All the beauty of Berlin in spring. Guide to the capital of Germany How much money to take with you to Berlin

By plane. Air travel is the fastest and cheapest way, if you don't count the marginal bus travel. Tickets at special prices can be found at the German discount airlines Germanwings and airberlin. If you carefully follow the information about special fares and plan your trip in advance, a round-trip ticket for one person can cost 100-140 euros. Fans of chic can use Lufthansa, and conservatives and patriots can use Aeroflot. In spring and summer, round-trip tickets for both companies cost from 250-300 euros. From German sites for finding tickets for these and other airlines, I can recommend www.geruxx.de and www.ebookers.de.

By train. Several trains to Berlin leave from the Belorussky railway station in Moscow and from Vitebsky in St. Petersburg, but this is an amateur pleasure: you will have to spend more than a day on the way, and you will pay at least 200 euros.

By bus. The cheapest, but at the same time the most marginal way to get to Berlin is to buy a bus ticket from one of several companies that transport between Moscow and Berlin. The cost of a round-trip trip will be about 160 euros, but if you value at least some comfort, it is better to refuse this shuttle-student option.

When to go

Since Berlin is a rather gloomy city, it is advisable for travelers prone to autumn-winter spleen to come there in spring, summer or early autumn. Winter is the best time for budget trips to Germany, since the main tourist season here begins in spring, when it gets warmer and brighter.

The disadvantages of winter travel are cloudy weather and short daylight hours, besides, all palace-museums at this time of the year work one hour less than usual.

Of the benefits: Christmas markets, an abundance of cultural events, discounts on autumn and winter collections in clothing and footwear stores, fewer tourists and, accordingly, lower prices in hotels and restaurants. But if the sun and warmth are more important to you, then holiday markets can also be found at Easter, and sales take place here all year round for a variety of reasons, especially at the end of fashion seasons.

Visa

To apply for a visa, you need to make an appointment for an interview at the consular section of the German Embassy. Before Christmas and New Year, the number of people wishing to visit Germany, and therefore the queue for an interview, increases, but already in January the flow of tourists is noticeably reduced. The next influx occurs during the summer holiday season.

The necessary documents for obtaining a visa are two completed questionnaires in German or English, three current photographs of the required size, a certificate from a bank or from work on income, confirmation of payment for a hotel, insurance, tickets, a passport. The cost of a tourist visa is 35 euros. Website of the German Embassy in the Russian Federation - http://moskau.diplo.de/.

Language

If you speak English, then you will survive in Berlin. You will always find someone who speaks English at major train stations, in tourist areas and, of course, in museums, theaters and concert halls. However, one must be prepared for the fact that not everyone and not everywhere speaks English. At a small train station or in a regular supermarket around the corner, your “Do you speak English?” they will not understand, but a common language can always be found: some still remember the school course of the Russian language, some simply understand sign language very well. In general, the Germans are very good-natured towards foreigners. If you stand at some intersection with a map in your hands and stand for more than 30 seconds, looking at it, some old lady will probably come up to you and offer to help you find your way.

Food and expenses

Restaurant bills will not give you such a headache as in neighboring countries (let's not point fingers). Here everything is somewhat more modest. It is quite possible to have a bite to eat in an institution for 6-10 euros, and for a solid lunch they will ask for no more than 20-30 euros. Beer costs 2.50-3.5 euros for a half-liter glass, a cup of soup will cost 2.5-3.5 euros, meat dishes 9-16 euros. Food in tents and eateries on the street will cost 2-5 euros. Of course, if you want to feel the atmosphere of Berlin, it is better not to go to noisy places on the hiking trails, but to find a small restaurant or pub near the hotel in some cozy side street.

In winter, many establishments serve mulled wine, which comes in handy given the unfriendly weather.

As a rule, the largest influx of visitors to the establishments falls on Friday and Saturday evenings. On weekdays after 22.00-23.00 it is difficult to get something like a hearty dinner, as the kitchen is already closed.

