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_City Overview After a fifty-year lull, Berlin is back – back as the capital of a reunified Germany and back as one of Europe’s greatest cities. After World War II, Berlin was a crippled pawn, sandwiched between East and West, with a literal and metaphoric wall deeply dividing the two halves. The northeastern German city even suffered the ignominy of losing its capital status, as the West German government fled to Bonn. Today, the Cold War and the iconic events of November 1989, which saw the Berlin Wall torn to pieces by those whom it had oppressed for so long, are starting to seem like a distant memory and all the talk in Berlin is of the future. In the biggest construction project in Europe since World War Two, a new Berlin has emerged from the forest of cranes dotting the no-man’s land that was the divided city’s dead heart. Potsdamer Platz is the most voluminous project but the most symbolic recent construction is at the Reichstag. British architect Lord Foster has rejuvenated the German parliament with an impressive glass dome that symbolises the new transparency in German politics – that of a nation with nothing to hide, which is attempting to distance itself from the ghosts of its past. Coupled with this wave of new construction is a city laden with historical charm – from the old streets of East Berlin, which are slowly being restored after remaining unchanged for 50 years, through to the grand architecture of Museumsinsel and Unter den Linden, and the green lung of the Tiergarten Park. Tourism is on the rise, as visitors come to savour the intoxicating mix of old and new. Big business, too, is booming, as government bodies flock back from Bonn and relocate in the capital, along with investment from many other parts of the country and from all over Europe. Key industries such as electronics, manufacturing and information technology reflect the hopes for a brighter future for Berlin. Contrary to the usual clichés about Germany, Berlin is a city with a laid-back attitude and some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. In Berlin today, there is everything from authentic beer halls and old Soviet era haunts right through to buzzing style bars and Latino nightclubs. Berlin’s climate is equally eclectic, with hot summer days giving way to occasionally freezing temperatures during the long grey winter. Today’s quintessential Berlin experience is to laze through a summer day in the Tiergarten with the rabble of construction just out of earshot, sipping on a chilled Pilsner beer, while witnessing a city reinventing itself as one of Europe’s finest capitals. Language German is the official language and is spoken as a first language by almost the entire population. There is some variation between Hochdeutsch (standard German) and the Berliner dialect, as well as between East and West Berlin. English is the most common second language, and is widely understood and spoken by those in tourism-related fields. The dialect spoken in Berlin owes many of its hallmarks to the Prussian empire and the French-speaking Huguenots who sought refuge here. The most common word that stands out is kieken (sometimes pronounced more like gücken), which means ‘look’. Berliners also have a tendency to pronounce the German ch as ck, ie ‘lock’ rather than ‘loch’, and particularly ‘ick’ rather than ‘ich’ (which means ‘I’ in English) as they do elsewhere in Germany. It is important to pay attention to the times of performances in Germany – halb-acht (half-eight) means 0730 and not 0830 as it would in English. Similarly, viertel-acht (quarter-eight) means 0715, a quarter of the way to eight o’clock, and drei-viertel-acht (three-quarters-eight) is 0745. When speaking to strangers, one should use the formal forms of address (Sie rather than du). The following characters are used in German, but not in English: ä (=ae), ö (=oe), ü (=ue) and ß (=ss). Phrases Yes - Ja No - Nein Hello - Guten Tag Goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen / Tschüs (informal) Please - Bitte Thank you - Danke My name is … - Mein Name ist … How are you? - Wie geht es Ihnen? (polite) / - Wie geht es dir? (informal) I’m very well - Mir es gut geht I feel ill - Ich fühle mich unwohl How much does it cost? - Wieviel kostet das? Do you speak - Sprechen Sie English? Englisch? (polite) / Sprichst du Englisch? (informal) I don’t understand - Ich verstehe nicht Where is …? - Wo befindet sich …? Entrance - Eingang / Einfahrt (vehicles) Exit - Ausgang / Ausfahrt (vehicles) Danger - Gefahr / Vorsicht Open - Geöffnet Closed - Geschlossen Toilets - Toiletten / WC Doctor - Arzt / Ärztin (female) Hotel - Hotel Restaurant - Restaurant Beer - Bier Wine - Wein Menu - Speisekarte Today - Heute Tomorrow - Morgen Monday - Montag Tuesday - Dienstag Wednesday - Mittwoch Thursday - Donnerstag Friday - Freitag Saturday - Samstag Sunday - Sonntag One - Eins Two - Zwei Three - Drei Four - Vier Five - Fünf Six - Sechs Seven - Sieben Eight - Acht Nine - Neun Ten - Zehn Twenty - Zwanzig Thirty - Dreissig Forty - Vierzig Fifty - Fünfzig Sixty - Sechzig Seventy - Siebzig Eighty - Achtzig Ninety - Neunzig One Hundred - Hundert One Thousand - Tausend Getting There By Air Berlin-Tegel (Otto Lilienthal) (TXL) Tel: (01805) 000 186. Website: www.berlin-airport.de The airport is located in northwest Berlin, eight kilometres (five miles) from the city centre. Tegel primarily serves Western European destinations, handling flights from 36 scheduled airlines flying to 84 destinations and 26 charter airlines flying to 62 destinations. Major airlines: Lufthansa is Germany’s principal airline (tel: (01803) 803 803, for 24-hour call centre or (01803) 000 074, for arrivals and departures; website: www.lufthansa.com). Other airlines flying to Tegel include Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Buzz, CSA Czech Airlines, Deutsche BA, Iberia, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Malév, Olympic Airways and Turkish Airlines. Two new low-cost airlines, Germanwings and Hapag-Lloyd Express, both provide frequent services to Cologne/Bonn. Airport facilities: The airport offers two snack bars, a bistro, a champagne bar and a restaurant. Other facilities include a post office, bank/bureaux de change, ATMs, florist, newsagents, duty-free shops, left-luggage, baby-care rooms, 24-hour first aid, travel agents, tourist information and an art gallery. There are Novotel and Holiday Inn hotels near the airport. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt. Business facilities: The LSG conference centre (tel: (030) 4101 3316), located on the third floor, has four function rooms with a capacity of up to 150 people, as well as a media centre with photocopier, fax, computers with Internet access and printers. Secretarial and translation services can be arranged. The GSS Airport Service Center (tel: (030) 4101 3434), opposite gates nine and ten, provide fax services for public use. There are also four business lounges in the airport, located in the Airport Gallery, above the main hall. Transport to the city: The JetExpressBus TXL, operated by Berlin’s public transport provider, BGV (see Getting Around) leaves the airport every ten minutes (0600-2310) for Potsdamer Platz, Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden (journey time – 20-25 minutes), at a cost of €3.10. Bus 128 connects to the U6 line at Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, while bus 109 and express bus X9 depart every five to ten minutes (0500-0000) and connect to the U7 at Jakob-Kaiser-Platz, before continuing on to Bahnhof Zoo (journey time – 30 minutes on the X9 bus). Taxis are plentiful at the airport and there is a taxi rank immediately outside the arrivals’ hall. The fare into Berlin is approximately €15-20. Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF) Tel: (01805) 000 186. Website: www.berlin-airport.de The airport is located in the southeast of the city, 18km (11 miles) and 22km (13.5 miles) from the Eastern and Western centres respectively. Schönefeld was the primary airport for East Berlin and now handles flights mainly to Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as many charter flights to summer destinations. Some 23 scheduled airlines fly to 53 destinations, while 41 chartered airlines fly to 59 destinations. Major airlines: Air Berlin (tel: (1801) 737 800; website: www.airberlin.de) is the principal German airline operating from Schönefeld. Other airlines include Aeroflot, Britannia, buzz, Condor, El Al and Turkish Airlines. Airport facilities: The airport offers a restaurant, bars, florist, post office, bank/bureau de change, ATMs, newsagents, duty-free shop and first-aid facilities. Services available 24 hours a day include left-luggage, snack bar, nursery and hotel reservations. There are Aparthotel and Albergo hotels near the airport. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. Business facilities: As well as one business lounge, conference rooms are available at the Konferenzzentrum Flughafen Berlin-Schönefeld GmbH (tel: (030) 6091 2222), a ten-minute walk from the terminal. Fax facilities are available at special credit-card telephones. Transport to the city: The easiest way for visitors to get into the city is with the AirportExpress Schönefeld train, which is operated by DB (see Getting There By Rail) and runs every 30 minutes (Monday-Friday 0510-0140, Saturday-Sunday 0540-0140) and stops at four stations in East Berlin before terminating at Bahnhof Zoo (journey time – 30 minutes; cost – €2.10). The airport station is located half a kilometre (0.3 miles) from the airport and there is a free shuttle bus connecting the two, running every ten minutes, daily 0430-2330. The station is also served by S-Bahn trains 9 and 45, as well as some mainline and local rail services. Bus 171 connects the airport with the U7 U-Bahn line at Rudow. Taxis are available 24 hours a day and cost approximately €30-35 (journey time – 30 minutes). Berlin-Tempelhof (THF) Tel: (01805) 000 186. Website: www.berlin-airport.de The airport is located in the south of the city, three kilometres (two miles) south of Potsdamer Platz. Activities are fairly moderate here, with 15 scheduled airlines serving 25 destinations and five charter airlines serving a total of nine destinations. Most flights are on smaller jets to short-haul domestic and European destinations. Major airlines: Germany’s principal airline, Lufthansa (tel: (01803) 803 803, for 24-hour call centre or (01803) 000 074, for arrivals and departures; website: www.lufthansa.com) operates from Berlin-Tempelhof. Other airlines serving the airport include Crossair, DAT (Delta Air Transport), Eurowings and Luxair. Airport facilities: The airport offers three lounges, snack bars, florist, bank/bureau de change, ATMs, newsagents, duty-free shop, left-luggage, first aid, hairdresser, baby-care room, tax refund office and travel agents. Car hire is available from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Budget, National, Sixt and Westfehling. Business facilities: There are a couple of small conference rooms as well as a 200-seat auditorium offered by TAG Aviation (tel: (030) 6951 3880) and LSG (tel: (030) 4101 3626). Fax facilities are available at special credit-card telephones. Transport to the city: The airport is directly connected to Berlin’s public transport system (see Getting Around), including the U-Bahn network on the U6 line (the station is Platz der Luftbrücke, not Tempelhof), with quick connections to the city centre (journey time – 10-20 minutes). Bus 119 departs every ten minutes to the Ku’damm area, while buses 104, 184 and 341 (to Potsdamer Platz) also stop near the airport. Nightbuses N4 and N76 leave from Platz der Luftbrücke. Taxis are available in front of the main hall for around €12. Approximate flight times to Berlin: From London is 1 hour 45 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 25 minutes; from Los Angeles is 11 hours 45 minutes; from Toronto is 8 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 21 hours 55 minutes. Arrival/departure tax: This is included in the ticket price. Getting There By Road Germany is covered by an excellent and extensive system of major roads (prefixed ‘B’) and motorways (prefixed ‘A’ for Autobahn). There are no tolls or speed limits on the Autobahnen but a maximum of 130kph (81mph) is recommended. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) or 100kph (62mph) on major and minor roads outside the cities and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Foreign drivers require proof of insurance and their national driving licence. A Green Card is strongly recommended. A country identification sticker is compulsory. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%. Seatbelts must be worn at all times and children under 12 are forbidden to travel in the front seat without a child restraint. Leaded petrol is unavailable; unleaded petrol with a lead additive may be found at some petrol stations. The Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil Club – ADAC (tel: (01805) 101 112; fax: (01805) 302 928; website: www.adac.de) provides breakdown services throughout the country. In the Berlin area, Auto Club Europa – ACE (tel: (01802) 336 677; website: www.ace-online.de) can also offer assistance. Emergency breakdown services: ADAC (01802) 222 222 ACE (01802) 343 536 Routes to the city: The A10 is an orbital motorway that entirely circles the city. The A111 and A115 connect it to the A100 – which wraps part way around the Western centre – from the north and south, respectively. The main roads leading to Berlin from outside the orbital are the A24 (from Hamburg), A9 (from Leipzig and Munich), A13 (from Dresden), A12 (from the Polish border) and A2 (from Hanover, from where the A7 connects to the A5 toward Frankfurt am Main in the south) Approximate driving times to Berlin: From Hamburg – 3 hours 15 minutes; Dresden – 2 hours 25 minutes; Frankfurt am Main – 5 hours 50 minutes. Coach services: Eurolines international coach services to over 300 destinations are operated by Bayern Express & P Kühn Berlin GmbH (tel: (030) 860 960; website: www.deutsche-touring.com or www.bex-berlin.de). Destinations include Paris, Vienna and London, and more locally, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. Buses on both international and domestic routes arrive at the Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB) am Funkturm, Masurenallee, near the western end of the Ku’damm and the Messe Berlin. The station has a restaurant and snack bar; information and tickets are available from the ZOB-Reisebüro (tel: (030) 301 0380; fax: (030) 3010 3820). Taxis are available and the U-Bahn Kaiserdamm and S-Bahn Witzleben stations are located nearby. There is a general coach information line (tel: (01805) 250 254). Getting There By Rail Deutsche Bahn (tel: (0800) 150 7090; website: www.bahn.de), Germany’s national rail service provider, operates a comprehensive and efficient rail service, including high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains. There is a national railway enquiries line (tel: 11861, within Germany or (01805) 996 633, from outside Germany). Until the massive new station, Bahnhof Lehrter– which will link the main north–south and east–west lines – is completed in 2006, the busiest station in Berlin will continue to be Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten (or, simply, ‘Bahnhof Zoo’), Hardenbergplatz 11 (tel: (030) 2974 9241; fax: (030) 2974 9159), in the western centre of the city. Facilities include a travel centre (daily 0600-2200), tourist information, post office, bank, restaurant, buffet, café, shops, florist, newsagents and left-luggage. Ticket and information offices at Bahnhof Schonefeld, near the airport, are open daily 0530-2200 (tel: (030) 2972 9528; fax: (030) 2972 9654). The other major mainline stations are Bahnhof Lichtenberg, Weitlingstrasse 22 and Ostbahnhof, Am Ostbahnhof 9 in East Berlin. Some mainline services also stop at Bahnhof Spandau to the west and Bahnhof Wannsee in the southwest. Rail services: Berlin is part of the InterCityExpress (ICE) network, with super-fast trains to Hanover (journey time – 1 hour 35 minutes) and Frankfurt am Main (journey time – 4 hours 5 minutes). ICE trains also go to Hamburg – at present these trains cost more and their running time is little faster than the other services (journey time – 2 hours 10 minutes). An expanding web of high-speed trains serve destinations across Western Europe, with information and tickets available through Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk). Supplements are payable on ICE, IC and EC trains. Transport to the city: The main stations are all located on the S-Bahn spine, which arches from west to east across the city. Connections to the U-Bahn network and north–south S-Bahn lines are available either directly or via a short journey on the main east–west line. Taxi ranks and buses are also available outside the main stations. Getting Around Public Transport Berlin has a highly integrated transport system comprising U-Bahn (underground), S-Bahn (commuter rail), bus, tram and ferry services, with easy connections to regional and mainline rail services. The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB), Hardenbergplatz 2 (tel: (030) 254 140; fax: (030) 2541 4112; e-mail: info@vbbonline.de; website: www.vbbonline.de) co-ordinates activities among the Berlin transport providers and those of the surrounding region. Berlin’s Eastern and Western city centres are linked by the main east–west axis of the S-Bahn, which is crossed by the north–south lines at Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse and intersects the S-Bahn ring at Bahnhof Westkreuz and Bahnhof Ostkreuz. Operated by S-Bahn Berlin GmbH (tel: (030) 2974 3333; website: www.s-bahn-berlin.de), which has offices at Nordbahnhof (tel: (030) 2971 9843), the trains run daily 0500-0030; the S1 and S7 run around-the-clock at weekends. The other public transport services are operated daily 0600-2300 by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe – BVG (tel: (030) 19449 or 2562 2562; e-mail: info@bvg.de; website: www.bvg.de). There are nine U-Bahn lines, which operate 0500-0030; the U9 and U12 run around-the-clock at weekends. Bus services criss-cross the city, while the network of 28 trams only operate in East Berlin. There are three seasonal and three year-round ferry services. The BVG has an information centre in the pavilion at Hardenbergplatz, in front of Bahnhof Zoo (open daily 0600-2200), as well as a counter at Tegel airport. Tickets are priced for either two or three zones – almost all visitors will use the AB tariff. The standard single fare is €2.10, valid for two hours on all forms of transport. A short journey costs €1.20 (valid for three S-Bahn/U-Bahn stops or six bus/tram stops). Nearly all tickets are available for purchase from automated machines at stations and stops, as well as from service desks and, in the case of buses, from the driver. Bus drivers only sell day tickets, two-hour and short distance tickets. A number of passes are also available. A day ticket, valid until 0300 the next day, costs €6.10. Seven-day tickets are valid until 0000 on the seventh day and cost €22. Available from the tourist information office (see Sightseeing), the WelcomeCard costs €18 and is valid for 72 hours. It also includes reductions on many attractions and performances in Berlin and Potsdam. Taxis Beige Mercedes Benz sedans make up most of Berlin’s taxi fleet. Outside the main centres, it is better for visitors to find a taxi rank rather than try to flag down a taxi. Taxis are also available by telephone from Taxi-Funk Berlin (tel: (030) 69022), Funk Taxi Berlin (tel: (030) 261 026), Würfelfunk (tel: (030) 210 101) and Spree Funk (tel: (030) 443 322). The initial charge for a taxi is €2.50, rising by €1.50 every kilometre (€1 after the seventh kilometre). A journey from the Ku’damm to Unter den Linden costs approximately €10. It is standard for passengers to tip taxi drivers, usually 5-10% of the fare. Limousines Chauffeur and limousine hire is available from Autovermietung Minex (tel: (030) 857 7700; fax: (030) 8577 7070; website: www.minex.de), which charges from €42 per hour for a Mercedes S-Class sedan or €357 for an eight-hour day. Limousine hire is also available from MC Prestige Limousine Tours (tel: (030) 262 8259; fax: (030) 262 8269; website: www.mcprestigelimo.de) and United Limousines GmbH (tel: (030) 343 4600; fax: (030) 3434 6060; website: www.united-limousines.com), charging €240 for three hours for a sedan and €487 for a stretch limo Driving in the City Weekday rush hours are from 0700 to 0900 and 1600 to 1900 (until 2300 in some of the popular nightlife districts). The one-way system can be difficult to negotiate but there are plenty of larger, two-way avenues in central Berlin that are easier to use. Parking can be problematic on Saturday, particularly in the shopping areas. Parking lots in the Ku’damm area charge €1.50-2 for the first hour and have day rates of €9-10. Car Hire All of the major car hire firms are represented in Berlin and all have multiple locations throughout the city. Some of the most central are Europcar, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 19-21 (tel: (030) 240 7900 or (01805) 800 000; website: www.europcar.com), Hertz, Budapester Strasse 39 (tel: (030) 261 1053 or (01805) 333 535; website: www.hertz.com), Sixt, Nürnbergerstrasse 65 (tel: (030) 212 9880 or (01805) 252 525; website: www.e-sixt.com), and Avis, Budapester Strasse 41 (tel: (030) 230 9370 or (01805) 557 755; website: www.avis.com). Drivers usually must be over 21 years old and require a valid national driving licence. Rates for hire start at around €75 per day (including tax and insurance) and €275 per week. Third party insurance is included. Bicycle Hire Bicycles are plentiful in Berlin – the flat terrain and extensive network of bicycle paths make cycling in the city a pleasure. Cycling maps, information and assistance is available Monday-Friday 1200-2000 and Saturday 1000-1600 at Das Radlerzentrum, run by the cycling lobby group Allgemeine Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC), Brunnenstrasse 28 (tel: (030) 448 4724; website: www.adfc-berlin.de). There are a number of bicycle hire outlets, including City Bike, Uhlandstrasse 106A (tel: (030) 861 5237; fax: (030) 8639 4363; e-mail: info@citybikeservice.de; website: www.citybikeservice.de), and Fahrradstation (tel: (01805) 108 000; website: www.fahrradstation.de), which has offices at Rosenthaler Strasse 40-41 (tel: (030) 2838 4848), Friedrichstrasse 141-142 (tel: (030) 2045 4500), Auguststrasse 29A (tel: (030) 2859 9661), and Bergmannstrasse 9 (tel: (030) 215 1566). Bicycle hire costs around €10 per day or €50 per week (insurance included). Business Business Profile With the massive task of marrying a capitalist and a communist economic system, Germany has had a turbulent time since reunification in 1990. During the Cold War, West Berlin was a heavily subsidised island of capitalism, while East Berlin, under the Communist system, had very little private enterprise. In the intervening years, the city has had to deal with massive unemployment, as inefficient East German industries were shut down, as well as make a massive investment in modernising and integrating the infrastructure of the city’s two halves. Private and public investment is estimated to be €102 billion by 2003. The city that has emerged from a forest of skyscrapers may look impressive but this facade hides the fact that the city is massively in debt – although austerity measures should help to improve the situation. Many new offices lie empty and the rate of unemployment has risen from 15% in 1999 to 17.1% in 2002, well above the national average at 10.8%. Many people in the Berlin business community presumed that the city would emerge as the gateway between East and West, thanks to numerous East Berliners speaking Russian and having a familiarity with the business and social conventions of the former Eastern Bloc. In reality, many international firms have cut out the middleman and saved money by locating directly in Prague and Budapest. However, Berlin’s trade with Russia and the Czech Republic increased at a higher rate than average in 2000. And, over the last year or so, there has been a new sense of optimism as more and more of the colossal building projects become a part of the city’s life. Berlin has regained the status of capital of Germany and the German economy is again growing in strength. Simultaneously the economic decision-making power is shifting from the Western centre in the Ku’damm area to the new centre around Potsdamer Platz, Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse. Among the big names in the new Potsdamer Platz developments are DaimlerChrysler, Sony, Hertie, Berliner Volksbank and ABB. Key industries in the city include the electrical, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, food processing and heavy machinery, equipment manufacturing and, increasingly, tourism – Berlin is now Germany’s number one tourist destination. Overall, 36% of employees work in the service sector, 33% in manufacturing and industry, 13% in trade and transport and 18% in government. In terms of convention venues, there is the Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC), Messedamm 22 (tel: (030) 303 3000; fax: (030) 3038 3030; website: www.messe-berlin.de). The Industrie- und Handelskammer Berlin (Berlin Chamber of Commerce) is located at Fasanenstrasse 85 (tel: (030) 315 100; fax: (030) 315 1166; website: www.berlin.ihk.de). Business Etiquette Germans are very businesslike while at work and this shows in their expectations for punctuality, formal manners and attention to detail. It is common to answer the telephone by stating one’s last name, rather than saying ‘hello’. People should be addressed by their titles (such as Herr Doktor) and last name, until they indicate otherwise. Many businesspeople speak English but may prefer to conduct business in German. Likewise, business cards (which are used extensively) and business letters in English are acceptable, although supporting documentation should be translated. It is best for visitors to err on the conservative side of dress, certainly in the first instance. Standard business hours are typically Monday to Friday 0800/0900-1600/1700, although, contrary to what many visitors expect, these hours can be less, as Germans have some of the shortest working hours in Western Europe. Meetings are usually between 1100 and 1300 or 1500 and 1700, although late afternoon appointments (other than on Friday) are not unusual. Business lunches are common (the one making the offer is expected to pay) but breakfast meetings are rare. So called ‘after-work parties’ are becoming increasingly popular ways for workers to meet colleagues and friends for drinks. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Berlin can be a sightseeing nightmare – the vast sprawl that is the city has no definite centre and pockets of attractions are dotted all over. That said, the State Museums are grouped in clusters – on the Museumsinsel, at the Kulturforum, in and around Schloss Charlottenberg and in the southwestern suburb of Dahlem. There are also a large number of attractions either at Potsdamer Platz or within walking distance of this, including the Kulturforum to the southwest. To the north lie the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and the Reichstag, sporting Lord Foster’s new glass dome. The Brandenburg Gate is situated on Berlin’s main east–west axis. To the west lies the Siegessäule (Victory Column), which provides a view over the surrounding Tiergarten and the Western city centre, to the southwest of the column. West Berlin’s centre has less to offer and is better for shopping and nightlife than for sightseeing. Nevertheless visitors should take a look at the broken shard of a church, the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, which serves as a brutal reminder of World War II. The nearby Zoo and Aquarium also provide a happy distraction. The densest array of sights lies to the east of the Brandenburg Gate, on either side of Unter den Linden, lined with many 18th- and 19th-century buildings. At its end are the artistic and architectural treasures of the Museumsinsel, where the city’s main Cathedral, the Berliner Dom, can be found. Further on is the Communist-era Fernsehturm (television tower), on Alexanderplatz, which marked the centre of East Berlin. Due to ongoing restoration work, many of the city’s museums are prone to closures at present and some of the collections are being temporarily relocated. Tourist Information Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH Tel: (0190) 016 316 (Info Hotline, Germany only) or (030) 250 025 (reservations) or (700) 8623 7546 (from outside Germany). Fax: (030) 2500 2424. E-mail: information@btm.de Website: www.berlin-tourist-information.com Europa-Center, Budapester Strasse 45 (West Berlin) Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1900 and Sun 1000-1800 (1 Nov-31 Mar); Mon-Sat 0830-2030 and Sun 1000-1830 (1 Apr-31 Oct). Brandenburg Gate (South Wing), Pariser Platz (East Berlin) Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (1 Nov-31 Mar); daily 0930-1800 (1 Apr-31 Oct) Other tourist information offices are located at Tegel airport; on the ground floor of KaDeWe, Tauentzienstrasse 21-24; and at the Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz. There is a Tourist Info Café, Panoramastrasse 1a, next to the TV tower, open Monday-Saturday 1000-1800 (November-March) and 0900-2000 (April-October). The city of Berlin provides online information (website: www.berlin.de), some of it in English. Passes Berlin Tourismus Marketing offers the WelcomeCard, which gives discounts of up to 50% on museums and attractions, as well as guided tours, boat trips and performances in both Berlin and Potsdam. The pass costs €19and is valid for 72 hours for one adult and up to three children. Also included in the price is unlimited travel on all buses and trains in zones A, B and C. The card is available at tourist offices, transit ticket offices and some hotels. There is also the SchauLust Museen Berlin three-day tourist ticket, which gives free admission to more than 50 Museums for €10 (concessions available) and is available at the main tourist offices. Visitors should also note that the €6 admission to any of the State Museums is valid for the entire day at all of the other State Museums. All are free on the first Sunday of the month. A two-day pass for all of the region’s Prussian palaces and gardens is available at Schloss Sanssouci for €15 (a pass for all the palaces except Sanssouci costs €12 and is available from any of the participating palaces). Key Attractions Potsdamer Platz and the New Centre After lying desolate for decades, except for the platform that allowed Westerners to peer over the Wall into the East, Potsdamer Platz is again part of Berlin’s thriving centre – in the 1930s, it was the busiest square in Europe. In just a few years, the forest of cranes has given way to a new precinct full of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. The best place to see it all – as well as terrific views over the rest of Berlin – is from the Panorama-Point, at the top of the Kollhof building, reached by what is claimed to be the fastest lift in Europe. One of the more interesting constructions is the Sony Centre, with its piazza covered by a futuristic sail-like roof. On the ground floor is the Filmmuseum Berlin, which recalls some of the city’s great achievements in the early days of cinema and devotes considerable space to Marlene Dietrich, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday on December 27 2001. Potsdamer Platz Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz; bus 142, 200, 248 or 348. Filmmuseum Berlin Potsdamer Strasse 2 Tel: (030) 300 9030. Fax: (030) 3009 0313. E-mail: info@filmmuseum-berlin.de Website: www.filmmuseum-berlin.de Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (Thurs until 2000). Admission: €6. Panorama-Point Potsdamer Strasse Tel: (030) 2629 4372 or 2554 2104, for guided tours. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 1100-1930. Admission: €3.50. Reichstag British architect Lord Foster has transformed the Reichstag, which was built at the end of the 19th century and has long since been emblematic of the German State. It was damaged in the fire of 1933, which marked Hitler’s consolidation of power and has now been renovated for the Bundestag (People’s Assembly) of a reunited Germany. The new dome is meant to symbolise the transparency of the democratic government and visitors can pass between its layers to witness the decision-making chamber of the Government. The Plenary is open for free hourly guided tours when parliament is not in session (Monday-Friday 0900-1600, weekends 1000-1600). The walk through the dome itself is stunning, culminating in sweeping views of a city in transition. The rooftop restaurant provides a way to beat the queues (tel: (030) 2262 9933) and is open until 2400. Platz der Republik Tel: (030) 2273 2152 or 2272 2152. Fax: (030) 2273 0027 or 2272 0027. Website: www.bundestag.de Transport: S-Bahn Unter den Linden; bus 100, 200, 248, 257 or 348. Opening hours: Daily 0800-0000 (last admission 2200). Admission: Free. Berlin Wall History Although much of the Wall or the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’ as the GDR authorities liked to call it, has succumbed – first to enthusiastic revellers and souvenir hunters and then more significantly to developers. Only a few sections remain. The East Side Gallery, along Mühlenstrasse (S-Bahn Ostbahnhof), emerged in the post-Wall years as a poignant symbol of new hope, as it was covered with inspiring artwork. Today, its future is in doubt and the faded state of the paintings is symbolic of how far Berlin has come since 1989. The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer is a graffiti-free stretch of the Wall that has been preserved by the authorities. A visitors centre has information about the Wall years, while a chapel is dedicated to the 80 or so victims that died trying to cross it. Perhaps the best place, these days, to get a sense of what the divided city was like is the Mauermuseum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, located next to the site where the famous border-crossing stood. A number of permanent exhibitions document the history of the Wall and place it into context, as well as record the famous paintings on the Western side of the division. Gedenkstätte Bernauer Strasse 111 Tel: (030) 2246 41030. Website: www.the-berlin-wall.de or www.berlinermauer.de Transport: U-Bahn Bernauer Strasse. Open: Wed-Sun 1000-1700 (visitors centre). Admission: Free. Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Mauermuseum) Friedrichstrasse 43-45 Tel: (030) 253 7250. Fax: (030) 251 2075. E-mail: info@mauer-museum.com Website: www.checkpointcharlie.org Transport: U-Bahn Kochstrasse or Stadtmitte; bus 129. Opening hours: Daily 0900-2200. Admission: €8 (concessions available). Unter den Linden and the Museumsinsel One of Berlin’s most recognisable landmarks, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) stands at the western end of Pariser Platz, which is due to be fully restored by 2002. Stretching eastwards from here is Unter den Linden, along which some of the city’s richest cultural treasures lie. These include the Deutsche Staatsoper (German State Opera), the Neue Wache (New Guardhouse), now a memorial to the victims of fascism and tyranny, and the Zeughaus (Arsenal), which houses the Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum). The Museumsinsel (Museum Island), at the eastern end of Unter den Linden, offers the Pergamonmuseum, containing a host of antiquities, including the enormous Pergamon altar, Bodemuseum, which is closed until 2004, and the massive, neo-Baroque Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), built in1893-1905 and recently renovated. Within the newly restored Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) is the ‘Galerie der Romantik’, a large collection of German and Austrian paintings from the first half of the 19th century. These include 24 paintings by Caspar David Friedrich. The Altes Museum (Old Museum) is a striking neo-classical building, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, which opened in 1830. The main floor houses a collection of antiquities, while the upstairs galleries house changing exhibitions. Altes Museum Am Lustgarten Tel: (030) 2090 5566 or 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502. Website: www.smpk.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157, 200 or 348. Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Admission: €5; €10 (three-day pass); concessions available; free on first Sun of each month. Deutsches Historisches Museum Unter den Linden 2 Tel: (030) 203 040. Fax: (030) 2030 4543. Website: www.dhm.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157, 200 or 348. Opening times: Fri-Tues 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Admission: Free. Pergamonmuseum Am Kupfergraben Tel: (030) 208 050. E-mail: vam@smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de/vam/s.html Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 157, 200 or 348. Opening hours: Tues-Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200. Admission: €5; €10 (for a three-day pass); concessions available; free on first Sun of each month. Alte Nationalgalerie Bodestrasse Tel: (030) 2090 5555. Fax: (030) 2090 5502. Website: www.smpk.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse or S-Bahn Hackescher Markt; bus 100, 200 or 348. Opening hours: Tues-Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800; Thurs 1000-2200. Admission: €6 (day-pass including Pergamonmuseum); €10 (three-day pass); concessions available; free on first Sun of each month. Jewish Museum The striking design of this Daniel Liebeskind-designed memorial to Jewish life in Berlin is based on a shattered Star of David. Even before the permanent exhibits – recalling the life and history of German Jews through the centuries – were installed, visitors came to experience the evocative spaces within this incredible structure. Lindenstrasse 9-14 Tel: (030) 3087 85681 or 2599 3300. Fax: (030) 2599 3409. E-mail: info@jmberlin.de Website: www.jmberlin.de Transport: U-Bahn Hallesches Tor or Kochstrasse; bus 129, 240 or 341. Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000. Admission: €5 (concessions available). Schloss Charlottenburg and museums The Charlottenburg Palace was built in 1790, as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, the wife of King Frederick 11. Visits to the Old Palace are by guided tour only. Prices and hours vary for the New Wing, the Orangerie, the mausoleum and other parts of the complex. The museums and galleries that are in and around the palace include the Egyptian Museum, with its famous bust of the Egyptian Queen, Nefertiti, and the Berggruen Collection, which includes 64 artworks by Picasso, as well as a representative collection of his contemporaries. Schloss Charlottenburg Luisenplatz Tel: (0331) 969 4202. Website: www.spsg.de Transport: U-Bahn Sophie-Charlotte-Platz or Richard-Wagner-Platz; bus 109, 145, 210 or X21. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1700, last tour at 1600 (Old Palace); Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat and Sun 1100-1800 (New Wing); grounds open daily 0600-2100 (summer); daily 0600-2000 (winter). Admission: €8 (Old Palace); €4 (New Wing); free (grounds); €2 (other exhibits); combination tickets are available. Sammlung Berggruen Westlicher Stülerbau, Schlossstrasse 1 (opposite the palace) Tel: (030) 2090 5566 or 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502. Website: www.spmk.de Transport: U-Bahn Sophie-Charlotte-Platz or Richard-Wagner-Platz; bus 109, 145, 210 or X21. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800; Sat and Sun 1100-1800. Admission €6; €8 (valid three days); concessions available; free on Sun. Kulturforum (Cultural Forum) Located in the west of the city, the Kulturforum is a cultural centre, grouping together all the museums that have European art as their chief focus – as well as a Musikinstrumentenmuseum (Musical Instrument Museum) and a new hall for chamber music. The opening of the Gemäldegalerie (Painting Gallery) in 1998 brought a stunning collection of 13th- to 18th-century paintings to the site. It joins the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Arts and Crafts Museum) and the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery). The latter, built to the designs of Mies van der Rohe, contains German Expressionist and Realist art, as well as other works of the 20th century. There is also a sculpture garden. Philharmonie und Kammermusiksaal Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1 Tel: (030) 254 880 or 2548 8999 (ticket hotline). Website: www.berlin-philharmonic.com Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 148, 200, 248, 341 or 348. Opening hours: Shows generally Fri-Sun 1600 and 2000 (depending on programme); guided tours daily 1300. Admission: From €7 (shows); €36 (guided tour in English). Musikinstrumentenmuseum Tiergartenstrasse 1 Tel: (030) 2548 1178. E-mail: sim@sim.spk-berlin.de Website: www.sim.spk-berlin.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 148, 200, 248, 341 or 348. Opening hourse: Tues-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1700. Admission: €3; free on first Sun of the month. Gemäldegalerie Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8 Tel: (030) 266 2010 or 2951 (information). Fax: (030) 266 2103. E-mail: gg@smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smpk.de/gg/ Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 148, 248, 341 or 348. Website: www.smb.spk-berlin.de Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat and Sun 1100-1800. Admission: €6 (day card also valid for Neue Nationalgalerie); free on first Sun of the month; concessions available. Kunstgewerbemuseum Kulturforum, Matthäikirchplatz 8 Tel: (030) 266 2002 or 2951 (information). Fax: (030) 266 2959. E-mail: kk@smb.spk-berlin.de Website: www.smpk.de/kgm/ Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 148, 248, 341 or 348. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat and Sun 1100-1800. Admission: €3; free on first Sun of the month; concessions available. Neue Nationalgalerie Kulturforum, Potsdamer Strasse 50 Tel: (030) 2090 5566 or 2090 5555 (recorded info). Fax: (030) 2090 5502. Website: www.smpk.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz or U-Bahn Mendelssohn-Batholdy-Park; bus 129, 142, 148, 248, 341 or 348. Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2200, Sat and Sun 1100-1800. Admission: €6 (day card, also valid for Gemäldegalerie); concessions available; free on first Sun of the month; special exhibitions cost extra. Centrum Judaicum – Neue Synagogue (Jewish Centre – New Synagogue) This synagogue completed in 1866. Its location in the heart of the Scheunenviertel (Berlin’s Jewish district) suffered serious bomb damage in 1943. After renovation in the mid-1990s, its Moorish dome can now be seen in its original glory. The New Synagogue houses a Jewish Centre with an exhibition. The Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (Old Jewish Cemetery) is a short walk away, at Schönhauser Allee 23-25 (open Monday-Thursday 0800-1600 and Friday 0800-1300). Oranienburger Strasse 28-30 Tel: (030) 2840 1316. Fax: (030) 282 1176. E-mail: office@cjudaicum.de Website: www.cjudaicum.de Transport: S-Bahn Hackescher Markt or Oranienburger Strasse; U-Bahn Oranienburger Tor; tram 1 or 13; bus 157. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1000-1400. Admission: €3 (concessions available). Further Distractions Tiergarten (Animal Garden) There are few cities in the world where one can lie naked in the middle of town at noon and not be arrested. Besides having delightful tree-shaded walks, canals and flower gardens, the Tiergarten also has a couple of open fields on either side of Hofjägerallee, where the locals sunbathe au naturel. While the sunbathers cannot be seen from the Siegessäule – the Victory Column in the centre of the park – it does provide a good view of the other major sights around Berlin. The angel at the top of the 69m (226ft) column was the perching place for the angels in Wim Wenders’ film Wings of Desire (1987). Siegessäule Grosser Stern Tel: (030) 391 2961. Transport: Bus 100, 187, 200 or 341. Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0830-1830, Fri-Sun 0930-1930 (mid-May-mid-Oct); Mon-Sun 0830-1700 (mid-Oct-mid-May). Admission: €1.20 (concessions available). Fernsehturm (TV Tower) The best views in East Berlin are from the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz. Looking vaguely like the Death Star on a concrete spit, the television tower is Berlin’s tallest structure at 368m (1207ft) and makes for a good reference point, as well as blighting many views of the city skyline. The Communist designers inadvertently made it so that sunlight reflecting on its facets forms a Christian cross. In a sign of changing times, a glare of advertising neon surrounds the base of the tower. Visitors can take an elevator up 203m (666ft) to the viewing platform or the revolving café, for a good look over the city. Panoramastrasse 1A, Alexanderplatz Tel: (030) 242 3333. Fax: (030) 242 5922. E-mail: info@berlinerfernsehturm.de Website: www.berlinerfernsehturm.de Transport: U-Bahn/S-Bahn Alexanderplatz; bus 100, 157, 200 or 348; tram 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Opening hours: Daily 0900-0100 (Mar-Oct); daily 1000-0000 (Nov-Feb). Admission: €6 (concessions available). Spandauer Zitadelle (Spandau Citadel) This 16th-century fortress is the oldest non-religious building in the city. Its location overlooking the Havel River and the charming old town of Spandau make a trip to this district a lovely excursion within the city. Guided tours of the citadel are available by advance booking. Am Juliusturm Tel: (030) 3549 44200. Fax: (030) 3549 44205. Website: www.zitadelle-spandau.net Transport: U-Bahn Zitadelle; bus 133. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 0900-1700 and Sat and Sun 1000-1700. Admission: €2.50 (concessions available). Tours of the City Walking Tours Daily walking tours are offered by Insider Tour (tel/fax: (030) 692 3149; website: www.insidertour.com) for €12. Walking tours start from the McDonalds opposite Bahnhof Zoo, at 1000 and 1430 (April-October) and at 1000 only (November-March). These take between three and four hours to complete and cost €12 (concessions available). All the major sites, such as the Victory Column, Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz and the Reichstag, are covered. Insider Tour also offers cycling tours with a similar itinerary from May to September for €20. Bus Tours One of the cheapest and most simple ways for visitors to see the sights in Berlin by picking up a leaflet at the BVG information centre at Bahnhof Zoo and then boarding bus 100 (see Getting Around). The leaflet provides information on all the sights, as the bus travels from the centre of West Berlin to the East, travelling through the Tiergarten and passing the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. A similar tour is possible on bus 200, which passes through Potsdamer Platz rather than the Tiergarten. Guided bus tours are available from a number of companies, which are significantly more expensive at about €18-26 for a hop-on, hop-off tour – the summertime option of adding on a one-hour boat tour adds around €7.50 to the price. There are a number of pick-up points along the Ku’damm, between the Europa-Center and Uhlandstrasse. In City West, the best departure point is in front of the large department store, Kaufhas des Westens (KaDeWe), while in the City East, buses stop at the Brandenburg Gate (in front of the Café Meyerbeer) and at Alexanderplatz (in front of the Hotel Park Inn). Operators include Berolina (tel: (030) 8856 8030; fax: (030) 882 4128; e-mail: info@berolina-berlin.com; website: www.berolina-berlin.com), Severin + Kühn (tel: (030) 880 4190; fax: (030) 882 5618; e-mail: info@severin-kuehn-berlin.de; website: www.severin-kuehn-berlin.de) and Tempelhofer Reisen (tel: (030) 752 4056; fax: (030) 751 7035; e-mail: info@tempelhofer.de; website: www.tempelhofer.de). Other Tours Tours of Berlin’s architecture, neighbourhoods and a variety of cultural institutions off the regular tourist trail are available from art:berlin, Oranienburger Strasse 32 (tel: (030) 2809 6390; fax: (030) 2809 6391; e-mail: artberlin@berlin.de; website: www.berlin.de/artberlin). The two-hour tours cost €8. Kultur Büro Berlin (tel: (030) 444 0936; fax: (030) 444 0939) offers a similar variety of tours, including ones that focus on particular artists such as Max Liebermann or Marlene Dietrich. Tours for both companies are in German but are available in English for group bookings. Excursions In addition to the sources mentioned below, information on destinations in Brandenburg, which completely surrounds Berlin, is available from the state tourist office, Reiseland Brandenburg (tel: (0331) 200 4747; fax: (0331) 298 7328; website: www.reiseland-brandenburg.de). For a Half Day Potsdam: One of the best excursions from Berlin is a visit to Potsdam, with its pleasant main shopping street and Dutch Quarter, as well as the nearby palaces and gardens of Sanssouci, Schloss Cecilienhof and the Babelsberg Film Studios. Potsdam is located approximately 20km (12 miles) from Berlin’s centre and is reachable by S-Bahn S7 or the regional train RE1, both leaving from Bahnhof Zoo. The Potsdam Tourismus GmbH, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 5 (tel: (0331) 275 580; fax: (0331) 275 5829; e-mail: information@potsdam.de; website: www.potsdam.de) can give further information. Haus der Wannsee Konferenz: The Wannsee Conference House (tel: (030) 805 0010; e-mail:info@ghwk.de; website: www.ghwk.de) is a place that some Berliners would rather the tourists never see. Nestling in a plush lakeside suburb in the ‘Berlin Riviera’, this Wannsee villa looks innocuous enough. However, those who walk down the pebble-strewn driveway enter the building where leading Nazis gathered with German industrialists to mechanically plan the deaths of millions of Jews. The free exhibition is open daily 1000-1800 and best reached by S-Bahn to Bahnhof Wannsee, then bus 114. For a Whole Day Spreewald: To the southeast of Berlin lies the nature reserve of the Spreewald (Spree Forest). Some 48,000 hectares (120,000 acres) of forested land interspersed with a labyrinth of 1000km (621 miles) of waterways marks the headwaters of the Spree River, which flows through Berlin on the way to the sea. This area offers a great opportunity for visitors to get out into nature, either for walks or bicycle rides in the woods or for watersports or boat tours (in punts). The best place to start a tour is from the large harbour in Lübbenau or one of the smaller ones in Lübben or Burg. Tourismusverband Spreewald, Lindenstrasse 1, Raddusch (tel: (035433) 72299; fax: (035433) 72228; e-mail: tourismus@spreewald.de; website: www.spreewald.de) can provide further information. Spreewald is located 110km (68 miles) on the A13 from Berlin. Regional trains depart hourly from Königs Wusterhausen in southeast Berlin (journey time – 40 minutes) and approximately every two hours from Bahnhof Zoo (journey time – 90 minutes) and Ostbahnhof (journey time – 1 hour). Hotels Since becoming Germany’s