curso/ctr reisejournalismus: berlin there, done that

7/27/2019 Curso/CTR Reisejournalismus: Berlin There, Done That...

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This guide is aimed at you.

Yes, you, the person reading thisguide right now.

You want to know about Berlin, thebest museums and sights to see?

The best places to get a bite to eat,and sample some of Germanys nebeer?

The places to indulge in a spot ofretail therapy, and the get a goodnights sleep?

Well you have come to the rightplace, as Berlin There, Done That...is tailor made to giving you all thebest advice. Meaning you can makethe most of your stay in Germanyscapital city.

guten tag!Tom Thrower | Senior Writer

how to use this guide

The district each attraction is locatedin has been indicated using one of thecoloured dots listed below:

Mitte NeukollnKreuzberg Prentzlauer BergTiergarten Friedrichshain

Charlottenburg WilmerdomLichtenburg Out of city-limitSchnenbergSteglitz-Zehlendorf

Deciding where to eat out on a budgetcan be dicult, thats why weve deviseda price scale based on an average meal,detailed below: = 0-2 = 10-15 = 2-5 = 15+ = 5-10

a brief history of berlin...Tom Thrower | Senior WriterBerlin is a city with a deep andintriguing history. Founded jointlywith Clln in 1237, the two weretrading posts and were merged intoone town in 1307. Berlins fascinationwith bears started in 1280 with itstown seal. It increased in size andimportance over the centuries, in1400 around 8,500 lived there and in1500 it was 12,000 it was prospering.

Then came the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), Berlin tried to stay neutralbut that plan failed, as both sidespillaged, looted and generally ruinedthe town. Afterwards Berlin wasbroke, ruined, starving, swarmingwith disease and its population hadplummuted to 6,000.

In came Friedrich Wilhelm, known

as The Great Elector (1640-1688),who turned the towns fortunesaround. He replenished the townspopulation, inviting all the oppressedreligious minorities of Europe tolive in Berlin especially the FrenchHuguenots. This, and the townseconomic growth, brought thetowns population to 22,000. Healso fortied the towns defences,

built roads, canals and started thedevelopment of Unter den Linden.The towns stature really grew whenElector Friedrich III (1688-1701) gavehimself a little present and madehimself King of Prussia in 1701,making Berlin the royal residenceand the capital city.

Architecturally, Berlin beautication

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berlin there, done that... | history | 7

really started during FriedrichIIs reign (1740-1786), known asFrederick the Great. The Staatsoper(State Opera House), St HedwigsKathedral and Humboldt Universitt(Humboldt University) were allerected in his reign as part of hisvision for Unter den Linden themost famous street in Berlin. As well

as architecture, and the inevitablefondness for war that all Prussianrulers shared, he embraced theideas of the enlightenment. Heabolished torture, guaranteedreligious freedom, and introducedlegal reforms. As well as this he wasa major connoisseur of the arts, anda fanatical fan of the ute Berlinbecame a capital of culture in thisera, a precursor almost to the 1920s.

During Friedrich Wilhelm IIIs reign(1797-1840) Napoleon occupiedBerlin for three years and economic

and political turmoil ensued.Although Napoleon did give Berlina form of self governance whichwas followed up by mere tokenreforms, eventually culminating inthe ultimately doomed, and quitebloody, revolution for democracyin 1848. The early 19th century wasthe age of the classically inspired

architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Hedesigned the Neue Wache (NewGuard House), the Konzerthaus(Concert Hall) as well as the famousAltes Museum (Old Museum) playing a big part in shaping modernday Berlin.

Berlin became the capital of a uniedGermany in 1871; the DeutschesReich was born (German Empire).

It grew in size dramatically, witha population of 400,000 in 1847,931,984 in 1871, and 1,900,000 in1900. Alongside this population

growth, Berlins international powergrew as it sought to expand itsempire and achieve its rightfulplace in the sun. All the friction,antagonism, conicting alliancesand the nautical arms race withBritain resulted in WWI which hadserious consequences for Berlin andGermany. The democratic Weimar

Republic was one, but painfulhyper ination was another inSeptmber 1923 a kilo of rye breadwas 3,600,000 million marks! Just togive that gure some perspective,the following month $1 was worth4,200,000 marks.

Up untill 1929, Berlin was booming it experienced a cultural andartistic heyday that lasted untill the

American stock market crash of1929. The economic disaster saw 664Berlin businesses go bankrupt and450,000 thousand people lose theirjobs in February alone. Protests, riotsand political clashes ensued with theNazi party rising to power in 1932.They subjugated, oppressed andmurdered whole sections of society;anyone with a left wing viewpointor aliation, Jews, homosexuals,gypsies banning trade unions andremoving Jewish people from thecivil service for example. Hitler undidall of the liberalisation of society thatwas achieved in the 1920s, and leadGermany to a ruinous war.

Post 1945 Berlin was a divided city,France, Britain and America got theWest, and the Soviet Union got theeast. With the Cold War between

America and the Soviets waging on,Berlin became its frontline with theBerlin Wall assembled on August 13th1961. The acrimonious state of aairsremained relatively unchanged tillthe 1980s, when Russian leaderGorbachev and U.S. presidentReagan made real eorts to endingthe feud. Resulting in that fatefulmoment, November 9th 1989, whenthe wall fell unfortunately, though,to the tune of the horrendouslycheesy Looking for Freedom byDavid Hasselho.