Of the Berlin specialties, the most famous is, perhaps, fried sausages with curry sauce (Currywurst), which appeared here, according to the natives, only in 1949. Also well-known are boulettes - minced meat cutlets. Both can be found not only in institutions, but also in street eateries. They say that before the spread of Currywurst, potato pancakes were also widely sold on the streets. Now, however, if desired, they can be found in the menu of restaurants. Of the "restaurant" meat dishes in Berlin, you can try the very famous Eisbein (baked pork knuckle), which is served here with a garnish of peas and sauerkraut. As a dessert, real Berliner Pfankuchen or simply Berliner are suitable for coffee - behind this name are donuts with filling, but not full of holes, like ours or donuts, but whole, with a bun.

Maybe you will be lucky and have time to taste the legendary Teltian turnip.

It is grown only in the Teltow region, which used to be a neighboring town to Berlin. The French and Flemings fled there at one time, who brought their turnip varieties with them. These varieties were crossed with the local one and the very same Teltovsky turnip turned out. The main season for its consumption is in autumn, but in December it can still be found on the plates of Berliners.

Italian cuisine is very popular in Germany, so you can find many restaurants with pasta and pizza.

Also in areas populated by emigrants of various stripes, you can try all sorts of exotic dishes. The Turkish diaspora, perhaps the largest in Germany, also brought many nuances to the local cuisine of Berlin, without which it is now simply impossible to imagine the city. To eat in a Turkish restaurant, head to Kreuzberg, the traditionally Turkish district of Berlin. Here you will find the famous Doner, vegetable soups, salads, dolma, delicious tea in glass cups, baklava and much more.

Beverages. A specifically Berlin drink is the Berliner Weisse, a white wheat beer laced with raspberry syrup or Waldmeister herbal liqueur. But drinking only it is not at all necessary: ​​in the pubs, which are called Kneipe in the local dialect, there is always a decent selection of beer for every taste. You can order a mug of beer from one of the Berlin breweries. The best known of these is perhaps the Berliner Kindl, which produces light (Pils) light beer and both Berliner Weisse varieties. Bockbier is also considered traditional in Berlin - strong beer, which, like other varieties, can be light and dark. For example, it is produced by Berliner Burgerbrau, Berliner Kindl, Berlin Schultheiss.

The shops. Prefer to cook yourself? Then go to one of the supermarkets. In Aldi or Lidl you will spend the least money, but there will be little choice, to put it mildly. If you are a gourmet, then you are in Edeka, Rewe and Real. In some places there are even rather funny "Russian" shelves, where, as a rule, you can buy buckwheat, Riga sprats, mayonnaise and seeds. The finest shops are the specialty ones: the meat, fish and cheese shops provide the freshest (but not the cheapest!) products by weight.

The main thing to remember is that the opening hours of shops here are significantly different from those familiar to Russians.

Shops are open the longest on weekdays, on Saturday they always have a shortened day, and on Sunday most of them simply do not work. As a last resort, you will be saved by the eateries and shops of emigrants, who are not close enough to the German tradition of going to church on Sundays and relaxing to give up profits. Also, shops at gas stations and large stations, which can work on Sundays, turn out to be saving.

Ways of transportation

Urban transport. Transport in Berlin is represented by the subway (U-Bahn), city trains (S-Bahn), trams (Strassenbahn) and buses (Bus).

Berlin is divided into several transport zones. Most of the objects of interest to tourists are located in zones A and B.

Any tickets you buy in the city are valid for all modes of transport. The most common city ticket for two zones costs 2.10 euros and is valid for 120 minutes from the moment of composting. A day ticket costs 6.10 euros and is valid on the day of purchase plus 3 hours the next day. A ticket for 4 trips will cost 8 euros. There are also various kinds of tourist tickets valid for 48 hours, 72 hours or 5 days. They provide an opportunity to get a discount at museums and other popular attractions in the city. In addition, there are tickets for a week and tickets for one-time trips around the city in small groups of up to 5 people inclusive, which significantly reduce transport costs.

