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BERLIN AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT
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 Reichstag, as well as the many historic buildings on Unter den Linden.
Train:
Berlin has an amazingly efficient S-Bahn [15], trains run roughly every 10 minutes during daytime, every 5 minutes during rush-hour and every 20 minutes during the night and on weekends. Most S-Bahn lines run on an east-west route between Ostkreuz and Westkreuz via the stops Warschauer Straße, Ostbahnhof, Jannowitzbrücke, Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markte, 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. 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.
Taxi:
Taxi services are 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, as long as it’s less than 2km and before the taxi driver starts the meter running, the trip normally is cheaper. City Centre to Olympiastadion
If you're taking the tube or suburban trains, just look for the final destination on the displays to get the direction right. On match day, don't forget that public transport costs are already included in the match ticket prices. You will not need a public transport ticket to and from the stadium on the day of the game, three hours prior to and three hours after the game. The public transport ticket is integrated into the match ticket, in the case of a ticket inspection just show your match ticket to the inspectors.
The Olympiastadion is served from the Zoo Station by the S9 and S75 (direction Spandau) and the U2 (direction Ruhleben). The trains run every 5-10 minutes, the journey takes only 13 minutes to the stadium. There will also be bus services in operation from the Zoo, but could take longer than schedule on match day.
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TOURIST OFFICES
Tourist Info Centre im Brandenburger Tor
Tourist information centre located within the south wing of the Brandenburg Gate. Open daily from 10:00-18:00. On the bus 100 route or S-Bahn Station Unter den Linden. At Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin-Mitte. EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police: Tel: 110
Fire and emergency medical services: Tel: 112 BRITISH CONSULATE
British Embassy Berlin - Consular Section
Wilhelmstr. 70/71
10117 Berlin
Consular enquiry point
Tel: +49 (0)30 204570
The consular team answers telephone enquiries from 0900-1700.
Opening hours
Monday - Friday
0900 - 1200 and 1400 - 1600
Emergency number (exclusively for emergencies involving British citizens outside of the following times: Monday-Thursday 0830-1700 and Friday 0830-1630): +49 (0) 151 1204 2942 BANKING HOURS
Although it varies from city to city, banks in Germany are usually open from 10am to 1pm, and 3pm to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Banks often close earlier the day before a public holiday.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Alexanderplatz Plaza
Much like Berlin, with an aloof charm and cosmopolitan yearnings, and marked by the ups and downs of history. Anyone looking for the hustle and bustle of a big city should visit Alexanderplatz. This is where three subway lines intersect and the tram and S-Bahn urban railway also pass by. Half a million people transfer at “Alex” daily.
The former market place was named after the Russian czar Alexander I in 1805. Through the course of industrialization during which the population grew at dramatic speed, it became the theatre of the poor. Its proletarian character was captured by Alfred Döblin in his 1929 novel “Berlin Alexanderplatz.” Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most famous landmark, is over 200 years old. Until 1989 it symbolized the division of Berlin and Germany; today it is a national symbol of unity.
