berlin travel guide july 2011: BearsBeersBikes YoungPersonGuideToBerlin

2. Bears, Beers & Bikes
A Young Person’s Guide to
BERLIN
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3. Contents
Introduction and History 05
Practical Information 09
First published in July 2011 by City Travel Review, Inc.
All words and photos that appear in this guide are Accomodation 19
property of the respective writers and photographers.
Copyright © 2011 Tours 27
Museums, Memorials and Sights 35
Cover Illustration and Design
Jenny Hyndman Art and Culture 75
Layout Editors Food and Drink 93
Aimee Stanton
Jenni Myung Shopping 115
Joe Hawkins
Outdoors 133
Editors
Jaimielee Rendall Nightlife 143
Maddy Andrews
Marie Burrows
Meet the Team 165
Rachel Cohen
Photography Editor
Jenni Myung
Special Thanks to Lutz, Alex, Marcus, Matt, Caroline, Sophie, Nina and Jeremy in Edinburgh.
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4. Introduction The extensive public transport network you the low down of the city’s icons,
makes getting around both simple museums, and historical must-sees.
and for the most part stress free. With We’ve shopped till we dropped so you
The official capital of cool (or should From late night to the wee hours, you’re so much to see and do, accidentally wouldn’t burn a hole through your
that be unofficial?), Berlin is where sure to find parties you won’t remember getting off at the wrong U-Bahn stop is wallet. We’ve gone ahead and had pre-
global hipsters and history addicts rub but will never forget. even a blessing in disguise as you might drinks at all the hip bars so you would
shoulders. Whatever your taste, interests stumble across the city’s hidden gems. know how to party like a Berliner. And
or financial budget, this quirky, vibrant Berlin is a powerful magnet for fashion, we’ve even ventured beyond the city
and effervescent city blends the old and art and music and it is not hard to see It is hardly a surprise then, when speak- limits to sunbathe in the beautiful lakes
the new, luring you in and never letting why. This is a city almost overflowing ing about the constantly changing and forests – mostly for ourselves, but
go. with creativity. From guerilla fashion nature of Germany’s capital, former you will benefit from our reports, too!
shows hosted in the U-Bahn stations to French culture minister Jack Lang once Either way, this is how we see Berlin, in
Each of the city’s distinct neighbour- the pop-up nightclubs in the famous said: “Paris is always Paris and Berlin is the eyes of a young and curious student,
hoods has its own charm and character. Pergamon Museum or East Side Gallery, never Berlin!” so we can only hope you too will see the
Mitte is the tourist hot-spot with visitors Berlin is the ultimate manifestation of absolute brilliance of Berlin!
flocking to Museum Island, the Branden- culture. In our comprehensive guide of Berlin
burg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, – Bears, Beers and Bikes – we’ve given City Travel Review Team, July 2011
the mecca for every Cold War thriller Loathe to forgetting its past but keen on
aficionado. And if you have a penchant looking towards the future, Berlin strikes
for the finer things in life, visit Charlot- a balance between self-reflection and
tenburg Palace, Berlin’s majestic Prus- optimism for a brighter tomorrow. This
sian palace just within city limits. The is a place where the skyline changes
young and the restless congregate in more often than the unpredictable
Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and weather. Today, the city has evolved
Prenzlauer Berg, where effortlessly hip into a lightning-paced metropolis where
bars and clubs seem to be open 24 you won’t ever get bored or run out of
hours a day. things to see, do and drink.
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5. Berlin: A Brief History These were controlled by the USSR, The low quality of life drove many East
Britain, the USA and France. Tensions Berliners to seek refuge in the West.
quickly emerged between the Western
Founded in the 13th century, Berlin is The 20th century saw the outbreak of Allies and the Soviets regarding the To halt the exodus, the East erected the
rich in history. Not without its problems, the First World War, and Germany’s management of the German economy. infamous Berlin Wall.
this city has experienced many historical defeat meant the city found it increas- These disagreements came to a head in A period of left-wing rebellion and
movements that have not only formed ingly difficult to feed its people, leading June 1948, when the Allies introduced a protest erupted in 1968, led mainly by
Berlin but the rest of the world. to massive strikes. Kaiser Wilhelm II was new currency – the Deutschmark. university students and the Rote Armee
eventually ousted, leading to the found- Viewing this as a breach of the Pots- Faktion (Red Army Faction). Although
Berlin grew from the nearby cities ing of the Weimar Republic in 1918. This dam Agreement, which stipulated that things had settled down by 1970, some
of Berlin and Cölln, which expanded period promised to bring new freedoms Germany be treated as one economic lasting changes were achieved: universi-
rapidly throughout the Middle Ages. In and liberties, but was plagued by politi- zone, the Soviets responded by adopt- ties were modernised, the student body
1709 King Friedrich I declared the unifi- cal and economic instability. ing the Ostmark. Separation between was politicised and the Green Party was
cation of the five towns of Berlin, Cölln, the two states became official in 1949. founded.
