of a hostel but don't want to miss some luxury: It's a recently renovated 19th century building and all the interior is new. The service at the reception is also very nice and helpful. Rooms start at 23€ (mixed 4-bed room) and go up to 40€ for a private one-bed room..

- Comebackpackers[58](Kreuzberg), Adalbertstrase 97, 10999 Berlin (U-Bahn: Kottbusser Tor), tel. +49 30 600 57 52 7 (email: info@comebackpackers.com). Close to Berlins night life and sights! They have a big common room a full equipt kitchen and free Internet. Dorms for 14 € inkl. linen.

- Pegasus Hostel Berlín [59], Straße der Pariser Kommune 35 (U-Bahn: Weberwiese), tel. 2977 360 (fax: 2977 3610, email: hostel@pegasushostel.de), [60]. 2-bed rooms start at €19 per person, sleeping hall starts at €10. One of this independent hostel's main attractions is its large, green courtyard which hosts a beer garden, BBQ, table tennis and comfortable seating areas. They have free internet access, laundry service and multilingual staff. They offer accommodations from single rooms with showers and WC, to beds in dormitory rooms.

- Raise a Smile Hostel Berlín [61], Weidenweg 51 (U-Bahn: Frankfurter Tor Tram:M10), (email: hostel@raise-a-smile.org), [62]. Double rooms start at €17.90 per person, sleeping hall starts at €8.90. Small & homely independent hostel opened in December 2009. The hostel is decorated in an African style with each room having a different animal theme. 100% of the profit from the hostel is used to support the charity "Raise a Smile" which helps children in Zambia, Africa.

- A&O, Boxhagener Str. 73 (S-Bahn: Ostkreuz), tel. 297 7810 (fax: 2900 7366, email: hostel@web.de), [63]. Double rooms start at €24 per person, sleeping hall starts at €10.

- Die Fabrik, Schlesische Str. 18 (U-Bahn: Schlesisches Tor), tel. 611 7116 (fax: 618 2974, email: info@diefabrik.com), [64]. An old factory building turned into a hostel. 2-Bed rooms start at €49/room, sleeping hall starts at €18.

- Odyssee Hostel, Grünberger Str. 23 (U-Bahn: Frankfurter Tor), tel. 2900 0081 (fax: 2900 3311, email: odyssee@globetrotterhostel.de), [65]. 2-Bed rooms start at €45/room, dorms from €10/person. The Odyssee is independently run by a young crew - a real rock 'n 'roll place with a nice bar.

- Riverside Lodge [66], Hobrechtstr. 43 (U- 8 : Schönleinstraße), tel. +49-30-69 515 510 (email: welcome@riverside-lodge.de). The Lodge is a cozy little hostel located in the exciting neighborhood of Kreuzberg. Here you will find peaceful relaxation on your travels.

- Sunflower Hostel, Helsingforser Str. 17 (S-Bahn: Warschauer Strasse), tel. 440 44 250, (fax: 577 96 550, email: hostel@sunflower-hostel.de), [67]. dorms from €10/person, they also have doubles and apartments. The sunny side of Berlin, nicely decorated rooms.

- U Inn Berlin Hostel, Finowstraße 36 (U-Bahn: Samariterstraße and near S-Bahn/U-Bahn: Frankfurter Allee), e-mail: info@uinnberlinhostel.com,[68]; another cosy backpacker hostel that offers singles, doubles and dorms.

- Red Rooster Bar and Hostel Odyssee, Grünberger Straße 23 (corner of Warschauer St), (+49) - (0)30 - 29 0000 81 (odyssee@globetrotterhostel.de, fax: (+49) - (0)30 - 29 0033 11), [69]. This is a simple hostel which provides internet access, bicycle rental, and a bar (open until dawn). Prices range from €10-54 per night.

Bed and Breakfast
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- Bed and Breakfast Ring, +49-30-48496468 (info@bandb-ring.de), [70]. staff speaks english Prices range from €22-80 per night.

- City-Hotel Gotland, Urbanstrasse 171, 10961 Berlin (Kreuzberg), +49-30-69536450, [71]. checkin: 13:00; checkout: 11:30. staff speaks english Prices range from €49 per night.

- Frauenzimmer, [72]. Private accomodations for women, from women. Guestrooms and apartments. From 25 € per night.

Prenzlauer Berg
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Budget
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- Alcatraz Backpacker Hostel, Schönhauser Allee 133a (U-Bahn: Eberswalder Str.), tel. +49 30 4849 6815 (fax: +49 30 4849 68 17), [73]. Double Rooms start at €22 per person, dormitory starts at €13.

- Corner, Driesener Str. 17 (U-/S-Bahn: Schönhauser Allee), tel. +49 30 4373 4353 (fax: +49 30 4373 4206, email: corner-hostel@t-online.de), [74]. 2-bed rooms start at €20 per person, sleeping hall starts at €14.

- EastSeven Berlin Hostel, Schwedter Str. 7 (U-Bahn: Senefelderplatz), tel. +49 30 936 222 40, (fax: +49 30 936 222 39, email: info@EastSeven.de), [75] Dorm rooms starting at €13 in low season, €17 in high season. Private rooms also available.

- Pension Absolut Berlin, Erich-Weinert-Str. 26, (U-/S-Bahn: Schönhauser Allee), tel. +49 30 690 650 20 (email: info@pension-absolutberlin.de), [76]. This budget hotel accommodation is situated in a central, easily accessible and quiet location near Berlin Alexanderplatz and within the center of Prenzlauer Berg. The guesthouse offers single, double, triple and fully served apartments. Prices start from 20 Euro per person.