When the Berlin Wall still stood, the Gate stood alone and isolated. Today it is once again integrated into the recently designed Pariser Platz. Next to the gate stand the House Liebermann and House Sommer. Josef Paul Kleihues designed them to resemble the buildings by Stüler that previously stood at the site before they were destroyed in the war. The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall has long since disappeared from reunified Berlin. Memories of the Wall, however, are still very much alive, and many of the visitors who come from all over the world are disappointed or surprised to find that so little remains of Berlin’s most infamous structure. The two halves of the city, separated for decades, have in fact been visibly reunited, while the remaining sections of the GDR’s border fortifications have lost their power to terrify and are being preserved for future generations. A moment of silence can help visitors grasp the message of the memorial sites dedicated to people who died trying to cross the Wall. These pages are intended as a guide to exploring the former course of the Wall. Jewish Museum/Libeskind Building
The task for a competition was to design an extension building for the Berlin Museum which could also accommodate the Jewish department. The prize-winner among the 165 entrants was the American Daniel Libeskind. Next to the high quality baroque building of the former ¬Appeal Court, which was built in 1734-35 to plans by Philipp Gerlach, he placed an irregularly angled, shining silver solitary building as a complete stylistic break without any exterior connection. Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin
Started in 1997 as a joint venture between the Deutsche Bank and the famous New York museum, every year the Berlin branch shows four top quality exhibitions of classical modern and contemporary art. Each exhibition comprises a small but exquisite selection. Berlin Story - The Making of Berlin
The exhibition shows the history of Berlin from the beginnings to the present day. Its core is the historical city model, complemented by a large number of panels with texts and pictures, and a self-produced 25-min. film on Berlin in eight languages. Lots of exhibits and nostalgic objects, video documentations and knowledgeable staff for information. You can chat and relax at the in-house café. Pergamon Museum
SMPK - Museum Island. With 850,000 visitors a year, the Pergamon is Berlin's prime museum. Hardly surprising, given its three outstanding collections under one roof: the Antiquity Collection, the Museum of the Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art. Gendarmenmarkt
The Gendarmenmarkt is one of the loveliest plazas in Europe. The ensemble created by the Schauspielhaus (playhouse) and the two dome buildings at each side is quite singular.
In 1780–85 Karl von Gontard added identical non-functional towers to the two unremarkable churches. The French Church is on the northern side of the plaza. The German Church was rebuilt more simply after it was damaged in the war and now houses an exhibition on the history of the German Parliament. BARS
Celtic Cottage, Markelstrasse 13, 12163 Berlin
The Celtic Cottage opened in 1978 and is thus one the oldest Irish Pub's in the whole of Germany. In the twenty years of its history they have always guaranteed good catering and live music. The Old Emerald Isle Erkelenzdamm 49, 10999 Berlin
Hidden in a serene corner of Kreuzberg near the canal, this pub can rightly claim to have a warm atmosphere. Although decked with the usual paraphernalia acquired from the Irish Pub Warehouse somewhere outside Glasgow, the fibre glass low beamed ceiling and warm lighting remind you of your childhood when mother would bathe you in a metal tub in front of the fireplace...... Anyway.... the food is excellent and the staff is predominantly Irish so you can’t go too far wrong. The beer garden benefits from its quiet, leafy surroundings and there are plenty of televisions inside for those who seek football beamed over from Blighty. Dolmen Club, Schönhauser Allee 6/7, 10178 Berlin
Situated in the Sean Og cellar, here you will experience a really anglo-celtic club experience combined with very bad German dancing. An army of youths in Murphy's T-Shirts (or was it Guinness) will be happy to serve you with a stuck-on smile, and a host of your fellow German co-patrons will be glad to step on your feet as they attempt to express their emotions to Pulp or Blur. Although not at the cutting edge of the Berlin social scene, you know exactly what you are going to get before you pay your entrance money. A-Trane, Bleibtreustrasse 1, corner Pestalozzistrasse, Berlin 10623
Dark, smoky, swanky and jiving - A-Trane is the quintessential Berlin jazz venue, a joint that provides the perfect end to a busy day of meetings or sightseeing. Performers are known the world over, from Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis to Nina Hill and Alice Coltrane, and the hip, knowledgeable crowd keeps a cacophony going over the intimate den. If you're searching for "cool" in Berlin, this is the place to find it. Bar Am Lützowplatz, Lützowplatz 7, Berlin 10785
Upscale, trendy, and ... well, long and attenuated. Bar Am Lützowplatz has no problem attracting Berlin's young professionals, thanks to its extensive drink menu. Of course, it lays proud claim to an attractive, blond-wood bar (the city's longest), which delivers ample opportunity to rub elbows and chat while waiting for your favourite cocktail. Comfortable leather-backed chairs line the wall in the back, providing spots for intimate conversation. Take note: thanks to its popularity and narrow confines, Bar Am Lützowplatz tends to get crowded and stay packed until closing time. Bellini Lounge, Oranienburgerstr. 42/43, Berlin 10117
The Bellini Lounge is located on one of Berlin's popular party-strips – Oranienburgerstrasse – and serves up a comprehensive list of cocktails, including the namesake peach and champagne concoction. Sink into the leather tub chairs under warm lighting, and relax to chilled-out beats spun by local DJs. The snack menu includes antipasti plates for night owls who are feeling peckish. Havanna, Hauptstrasse 30, Berlin 10827
Berlin's colourful Latin community shares its rich dance and musical heritage at this popular nightclub, located near the post office on Hauptstrasse. Tropical decor, live salsa and meringue pulsating from the sound system, and a youthful clientele eager to show off their best footwork and most stylish duds all combine to make the club's three dance floors among Berlin's hottest spots once the sun goes down. An hour prior to opening, dance classes are offered to novices.