re-united capital, the number of hotel rooms in Berlin has doubled with the growing demand for accommodation. Reservations made well in advance are therefore recommended. Hotel prices usually include VAT at 16% and a buffet breakfast. The prices quoted below are the starting prices for double rooms, including breakfast and VAT, unless otherwise specified. Business Hotel Adlon Voted ‘Hotel of the Century’ by Time magazine in 1999, Hotel Adlon is one of the great historical hotels of Berlin. Constructed in 1907, with the help of Kaiser Wilhelm II, over the decades the rich and famous, such as Einstein, Rockefeller, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich, have always stayed in this hotel. Located very near to the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin, the Adlon retains its luxurious and historical feel – the restaurants, bars and banquet rooms (especially the Grand Ballroom) are a wonderful reminder of its glorious past. Yet it also offers the most up-to-date services and facilities, especially for business travellers, with state-of-the-art conference rooms, a business centre and specially designed business suites, which offer a separate working area, with desk and fax machine, as well as a kitchenette. Unter den Linden 77 Tel: (030) 226 1111. Fax: (030) 2261 2222. E-mail: adlon@kempinski.com Website: www.hotel-adlon.de Price: From €310. Hotel Kronprinz Berlin This recently renovated hotel boasts an impressive exterior dating from the turn of the century. Its antique furniture and traditional style not only apply to the foyer and the rooms but also to its well-known restaurant, where traditional German dishes are served. The concierge will offer service and support wherever needed, giving every guest a warm welcome. Located close to Berlin’s fairground, this hotel mainly caters for business travellers who find comfortable rooms here, as well as a business service including fax, modem points, secretarial assistance and three conference rooms. Many guest rooms have balconies or cosy seating areas but all have mini-bar, safe and two telephones. There are 11 French country-style ‘romantic rooms’ as well as rooms suitable for non-smoking, allergic or disabled guests. Kronprinzendamm 1 Tel: (030) 896 030. Fax: (030) 893 1215. E-mail: reception@kronprinz-hotel.de Website: www.kronprinz-hotel.de Price: From €145. Hotel Seehof Berlin Conveniently situated between the busy Kurfürstendamm and Berlin’s fairground and ICC Centre, the Seehof overlooks a small, picturesque lake. The hotel is traditionally decorated throughout with wooden furnishings and high-quality appliances, offering basic business facilities, such as fax and modem connections. Breakfast can be enjoyed on the scenic lake terrace, which, with its open-air bar, also offers great evening entertainment. A large indoor pool provides clean and safe swimming for those who are uncomfortable in the outdoor waters. Most rooms have a relaxing view over the lake, while all rooms are equipped with marble bathrooms, air conditioning, cable TV, video and mini-bar. A concierge service is available around the clock and able to assist with any business, travel or leisure arrangements. Lietzenseeufer 11 Tel: (030) 320 020. Fax: (030) 3200 2251. E-mail: info@hotel-seehof-Berlin.de Website: www.hotel-seehof-Berlin.de Price: From €190. Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel has been known for its friendliness and comfort for nearly 70 years – famous guest Thomas Mann once declared as much. This small, central hotel is charming and has a classical setting and exceptional service. Shoe cleaning, laundry and ironing services, as well as floral, room and secretarial services, even free newspapers, all complement this traditional establishment. For business travellers, there are fax and modem connections in the rooms and elegant conference facilities. There is also the exclusive Casa del Habano bar, with its wide choice of Cuban cigars, where businesspeople and aficionados meet and Cuban delicacies are served. Fasanenstrasse 9-10 Tel: (030) 311 030. Fax: (030) 3110 3333. E-mail: info@hotel-savoy.com Website: www.hotel-savoy.com Price: From €174. Luxury Four Seasons Hotel Berlin The Four Seasons is situated close to Berlin’s main attractions and provides an elegant, exclusive environment, where functions for 14 to 150 people unfold flawlessly. With 260sq metres (2800sq ft) of banquet and conference space, expert technical support, extensive facilities and experience, all functions can be arranged. The guest rooms, with their antique furnishings and luxurious rugs, are all equipped with modem points and two-line telephones, big desks and marble bathrooms. Guests are spoilt with oversized cotton bathrobes and slippers, complimentary toiletries and twice-daily housekeeping. Charlottenstrasse 49 Tel: (030) 20338. Fax: (030) 2033 6119. E-mail: ber.reservation@fourseasons.com Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: From €290. The Regent Schlosshotel Berlin This grandiose hotel was originally built in 1914, as a private mansion and has been restored to its former glory with input from the fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld. The Regent Schlosshotel is located near the main shopping street of Kurfürstendamm and the exhibition centre and yet it is quiet and peaceful, looking out over Grunewald Forest. All 42 rooms and 12 suites have marble baths, two-line telephones, PC connection, cable TVs, videos and stereos, films and CDs. The hotel’s recreation facilities are exceptional, including a beauty and physiotherapy studio. All the hotel’s services are available 24 hours a day, including secretarial services, babysitting, personal hairdressers, doctors, trainers and butlers. Brahmsstrasse 10 Tel: (030) 895 80. Fax: (030) 8958 8800. E-mail: info@ritz-carlton.com Website: www.ritz-carlton.com Price: From €365. Moderate Hotel Igel Located near the Tegeler lake and forest in the middle of a tranquil, green backdrop, the Igel, literally translated as ‘hedge hock’, is a newly built hotel block. It is run as a small family business, so guests enjoy the advantages of a very personal service and friendly hospitality. The basic rooms are modern, comfortable and clean – and all are en suite. In this quiet oasis, the turbulent city seems worlds away, although only around the corner. The picturesque surroundings make up for any lack of style or facilities. Friederikestrasse 33-34 Tel: (030) 436 0010. Fax: (030) 431 4042. Price: From €66. Pension Modena and Pension Dittberner These two popular guesthouses, the Modena and the Dittberner, are both situated in the same building, just off Kurfürstendamm. Although they profit from a very convenient central location, they are situated in a quiet street. Both offer exceptionally good comfort and spotless, spacious accommodation, as well as a friendly, personal service – at a very good price. Bright, generously designed rooms, high ceilings and white walls covered with modern art add a feel of airiness and space to this charming, old house. All rooms are en suite but there are few other facilities. However, business or leisure travellers with a tight budget will find these two places the best value in town. Wielandstrasse 26 Tel: (030) 885 7010. Fax: (030) 881 5294 (Modena). Tel: (030) 881 6485. Fax: (030) 885 4046 (Dittberner) E-mail: hotelpensionmodena@hotmail.com Price: From €87. Other Recommendations artemisia Subtitled ‘The Women’s Hotel in Berlin’, artemisia is a new hotel concept. Located near Kurfürstendamm, this hotel offers central, comfortable and secure accommodation exclusively to female travellers, whether on business or leisure. The bright and modern decor, with a changing display of paintings by female artists, contributes to the friendly atmosphere. There is a large sundeck, with a breathtaking view over Berlin, on which to relax, where breakfast is also served in summer. Most rooms are en suite and some are non-smoking, although facilities are limited to a telephone and TV. There is, however, a conference room for up to 20 women, available for women’s groups and other such organisations, although men may be allowed on request. Brandenburgische Strasse 18 Tel: (030) 873 8905. Fax: (030) 861 8653. E-mail: artemisi@frauenhotel-berlin.de Website: www.frauenhotel-berlin.de Price: From €87. Bleibtreu Classic elegance and a modern ecological philosophy, drawn from local trends, are combined in this central location. This is reflected throughout the hotel, with furniture made from untreated oak, woollen carpets, door handles made of semi-precious stones and environmentally friendly paints – mainly in vivid blue. Nature is literally very close – the ride in the hotel’s glass elevator to the fifth floor passes through the branches of a grand chestnut tree. For recreation, the wellness centre features reflex zone massage for hands, feet and ears, acupuncture, lymph drainage and steam baths. Other services include complimentary newspaper, laundry and ironing, secretarial services and a free mini-bar. Bleibtreustrasse 31 Tel: (030) 884 740. Fax: (030) 8847 4444. E-mail: info@bleibtreu.com Website: www.bleibtreu.com Price: From €175. Restaurants The selected restaurants have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Only a small percentage of German restaurants accept credit cards and visitors should check before getting a table. Prices usually include 16% VAT. Normally, a tip between 5% and 10% is expected for good service. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal (unless otherwise specified) and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent; they include VAT but not tip. Gastronomic Bamberger Reiter Chef Christoph Fischer has taken over Bamberger Reiter – one of the city’s leading restaurants – from the famous Franz Raneburger, maintaining the high standards that diners were already accustomed to. He keeps up the tradition of using only the freshest and sometimes rare ingredients to ensure an international touch to his German cuisine. The menu changes daily but often contains dove or rack of lamb. Decorated with attention to detail in a rustic, farmhouse style, the restaurant is located in Berlin’s Schöneberg district. Regensburger Strasse 7, Schöneberg Tel: (030) 218 4282. Fax: (030) 2147 4799. E-mail: info@bamberger-reiter.de Price: €35 or 77. Wine: €30. Harlekin Named after a sculpture by Markus Lüpertz, the Harlekin is situated in the Grand Hotel Esplanade in the Mitte district. The tables are gathered around this sculpture in a strict symmetrical pattern, adding a modern, Japanese feel. Chef Gerd Hammes is expected to win a first Michelin star in the near future, for his personal interpretations of classic international recipes. An extensive wine list and perfect service add to the Harlekin experience. The menu contains highly recommended fish dishes, such as turbot in potato coat on leek and mushroom ragout or venison fillet on lime sauce with broccoli and baby carrots. Lützowufer 15, Mitte Tel: (030) 254 780. Fax: (030) 265 1171. E-mail: info@esplanade.de Website: www.esplanade.de Price: €65. Wine: €35. Heising Dining at Heising is like travelling back in time. Located in Charlottenburg, its Baroque theme with lush curtains, small white statues and traditional china offers an old-fashioned but friendly and high-class dining experience. Traditional dishes with a hint of French influence are served, such as the croustade of duck breast with orange butter sauce or the Loup de Mer on fennel. Rankestrasse 32, Charlottenburg Tel: (030) 213 3952. Price: €46. Wine: €26. VÂU Created by one of Germany’s leading industrial designers, VÂU’s interior epitomises relaxed style, with huge pictures by modern artist Oliver Jordan, decorating the walls. This expensive and trendy restaurant is located in the Mitte district and serves excellent German fish and game dishes. Daring combinations include braised oxtail wrapped in truffle dough or turbot with veal sweet breads on shallots in red wine. Reservations essential. Jägerstrasse 54-55, Mitte Tel: (030) 202 9730. Fax: (030) 202 97311. E-mail: restaurant@vau-berlin.de Website: www.vau-berlin.de Price: €75 (four-course meal). Wine: €26. Vivaldi Situated in the impressive Regent Schlosshotel (see Hotels), which was recently refurbished under the direction of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, Vivaldi presents a luxurious setting for gourmet dining in the majestic grandeur of a castle-like building. Award-winning chef Paul Urchs interprets his cooking as quality, luxury, pleasure and zest for life. His scallops on asparagus vinaigrette with violet mustard, the lobster on lentil salad with balsamic vinegar or the venison medallions with celeriac purée and juniper sauce are indeed celebrations of vivacity. Brahmsstrasse 6-10 Tel: (030) 8958 4520. Fax: (030) 8958 4800. E-mail: info@ritz-carlton.com Website: www.ritz-carlton.com Price: €80 (four-course meal). Wine: €30. Business