It is necessary to punch the purchased tickets once at the beginning of the trip on the platforms in special boxes, which, as a rule, are located at the beginning of the platform or in front of the escalator leading to the platform. In buses and trams, boxes hang right in the cabin. The fine for violations of the ticket regime is 40 euros, however, I note that the controllers are very friendly and lenient towards stupid tourists by definition.

The first time you will most likely not be fined, but you should not be patient.

Cards. Free maps of Berlin and transport schemes can usually be obtained from any travel information point (primarily at airports and train stations), as well as from any tourist office. The website of the Berlin transport association www.bvg.de will be very useful if you want to see how to get from point A to point B in the shortest way, and also contains a lot background information concerning and all city transport and tickets.

Germany by train and plane. If you get tired of sitting in Berlin, you will need tickets for trips in the state of Brandenburg (Landesticket) and weekend tickets (Wochenendeticket) that allow you to travel throughout Germany. Each of them is intended for a group of up to 5 people inclusive, but you can only ride on regional trains (RW, RE). In high-speed trains, which are called Intercity or Intercity Express (IC, ICE), with such a ticket, alas, they will not be allowed. Detailed information for traveling within Germany can be found on the Deutsche Bahn website www.db.de.

By the way, in winter you can find wonderful discounts on domestic flights in Germany, which will be much cheaper than train tickets.

Mitfahren. Very common among the Germans is such a service as Mitfahren, that is, “tossing” fellow travelers from point A to point B for the cost of gasoline. As a rule, we are talking about long-distance trips within Germany, but you can also find people traveling to other countries. Don't be put off by this type of transportation - it's a highly developed habit of the thrifty Germans. If someone is traveling far alone in a five-seat car, why not save on gas and give four people a lift? Website for finding fellow travelers - www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de

Car rent. The price of renting a car for a week starts from 190 euros and depends on the class of the car, its insurance and the method of payment. You can compare prices from different car rental companies at www.expedia.de or www.billiger-mietwagen.de. On the latter, it is very convenient to compare the benefits of insurance in offers from different companies. Rental offices in Germany are the same as everywhere else: Avis (www.avis.de), Alamo (www.alamo.de), Budget (www.budget.de), Eurocar (www.europcar.de), Hertz (www. .hertz.de), National (www.nationalcar.de), Sixt (www.sixt.de), CarDelMar (www.cardelmar.de).

To enjoy an independent trip by car, you need to get at least a notarized translation of Russian rights, and preferably an international driver's license. Just in case, it is better to bring both documents to Europe at once - both Russian and international rights.

Accommodation

In Berlin you can find everything your heart desires: luxury hotels, hotels, hostels, apartments for short periods, boarding houses, villas and apartments. A room with breakfast in a small 2-3 star hotel within transport zone B will cost you about 50-80 euros for two people. But if you're lucky enough to "attack" a special offer, you can find a room and much cheaper. To search for hotels, you can use the well-known website www.booking.com or the official website of Berlin www.berlin.de/tourismus.

For those who want to save money, there are a lot of hostels in Berlin where you can rent a bed in a large room with a bunch of neighbors and a shared kitchen, or a small private room with a shower (it will cost a little less than in a hotel).

In Berlin, such a service as "holiday apartments" (Ferienwohnungen) is quite common. You will be provided with all the comforts of your own home, but it will cost less than a hotel. The attractiveness of such apartments is also in comfort: you get a kitchen equipped with everything you need, and thus the opportunity to save money on going to restaurants and not depend on anyone in choosing food. When looking for an apartment, choosing the very center is not at all necessary: ​​areas close to the ring railway are also suitable, and the price will be lower. Even in the city center (Berlin Mitte) you can find such a "holiday" apartment, starting from 15-30 euros per night. The earlier you book accommodation, the longer the rental period you choose, the cheaper the apartment can be.

The websites http://www.zimmervermittlung24.com/ and http://www.berlin.de/tourismus/unterkunft/ferienwohnungen/ will help you find apartments for short periods.