- Generator Hostel Berlin, Storkower Str. 160 (S-Bahn: Landsberger Allee), tel. +49 30 417 240 0 (fax: +49 30 417 240 80, berlin@generatorhotels.com), [77]. 2-Bed rooms start at €20 per person, sleeping hall starts at €10.

- Lette'm Sleep, Lettestr. 7, tel. +49 30 4473 3623 (fax: +49 30 4473 3625, email: info@backpackers.de), [78]. 2-Bed Rooms start at €24 per person, Sleeping hall starts at €15, U-Bahn Eberswalder Straße

- Meininger Hotel Berlin Prenzlauer Berg, Schönhauser Allee 19 (U-Bahn: Senefelderplatz), tel. +49 30 666 36 100 (fax: +49 30 666 36 222), [79]. Double Rooms start at €35 per person, dormitory starts at €19.

- Transit Loft, Immanuelkirchstr. 14 (U-Bahn: Senefelderplatz), tel. +49 30 4849 3773 (fax: +49 30 4405 1074, email: loft@hotel-transit.de), [80]. 2-Bed Rooms start at €71.50/room, Sleeping hall starts at €15 per person. Transit, Hagelberger Str. 53-54 (Kreuzberg) is also part of this hostel chain.

- Unterkunft in Berlin, Immanuelkirchstr. 34 (Tram M2: to Knaackstr from Alexanderplatz), tel. +49 30 4849 6466 (email: info@unterkunft-in-berlin.de), [81]. Inexpensive, central and quiet situated room. Single €35, double €44/room, triple €51/room, pre-arrangement is necessary.

Midrange
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- ackselhaus & blue home, Belforter Straße 21; 10405 Berlin, +49 (0)30 44 33 76 33 (info@ackselhaus.de), [82]. checkin: 2 p.m.; checkout: 11 a.m. The charming hotel right in the city centre of Berlin is not only an insider anymore. Only 700 m away from the TV Tower, Alexanderplatz.

- City Guesthouse Pension Berlin, Gleimstrasse 24, tel. +49 30 448 079 2, [83]. Located centrally near the Alexander Place in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg, all rooms (en suite) are equipped to a consistently high standard.

- Berlin Apartment, Belforter Str. 20, 10405 Berlin (tram M2 from Alexanderplatz until Metzer Str.), +49-30-484 964 69, [84]. between Alexanderplatz and Kollwitzplatz, vacation apartments (1-4 guests) 50-105€.

- Berlin Luxury Apartment, Prenzlauer-Berg, +46-8-55922385 (info@110apartments.com), [85]. Berlin vacation apartments 1-3 people for rent 80-90€.

- Bed and Breakfast Berlin & Holiday Apartments Rental, Gleimstrasse 24, tel. +4930 4480792, [86]. Centrally located in a quieter neighbourhood, close to the city centre. The accommodation offers excellent public transport access to Berlin’s main tourist attractions. The station Schönhauser Allee - underground and city rail (S-Bahn) is just a 2-minute walk. All guest rooms and holiday apartments are equipped with privat bathroom, shower, toilet, lcd tv, refrigerator, coffee facilities, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi internet access.

- Hotel Brandenburger Hof Berlin, Eislebener Straße 14 - 10789 Berlin, tel. +49 030 2119359, [87].

- The first hotel belonging to the exclusive brand [“Leonardo Royal”] invites you to stay in an attractive location in the heart of Mitte – the pulsating district of Berlin that boasts boutiques, clubs and trendy restaurants. The new hotel is located in close proximity to Alexanderplatz, featuring excellent transport connections and fast and easy access to numerous city sights. Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin

Otto-Braun-Straße 90, D-10249 Berlin,Tel.: +49 (0) 30 - 755 430 0

Contact
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District North Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

By public transport

By plane

• See

Spandau

Reinickendorf

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Understand
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Spandau is the westernmost borough (Bezirk) of the German capital city of Berlin. The district lays conveniently in a green area with thenearby Spree and Havel rivers. Once a town in its own right, Spandau is one of the oldest areas in the Berlin region and still retains much of its own unique character, having been spared the worst of the Allied bombing in the Second World War that so devastated the rest of the city. The center of the district is formed by a dense network of medieval streets and a market square, still retaining a large number of timber-framed buildings. Spandau was the site of the military prison in which Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess was imprisoned after the 1946 Nuremberg trials until his death in 1987. The prison was then demolished.

Reinickendorf [1] is a borough in the northwest of Berlin. It consists of the localities Tegel, Reinickendorf, Märkisches Viertel (70s built apartment blocks area) and some small, village-like areas. In general, it is a very green district with much water and the neighborhoods have a typical small town cityscape. In addition to the airport there are some minor sights interesting for tourists (especially architecture in Tegel).

Pankow is a borough of Berlin. In 2001 the three former districts of Prenzlauer Berg, Weissensee and Pankow were combined to form the new Pankow district. The former Pankow on the other hand is a very green, middle-class district with a laid-back atmosphere and some minor sights for tourists. Weißensee, too, is a largely residential district. Prenzlauer Berg is dealt with in East Central.

Get in
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Spandau is the terminal station for a couple of public transport lines (especially the backbone line U7) and several regional trains stop frequently when they cross Berlin and Brandenburg.

By public transport
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The main backbone for the western parts is the U-Bahn line 7 with the major stations Zitadelle, Altstadt Spandau and Rathaus Spandau. The S-Bahn lines S3 and S75 end/starts here as well.

The BVG (the public transport company) runs a public ferry between Kladow and Wannsee which is primarily designed for commuters.

To get into Pankow, get out at S-Bahn/U-Bahn station Pankow.

