Berlin – Data

Berlin, the capital of Germany is dynamic, cosmopolitan and creative, allowing for every kind of lifestyle. East meets West in the metropolis at the heart of a changing Europe. Germany’s largest city is a city of opportunities just waiting to be seized in all areas, like entertainment, recreation, economy, science and academic life.

Useful Information

Berlin’s integrated public transportation network (known as the BVG, see www.bvg.de) is the best way to get about.

An interconnected three-zone system (ABC), which only requires one ticket, allows you to hop from bus to underground (U-Bahn) to surface rail (S-Bahn) and tram with one ticket. Trams are fast and convenient and small ferries will get you across Berlin's lakes.

TAXIs are numerous and available at all times (almost). Taxi stands can be found at all main stations and airports as well as outside KaDeWe and hotels. Most Berlin taxi drivers speak English, but don't take it for granted.

Taxi Fares: Start at € 2.50 and € 1.53 per km; Short Ride (Kurzstrecke): a € 3 ride for up to 2 km drive if you hail the taxi from the street.

Cultural information Berlin

During a short stay in Berlin you should not miss a visit to the historic city centre.

City-East

In Mitte, the eastern centre, touring around the well-known boulevard Unter den Linden is worth the pain of claimed feet. Here one finds some of the most interesting historic buildings of Berlin, like the Zeughaus, the National Opera, the Humboldt University and, of course, the Brandenburg Gate. Do not miss Friedrichstraße avenue with its mixture of modern buildings and historic facades. The Gendarmenmarkt with the two cathedrals and the concert building is one of the most picturesque places of the city.

We also recommend to visit Oranienburger Straße. Here you will find the New Synagogue with its golden dome. This street also offers a huge number of scenic stores, bars and restaurants.

Potsdamer Platz with its futuristic architecture forms an interesting contrast to the historic buildings in the city centre of Mitte.

City-West

Another alternative forms a strolling tour along the Kurfürstendamm boulevard in the western part of the city. Here plenty of shops and cafés are inviting you to rest. The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) is well-worth seeing. It was destroyed during the Second World War and only partly reconstructed afterwards. Around this church there is a typical example of modern commercial buildings of the 50th and 60th with Berlin's first shopping mall (Europa-Center), cinemas, restaurants and department stores. You should also visit the KaDeWe at the lovely underground station Wittenbergplatz, further on the Ludwig-Erhard-Haus and the Savigny-Platz.

The well-known bus number 100 forms a cheap and easy alternative of a sightseeing tour. This bus line passes a lot of the most important places of interest taking you on its way from the western centre to the eastern city. Some of the bus drivers with their typical Berlin slang and rough way of talking are some kind of entertainers, that will transform your tour in an unforgettable event. So you will get to know Berlin in a different way!

You will find more Berlin information by using the following links:

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