What to watch

Alexanderplatz. This well-known marketplace was once named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I. Berliners affectionately call it "Alex" and make dates at the "world clock" Urania, which can be used to determine the time in different parts of the globe. In December there is a huge Christmas market. There are more than fifteen of them in the city, each district has its own, including one Hanukkah in the Jewish Museum, but Alexanderplatz has one of the largest. There are also a huge number of shoe stores and clothing stores.

Potzdamerplatz. The modern heart of Berlin, which was a wasteland for a long time after the war. During the war, this part of the city was badly damaged, then became a neutral zone between the Allied sectors, so it is here that you can find memorial pieces of the Berlin Wall. After the reunification of the two Germanys, skyscrapers grew here. In winter, one of the 10 city skating rinks operates here. A list of other ice rinks can be found here - http://www.berlin.de/orte/eisbahnen/.

Not far from Potzdamer Platz is the so-called Kulturforum, which includes one of the buildings of the State Library, the New National Gallery (located on Potsdamerstrasse), the Berlin Philharmonic (on Kemperplatz), the Museum of Musical Instruments, the Art Library and the Berlin Art Gallery. The Kulturforum website is http://www.kulturforum-berlin.com. On the way from Potsdamer Platz to the Kulturforum on Potsdamerstrasse is the Film Museum. There are interesting retrospective shows here almost every day. The exhibition “In the Jungle” is now open there, which is intended for children and will last until January 30, 2011 (for more details, see http://www.filmmuseum-berlin.de/).

The Berlin Zoo is also located nearby, and the Brandenburg Gate, through which the famous Unter den Linden boulevard passes, is also close. If you walk along the boulevard to the east, then you will reach an island on the river Spree, where museums and the main cathedral of Berlin are located, which will be discussed below.

Berlin Zoo (Berliner Zoo) is the oldest and one of the largest zoos in Germany, it is located in the Tiergarten district and was founded in the mid-19th century by the Berlin zoologist Martin Liechtenstein. The area in which the zoo is located is called the "zoo" (Tiergarten), named after the huge park located here, which was once a hunting ground. Berliners compare this park with Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York, in terms of size it just occupies an intermediate position between them. Inside the park is the Big Star Square, and on it is a triumphal column with the goddess Victoria, which you can even climb. But this is not the most interesting: the squirrels living in the park are much more interesting. The zoo's website is http://www.zoo-berlin.de/.

Reichstag and its dome. A successful world-famous architect, Norman Foster, worked here in his time, restoring the fallen dome of the Reichstag. Now it is one of the best viewing platforms in the city. The long queue to the roof should not scare you: it goes pretty fast, even the most intimidating one will pass in 20 minutes. In order not to freeze, it is worth buying coffee to go in one of the neighboring cafes. Reichstag website - http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kupp.html.

Museum Island, Museuminsel. On the islet of Spreeinsel, located on the Spree River, there is one of the largest museum complexes in the world, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. The first public museum was built here back in the 1830s, and since then their number has increased markedly: the Old Museum, the New Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Old National Gallery and the Bode Museum are located here, which are part of an association called State museums Berlin. The famous Pergamon Altar, the Babylonian Ishtar Gate, the head of Nefertiti, the landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich, coins, Byzantine art and the art of medieval Germany are just some of the key words describing the untold treasures of Berlin museums. Detailed information on the Internet about Museum Island can be found here - http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?lang=en&p=2&objID=3313&n=1.

Museum of the GDR. If you are nostalgic for the "GDR" little things in Soviet life or just want to compare how it was with them and with us (or rather, to what extent they had it better than ours), then you are here. This is a museum of socialist life. Here are collected all (or almost all) little things in which the average resident of the German Democratic Republic lived. Visitors can sit behind the wheel of a Trabant (the Germans affectionately call it Trabi), listen to the news of that time, read newspapers, watch a football match between the teams of the GDR and the FRG, go to the GDR kitchen or to the bedroom. The museum's website is http://www.ddr-museum.de/.

Opposite the museum on the island of Spreeinsel is the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), the largest cathedral in Berlin and at the same time the main Evangelical church in all of Germany.