By plane
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Airport Tegel is located in the southwest of Reinickendorf, 15 minutes distance from the center of Tegel. From the airport you can get into the center of Berlin with the bus lines TXL, 109 and X9 or into the center of Tegel by bus 128 (change at Kurt-Schumacher Platz to U6 to Alt-Tegel). From the center of Berlin take the U-Bahn line 6 to Alt-Tegel, or the S-Bahn line 25 to station Tegel if you want to get into the center of Tegel. U-Bahn line 8 and S-Bahn lines 1 and 25 go through Reinickendorf; main stations are Alt-Reinickendorf (S 25) and Rathaus Reinickendorf (U8).

See
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Spandau
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- Zitadelle Spandau (Spandau Citadel), tel 354 94 42 00, open Tu-Fr 9AM - 5PM, Sa-Su 10AM - 5PM, entry €2.50 (concessions available) - a fortress built between 1560-1590 to Italian design on the site of a 12th century castle

- St Nikolai Kirche - a splendid 15th century Gothic church with many fine accoutrements

Reinickendorf
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- Schloss Tegel: (Adelheidallee 17-21) A remarkable medium sized classical castle by the famous K.F. Schinkel built 1820 to 1824, also called "Humboldtschlösschen", because Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt (and their family) lived here once. At the moment no visits possible because of renovation.

- Dicke Marie: Not far away from Schloss Tegel (at the "grosse Malche") you can take a look at the oldest tree in Berlin, an oak which has been growing there since about 1192 (so it's actually older than Berlin itself).

- IBA-Bauten at Tegeler Hafen (U-Bahn station Alt-Tegel) During the International Building Exhibition 1984 to 1988 a bunch of remarkable buildings were set around the old Tegeler Hafen. Architecturally diverse, the most important is the Phosphateliminierungsanlage (Gustav Peichl). Also some buildings by Charles Moore are interesting.

- Borsigwerke and Borsigturm Ex-industrial buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century, nice clinker-architecture and the first (mini) highraiser of Berlin, the Borsigturm, 65 m high, built 1922-24. The area houses now offices, a shopping mall and some places for entertainment. Get out at station Borsigwerke (U6).

- Lübars One of the most authentic and oldest villages (1247) in the outskirts of Berlin, it looks the same way it did some hundred years ago. Take S-Bahn 1 to Waidmannslust and then bus 222 to Alt-Lübars.

Do
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- Swimming, watersports and boat trips on one of the biggest Berlin lakes, the Tegeler See.

- Greenwich Promenade, (10 minutes walk from U-Bahn Alt-Tegel). Relaxing lake-side strolls on a path named after Reinickendorf's twin town of Greenwich, London. Please refer to it as 'Greenvitch Promenaid'.

Buy
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- There is a nice shopping mall located in Tegel, called Borsighallen. It's converted locomotive assembly halls turned into a typical medium sized Berlin mall with every shop you'll need. Additionally there is a cinema and other entertainment stuff.

- Markthalle Tegel, (two minutes from U-Bahn Alt-Tegel), [2]. M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 8AM-4PM. Indoor food market. Fantastic fresh foods at local prices, including bakers, deli counters, and greengrocers.

Eat
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Drink
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- Cafe Fahrt, Alt-Tegel 21. breakfasts, cakes and comfortable ambiance - with a terasse on a quiet tree-lined street in the centre of Tegel. 5 minutes walk from U-Bahn Alt-Tegel

Sleep
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- Casa Schmuck (Bed and Breakfast Berlin), Wilhelmstr. 114, Berlin D-13593, [3]. Maybe the sweetest little bed and breakfast place in Berlin. Outside the center in Spandau, close to lakes and rivers, to the Olympic Stadium and the convention center. The lady running it is real nice!

- Homestay accommodation (Unterkunft in Berlin), Immanuelkirchstr. 34, Berlin D-10405 (Tram M2: to Knaackstr from Alexanderplatz), +49 30 48496466 (info@unterkunft-in-berlin.de), [4]. Prebooking nessesary, minimum stay two nights. Single €35, double €44, triple €51.

- Hettler & Lange Hotel und City-Camping, Gartenfelder Strasse 1 (take U7 to Haselhorst, then bus 133, get off at Gartenfeld stop; then continue for another 300m in the same direction, and turn right just before the bridge), (+49) (030) 33 5036 33, [5]. A nice campsite and small hotel next to the river. The amenities are quite basic, but clean and sufficient. Not suitable for people who need absolute silence for a good sleep - but the noise from the nearby Tegel airport is not very hard to get used to. €13-€25. (52° 32' 55.59'',13° 15' 22.81'')

Contact
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District East Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

• See

Marzahn and Hellersdorf

Art galleries

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

• Drink

• Sleep

Marzahn-Hellersdorf

• Contact

• Get out

Understand
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Lichtenberg is a district in the east of Berlin. It was merged together with Hohenschönhausen in 2001. Lichtenberg is mostly a residential district, but because of its heterogeneity there are all classes of people living there. The center of Lichtenberg (where are some buildings left from the 19th century) is home to the working class, as is the centre of Hohenschönhausen (built mainly in the 70s in rather ugly GDR socialist building block architecture). The middle class resides in the greener areas like Friedrichsfelde, whereas in Karlshorst you can watch some smaller mansions of the upper class. Most interesting for tourists are the Stasi (secret service of the GDR) relics/museums, the Tierpark (zoo) and some remarkable architecture such as the Mies van der Rohe house.

Marzahn-Hellersdorf is a district in the northeast of Berlin. It is largely a residential district for the underclass and the middle class. It is famous for it's GDR socialist building block architecture, but often ignored are some old, village-like parts. In general it is a very green district. There are only a few interesting sites for visitors. Most interesting are maybe the "Gärten der Welt", the Gründerzeitmuseum and the Schlosspark Biesdorf with its small castle in late classical style. A more thorough description of the district can be found on the official website [1].