Alt-Luxemburg This popular restaurant in Charlottenburg radiates a luxurious yet conservative ambience and is tastefully furnished with antiques. The attentive service enhances its intimate setting. Chef Karl Wannemacher’s nouvelle German dishes profit from a hint of intriguing East Asian influence, like his sublime lobster lasagne. Windscheidstrasse 31, Charlottenburg Tel: (030) 323 8730. Fax: (030) 327 4003. Price: €77. Wine: €26. Ana e Bruno Situated in Berlin’s Westend, this Berlin classic serves up consistently high-quality Italian food in a rustic setting, elegantly tarted up to suit the rather posh clientele. Although classy and expensive, the atmosphere is still warm and homely, thanks to the hospitality of the owners, Bruno and his wife Ana. The chef values a healthy, low-calorie interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine, such as grilled salmon in lime sauce, and prefers fresh vegetables and salads to hearty pastas and oily antipasti. Sophie-Charlotten-Strasse 101 Tel: (030) 325 7110. Fax: (030) 322 6895. Price: €60. Wine: €25. Dachgartenrestaurant This is probably the most coveted restaurant of the city, as it is located inside the new futuristic parliament building. From within the Reichstag’s glass dome, Dachgartenrestaurant Kafer offers an amazing view over the heads of the debating ministers to the zoo and the historic Brandenburg Gate. The menu offers healthy yet traditional cuisine, such as light fish and delicious venison options. Booking is essential, especially in the evening. Platz der Republik Tel: (030) 2262 9933. Price: €45. Wine €30. Kaiserstuben Kaiserstuben (‘Emperor’s Parlour’) is the perfect place in Mitte for diners to enjoy a meal in a sophisticated yet cosy environment. The young chef, Tim Raue, surprises with his ingeniously prepared dishes that carefully balance regional heritage with influences from all over the world. These include fried goose livers with rhubarb and green pepper kernels. Am Festungsgraben 1, Mitte Tel: (030) 2061 0548. Fax: (030) 2061 0550. E-mail: info@kaiserstuben.de Website: www.kaiserstuben.de Price: €49 (four-course meal). Wine: €27. Ponte Vecchio This charming Italian restaurant in the Westend, Ponte Vecchio (‘Old Bridge’ in Italian), still boasts one Michelin star. The cluttered, rustic interior might be a matter of preference but the creative dishes, cooked to perfection, definitely do not lack in taste, flavour or style – especially the carpaccio on ossobucco or the duck liver, which are to die for. Spielhagenstrasse 3 Tel: (030) 342 1999. Fax: (030) 332 4713. Price: €35. Wine: €21. Trendy Bacco Italian restaurant Bacco was established in 1968. Since then, owner-chef Padrone Massimo Mannozzi has been attracting international celebrities with his charm and cooking. The simple rustic decor reflects his simple Tuscan cuisine, such as fresh Mediterranean fish or homemade tagliata, which comes with white truffle when in season. Marburger Strasse 5 Tel: (030) 211 8687. Fax: (030) 211 5230. E-mail: info@bacco.de Website: www.bacco.de Price: €38. Wine: €22. Borchardt This is one of the most fashionable meeting places to have appeared in the historic Mitte district. The high ceilings, red plush benches and Art Nouveau mosaic discovered during renovations create the impression of a 1920s café. The cuisine is high-quality French-Mediterranean, including several dishes with veal and fresh fish, such as fillet of stone flounder and lobster with green rice. Französische Strasse 47, Mitte Tel: (030) 2038 7110. Fax: (030) 2038 7150. Price: €48. Wine: €22. Florian The idea of creating a restaurant dedicated to Swabian cuisine might sound unusual but Florian has turned out to be a huge success with the trendy crowd in Berlin’s Mitte. People come to relax in the traditional South German setting, with its wooden furniture and homely ambience, as well as to enjoy the Swabian dishes with a slight French twist, such as the Hackbraten (basically a meatloaf) or the potato casserole. Grolmanstrasse 52, Mitte Tel: (030) 313 9184. Price: €38. Wine: €21. Hamlet A fascinating ambience is created in Hamlet, as European as well as Oriental influences are revealed not only in its interior design but also its menu. The imaginative cuisine covers traditional, French and Arabian tastes, such as vegetable plates or couscous dishes. The diversity of the food is enjoyed by a similarly varied crowd, coming from a range of ethnic backgrounds and social groups. Uhlandstrasse 47 Tel: (030) 882 1361. Price: €31. Wine: €18. Paris Bar Situated just off the Kurfürstendamm, this trendy restaurant attracts a polyglot clientele of film stars, artists, entrepreneurs and executives who care more for glamour than gourmet food. The atmosphere is created by simple, dark wooden chairs, tables and benches and lots of old French magazine covers and pictures on the walls. The French cuisine, including Jacques oysters and lamb chops with Provençale herbs, is reliable. It is an excellent spot for lunch, as the waiting list for tables is shorter than it is for dinner. Kantstrasse 152 Tel: (030) 313 8052. Fax: (030) 313 2816. E-mail: parisbar@sehrgut.de Website: www.parisbar.de Price: €28. Wine: €35. Budget Carpe Diem This Spanish eating place profits from the charm of a typical Berlin setting, located as it is underneath an S-bahn railway track in Charlottenburg. Many shops and restaurants make use of these railway arches, as they provide an unconventional and cosy setting with their old, impressive brickwork. A variety of inexpensive, tasty tapas is served here. However, the main dishes, such as the paella Valencia or the grilled octopus, are also a delight, especially accompanied by a bottle of Spanish red wine. Arch 576-577, between Uhlandstrasse and Grolmanstrasse, Charlottenburg Tel: (030) 313 2728. Fax: (030) 313 2628. E-mail: info@carpe-diem-restaurant.de Website: www.carpe-diem-restaurant.de Price: €28.50 (set meal including a glass of sherry). Wine: €17. Grossbeerenkeller This cellar restaurant in Kreuzberg, with its massive, dark oak furniture and decorative antlers, is undoubtedly one of the most original dining spots in town. Its old-fashioned and warm Berlin hospitality is hard to equal. Simple, traditional meals, such as diced pork with home fries and herb sauce or boiled salt pork with green cabbage, are served here. The fried potatoes are said to be the best in town. Grossbeerenstrasse 90, Kreuzberg Tel: (030) 251 3064. Price: €20. Wine: €16.75. Mao Thai With its gorgeous East Asian interior design and great value for money, Mao Thai is always packed, although it is perhaps not the most authentic Thai restaurant in town. The chicken served in a coconut is the signature dish, although other dishes – such as the fried scampi in tomato sauce, with chillies, spring onions, peppers, pineapple and cucumber – are slightly more inventive. Wörther Strasse 30 Tel: (030) 441 9261. Fax: (030) 4434 2090. E-mail: maothai@snafu.de Website: www.thaipage.com Price: €25. Wine: €15. Oren This popular Israeli venue, situated next to the synagogue, is the best place for diners to enjoy traditional Jewish cooking. The restaurant buzzes with loud chatter all evening and the atmosphere and service are friendly. The small backyard is a wonderful spot on a warm summer evening. The gefilte fish – a tasty and very salty German-Jewish dish – is recommended. Oranienburger Strasse 28 Tel: (030) 282 8228. Fax: (030) 2859 9313. E-mail: info@restaurant-oren.de Website: www.restaurant-oren.de Price: €21.50. Wine: €45. Pasternak Normally absolutely packed, this small Russian restaurant attracts an intellectual and alternative crowd, as well as the more chic in-crowd. Decorated in a turn-of-the-century style, it is suitably located in the historic Mitte district, where the atmosphere is buzzing. Food is filling, such as the traditional borscht, ample fish plate starters, the ravioli filled with either meat or potatoes and the hearty beef Stroganoff mains. Knaackstrasse 22-24, Mitte Tel: (030) 441 3399. Fax: (030) 4404 6518. Website: www.restaurant-pasternak.de Price: €21. Wine: €28. Personal Recommendations Abendmahl The name means ‘Last Supper’ and the decor is indeed enlivened with a little Catholic kitsch. The menu changes regularly and all dishes bear wacky names, such as News from the Moon or Murder Ahoi. In most cases, however, they are wonderfully presented, hot fish dishes or inventive vegetarian delights. The service is charming and efficient and the ambience laid-back, which makes the trip out to Kreuzberg worthwhile. Muskauer Strasse 9, Kreuzberg Tel: (030) 612 5170. Fax: (030) 612 5170. E-mail: abendmahl@abendmahl-berlin.de Website: www.abendmahl-berlin.de Price: €28. Wine: €20. Hakuin Named after a Japanese Zen master, Hakuin serves excellent but pricey Buddhist vegetarian food. The restaurant has a quiet Japanese charm, with tables arranged around a fish pool with calming fountain and wild plants. Exotic and delicious vegetable or fruit curries are served on bamboo plates, which complement the overall style. Closed Monday. Martin-Luther-Strasse 1 Tel: (030) 218 2027. Fax: (030) 213 9862. E-mail: info@restaurant-hakuin.de Website: www.restaurant-hakuin.de Price: €26. Wine: €30. Maxwell Situated in the restored former Josty brewery in the Mitte district, this elegant and spacious restaurant spreads over two floors and a big terrace in summer. Chef Uwe Popall insists on using local produce, which is also obvious on the wine list, which features a wide range of German vineyards. His cuisine is creative, including the red snapper with Merguez sausage and broad beans or the duck with black pepper sauce and vegetable spring rolls. Bergstrasse 22, Mitte Tel: (030) 280 7121. Fax: (030) 2859 9848. E-mail: maxwell.berlin@t-online.de Website: www.maxwellberlin.de Price: €45. Wine: €20. Trenta Sei Situated in the most picturesque square in Berlin, the Gendarmenplatz, Trenta Sei is an Italian restaurant with metropolitan character. A row of small tables and chairs are placed along the wall and the windows, the waiters wear long white aprons and the menu is similarly straightforward, with dishes such as vitello tonnato, cream of crab soup. Markgrafenstrasse 36 Tel: (030) 2045 2630. Price: €40. Wine: €25. Sport The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium), Bismarckstrasse, was built for the 1936 Olympic Games and is now the site for sports events, concerts and conferences. Football is extremely popular and the Hertha BSC football team (tel: (01805) 437 842; website: www.herthabsc.de) plays at the Olympic Stadium, competing valiantly against other top German sides in the Bundesliga (First Division). German football was given a massive boost by the announcement that the country will stage the 2006 World Cup, with games scheduled for the capital, although suspicions of bribery surrounded the decision to choose Germany over hot favourite South Africa. Berlin is home to the German Women’s Open tennis tournament, which takes place on the clay courts of the LTTC ‘Rot-Weiss’, in Grunewald, each May. In men’s basketball, Alba Berlin (website: www.albaberlin.de) is strong in the German league and compete in Europe. Games can be seen at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Prenzlauer Berg. Fullhouse Service (tel: (030) 3087 85685) sells tickets to basketball matches as well as major annual sporting events. Showtime (tel: (0800) 8822 8822; website: www.showtime-berlin.de) also sells tickets to sporting events, with an outlet in the KaDeWe department store. Fitness centres: Elixia – Mitte, Behrenstrasse 48, on the corner of Friedrichstrasse (tel: (030) 2063 5300; fax: (030) 2063 5310; website: www.elixia.com), is a central gym with handy opening hours (Monday-Friday 0600-2300, Saturday-Sunday 1000-2200). Options include free weights, circuit training, aerobics and other classes, a sauna and a steamroom. A day pass costs €25. The Ostkreuz branch, at Hirschberger Strasse 3, has a 25m (82ft) pool. Golf: There are 16 golf courses in the Berlin-Brandenburg area and information on these is available in a guide published by the Association of Golf Timers, available free from Golfverband Berlin-Brandenburg, Forststrasse 34 (tel: (030) 823 6609; fax: (030) 824 4098; website: www.gvbb.de). Public courses charge approximately €18 per round, while the green fees at the various private clubs range from €25 to €50. The Golf-Zentrum Berlin-Mitte, Chausseestrasse 94-98 (tel: (030) 2804 7070; website: www.golfzentrum.berlin.de), is a central spot with equipment and training available, where golfers can practice from 0700 until dusk. Swimming: There is no shortage of places to swim in the city. During summer, locals head to the beaches on Wannsee and Tegeler See, in West Berlin, or to the larger Grosser Müggelsee, in the East. Public swimming pools include the indoor pool at Bad am Spreewaldplatz, Wiener Strasse 59, in Kreuzberg (tel: (030) 612 7057), and an outdoor pool next to U-Bahn Prinzenstrasse station. The Sport- und Erholungszentrum (SEZ), Landsberger Allee 77, in Friedrichshain (tel: (030) 4218 2320), is one of Berlin’s largest sport centres and has a swimming pool. Tennis: There are a number of tennis courts in the city, including TSF Freizeitcenter Marienfelde, Richard-Tauber-Damm 36 (tel: (030) 742 1091) and TSF Freizeitcenter Spandau, Galenstrasse 33-35 (tel: (030) 333 4083), charging €12-19 (summer) and €16-24 (winter). TSB City Sports, Brandenburgische Strasse 53 (tel: (030) 873 9097), has rates starting from €8.50 (rising to €14.50), while TCW Tenniscenter, Roelckestrasse 106 (tel: (030) 927 4594) charges play at €11-18. Rates vary depending on the time of day, with the highest prices falling between 1600 and 2200. Shopping For years, the Kurfürstendamm or Ku’damm, for short (website: www.kurfuerstendamm.de or www.berlin-citywest.com) has been the place to shop in Berlin. This elegant boulevard of shops and department stores has designer boutiques and shopping passages tucked down its side streets, particularly around the U-Bahn Uhlandstrasse station. The Europa-Center is also unmistakable, as it has a large revolving Mercedes Benz symbol on its roof. However, the most famous address is Kaufhaus des Westens or KaDeWe, Tauenzienstrasse 21-24 (website: www.kadewe.de), the largest department store in Europe. However, the West’s pre-eminence for Berlin shoppers is facing challenges from the revitalised areas of East Berlin. Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse (website: www.friedrichstrasse.de) have both blossomed since reunification, with boutiques, department stores such as Quartier 206 and the Galeries Lafayette shopping centre. Even this is changing with the completion of Potsdamer Platz – already the Arkaden shopping mall is luring away shoppers from other, more established areas. Also in the East are the boutiques in the Hackesche Höfe and the many galleries in the Scheunenviertel, just to the north. For innovative clothing, Heckmannhöfe, Oranienburger Strasse 32, is the place for shoppers to head, with the likes of Hut Up, with its bold woollens, Nix, with its urban chic and Sterling Gold, with its array of weird and wonderful second-hand cocktail and evening dresses. For markets, there is the traditional fruit and vegetable market at Winterfeldtplatz, open Wednesday 0800-1300 and Saturday 0800-1530. More interesting objects are found at the Trödelmarkt (Flea Market) and Arts and Crafts Market, along Strasse des 17 Juni, open Saturday and Sunday 1000-1700. Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 0900/1000-2000 and Saturday 0900/1000-1600. Smaller shops may close a little earlier. A great resource is www.kauflust.de, an online guide to 250 shops with a clickable map. Visitors from outside the EU can reclaim a portion of the 16% VAT (up to 10%) on goods worth over €30. Shops displaying the ‘TAX-FREE’ sign issue a receipt that, when stamped by customs, can be redeemed at a tax-free reimbursement office. Culture In the decade or so since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has emerged as one of Europe’s most culturally vibrant cities, infused with a unique blend of Western and Eastern European cultures. There are world-class theatre and opera performances and a comprehensive array of museums and galleries to choose from. Beyond this, there are all the expressions of the counter culture for which Berlin is famous. Although remnants remain in Kreuzberg, the most avant-garde artists have moved to Mitte and, increasingly, to Prenzlauer Berg. The tourist information office (see Sightseeing) publishes an online event calendar (website: www.berlin-tourist-information.com) as well as the Berlin Calendar. Tickets to cultural events can be purchased through Berlin Tourismus Marketing (tel: (030) 250 025, reservations or (0190) 016 316, information hotline or (01805) 754 040, from outside Germany) or directly through most venues. Music: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is renowned worldwide. Their performance space, the Philharmonie, Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1 (tel: (030) 254 880 or 2548 8132, for information or 2548 8126 or 2548 8194, ticket office; fax: (030) 261 4887, for information or 2548 8323, for bookings; e-mail: kartenbuero@berlin-philharmonic.com; website: www.berlin-philharmonic.com), matches their reputation. Within the venue, the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie hosts chamber players, soloists and small orchestras. Berlin’s most elegant venue for classical music is the Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt 2 (tel: (030) 203 090; fax: (030) 2030 92233; website: www.konzerthaus.de). The Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester is based here. The premier venue for opera, ballet and concerts was built in 1741-43, as the Court Opera House. Today, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Unter den Linden 7 (tel: (030) 2035 4555 or 2035 4438, for information; fax: (030) 2035 4483; website: www.staatsoper-berlin.de) is under the artistic and musical direction of Daniel Barenboim. The Deutsche Oper Berlin, in the west of the city, at Bismarckstrasse 35 (tel: (030) 343 8401; fax: (030) 343 8455; website: www.deutscheoperberlin.de), stages classical and modern opera, as well as ballet, operettas and concerts. Performances at the Komische Oper Berlin, Behrenstrasse 55-57 (tel: (030) 202 600; fax: (030) 2026 0405; e-mail: info@komische-oper-berlin.de; website: www.komische-oper-berlin.de), which opened in 1947, include music, dance and concerts. Theatre: The Deutsches Theater und Kammerspiele, Schumannstrasse 13A (tel: (030) 2844 1225; fax: (030) 282 4117; website: www.deutschestheater.de), mounts contemporary productions as well as 19th- and 20th-century plays. The neo-Baroque Berliner Ensemble, Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 1 (tel: (030) 2840 8155; fax: (030) 2840 8115; website: www.berliner-ensemble.de), was built before the turn of the century, as the Neues Theater. It was taken over by Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel, and continues to show perfomances from Brecht’s works, as well as classical and modern pieces. For non-conformist and unconventional theatre and dance, the Volksbühne, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (tel: (030) 2406 5661; fax: (030) 2406 5642; website: www.volksbuehne-berlin.de), is one of the top addresses. Dance: The Hebbel-Theater, Stresemannstrasse 29 (tel: (030) 259 0040; fax: (030) 2590 0449; website: www.hebbel-theater.de), is one of the centres for contemporary dance and opera in Europe. It also hosts the TanzWinter and Tanz im August dance festivals. Classical ballet is staged at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bismarckstrasse 35 (tel: (030) 343 8401; fax: (030) 343 8455; website: www.deutscheoperberlin.de), which has an excellent resident ballet company, Ballet der Deutsche Oper Berlin. Film: In the early 20th century, Berlin was the cradle of German cinema, with seminal films such as Metropolis (1927) and other works of German expressionism. The 1930 film, Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel), starring Marlene Dietrich (website: www.marlene.com) was based on Heinrich Mann’s novel, Professor Unrath, and catapulted her to stardom as the sexy cabaret singer, Lola Lola. Berlin earned itself a reputation for decadence in the 1920s and 1930s, which were recaptured to good effect in the 1972 film, Cabaret. More recent works have included Wim Wenders’ Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire), in which two angels watch over the divided city from the Siegessäule. Berlin has over a hundred cinemas and new releases are often screened in the English original (OV or OF), or the original language with German subtitles (OmU). The best place to catch the latest big releases, often in the original version (OV), are the 19-screen CinemaxX Berlin Potsdamer Platz, Potsdamer Strasse 5 (tel: (030) 4431 6316; website: www.cinemaxx.de), and nearby eight-screen CineStar im Sony Center, Potsdamer Strasse 4 (tel: (030) 2606 6260; website: www.cinestar.de). Of the mainstream cinemas in the city’s western half, Kant-Kino, Kantstrasse 54 (tel: (030) 312 5047), sometimes has Hollywood fare in English with German subtitles. Of the numerous repertory and international screens, Arsenal, Potsdamer Strasse 2 (tel: (030) 2695 5100; website: www.fdk-berlin.de), is a central spot with a lot of English screenings. The Berlin Film Festival (website: www.berlinale.de) is one of the most important on the circuit and the Berlin Bear prize is almost as highly valued as the legendary Palme d’Or. The film festival takes place in February and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2000. At other times, it is possible to see English-language films at many of the city’s cinemas. Weekly film listings are printed on posters, which are displayed throughout the city. The magazines, Tip and Zitty, also have listings. During summer, there are popular outdoor film screenings in the Volkspark Hasenheide and at the Waldbühne, near the Olympic Stadium. Cultural events: Berlin offers a number of multi-disciplinary venues, which offer a range of cultural events throughout the year. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles Allee 10, in the Tiergarten (tel: (030) 3978 7175; fax: (030) 394 8679; website: www.hkw.de), hosts concerts, theatre, films, readings and events such as the International Festival of Media Art in February, with a remit to spotlight non-European cultures. Tacheles, Oranienburger Strasse 54-56 (tel: (030) 282 6185; fax: (030) 282 3130; e-mail: office@tacheles.de; website: www.tacheles.de), is an avant-garde, somewhat anarchic, cultural centre in the bombed out shell of a former department store. One of Berlin’s more poignant venues is the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17 (tel: (030) 206 1000; website: www.traenenpalast.de), where West Berliners visiting East Berlin had to pass through. Today, it hosts theatre, films and concerts. Summer undoubtedly sees most of the cultural action in Berlin, with the largest event of its kind, the massive June Love Parade that takes over the Strasse des 17 Juni with multitudes of techno ravers and booming mobile sound systems. Other events that characterise this sunny month are the Karneval der Kulturen, a carnival of culture culminating in a colourful parade, and the Christopher Street Day, when gay and lesbian revellers march through the streets to proclaim their pride. Literary Notes Der Stechlin (1898), Theodor Fontane’s late 19th-century novel, has the Stechlinsee in the dark Menzer Forest to the southeast of Berlin as its setting. Berlin Alexanderplatz (1929) is Alfred Döblin’s epic tale of the city. Also from the inter-war period are Christopher Isherwood’s The Berlin Stories, comprising the novels Mr Norris Changes Trains (1935) and Goodbye to Berlin (1939). They depict Berlin in the pre-Hitler years of the decadent Weimar Republic. Bertolt Brecht moved to Berlin in 1924 and stayed there until 1933, when he fled after the burning of the Reichstag. He directed and wrote many of his early plays here, most successfully Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), which opened in 1928. Berlin’s post-war appearances in English writing have tended to be of the spy novel genre – fitting, as the city was the front line of the Cold War. Robert Harris’ Fatherland (1993) is a disturbing speculative fiction of Berlin based on the premise that the Nazis had not lost the war. Peter Schneider’s The Wall Jumper (1984) is a mixed genre meditation on the Berlin Wall. Nightlife Berlin is quite simply one of Europe’s most effervescent party cities. The old divides are still there when it comes to nightlife and the Western centre, somewhat ironically, lags behind the real action in the resurgent East. Berlin today is a byword for alternative culture and within the city pretty much anything goes. Punk and various forms of anarchy are struggling to survive among the style bars and yuppie haunts in Kreuzberg but the avant-garde cultural scene and accompanying drinking culture has moved on to Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and increasingly to Friedrichshain. Likewise, the city’s gay scene is divided between staid Schöneberg, Kreuzberg and edgier Prenzlauer Berg. For a first-time visitor, Mitte is probably the better bet, starting around the Hackesche Höfe and working up Oranienburger Strasse to the numerous bars that first greeted the Western hordes after the Wall fell. Tacheles, at the end of the street, is worth a visit for the spirit of culture and anarchy it once implied. For the real experience of Berlin, however, it has to be Prenzlauer Berg (Prenzl’berg for short). Some of the more established places are reasonably easy to find but the real fun starts with the wild bars and impromptu clubs that seem to spring up