The modern look of the cathedral acquired in the 19th century. Its architect Julius Rushdoff was highly inspired by the High Renaissance and the Italian Baroque. And the organ for the cathedral was made by the famous Wilhelm Sauer, whose works are even in Russia. By the way, not only services, but also concerts are held in the cathedral. For example, on January 9, there will be a "Christmas Oratorio" by I.S. Bach. The website of the cathedral is http://www.berlinerdom.de/.

Kurfürstendamm (Kurfurstendamm), abbreviated Ku-damm. Once it was the path along which the princes (hence the word Elector in the title) traveled from the City Palace (Stadtschloss) to the Grunewald Forest to hunt. Bismarck converted it into a boulevard after the Franco-Prussian war, after which a huge number of tenement houses were built here in a variety of architectural styles, from various delights of historicism to modernity. In the 1920s, he gained fame as "the largest cafe in Europe", as the American writer Thomas Wolfe called it. Now it is a long boulevard, beloved by visitors and Berliners, where hundreds of clothing stores are located: the most famous world brands. On the boulevard and in the lanes nearby there are quite a few hotels, expensive and not very expensive. Shopping lovers can settle right here! Ku-damm website - http://www.kurfuerstendamm.de/.

Gedachtniskirche. The Church of Memory, destroyed during the war years, doubled the memory of Berliners. It was originally built in memory of Kaiser Wilhelm I by Wilhelm II (hence the name "Church of Memory"), now it is also a war monument. The tower of the church was left in ruins as a warning to posterity. In December, one of the city's Christmas markets is located under the church. The website of the church is http://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de.

Gropiusstadt. This island of seemingly ordinary residential skyscrapers in the Neukoln area will be of particular interest to lovers of the history of architecture, as well as fans of the Bauhaus and the famous architect Walter Gropius. Here it becomes especially clear to what extent the ideas of the Bauhaus have become accustomed to the flesh of modern urban life and to what extent we have become accustomed to them without noticing it.

Charlottenburg Castle (Schloss Charlottenburg). This baroque castle, named after its owner Sophia-Charlotte of Hanover, wife of the Prussian King Frederick William I, has existed since the early 18th century and gave its name to one of the most beautiful districts of Berlin. In the 19th century, it served as the residence of the Hohenzollern dynasty, to which the German emperors belonged, from 1871 to 1918.

The castle and its gardens have a three-hundred-year history, and it is quite worthy of comparison with Versailles.

There are two galleries here, one of which contains paintings from the Rococo period, the other contains paintings from the era of Romanticism from the collection of the National Gallery in Berlin. There is also a luxurious collection of Chinese porcelain, very fashionable in Europe during the Rococo era. Charlottenburg website - http://www.spsg.de/.

Charlottenburg area. Once it was a fashionable area of ​​country villas. Later, in the 20s of the last century, a huge Russian diaspora lived here. He entered the borders of Berlin just in 1920, when the Germans, following the emigrants, called the area Charlottengrad. At one time, Leonid Pasternak, Vladimir Nabokov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Ilya Ehrenburg, Maxim Gorky, Vladislav Khodasevich lived here. Nabokov described contemporary Berlin and Charlottenburg with surgical precision in his novel The Gift, so Nabokov lovers will surely take the book with them, and for those who have not yet read, a trip here is the time to start reading.

According to Berliners, the famous curry sausage (Currywurst), the hallmark of local street eateries, was born in Charlottenburg. The famous Kurfürstendamm is also located here. And on Hohenzollerndamm stands the Orthodox Holy Resurrection Cathedral, built in the 30s of the last century to replace the old church on the same street that was selected and rebuilt into a hotel. You can read more about Charlottenburg here - http://www.charlottenburg.de/.

Not far from the junction of the three main streets of Charlottenburg - Kantstrasse, Kurfürstendamm and Hohenzollerndamm, is the famous KaDeWe department store (Kaufhaus des Westens).

This is something like Eliseevsky in Moscow, but not only a deli. Once the largest trading house in Europe, built in the 1900s, it still amazes the imagination of shoppers. Details on the website http://www.kadewe.de/.