Get in
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Use S-Bahn (lines 5, 7 and 75) or U-Bahn (U5) to get into Lichtenberg. You can also use the regional train, but it's not as regular as the S-Bahn. The stations of biggest interests are S-Bahn station Lichtenberg (where also a few long distance trains run from) and Tierpark (U5). S-Bahn Line 75, which goes also to Hohenschönhausen.

The S-Bahn lines 75 or 5 and the U-Bahn line 5 will get you to most parts, otherwise take the tram: the M6, for example, starts in the city center (e.g. Alexanderplatz) and runs through almost the entire district.

See
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- The Tierpark [2] (former East-Berlin-Zoo) is spacier (rather like a park with animals than a classical zoo, in fact it's one of the biggest zoos in Europe) than the Zoo in the center of West-Berlin. This Tierpark has nearly as many animals, but fewer reptiles and aquatic animals. There is an old castle from the late 17th century in the northeast of the Tierpark (Schloss Friedrichsfelde). Get out at U-Bahn station Tierpark (U5).

- Stasi (Secret Police) Museum [3] This museum describes the procedures applied by the DDR secret police. Get out at Magdalenenstrasse (U5) and head to Ruschestrasse (no. 103).

- Stasi (Secret Police) Prison (Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen), Genslerstraße 66 (S-bahn to Landsberger Alee, then tram 6 to Genslerstrasse, then walk 1km along Genslerstrasse, the prison is on the right), +49 - (0)30 - 98 60 82 - 30, [4]. Experience the Stasi Secret Police Prison first-hand. Daily English-speaking tour between July, 1st and November 14th, 2.30 p.m. €5.

- German-Russian Museum [5] This museum describes the history of the GDR-Russian relationship during the Cold War. Get out at S-Bahn station Karlshorst and go by bus 396 direction Tierpark (2 or 3 stations).

- Mies van der Rohe Haus [6] (Oberseestr. 60) The last Mies van der Rohe building (a dwelling house) in Germany before his emigration to the U.S. (1938). Now there are small contemporary/modern art exhibitions.

- Victoriastadt (West of S-Bahnhof Nöldnerplatz, Kaskelstrasse) A relatively good and complete obtained (at least regarding Berlin) residential quarter which was built in 19th century. Partly under renovation. Remarkable: There are six of the first ever made buildings built of concrete left (1875) - but you can't make out a difference from the outside.

Marzahn and Hellersdorf
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- World's Garden (Gärten der Welt) in Marzahn [7]. Inside you can find a large and well established Chinese garden, a Korean garden, a small Bali's Garden/Glasshouse, an Oriental Garden with nice fountains and a cloister and a Japanese garden which is a project by the city partnership of Berlin and Tokyo. The latter has been built by Zen priests. Guided tours take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays every 30 min from 10:30 until 12:30. The park is open daily from 9:00-16:00 (in March and October until 18:00, from April to September until 20:00). Although quite crowded at times, there are not that many tourists so here's a chance to brush up on your German skills. Entrance is 2 € in winter and 3 € in summer. As the journey to this park will be around an hour from the city center, don't miss this opportunity to complete your picture of Berlin by seeing some of Berlin's clean and quiet suburbs. Eisenacher Strasse, 99 - Berlin-Marzahn - S7 Marzahn (Zone B) + Bus 195 (before the departure ask to the driver for the right stop). Notice that another Eisenacher Strasse exists in Schöneberg, so don't be mislead by the U7 Station Eisenacher Strasse.

- Gründerzeitmuseum (Museum of Wilhelminial style) [8] features many objects and even whole rooms in wilhelminian style. To get there from the city center: U5 until "Elsterwerdaer Platz", then bus 398 direction S Mahlsdorf until "Hultschiner Damm", then walk 300 m.

- Schloss and Schlosspark Biesdorf [9] is a small castle in late classical style. It was built 1868 by Gropius and other architects, the von Siemens family changed the castle a bit around 1900 and they enlarged the dimensions of the park, which is today renovated and nice to wander around when the sun is shining. Located within a few minutes' walking distance from Biesdorf station (take the S5 from the city centre) or Elsterwerdaer Platz station (U5).

- Windmill [10] One of the few windmills in Berlin is located in Marzahn. After registration one can visit it and have a look at the functions of the windmill. To get there, take the S7 or S75 until "Springpfuhl" station, then the tram 8 or M18 until "Alt-Marzahn".

Art galleries
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As Berlin is a city of art, it is quite easy to find an art gallery on your way. They provide a nice opportunity to have a look at modern artists' work in a not so crowded environment for free. Here are some of the galleries in Marzahn-Hellersdorf:

- Galerie M: open Sunday - Thursday 1 p.m. till 6 p.m. Varying exhibitions, for details see [11] (in German). Marzahner Promenade 13, 12679 Berlin. Next S-Bahn station is "Marzahn" (S 7).

- Galerie KLIN: open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Ahrensfelder Chaussee 150 a, 12689 Berlin.

Do
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- There is a harness racing track in Karlshorst (Treskowallee 129, S-Bahnhof Karlshorst [12]). Usually the races take place on Sundays.

- Before or after visiting the "Gardens of the World", tourists might be interested in climbing on top of the Kienberg (a small hill nearby with a view on the surrounding suburbs) or to go for a walk in the valley of the Wuhle (a small river). More information on the area can be found on the district's official website (in German): [13]

Buy
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Shopping centers are mainly providing goods for the local population, but there are several shopping centers in the district such as the following:

- Eastgate Berlin which is located next to the S Bahn Station Marzahn and comprises about 150 shops, restaurants etc. For the center's website, see the following link [14]. Close by is an enterntainment center with cinemas etc.

- Helle Mitte a smaller shopping center next to U 5 Station "Hellersdorf", in the area around Alice Salomon Platz.