RESTAURANTS AND CAFES
April, Winterfeldstr. 56, Schöneberg, Berlin
The back room is dressed with white tablecloths, but most regulars pick a place in the front, where there are art-nouveau light fixtures, stuccowork, and a street view. This is a relaxed bistro, meaning the service can be sluggish, but the consistently delicious meals are very reasonably priced. The menu has a mix of Italian, French, and German cooking and a kids' section. The only lacklustre items are the thin-crust Alsatian pizzas (Pfannkuchen). The generous Vorspeisenteller (selection of five appetizers) might include bresaola (air-cured beef) over arugula, grilled vegetables, and shrimp tempura. The restaurant is near Winterfeldplatz. Define, Planufer 92c, Kreuzberg, Berlin
Among the myriad Turkish restaurants in the city, Defne stands out for its exquisitely prepared food, the near-perfect warm service, the tasteful setting, and an authentic atmosphere. Beyond simple kebabs, the fresh and healthy menu here includes a great selection of hard-to-find fish dishes from the Bosphorus, such as acili ahtapot (spicy octopus served with mushrooms, olives, onions, garlic, and bell pepper in a white wine and tomato sauce). Dressler, Kurfurstendamm 207-208, Charlottenburg, Berlin
Both in its cuisine and in its service, Dressler is a mixture of French brasserie culture and German down-to-earth reliability. Accordingly, the dishes are conceived for a range of palates: oysters on the half-shell, duck with red cabbage, or cod with Pommery-mustard sauce, for example. The menu changes with the seasons. Of the two (very similar) Dressler establishments, this one on Ku'damm has the more genuine French atmosphere. Reservations are advised. Engelbecken, Witzlebenstr. 31, Charlottenburg, Berlin
The beer coasters are trading cards of the Wittelsbach dynasty in this relaxed but high-quality restaurant serving dishes from Bavaria and the Alps. Classics like Wiener schnitzel, goulash, and grilled saddle steak are made of "bio" meat and vegetable products, meaning that even the veal, lamb, and beef are the tasty results of organic and humane upbringing. In warm weather, reserve a sidewalk table. With its corner position facing a park bordering Lake Lietzensee, Engelbecken is a lovely open-air dining spot. Florian, Grolmanstr. 52, Western Downtown, Berlin.
The handwritten menu is just one page, but there's always a changing variety of fish, fowl, and meat dishes in this well-established restaurant. Steinbeisser, a white, flaky fish, might be served with an exciting salsa of rhubarb, chilli, coriander, and ginger, or you can opt for some Franconian comfort cuisine such as Kirchweihbraten (marinated pork with baked apples and plums) or the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst (small pork sausages) served as late-night snacks. The kitchen is open until 1 AM, and smaller dishes are available until 2 AM. Reservations are advised. Lindenbräu, Sony Centre, Bellvuestr. 3-5, Tiergarten, Berlin.
It's hardly a typical Bavarian brew house, but its rooftop and outdoor seating within the quasi-open-air Sony Centre provides a place to gape at the glass-and-steel construction. This restaurant, mostly visited by tour groups and out-of-towners, is also the only spot in Berlin where you can get wheat beer brewed on the premises. The long tables with high stools are often occupied with businesspeople enjoying the social part of their Berlin trip. The Bavarian meals are really secondary to the setting and beer. STAYING IN TOUCH – INTERNET CAFES
Easy Everything, Kurfürstendamm 224, 10719 Berlin
With two floors and 350 computers, this is the Disneyland of internet cafes.
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Club Information