from nowhere one week disappearing forever the next. Entry to bars is officially restricted to those 18 years and older. There is often a cover charge for discos and nightclubs (€2.50-10) but given the city’s relaxed attitude to style, most do not have dress codes and there are no fixed closing times. The average price of a drink while out an about in Berlin is €5-6. Listings can be found in Zitty (website: www.zitty.de), Tip (website: www.tip-berlin.de) and Prinz (website: www.prinz.de) magazines. There are also club listings in the free magazines, Flyer (website: www.flyer.de/berlin) and 030 (website: www.berlin030.de). Bars: For those looking to spend in a trendy atmosphere, the Bar am Lützowplatz, Lützowplatz 7(website: www.baramLuetzowplatz.com), between the Tiergarten and U-Bahn Nollendorfplatz, offers high-priced cocktails. On the other side of Nollendorfplatz is Hafen, Motzstrasse 19, a popular gay bar. Other established bars are Wirtschaftwunder, Yorckstrasse 81, with 1950s decor, and the small, crowded Zoulou Bar, Hauptstrasse 4, which always has an interesting mix of people. Bars line the scruffy streets of Oranienstrasse and Wiener Strasse in Kreuzberg, many doubling up as cafés during the day. Café Bar Morena, Wiener Strasse 60, is an institution. The nearby Wiener Blut, Weiner Strasse 13, is a good local, while Madonna, Weiner Strasse 22, is a bit rougher. In East Berlin, there are too many things happening to list them all here. Good places to start on Oranienburger Strasse (the geile Meile) are the funky Bar Lounge 808, Oranienburger Strasse 42-43, or Mitte Bar, Oranienburger Strasse 46, which is popular as much with the arty local set as it is with students. In trendy Prenzlauer Berg, the most buzzing bars are the hip-hop temple, H20, Kastanienalle 16, Prater, Kastienalle 7-9, with its beer garden, theatre and bar, and Icon, Cantianstrasse 15. The most unusual bars in the city are the unsicht-Bar, Gormannstrasse, and the Nocti Vagus, Saarbruecker Strasse 36-38, both of which serve food and drink in complete darkness. During 2003, both venues will stage events such as music evenings, plays and scent experiences. Cabaret: The legacy of 1930s Berlin and Marlene Dietrich lives on. Over-the-top commercial cabaret is best seen at the Friedrichstadtpalast, Friedrichstrasse 107 (website: www.friedrichstadtpalast.de), with musical revues that combine glittering costumes with elements of dance and theatre into the floorshows at one of Europe’s largest revue theatres. Wintergarten – Das Varieté, Potsdamer Strasse 96 (website: www.wintergarten-variete.de), offers dinner and variety shows. More off-beat shows can be found at independent venues in the area to the north of the Hackesche Höfe and in Prenzlauer Berg. Casinos: Spielbank Berlin is part of the new Potsdamer Platz development and is located opposite the Grand Hyatt, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1 (website: www.spielbank-berlin.de). There is no specific dress code, although a passport is required (along with the €5 entry fee). The casino is open daily 1130-0300 to those aged 18 years and over; guests must bring identification, such as a passport. Casino Berlin, situated on the 37th floor of the Forum Hotel, Alexanderplatz, is open 1500-0300. The entrance fee is €5 and a jacket and tie are required. Clubs: There are a number of tourist-orientated discos in the Ku’damm area but a better bet in West Berlin is 90 Grad, Dennewitzstrasse 37, with a young crowd dancing to funky beats and house on the gay nights (Thursday and Saturday). SO36, Oranienstrasse 190, in Kreuzberg, has different moods and music styles, depending on the night, as well as concerts. If you want something quite alternative, visit the fetish club gone big-time; the Kit-Kat Club has moved into the old Metropol, Nollendorfplatz 5. Dress code is fetish gear or nothing. There is an eclectic array of clubs in East Berlin. In Mitte, one of the current hip places to see and be seen is the Sage-Club, Köpenicker Strasse 78, with its painfully trendy atmosphere and plenty of upfront house music. In Prenzlauer Berg, Knaack Club, Greifswalder Strasse 224, is a multi-level club with a wide variety of sounds and concerts early in the week, while Pfefferberg, Schonhauser Allee 176, is an intimate reggae/roots haunt. The halcyon days of out-and-out techno (the soundtrack for the fall of the Wall in 1989) live on in Casino, Mühlenstrasse, and in the venerable Tresor, Leipziger Strasse 126A. Live music: In addition to the clubs that double up as live music venues mentioned above, Berlin has a variety of spots in which to witness live bands. The jazz and blues scene is particularly happening and popular spots include A Trane Jazzclub, Bleibtreustrasse 1, and some nights at Flöz, Nassauische Strasse 37, and Quasimodo, Kantstrasse 12A. Major rock concerts take place at Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21 (website: www.columbiahalle.de), and occasionally at large sporting venues like the Velodrom, Paul-Heyse-Strasse 26, Prenzlauer Berg, and Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz, Prenzlauer Berg. Open-air concerts are held at the Waldbühne, Am Glockenturm, near the Olympic Stadium. City Statistics Location: Berlin State, northeastern Germany. Country dialling code: 49. Population: 3,331,000 (city). Ethnic mix: 87% German, 6% other European, 4% Turkish nationals, 3% other. Religion: 54% undeclared, 26.5% Protestant, 10% Roman Catholic, 6% Islamic, 3.5% other. Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard. Average January temp: -0.5°C (31°F). Average July temp: 18°C (72°F). Annual rainfall: 580mm (23 inches). Special Events International Festival of Media Art, early Feb, Haus der Kulturen der Welt Lange Nacht der Museen, over 100 city museums are open all night long, early Feb, various venues International Film Festival (Berlinale), early Feb, various venues World Championship Speed Skating, Mar, Sportforum Hohenschonhausen Annual Berlin Theatre Event, early May, various venues Women’s Tennis Open, early May, LTTC ‘Rot-Weiss’ Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures), parade and festival, early Jun, Kreuzberg International Day of Music, mid Jun, various venues Christopher Street Day, Lesbian and Gay Pride March, Jun, various venues Classic Open Air, early Jul, Gendarmenarkt Berlin Love Parade, mid Jul, Strasse des 17 Juni (Tiergarten) Lange Nacht der Museen, over 100 museums open late with special events, late Aug Berlin Marathon, late Sep, throughout the city Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity), 3 Oct, throughout the city JazzFest Berlin, early Nov, various venues Jüdische Kulturtage (Jewish Cultural Days), Nov, various venues Christmas Markets, late Nov-late Dec, next to Europa-Center, at Alexanderplatz, at the Opernpalais (Unter den Linden) and at some local markets Silvester in Berlin, New Year’s Eve celebrations, 31 Dec, huge street party between Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessaüle (website: www.silvester-berlin.de), plus numerous balls and parties, throughout the city Cost of Living On 1 January 2002, the German Deutschmark was replaced by the Euro. One-litre bottle of mineral water: €1 33cl bottle of beer: €1 Financial Timesnewspaper: €2.50 36-exposure colour film: €4 City-centre bus ticket: €2.10 Adult football ticket: €12.50-50 Three-course meal with wine/beer: €15-40 1 Euro (€1) = DM1.96; £0.66; US$1.07; C$1.64; A$1.82 1 Deutschmark (DM1) = €0.51 Currency conversion rates as of February 2003 Business Services Business Contacts: Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Berlin Ludwig Erhard Haus, Fasanenstrasse 85, 10623 Berlin Tel: (030) 3151 0333. Fax: (030) 3151 0106. Website: www.berlin.ihk.de German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce (UK) Mecklenburg House, 16 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB Tel: (020) 7976 4100. Fax: (020) 7976 4101. E-mail: mail@ahk-london.co.uk Website: www.germanbritishchamber.co.uk German-American Chamber of Commerce (USA) 31st Floor, 40 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 974 8830. Fax: (212) 974 8867. E-mail: info@gaccny.com Website: www.gaccny.com Canadian-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Canada) Suite 1410, 480 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V2 Tel: (416) 598 3355. Fax: (416) 598 1840. E-mail: info.toronto@germanchamber.ca Website: www.germanchamber.ca German-Australian Chamber of Commerce (Australia) Level 2, St Andrews House, Sydney Square, Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: (02) 9265 2200. Fax: (02) 9265 2211. E-mail: info@germany.org.au Website: www.germany.org.au Business library Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (German Institute for Economic Research) Street address: Königin-Luise-Strasse 5, 14195 Berlin Postal address: Postfach, 14191 Berlin Tel: (030) 897 890. Fax: (030) 8978 9200. E-mail: postmaster@diw.de Website: www.diw.de Convention and meeting planner Berlin Tourismus Marketing Am Karlsbad 11, 10785 Berlin Tel: (030) 2647 4827. Fax: (030) 2647 48924. E-mail: meeting@btm.de Website: www.btm.de or www.berlin-tourism.de The Conference and Conventions Department can arrange accommodation, conference planning and catering for conference delegates. Convention and meeting venues Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC) Berlin Messe Berlin GmbH Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin Tel: (030) 3038 3000. Fax: (030) 3038 3030. E-mail: icc-berlin-sales@messe-berlin.de Website: www.icc-berlin.de 80 halls and rooms, with a capacity of 5000 in the largest. Facilities include simultaneous translation, video, slide and film (up to 70mm) projection, the second-largest stage in Europe, restaurants, shops, banking facilities, press and media room and VIP lounges. It can accommodate events combining trade fair and congress, as it is directly linked to the 160,000-sq-metre (1.7-million-sq-ft) exhibition grounds. Velodrom and Max-Schmeling-Halle Velomax Berlin Hallenbetriebs GmbH Am Falkplatz, 10437 Berlin Tel: (030) 443 045. Fax: (030) 4430 4709. E-mail: info@velomax.de Website: www.velomax.de These are Berlin’s two largest events venues, each comprising an arena and adjacent function rooms. Both venues are in Prenzlauerberg – the Max-Schmeling-Halle is located at the above address and the Velodrom is located at Paul-Heyse-Strasse 26. With parliamentary-style seating, they have a capacity of 3134 and 4911, respectively. Office equipment hire Elakustik Beschallungs- Konfernztechnik- Audio-Service GmbH Landsberger Strasse 237, 12623 Berlin Tel: (030) 5659 8330. Fax: (030) 5669 8134. E-mail: info@elakustik.de Website: www.elakustik.de Audiovisual and conference equipment hire. Secretarial service Regus Business Centre GmbH Unter den Linden 21, 10117 Berlin Tel: (030) 2092 4000. Fax: (030) 2092 4200. E-mail: berlin.lindencorso.75@regus.de Website: www.regus.com Translation services Allround Fremdsprache von der Lühe Scluterstrasse 21, 10625 Berlin Tel: (030) 3150 3030. Fax: (030) 3150 3040. Offers translation and interpretation to/from German, as well as between two third languages. Intertext Fremdsprachdienst Greifswalder Strasse 5, 10405 Berlin Tel: (030) 421 016. Fax: (030) 4210 1702. E-mail: intertext@t-online.de Website: www.intertext.de Translation (in over 70 languages) and simultaneous interpretation are available. Unusual conference venue Chamäleon Varieté Rosenthaler Strasse 40-41, 10178 Berlin Tel: (030) 238 5769. Fax: (030) 282 8638. E-mail: chamaeleon@chamaeleonberlin.de Website: www.chamaeleonberlin.de The Jugendstil theatre has a capacity of up to 300 people. History Late 12th C Berlin and Cölln (Berlin’s twin across the Spree River) are founded 1244 First documented record of Berlin 1618-48 Thirty Years’ War results in the decimation of the population of Berlin/Cölln 1740-86 Berlin becomes a major European city under Frederick the Great 1806 Napoleon occupies Berlin 1871 Wilhelm I of Prussia is declared Kaiser of the German Empire and convenes the Reichstag (Imperial Assembly), making Berlin the capital 1884-94 Reichstag building is constructed 1919 The Constitution is adopted in Weimar 1920 Parliament returns to the Reichstag building 1920-30 Berlin’s cultural heyday 1933 Hitler’s troops torch the Reichstag 1939-45 World War II; the city is severely damaged 1948-49 Soviets blockade Berlin; Western powers undertake a massive airlift 13 Aug 1961 Berlin Wall is erected overnight 1963 John F Kennedy gives his ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech 1988 Berlin is elected European City of Culture 9 Nov 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall 1990 Reunification of the two halfs of the city 1991 Berlin is proclaimed as future capital of the new, unified Germany 19 Apr 1999 Reichstag is officially opened as the new seat of the German Parliament Copyright © 2003 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.