- Spree Center another small shopping center at Hellersdofer Straße opposite to the U 5 station "Kaulsdorf Nord".

Eat
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Tierpark Bistro at the U5 station at Tierpark has some of the best Doener in the Berlin area. They have a great neighborhood feel, and delicious Middle Eastern food in the German style.

Most restaurants in Marzahn-Hellersdorf belong to the lower price segment, some to the medium range, and exclusive restaurants are virtually non-existent. Here two tips:

- La Paz - Mexican restaurant / bar, in summer you can sit outside in the adjacent pedestrian area. Good food and friendly service. Kurt-Weill-Gasse 7, 12627 Berlin, about 5 minute's walk from U 5 Station "Hellersdorf".

- Ristorante Pizzeria Sicilia - as the name suggests, a good Italian restaurant, at the left side of the "Cecilienplatz" (if you exit the U Bahn (metro)-Station Kaulsdorf Nord). Good food and friendly people, native Italians will likely have a chat in Italian with the "patrone". Do not be shocked by the area around which is somewhat grey with a lot of concrete, but the restaurant is really nice. In summer, you can sit in a tent outside which is surrounded by flowers. Somewhat more expensive than the La Paz, for a good dinner with three courses and drinks, you'll need about 40-50 € per person. Pasta and pizza are cheaper, of course. According to latest reports, the restaurant was recently renamed and has a new owner.

- Nil Sudanesiche Spezialitate - unique place at with ethnic cuisine from Sudan. Prices begin at 2 €. Wonderful place for anybody who would like to taste something from Africa, like Qaurd cheese with fenugreek and black cumin or peanut soup - different and original. Friedrichshain Grünberger str. 52

Drink
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- Biergarten, (at Biesdorf S-station). It is simple, but friendly and a convenient place to have a beer and a currywurst after visiting the castle.

- Electro Kohle, Weitlingstrasse 68-70. Open Friday and Saturday, Techno and Trance.

Sleep
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Marzahn-Hellersdorf
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- Hotel Helle Mitte, modern but affordable middle-class hotel (3 stars), Kurt-Weill-Gasse 7, 12627 Berlin. Telephone ++49 (0) 30930290

- Etap Berlin Ost, typical low budget hotel (1 star) managed by the Accor group. Allee der Kosmonauten 33c, 12681 Berlin. Telephone ++49 (0) 3054003220.

- Park Hotel Schloss Kaulsdorf, probably the only luxurious hotel in the area (4 stars), in a small castle. Brodauer Str. 33, 12621 Berlin. Telephone ++ 49 (0) 30565950

- Youth hostel Pro-social, Blumberger Damm 12, 12683 Berlin, +49 (0) 30 56 29 260, [15]. Youth hostel "Pro-social", The Youth Hostel of ’Pro-Social’ House on Blumberger Damm have become a highlight for young tourists in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf region of Berlin. the Youth Hostel we have 153 beds in apartments with modern, well-furnished rooms of 1 to 4 beds all have sofa/living area, as well as separate shower and WC, a small entrance hall). These are available for young tourists, youth groups, school classes, language course groups, cultural ensembles, sportsteams,in fact anyone who wants to explore Berlin. Youth Hostel puts on satisfying and healthy meals for guests. One night in a four person apartment 12,00 Euro. Up to three nigth stay 14.00 Euro. Breakfast = 3,50 Euro. Alongside our value-for-money breakfast, lunch and dinner menus B&B, Half Board and Full Board 12,50 Euro.

Contact
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Get out
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District South Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Tempelhof

Neukölln

Treptow-Köpenick

By tram

• See

Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Museums

Tempelhof

Neukölln

Treptow-Köpenick

• Do

Neukölln

Neukölln

Treptow-Köpenick

Flea market

• Eat

Neukölln

Treptow-Köpenick

• Drink

Neukölln

Köpenick

• Sleep

Neukölln

• Contact

Understand
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Steglitz-Zehlendorf is a borough in the southwest of Berlin. Zehlendorf is together with Charlottenburg the wealthiest part of Berlin and has a lot of lakes and forests, but also lots of culture and the biggest university in Berlin. Most famous is the Wannsee with its Strandbad, where on hot summer weekends all families visit, but there are also other lakes, where bathing is allowed and even free.

Steglitz was merged with Zehlendorf in 2001 and is an ordinary (but nice) residential and shopping district. Zehlendorf is more interesting for tourists because of its many museums, beautiful nature and some old castles.

Tempelhof is a borough of Berlin. In 2001 these two former boroughs were merged. Both are very different and were merged solely to have a bigger political unit. Tempelhof is an industrial area and in the south is a living area for families. The northern part is mainly occupied by the airport Tempelhof which was closed in October 2008.

Neukölln is a borough of Berlin. It consists of four sub-districts (Britz, Buckow, Rudow and Neukölln). Neukölln has a history as a poor working-class district with a large number of migrants. Neukölln offers big contrasts between the densely populated northern part and the more village looking southern parts. Southern neighborhoods Britz, Buckow and Rudow became part of Berlin in the 1930s and kept its structure. In the past few years, the northern part of Neukölln, nick-named Kreuzkölln, has seen a transformation as a large influx of students and artists are moving into the neighborhood.

Treptow-Köpenick is a borough of Berlin. Köpenick is known for its old town, its castle and the many lakes and forests. And for the story of The Captain of Köpenick. Treptow is more a residential district and well known to Berliners for its big park and some beautiful views of River Spree. In some parts you can visit big ex-industrial areas which are now changing to something else (i.e. cultural or shopping areas) or simply fading away.