Friedrichswerder, Dorotheenstadt, and Unfortunately, this era of uncertainty The Western Zones formed the Federal
Friedrichstadt to form the capital and paved the way for Hitler and the Nazi Republic of Germany (FRG) with Bonn as By the 1980s, change was in the air, but
royal residence of Berlin. Party. The German people had had its capital, and the East became the Ger- what came next surprised the world.
enough of poverty and squalor and man Democratic Republic (GDR), whose The Wende (the fall of communism)
From 1740, Berlin developed into a cen- craved stability. Hitler rose through the capital was East Berlin. was gradual, eventually climaxing in the
tre of the Enlightenment, establishing it- ranks of politics at an incredible pace. collapse of the Berlin Wall on 9th No-
self at the forefront of European culture, Appointed Chancellor in 1933, he fused The West flourished under the leader- vember 1989. Berlin became a separate
a reputation it still enjoys today. Under the offices of President and Chancellor, ship of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, city-state; however, economic reform
the rule of Friedrich the Great, some of gaining absolute power and becoming with the progressive economic policies took place in the mid-1990s which led
Berlin’s most well-known monuments Führer of the Third Reich. Home to the of Ludwig Erhard paving the way for the to the signing of the Unification Treaty.
were constructed. These include St Hed- Headquarters of the Nazi Party, Berlin Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) In 1991, it was decided that Berlin would
wig’s Cathedral, Prinz-Heinrich-Palais was the focal point of Allied attacks on of the 1950s and 60s. Meanwhile, the once again become the capital and
(now Humboldt University) and The Germany, which resulted in much of the East was crippled by oppressive Com- home to the German government.
Opera Palace. In 1861, the city expanded city being destroyed. The wide-spread munist rule. The economy was stagnant
further with the incorporation of the reconstruction shaped the landscape of and the people lived under constant A stroll in Berlin feels like a walk through
suburbs Wedding, Gesundbrunnen, the city we recognise today. surveillance by the Ministry for State Se- history. Its tumultuous past and varied
Moabit, Chalottenburg, Schöneberg and curity (Staatsicherheitspolizei or Stasi). cultural tapestry has made Berlin the
Rixdorf. In 1871 Berlin was named as After the War, Berlin, along with the rest buzzing capital you are visiting today.
capital of the German Reich, becoming of Germany, was divided into four
the empire’s political, economic, and occupation zones. (S.Gleeson and J.Rendall)
scientific hub.
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6. practical information
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7. practical information
Tram
Getting around in Berlin The tram system only operates in East Berlin as the trams
Berlin is a very big city, but luckily for tourists there is an excellent and extensive in the west were privatised and turned into the metro
public transport network under the BVG Company. This extends throughout the bus that you see today. Its lines cover most of the ar-
whole city, and also out to many prime spots outside city limits. eas in the east which the S and U-Bahn don’t reach.
It also links destinations where the closest train
Berlin’s transport is divided into three sections, A, B and C, and ticket prices can vary or underground station is not within comfortable
depending on which section you are travelling to. On the BVG website, you will find walking distance.
a journey planner, which can be used in English. Bus
The bus network runs everywhere, including places the
The public transport system offers four means of travelling: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram
Trams, S and U-bahn don’t reach. It is the most extensive
and Bus:
network in the city. The bus service runs to the airports,
including the X9 to Tegel, departing from stations including Kurt-Schumacher-Platz
U-bahn (U6), Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and Jungfernheide (U7), and the X7 to Shönefeld, which
This underground train system (much like the departs from Rudow (U7).
London Underground, the Paris Métro and the New
York Subway), operates mostly underground, with a
few routes which run over ground too. The service Plane
runs frequently and you’re sure to reach your desti-
In the unlikely event that you ever want to leave Berlin, there are two airports which
nation quickly as the trains are fast and efficient. On
are close-by, Tegel, which is in North-West Berlin and Shönefeld, which is south-
Friday and Saturday nights there is a service running
east. Both are easily accessible by S and U-bahn and then a connecting bus service
along all lines except the U4 and U55. This service
– which are well signposted. There is also a train service which runs from Ostkreuz
runs from 12:30am - 5:30am Fri/Sat and Sat/Sun and
train station, the S9, to Flughafen Berlin-Shönefeld.
until 7am prior to public holidays.
S-bahn Tegel is within zone B, so if you’ve bought a season ticket for zones AB then it’ll be
included. However, Shönefeld is within zone C, so you will need to buy an addi-
Similar to the U-Bahn, however this system operates mostly tional ticket.
over ground, with a few lines around Potsdamer Platz
going underground. This is like a regular short distance In 2012, there will be a new airport opening: the Berlin Brandenburg Airport. This
rail way system. The S-bahn travels quickly between will mean that Tegel will most likely close, with all air traffic being directed to the
stations, so even if on the map your destination looks new merger of Shönefeld. Once open, there will be more airport connections made
far away, you’ll arrive reasonably fast. On Friday and from the airport, making it easier for travellers to get to the centre.
Saturday nights there is a service running along all
lines except the S45 and S85. This service runs from
12:30am - 5:30am Fri/Sat and Sat/Sun and until 7am
prior to public holidays.
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