BERLIN

Berlin is a city of contrasts. On one hand, travelers can experience culture, history and modern architecture. On the other, visitors see the remnants of the Berlin Wall and recall the more painful times in the city’s history. The modern-day city is cosmopolitan and exciting. The capital, situated on the River Spree in the heart of Europe, offers more and more to entice travelers as a hub for IT, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, media and science. Experience the many sides of Berlin.

GETTING THERE

Two airports currently serve Berlin: Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) and Berlin Schoenefeld Airport (SXF). Lufthansa and airberlin serve the city. Berlin Brandenburg International Airport was originally scheduled to open in 2010, but various setbacks have delayed the opening. The current target date is October 2013. Tegel and Schoenefeld will close when Brandenburg opens. Tegel is located about five miles outside the city. Bus fare is $3–4 for the15-minute ride. Schonefeld is around 12 miles from city center; the S-Bahn takes approximately 45 minutes, while Airport Express trains take about 15–35 minutes. Taxi service is also available from both airports.

GETTING AROUND

Travelers can wave down taxis anywhere in the city or find designated taxi ranks (areas where cabs queue and wait for passengers) throughout Berlin. Be aware, taxis are labeled with concession numbers; registered Berlin cabs do not have numbers above 8,000, so don’t be tricked by unregistered taxis. The base is about $4, with rates after per kilometer. Regulation short-distance two-kilometer rides are more than $5. The U-Bahn underground and S-Bahn buses and trams run daily from 4:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. A one-way trip is about $3; day passes are $9.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

Modernism Housing Estates
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008, these six housing estates were built between 1919 and 1934. The bright, light-filled apartments were a departure from the previous housing in Berlin; the estates stand as a prime example of both residential housing of the 1920s and social housing of the 20th century.

Museumsinsel
Five world-renowned museums stand at the northern tip of Spree Island. Museum Island, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, includes the three-winged Alfred Messel Pergamon Museum, which receives 1 million visitors yearly; the Byzantine sculptures of the Bode Museum; Neues Museum; the Alte Nationalgalerie, inspired by the Acropolis; and the Altes Museum.

Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
For four centuries, a network of parks and palaces from Berlin to Potsdam emerged, earning UNESCO World Heritage designations in 1990 and 1999. Noted for French Baroque stylings, the Berlin sites include Charlottenhof, Glienicke Palace and Cavalier House on the Pfauninsil. Potsdam has more than 1,200 acres of designated space.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

Art Forum Berlin
Since 1996, this five-day festival celebrates Europe’s leading contemporary art gallery owners and artists. The festival is held in conjunction with Berliner Liste and Preview Berlin.

Deutschland Pokal-Endspiele
The annual domestic football cup final has been held at Olympiastadion since 1985. More than 65,000 attend each year, and an admission ticket is one of the hottest in town.

Tanz im August
This leading modern dance festival takes over Berlin for weeks in August each year. Its international reputation for global dance trends attracts big-name participants.

RESOURCES

For more information, visit visitberlin.de