Get in
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Steglitz-Zehlendorf
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The center of Steglitz is the U-/S-Bahn station "Rathaus Steglitz". One of the most popular shopping streets in Berlin is the "Schlossstrasse" with a good selection of specialized shops, especially medium and low-priced fashion shops. Additionally there are four small to medium-sized malls where you'll get everything you need.

Zehlendorf is spread quite far and depending on the area, different stations are the best. Wannsee, Grunewald or Dahlem-Dorf are the best stations to stop at for the most interesting areas.

Tempelhof
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U-Bahn line 6 from station "Platz der Luftbrücke"" onwards south is the backbone of the district. The major S-Bahnstation Südkreuz (DB station with national and international rail service) and Tempelhof also lay within the district

Neukölln
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The U-Bahn line U7 and U8 are the backbone of transportation in Neukölln. All stations from U8-Schönleinstrasse to U8-Hermannstrasse and U7-Hermannplatz to U7-Grenzallee are northern Neukölln. Starting from Parchimer Allee until the terminal station Rudow you will see the smaller houses, apartment blocks and gardens of Britz, Buckow and Rudow. But with the Gropiusstadt, there is also a housing estate with many mulit-storage builings and a differnt social siutation. Several bus lines connect the residential areas especially in the southern parts.

The ferderal motorway 100 (the new city highway) is constructed on the former border line to Treptow-Köpenick. It offers a fast way to the new BBI airport which will be from October 2011 onwards the only airport for Berlin. During rush hour the entry and exit ways might be congested but the main traffic is to come after the airport opening.

Treptow-Köpenick
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Treptow is best accessed by S-Bahn lines S45, 46 and 9. The most important station is Treptower Park. To get into Köpenick take the S46 to Spindlersfeld or the S3 to Köpenick and consider taking one of the many trams to the old town and the old palace.

By tram
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Perhaps the most picturesque line in the city, known to transit system officials as "the most beloved tram line in Germany" due to its customers' passionate opposition to reducing service, is Line 68. In off-seasons it has more scenery than people, but when hot weather comes its lakeshore meanderings and the tiny, "gemütlich" village of Alt-Schmöckwitz at the line's outer terminal draw so many customers that extra trams are pressed into service. Line 68 may be best accessed at the Berlin-Grünau S-Bahn station, where all types of convenience food and shopping are available.

Beyond the village center and tram terminal, a large forested area of lakefront parkland offers hiking and bicycling possibilities. This was once the home neighborhood for expatriate American, international music and film star Dean Reed. The Line 68 tram itself had one brief moment of glory, in 1936. In its former incarnation as Line 86 it was the best route to the Olympic rowing events and some structures, street names, etc. still reflect that high point.

See
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Steglitz-Zehlendorf
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- Wannsee— Well known as the number-one bathing and recreation spot for western Berlin. It is the site of the Strandbad Wannsee, an open-air lido with one of the longest inland beaches in Europe and a popular nudist area.

- Schloss and Schlosspark Glienicke— Glienicke Castle is one of Berlin's oldest castles and where Prince Carl used to reside. Be sure to check out Glienicke Bridge, the bridge that became renowned for the exchange of Western and Eastern secret agents.

- Schloss Grunewald— An impressive traditional country estate with stately architecture, it is an enclave of untouched regional cultural history and architectonic epochs. The 80-hectare mixed forest also provides a wide network of paths for walking and rambling.

Museums
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- Brücke-Museum, Bussardsteig 9, tel 831 2029 [1]. Works from the Dresden art collaborative called "Die Brücke".

- Museum of European Cultures. The biggest of its sort in Europe. At the museum district of Dahlem.

- Ethnological Museum. Again one of the world's most comprehensive ones. At the museum district of Dahlem.

- Museum of Asian Art Includes East Asian as well as Indian sections.

- Allied Museum. A museum showing the Western side of the Cold War.

- House of the Wannsee Conference. on Am Grossen Wannsee on the shoreline. This museum explains how this house was used for a meeting of senior Nazis to ensure that they all knew that the SS would forthwith industrialize the use of mass-murder in disposing of Jews and "undesirables" and to debate a little the logistics of the Holocaust, for which Hitler had already given the orders.

Tempelhof
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Tempelhof Airport, the "mother of all airports", is a huge relic of the pre-war era but closed as of October 30, 2008. The terminal building is located immediately south of the city center and was the hot spot of the Berlin airlift ("Berliner Luftbrücke"). Take U6 to "Platz der Luftbrücke"

Neukölln
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Neukölln has been known for its high immigrant population, but is now considered to be a highly up-and-coming neighbourhood of Berlin where more and more artists, students, and new homeowners are moving to. Particularly northern Neukölln – also known as Kreuzkölln – has seen a huge influx of money and has become particularly trendy, and this trend is moving steadily further south. Particular areas of note is the part of Neukölln close to the Maybachufer channel that also hosts the famous Türkish market (off of U-Bahn Schönleinstrasse), the Schillerkiez (off of U-Bahn Boddinstrasse), and the Richardplatz (off of U-Bahn Karl-Marx-Strasse)

Treptow-Köpenick
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- Museum of Forbidden Art A special museum situated on a guard tower on the historical Berlin Wall (closed now, reopening questionable).

- Müggelturm - an observation tower without an elevator in Southeast Berlin, from which you can see that there is a great deal of forest around Berlin.

- Altstadt Koepenick - the old town of Koepenick surrounded by water. Especially noteworthy is the Köpenick Palace which houses a museum of applied art and the Neogothic town hall.

- (Museum of Decorative Arts, Schlossinsel Köpenick 1 (in Köpenick Palace), +49 (0)30 6 55 73 61. Tu-Su, 10am-6pm. €4.

- Neuvenedig - a beautiful landscape of water canals and vegetation with charming little fish restaurants.