Germany was reunied in 1990, acommon currency and economicunion came in July and the GDRcollapsed in October. In the same

month the public voted for Berlin tobe the countrys capital, and for theGovernment to be based there. Fromthen on Berlin became the modern,liberal and sprawling metropoliswe know today, a metropolis with3,500,000 million inhabitants and the fact youve been waiting to hear 1,700 bridges!


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tickets + faresThere are three dierent pay zones.Zone A covers all areas within theS-Bahn and Zone B goes to Berlinscity limits. Zone C covers Berlinsnearby surrounding areas such asSchnefeld Airport or Potsdam. You

can get a combined ticket coveringzones AB, BC and ABC.

To buy your tickets you can use oneof the many BVG and S-Bahn Berlinticket selling areas or the machinesin the stations, which are availablein six languages (German, English,French, Spanish, Turkish and Polish).Dont forget to validate your ticket inthe small yellow or red box next to

the machine, which stamps it withthe time and date. Tickets boughton trams or buses are usually alreadyvalidated.

one-day-ticketThis allows travel throughout thewhole day for as many trips asdesired. The ticket is valid from theday of its validation until 03:00 thefollowing day and costs 6.70 in tarizone AB, reduced 4.70.

seven-day-ticketThis counts for seven consecutivedays from the day of its validation.The ticket costs 28.80. Its validationends on the seventh day at midnight.

small-group-day-ticketThis allows up to 5 people to use allpublic transportation services until03:00 the following day. The small-

group day ticket costs 16.20 in tarizone AB.

Berlin WelcomeCardThis oers free travel on publictransport in Berlin AB zones orABC zones in Berlin and Potsdam.This includes numerous discountsat many of the cultural and touristhighlights.

a guide to berlins public transportVernica Terriente

Berlins local transport will make your experience in the city much easier.With its extended system you will be able to travel safely and cheaply to allthe most important places.

The BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe), Berlins transport authority, operates

bus, underground U-Bahn and tram networks. The S-Bahn (overgroundrailway) is run by its own authority, but services are integrated within thesame three-zone tari system.

Single 1.50Single AB 2.60Single BC 2.90Single ABC 3.20

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info + mapsFor both BVG and S-Bahn you willnd any information you may needon their website. There is usuallysomeone who speaks English at the24 hour BVG Call Centre (19449) orvisit:

www.bvg.dewww.s-bahn-berlin.de

A map can become your bestfriend if you are not that good atorientation. They can be pickedup for free at ticket oces or fromthe grey-uniformed Zugabfertiger(Passenger Assistance Personnel)who wander about the larger U-Bahnand S-Bahn stations.

travelling at nightBerlin has an ample night-linenetwork that covers all parts of townwith 59 bus and tram routes runningevery 30 minutes between 00:30 and4:30. Before and after these timesthe regular timetable for bus andtram routes applies.

taxisBerlin has compulsory taris for alltaxis. Within the city area, passengers

must pay the fare according to themeter but in case you travel beyondthe city borders you can agree aprice with the driver, except forSchnefeld Airport.

Taxi Fares to Schnefeld Airport:From City West (Station Zoo):38 approx.From City East (Alexanderplatz):38 approx.

Taxi Fares to Tegel Airport:From City West (Station Zoo):20 approx.From City East (Alexanderplatz):

25 approx.

Some taxi telephone numbers are:(030) 44 33 22 Taxi Funk Berlin(030) 26 10 26 Funk Taxi Berlin(030) 26 30 00 Quality Taxi(030) 21 01 01 Wrfelfunk(030) 21 02 02 City Funk

getting to + from the airports

TegelThis airport is connected with thecity centre by 4 bus routes:

JetExpressBuss TXL - running every15 or 20 minutes depending on thehours, for 3 approx.

Express X9 and Lines 128 + 109- running every 15 minutes andconnecting you with the mainunderground stations.

Schnefeld

The most comfortable way to getto the city centre is with the AirportExpress train. The lines RE4 and RE5will take you to the Central Stationevery 30 minutes for 3.

Or, take the S-Bahn lines S9 and S45,running every 40 minutes.

The Shuttle Bus (3), or the Lines 100+ 200, are the most used by tourists.

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dos + dontsDONTexpect to pay with a debit orcredit card at restaurants or smallshops keep some cash on you.

DONT vandalise the city is litteredwith so much grati that peopleassume its legal its not!

DO bring student ID youll getdiscounts on public transport,activities and at most museums andgalleries.

DO bring comfortable shoes Berlinis a huge city.

DO validate your travel card even

if you have a ticket, nes and publichumiliation are both possible if ithasnt been validated.

when to goBerlin is lively all year round, butparticularly busy through thesummer months. For a less touristcrammed experience try April, Mayor September. The weather is notas predictable but it tends to be

reasonably warm with averages of15-19C.