Charlottenburg is not the only castle in Berlin, there are at least four of them.

The oldest castle is a hunting castle Grunewald (Jagdschloss Grunewald) existing since the 16th century. It is also open to the public, including in winter, and it houses an excellent collection of paintings.

Lock Schönhausen (Schloss Schonhausen) located in the area
Pankow north of the center of Berlin. It opened after the restoration of the previous
in winter. The main hall of Schönhausen is a fine example of German Rococo.

And in the castle of Glienicke (Schloss Glienicke), an example of late classicism, chamber concerts of classical music are held every weekend, regardless of the season.

By the way, if you get to Glienicke, which is located in the southwest of Berlin, then Potsdam is within easy reach: take the train (S or RE) from the Wannsee station and in 10 minutes you are already in Potsdam. Potsdam can also be reached from Berlin Main Station (Hbf Berlin) with a direct regional train (RE) in 26 minutes.

It is worth going to Potsdam, if only because it is the former residence of the Prussian electors, the favorite brainchild of Frederick William I, the residence of his son Frederick II the Great (both Prussian kings are buried here), the first city connected to Berlin by the first Prussian railway, the venue for the Potsdam Conference 1945, object of the World cultural heritage UNESCO, university center and more.

And finally, I offer you a list of Berlin events this and next year, so that you can combine business with pleasure.

Concerts: Gorillas, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Chris de Burgh, Til Bronner, Kylie Minogue, Roxette. Details - http://www.berlin.de/tickets/rock-pop-jazz/.

Exhibition at the Historical Museum "Hitler and Germans: Nation and Crime". Details - http://www.dhm.de/ausstellungen/hitler-und-die-deutschen/.

Berlin Christmas Markets. Details - http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de/berlin.html.

New Year (Sylvester) at the Brandenburg Gate. Details - http://www.silvester-berlin.de/.

Bread & Butter annual fashion show at Tempelhof Airport. Details --http://www.breadandbutter.com/.

Annual dance festival. Details - http://www.tanztage.de/.

Britspotting British and Irish Film Festival. Details - http://www.britspotting.de/.

Long Night of Museums. Details - http://www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de/.

World Numismatic Fair. Details - http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/index.html.

Festival of electronic and experimental music and visual arts DISK Club Transmediale(takes place in the most fashionable clubs in Berlin). Details --http://www.transmediale.de.

Silent film festival Going Underground (14 90-second films participate in the screening, the screening takes place in the Berlin Underground, the best films are chosen by passengers). Details - http://www.goingunderground.de/.

Berlin Film Festival. Details - http://www.berlinale.de.

International dance festival Tanyolymp for young dancers. Details - http://www.tanzolymp.com/.

Spring Carnival in Berlin. Details - http://www.karnevals-zug-berlin.de.

International Design Festival. Details - http://dmy-berlin.com/.

Carnival of cultures. Details - http://www.karneval-berlin.de.

Outdoor classical music festival. Details - http://www.classicopenair.de/.

All Nations Festival. Details - http://www.allnationsfestival.de.

Vintage car rally Hamburg-Berlin. Details - http://www.hamburg-berlin-klassik.de.

Sand Sculpture Festival. Details - http://www.sandsation.de/.

International Beer Festival. Details - http://www.bierfestival-berlin.de.

Night of Museums in Berlin. Details - http://www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de.

Summer festival "Music on the water". Details - http://www.hkw.de/en/programm/2011.

Pironale, pyrotechnic art festival. Details - http://www.pyronale.biz.

Berlin marathon. Details - http://www.scc-events.com/events/berlin_marathon/2011/.

festival of lights. Details - http://www.festival-of-lights.de.

Well, if this is not enough for you, then here is the official portal of Berlin - http://www.berlin.de, and here it is in Russian - http://www.berlin-russia.net. Have a good trip.