- Nazi Forced Labor Documentation Center, Britzer Str. 5 (Berlin-Schöneweide S-Bahn station), [2]. 10 am - 6 pm. The Schöneweide former forced labor camp (GBI-Lager 75/76) on Britzer Strasse is a complete ensemble, which makes it a rather unusual site in Berlin. Of the original thirteen housing barracks erected between 1943 and 1945, eleven are still standing today. Six barracks on the western part of the former camp grounds belong to the Documentation Center on Nazi Forced Labor. Guides tours available on request (schoeneweide@topographie.de or Phone: +49 30 63902880)

Do
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- Swim in the pure waters of one of the many lakes, such as Schlachtensee, Krumme Lanke or Wannsee. You should arrive with you bathing suit already on as there are no changing stations readily available.

- Volkspark Mariendorf boasts an open-air cinema and is the perfect activity to do at night.

- Mueggelsee - Berlin's biggest lake. You can travel there by tram which is an experience by itself.

Neukölln
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- Türkish Market, [3]. Every Tuesday and Friday, 11am-6.30pm, the biggest and best market in Berlin is in Neukölln. An absolute must visit.

- Neuköllner Oper, [4]. Visit a play and be amazed by the creativity, which the opera house has won some awards for

- Britzer Garten, [5]. A 90 hectare garden and former national garden show place (1984); public park with great flora and big playgrounds for kids; popular amongst children and seniors on weekends.

- Stadtbad Neukölln Built from 1912-14 in Art Noveau style and carefully renovated in 1984, this swimming pool (actually two in one building), covered in mosaics and domes, is one of Berlin's most beautiful. A must-see for architecture fans.

- Sonnenallee became famous from the film [6] named after this street. During the Cold War, the street was split, with one section belonging to East Berlin and one to West Berlin.

- Ballhaus Rixdorf (Tango Dancing), 10967, 030/ 691 63 70 (info@ballhaus-rixdorf.de, fax: 030/ 692 38 21), [7]. Sa 9:30PM to close. Tango dancing starts at 9:30PM on Saturdays. This place features an amazing atmosphere, impressive dancers, and full-out Tanguero and Tanguera dress.

Neukölln
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- Karstadt Hermannplatz [8] (U-Bahn Hermannplatz), built in 1929; large shopping center including clothing, book, and beauty products shops, as well as a post office, and its own high-end supermarket, (probably only second to KaDeWe in the area). The grocery section of Karstadt has its own fresh meat, seafood, and cheese sections.

- Kindl-Boulevard Passage shopping center on Hermanstrasse [9] (U-Bahn Boddinstrasse) another center with many stores, a cinema, and a newly renovated Kaiser's supermarket.

- Gropiusstadt Passagen (U7 station Johannistaler Chaussee) is the biggest mall in Berlin and offers a wide variety of shops.

There are additional malls in the district, such as the "Neukölln Arkaden" at the U7-Station "Rathaus Neukölln". An abundance of clothing stores and eateries, a post office, gym, a cinema known as "Karli" (movies in both German and Turkish shown regularly), and a very large supermarket (Kaufland) in the basement.

The region boasts many specialty food shops (Asian, Indian, African etc.), which offer an impressive international selection for very competitive prices.

Neukölln is home to many so-called "Spätis" which Berlin has become known for."Spätis" are kiosks regularly open until 2 or 3AM (some are open 24 hours), offering everything from cigarettes, drinks, and sweets, to necessities, (dairy, dry goods, canned food, etc.). Slightly more expensive than grocery chains, but less expensive than gas stations.

Treptow-Köpenick
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- Go on the water. Rent a motor boat, row boat, canoe, or kayak and explore the Spree and Dahme

Flea market
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- Eichenstraße 4 , Sundays

Eat
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- Loretta am Wannsee Kronprinzessinenweg 260, Berlin-Wannsee. One of the most popular beer gardens in Berlin. It's a must visit in summer for eating and drinking in the sun.

- Fischerhütte am Schlachtensee, Alte Fischerhütte am Schlachtensee Fischerhüttenstrasse 136 D-14136 tel +49-30-80498310. A cozy, yet elegant high end restaurant with an impressive visible wine collection, located directly at the Schlachtensee. Sit outside in the warmer months for the gorgeous views outside.

Neukölln
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- Cafe Rix, Karl-Marx-Straße 141, 12043 Berlin, T: 030-686 90 20. Next to the Neukölln Opera house with international cuisine.

- Musashi, Kottbusser Damm 102, 10967 Berlin, T: 030-693 20 42. Good, small japanese imbiss-restaurant, one of the better Sushi joints in Berlin.

- Café Selig, Herrfurthplatz 14, 12049 Berlin, T: 030-620 05 530 [10]. Cute café/restaurant in the Schillerkiez by the church. Good place to people-watch, drink a coffee, and to eat brunch.

- Britzer Mühle, Buckower Damm 130, 12349 Berlin, T: 030-604 10 05, [11]. Classical German cuisine in an old wind mill.

- Casa Montella , Krokusstraße 80, 12357 Berlin, T:030-662 03 95 Good Italian restaurant in Rudow.

- Louis, Richardplatz 5, 12055 Berlin - Austrian food, giant schnitzels and quality beer on tap

- Götterspeise, Karl-Marx-Straße 131, 12043 Berlin

- Tabibito, Karl-Marx-Str. 56 , 12043 Berlin. Japanese restaurant, family-run, very friendly (sometimes you get a snack for free), since it's little, can be very crowded in the evenings.

- Café Jacques, Maybachufer 8, 12047 Berlin. Great French cuisine (especially the fish and the self-made noodles), nice service, very crowded though.

- Kantina von Hugo, Friedelstr 31 Tel 030 22432825. Small cozy Mediterranean mama-style home cooking situated near the Landwehrkanal. The menu is small but changes everyday. Friendly and not too expensive, very nice wines. Fresh pasta is a must.