Christmas is also a fantastic time tovisit winter markets and beautifullights brighten the city. But dontexpect the Caribbean Berlin iscold at this time of year and snow ispossible.

where to goMitteThe most central of 12 districts andhome to some of the most importanthistorical points of the city (The

Brandenberg Gate, The Reichstag,Alexanderplatz and Museum Island).

CharlottenbergFilled with upmarket shops andrestaurants, come here for a moresophisticated occasion.

KreuzbergEdgy and lively. The best place fornightlife and vintage shopping, andthe hipster hub of the city.

FreidrichshainFilled with students, this punchyand exciting district is one of thecheapest to eat and drink.

what to eatThis city is full of variety and youllnd delicious fast food vendors andreasonably priced restaurants tochoose from all over.

Theres something to suit everyonebut be sure to try the legendaryCurrywurst and a Dner Kebab.These dishes are sold all over the city,and theyre lling, tasty and cheap!

Vegetarians wont struggle to nd asubstantial variety either. Theres norush to eat some fast food jointsare open 24/7.

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berlins quiet timeTuesdays to Saturdays are a bustlingfrenzy city-wide. Sundays seeshortened hours for shopping mallsand supermarkets are closed.

While shops are back in business byMonday, museums and galleries aremore often open on Sundays and

closed on Mondays, so check outMuseum Island or nearby parks.

getting aroundPublic transport here is simple,cheap, reliable and user-friendly.Check out our Guide to Berlinspublic transport for advice on Trams,U-bahn, S-bahn, and bus services.

Alternatively, if youre feeling t,

most places within the central circuitcan be cycled to within 30 minutes. Apush bike can be hired by the minutefrom 50 call a bike locations aroundthe city centre. They cost 8 cents perminute and reach a maximum of 12per day.

If youre around for a while, head toMauerpark Flea Market and buy yourown for around 50.

moneyCompared to many other Europeancities, Berlin does not put too muchof a dent in the back pocket.

Dont rely too heavily on yourdebit/credit card: many places willonly accept cash. Try to use ATMsin the vestibules adjoining banks(Sparkasse, Deutsche Bank and

Berliner Bank etc.) which are usuallyopen 24/7 and much safer thanoutlying machines.

Average pricesKebab 3Currywurst 2Water 1.20Club Entry 5 - 10

Museum Entry 5 - 10Single public transport journey (120minutes)Adult 2.60Student 1.60

phones + numbersThe international dialling code forGermany is 0049. The area code forBerlin is (0)30.

Dial 0044 for the UK and 001 for USA.If youre sticking around for morethan a week, it may be worthgetting a German SIM card for yourmobile phone (only if your phone isunlocked), this will tend to let yousend cheaper texts and phone calls.

SIM Cards can be purchased atmost convenience stores and somesupermarkets. One of the cheapestfor calls and texts within Germany

is blau.de (available at Norma), andfor international communication, tryMobi, Lyca or Lebara. Each SIM costsabout 10 and comes with 7.50credit.

Emergency numbers

Fire Brigade 112

Police 110

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museums + galleriesSally Elliot

Berlin has over 170 museums and art

galleries, each bringing somethingunique for visitors to discover.Museumsinsel, or Museum Island,

is the elite centre of prize-winningestablishments; as lovely outside as it

is lush with treasures within.From the magnicent Ishtar Gate

of Babylon restored to its formerglory in the Pergamon museum tothe contemporary wonders of the

Hamburger Bahnhof museum, this cityhas some of the worlds most highlyacclaimed collections. The newer

residents cant be left out: thereare museums for Computer Games,

The Ramones and even Currywurst.Whether you came for the classicalantiquities or prefer something more

unusual, this city wont leave youwanting.

36 hours in berlinEleanor Cobbe

Start your Saturday morning withbreakfast at Ana Blume cafe intrendy Prenzlaur Berg beforeheading to the Brewers FreeWalking Tour at 11am to get an

initial glimpse of what Berlin hasto oer.

Afterwards, duck into the metroat Pariser Platz (Brandenburg Tor)and take the S25 to Yorkstrae,where you can change to the U7to Mehringdamm. Here, indulgeyour fast food craving withBerlins best kebab at the famous

Mustafas dont be put o bythe line, its worth the wait!

Energy restored, youll be readyto tackle the East Side Gallery,a short metro ride away atWarshauer Strae. Then, if yourefeeling peckish despite the hugelunch time kebab, wind o yoursightseeing tour with dinner at

Burgermeister a short 10 minutewalk from the Wall in grittyKreuzberg.

Appetite sated, go home tochange into your glad rags andhead to the Weinrei for a glass ofwine or ve before hitting Clubder Visionaire to dance the night

away.

If you wake up feeling not toorefreshed, soothe your hangoverwith a fresh fruit and cream waeat Kauf Dich Glucklich and recoveryour senses with a cup of warmEarl Grey.

Blow away the remaining

cobwebs with a gentle strolldown the road to the Mauerparkea market and rummage aroundthe hundreds of stalls for somevintage bargains to round o yourweekend in Berlin just makesure theyll all t in your suitcaseon the way home.

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curso/ctr reisejournalismus: berlin there, done that

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