Bears, Beers & Bikes A Young Person’s Guide to BERLIN CTR July Master Final.indd 1-2 7/29/11 10:27 PM 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. CTR July Master Final.indd 3-4 7/29/11 10:27 PM 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. 5 Bears, Beers and Bikes A Young Persons Guide to Berlin 6 CTR July Master Final.indd 5-6 7/29/11 10:27 PM 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. A Young Persons Guide to Berlin 8 CTR July Master Final.indd 7-8 7/29/11 10:27 PM practical information CTR July Master Final.indd 9-10 7/29/11 10:27 PM 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, ramT Trams, S and U-bahn don’t reach.