- Tang, Karl-Marx-Str. 215 (3 mins from S-Neukölln), +49-30-684 33 36. 11-23. Authentic Hunan Chinese Food at rock bottom prices (under 7 € for a very filling main course). Ignore the menu, ask for the specials. The spicy pork & aubergine dish is a must, sometimes rarities such as chicken feet are on offer. budget.

- Focacceria la Tarantella (12047), Pannierstrasse 57 (near U7 / U8 Hermannplatz). Pizzeria serving fresh homemade pizza and pasta, starting a 4 €, also offering a changing 3-course menu.

Treptow-Köpenick
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- Die Blaue Lagune-, (nestled in a corner of Johannisthal, part of Schoeneweide, which is a subsection of Treptow (Sterndamm 65, 12487 Berlin)). a coffeeshop/restaurant where you can have great coffee, house-made excellent ice cream and cakes, and great food from a short but just as excellent menu, and all that in a wonderful ambiente.

- Luise, (In Köpenick on the Dahme side, across from the City Hall.), 030. 64 32 9 777 (info@luise-koepenick.de, fax: 030. 64 32 8 525), [12]. Mo-Fr from 9am, weekends from 11 am. Friendly service, delicious German/Italian food and a great view over the Dahme and the Spree both from inside and outside on the big wooden terrace. €12 main, €25 menus.

Drink
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- KitKatClub, Brücken Straße 1, Mitte. Some say that without the "Kitty," Berlin wouldn't be Berlin. Others think that it's one of the best night clubs in Europe because of its unique concept. A very famous address, a unique clubbing concept mixing techno/electro/trance music with sexual freedom. Be careful and open-minded, and respect the strict dresscode of fetish, latex, leather, kinky, and high style glamour. Nonstop party from Saturday night to Sunday evening.

Neukölln
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Especially in the northern part of Neukölln (east of Kottbusser Damm, next to the Kreuzberg-border), the bar scene is becoming increasingly established. Thehe rest of Neukölln houses a few student-friendly bars - namely the punky "syndikat" on 56 Weisestrasse. Nearby Kreuzberg offers more variety.

- Froschkönig, Weisestr. 17 [13] Awesome pianobar with literature nights and occasional jazz concerts. Very relaxed atmosphere, located in the Schillerkiez.

- Syndikat, Weisestr. 56 [14] One of the most famous bars in this part of town. It's been around for some 25 years and considered to be one of the best 'kneipen' in Neukölln.

- Freies Neukoelln, Pannierstr. 54 [15] The best beer in town with a very good kitchen. Open daily from 7 p.m.

- Kulturverein Kinski, Friedelstr. 28. Famous for late nights and cultural activities. Frequented by Neukölln film enthusiasts, and occasionally rare films are screened. A nice feature: if you want to organize an artistic event or plan to DJ, just go there and sign up in the list at the bar.

- Hamy's (12043), Hasenheide 10 (U7 and U8: Hermannplatz.). Delicious Vietnamese cuisine, a main course for 4,50 Euros. They have a daily changing menu and great lassis.

Köpenick
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- Köpenick Palace Cafe, [16]. Nov-Mar:Th-So 10am-6pm, Oct-Apr:Tu-So: 10am-7pm, May-Sep:Tu-So:10am-11 pm. Both inside and outside are beautiful places to have a glass of wine or beer. Or a cup of coffee with a whipped cream cake. Also have menus for lunch and dinner. €4 for drinks.

Sleep
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- Landhaus Schlachtensee, Bogotastr. 9, Zehlendorf, 030/809-9470. Set nearby the Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke lakes, the Landhaus offers a quiet and tranquil location, with the personalized service of a bed and breakfast.

- Schlosshotel im Grunewald, 030/895-840. Tucked away near the Grunewald Castle, this ultra luxe exudes charm and indulgence, and with the interior styled by Karl Lagerfield, you can be assured of a stylish setting.

- Meininger 10, Meininger Straße 10 (U-Bahn: Bayerischer Platz), tel. 7871 7414, fax 7871 7412, welcome@meiningerhostels.de, [17]. Two bed rooms start at €23 per person, sleeping hall starts at €12.50. The staff are friendly and speak English and French. Before placing a reservation, ask for their linen and towel changing policy - it looks like you will have one single towel for your whole stay, and the same applies for bed linen. Moreover, ask carefully for the kind of bathroom facilities your room has: only sink, sink and water closet, or a sink, water closet and shower. You can have an "all you can eat" breakfast included in the price. Meininger 12, Hallesches Ufer 30 (Kreuzberg) is also part of this hostel chain.

- Hotel Berlin[18], Lützowplatz 17, 10785 Berlin close to underground station U-Nollendorfplatz, tel +49 030 2605-0. In a ideal location in the center of the city, this 4 star hotel offers all a discerning traveler could want in a hotel.

- Best Western Hotel President, An Der Urania 16-18, 004930219030, [19]. checkin: 2pm; checkout: noon. The Best Western Hotel President is a four star hotel located three minutes away from the world famous Kaufhaus des Westens and the Kurfürstendamm. 182 rooms and suites, all with air-conditioning and free WLAN. Non-smoking floors are available as well as sauna, steam bath and fitness room. Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate around the clock. 80-400. (52.502098,13.3472)

Neukölln
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Because Neukölln is not really in the city center, most hotels are for coach tours or bigger groups. They are busiest on weekends. If you come with a group (at least 10 people) negotiate a discount.

- Estrel, [20]. Self proclaimed biggest hotel and entertainment complex in Europe. 1,125 rooms, a convention center and Michael Jackson's father stayed here.

- Mercure Hotel Tempelhof airport, [21].

Contact
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