Fall of The Berlin Wall 1989

Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall
Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall
Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall
Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall
Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall	Berlin The Wall

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Berlin

  Berlin is the capital city of Germany and additionally one of the 16 constituent states (Länder) of the Federal Republic of Germany. Berlin is the largest city in Germany and has a population of approximately 4.2 million within its metropolitan area (3.4 million people within the city limits). Berlin is best known for its historical associations as the German capital, for its lively nightlife, for its many cafes, clubs, and bars, and for its numerous museums, palaces, and other sites of historic interest. Berlin's architecture is quite varied: though badly damaged in the final years of World War II (in which Berlin formed the backdrop to Nazi Germany's downfall), Berlin has reconstructed itself greatly, and it is now possible to see representatives of many different historic periods in a short time within the compact city center, from a few surviving medieval buildings near Alexanderplatz, to the ultramodern glass and steel structures in Potsdamer Platz.

People

  Berlin is a relatively young city by European standards, dating to the thirteenth century, and it has always had a reputation as a place filled with people from elsewhere. Someone who has lived in Berlin for ten years will see themselves as a "true Berliner," looking down on the person who has only been there for five. It may seem tough to find someone born and raised here! This is part of Berlin's charm: it never gets stuck in a rut.

  A certain uneasy detente still exists between some former residents of East and West Berlin (and Germany). Wessi evolved as a derogatory nickname for a West German; its corollary is Ossi. The implication here is that after reunification, the West Germans automatically assumed the way they do things is the right way, and the way the Easterners should start doing it, too. Westerners got a reputation for being arrogant. They saw the Easterners as stubborn Communist holdouts only interested in a handout from the "rich West". Consider a shirt for sale in a shop inside the Alexanderplatz Deutsche Bahn station: Gott, schütze mich vor Sturm und Wind/und Wessies die im Osten sind ("God, protect me from the storm and wind, and Wessies who are in the East"). However, most part of the younger generation doesn't have such contradictions.

Orientation

  Berlin is - at least in many parts - a beautiful city so allow enough time to get to see the sights. A good map, such as the Rough Guide Berlin map, is highly recommended. While the public transport system is superb, it can be confusing to foreigners, due to a lack of signs in some of the larger stations, so a good rail map is also essential. Roads into Berlin can also be confusing, so plan your route and drive carefully. Signs point to city districts rather than indicating compass directions, so it's a good idea to get to know where the various districts lie in relation to each other. This also applies to cyclists.

  Berlin's Tourist_Information_Office is an excellent resource for finding out more about Berlin, providing a wealth of practical information and useful links.

Driving on the Autobhan in Germany

Get around

  Berlin's city centers (in East and West) are compact and many of the major sights and venues there can be accessed easily enough on foot. Even so, a traveller can make use of the excellent bus, tram, train and underground services to get around. Taxi services are also easy to use and a bit less expensive than in many other big Central European cities. You can hail a cab (the yellow light on the top shows the cab is free), or find a taxi rank (Taxistand). Be sure you get the driver's attention before you get in at a taxi stand, he or she may be asleep. Taxi drivers are in general able to speak English.

  Check the Berlin route planner (in English) to get excellent maps and schedules for the U-Bahn, Buses, S-Bahn and Trams, or to print your personal journey planner. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) have a detailed fare list on their web site.

  A standard ticket is valid on all the different types of transportation with unlimited changes. Berlin uses a zone system, but you are unlikely to need to go beyond zone A & B, except on trips to Potsdam. This is a very large area, even including Schönefeld airport. If you're going to be traveling a lot by public transport, consider getting a Tageskarte day card (€6.10 for zone A & B) or the Berlin WelcomeCard, which gets you unlimited travel in zones A and B for €16/21 for 2/3 days (or in zones ABC for €17,50/24) plus discounts at many of Berlin's tourist attractions (you may check if you want to visit some of them, cause otherwise it's not profitable, as it's more expensive than 2 or 3 single day tickets). Weekly passes for all kind of public transport valid inside zone A and B are available for €25,40. (Most of the interesting places reported here are in the A zone, some in the B zone and only Potsdam is in the C zone)

  There are vending machines selling all ticket types on the platforms at every station of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn. They offer instructions in many languages including English, but if you need assistance most larger stations have staffed ticket counters where you can ask questions and buy tickets. Before you get on the train you need to validate your ticket using the machines on the platform (or in the bus). The machines are yellow/white in the U-Bahn and the bus, and red on S-Bahn platforms. Validation simply means the machine prints a time stamp onto the ticket. Once validated, a ticket which is still valid will not have to be re-validated before each single trip. You will pay a € 40 fine if you are caught with an unvalidated ticket.

  If you don't know how to get somewhere, or how to get home at night call 030 19449, the Customer Service of the BVG. There are also facilities in most U-Bahn and some S-Bahn stations to contact the Customer Service directly. In 2005 the BVG introduced Metro lines (buses and tram) that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All lines are marked with a big orange plate and a white M.

  In some places like Zoologischer Garten and Eberswalder Straße people will try to sell used tickets to you. Be aware that you can go only one direction with a single-journey ticket(check the validation stamp and be careful as this could also be a pickpocket trick). Don't pay more than half the price.

  It's also worth noting that the house numbers do not necessarily run in one direction (up or down). On a lot of streets, the numbers ascend on one side and descend on the other. Especially on long streets check the numbering scheme first: you can find the name of the street and the numbers on that block at nearly every street corner.           From Wikitravel

Central International of Hostel Reservation

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