VISTING BERLIN

Paris is known as the city of love and Brussels is called the heart of Europe. What about Berlin? Go there to find a true city of multicultural adventure.

Berlin, the capital of Germany, has 3.5 million inhabitants within 900 km², divided into 12 districts, each of them possessing its own character and beauty.

If you want to discover Germany’s capital at its best, use public transport. It’s very affordable: 6.10 euros a day or 30 euros for the “Berlin WelcomeCard”, offers transport for seven days and about 140 discount possibilities for touristic sights. You can use bus, tram (S-Bahn) or subway (U-Bahn). More information: www.bvg.de

There are thousands of overnight accommodations. The cheapest ones are hostels. The eastern part of Berlin is the most low priced, e.g. Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg. Here you can find a hostel from 5 to 10 euros a night. Have a look at www.hostelworld.com. Are you looking for something special? Try living and sleeping like people did in the GDR. More information: www.ostel.eu

TOURIST ROUTE & MUSEA

Start at the Alexanderplatz. Here you can find the famous Weltzeituhr and the Fernsehturm. It costs 10 euros to reach the top. Smaller, but less expansive, is the Park Inn on the other side. Take Bus 100 (destination Zoologischer Garten), which takes the same route as the tourist bus does, but for a significantly cheaper price. Now you can easily reach the Berlin Dom, the Humboldt-University, Friedrichstraße, Unter den Linden, the Brandenburger Tower, the Reichstag, the Holocaust Mahnmal (Jewish memorial), the Hauptbahnhof (biggest cross-over-station in Europe), the Großer Stern (inhabitants call it Goldelse), the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Bellevue Palace (residence of the German president, not the chancellor), the Zoologischer Garten and the Kurfürstendamm. You can easily get on and off wherever you want to without paying extra fees. By the way: all of these places can be visited for free.

Want some more? Visit the Checkpoint Charlie where the Berlin Wall regulated passage to and from East Berlin (U-Bahn Kochstraße) and the East Side Gallery (S-Bahn Ostbahnhof).

There are also about 170 museums in Berlin. Try the Museumsinsel (S-Bahn Friedrichstraße), the Jewish Museum (U ‘Hallesches Tor’) and the German Technisches Museum (U Gleisdreieck, U Möckernbrücke). Visiting museums is cheap: about 2.50 euros. On Thursdays many of them are for free.

FOOD & DRINKS

Food is very inexpensive and you can buy it everywhere no matter what time of the day it is. If you are brave try the German Mensa, which is similar to the Leuven Alma’s. It’s very cheap (between 1.30 and 3.00 euros), but not always delicious (www.studentenwerk.de/mensa). You can get good waffles at the Kauf-dich-glücklich-café (U Eberswalder Straße, Oderberger Str. 44). You want a real Berliner Currywurst? Go to Curry 36. There are also lots of vegetarian shops, especially in Friedrichshain (Vöner, Wühlischstraße) or Prenzlauer Berg. You’re in Berlin on a Sunday? Then it’s time for brunch (e.g. 7.90 euros at Sundays, S-Bahn Ostkreuz).

Of course you should try the German beer. Berlin is famous for its cocktail bars, too. You can get a delicious cocktail for 3 euros.

SHOPPING & CLUBBING

There are thousands of shopping possibilities. You can find shopping centers nearly everywhere, e.g. Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, where you can skate in wintertime, or the Schönhauser Allee Arcaden, which has a beach bar on the roof during summer. You like flea markets? Go to Boxhagener Platz (S-Bahn Warschauer Straße) on Sundays.

Berlin provides you every kind of music you like or even never heard of. When you feel like listening to electro music, Tresor (Köpenicker Str. 70) is your answer. For rock, go to the Sage Club on Thursdays. Should you have discovered your talent or just want to have a fun evening, go to free karaoke on Mondays at Knaack (Greifswalder Straße 224). You want something alternative full of crazy people? Visit one of the clubs in the Revaler Straße (S-Bahn Ostkreuz). You want it all at once? Saturday is the best time for Fritz-Club (S-Bahn Ostbahnhof). Rest assured, not a day goes by without a party in Berlin. |