Berlin is a city that invites tourists to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of fun, lightness, intricacy. There is everything that may interest you - serious operas and comic performances, national cuisine and dishes of the peoples of the world, historical museums and entertainment venues. Germany is the capital of fashion, art, design, music. Berlin was the site of the beginning of the revolution, turned into ruins after the second world war and rose from the ashes.

Berlin Drama Theater (Photo © Joan / www.flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

When to go?

Every traveler is concerned with the question, when is the best time to go to Berlin? In spring or autumn, the weather is stable, and the city itself hosts a wide variety of events, activities, and festivals. Summer is the time of "migrations", when the local population goes on vacation in search of warmth, and Europeans come in search of cool weather. At this time, a huge number of beer festivals, beach discos, concerts are held.

Top 5: how to feel like a Berliner?

1. Rent a bike and take a trip through the excellent paved streets of Berlin.
2. Take a walk in the afternoon in the Bergmannkiez quarter, look into a cafe you like.
3. Go to the Panorama Bar or Berghain club, and for this you have to get up at 6 in the morning.
4. Visit the museums of Museum Island on Tuesday, when institutions are open until 22:00.
5. Have lunch or drink beer in a cafe on the banks of the Landwehr canal, for example, in Defne or Café Jacques.

Top 10 most interesting things to do in Berlin

Top 15 things to see in Berlin

If you are in Berlin for the first time, do not forget to take a memorable photo with the Brandenburg Gate in the background, otherwise it will be difficult to prove to your friends that you were in Berlin.

If time is short and you want to run around the Museum Island, go explore the Pergamon Museum, which is a real treasure for lovers of antiquity.

You can't go to Berlin and not try the legendary Currywurst appetizer, which characterizes the city's culinary preferences.

Remember that tickets to the Philharmonic or Opera should be booked two months in advance, a visit to the Neues Museum, the Pergamon Museum or the Reichstag Dome will have to be booked a month in advance, and a table in a trendy restaurant should be booked a week in advance.

Watch a video of things to do in Berlin

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The capital of Germany is famous for its informal atmosphere, cultural events and monuments of history and architecture. We have collected the most useful information about Berlin - transport, accommodation, attractions, food and prices. Print this material or save it to your smartphone to make your trip as easy and as affordable as possible.

From the airport to the city center

So, you have arrived in Berlin, how to get to the center? Berlin's main airport Tegel. Bus routes help to get from it to the city:

• TXL Jet Express Bus to Alexandrplatz or the Brandenburg Gate in 40 minutes and 2.7 Euro;
• №109 or Express X9 to the center of West Berlin in 20 minutes and 2.7 Euro;
• №128 – goes to the underground station Kurt-Schumacher Platz.

The interval of movement until 22.00 does not exceed ten minutes. At night, buses also run, but with longer intervals.

Berlin's second airport is Schoenefeld. From it to Berlin get in the following ways:

• Urban train(S-Bahn) No. S9 to Pankow stop or No. S45 to the southern intersection of Südkreuz. Ticket price 3.2 Euro The travel time is about 40 minutes.
• Flight buses that follow to various parts of the city or to the nearest metro station. Departs from the airport more than ten routes. Routes open at night N7 and N60.

The cost of a trip to the center of Berlin on Taxi will be from 35 before 40 Euro.

Moving around the city

There are several types in Berlin public transport – buses, trams, electric train (S-Bahn) and underground (U-Bahn). Moreover, for all these modes of transport, single ticket. But there are many types of tickets: a ticket for the whole day, a ticket for two hours, a ticket for the whole day for a group of up to five people, and so on. In addition, the city is divided into three tariff zones: A - center, B - the rest of the city, C - suburbs. A ticket is enough to see the city's attractions AB Tageskarte(zone A and B for the whole day) for 6.9 Euro. Tickets are sold at bus stops in special machines.

move on buses You can also visit Berlin at night. Many buses run until four in the morning. They are marked with the letter N.

Tourist buses of the system “ Hop-on/Hop-off” in Berlin run on two routes, each of which is equipped with a Russian-language audio guide. Tickets cost from 15 Euro for a day.

Prices for Taxi in Berlin fixed: boarding – 3.9 Euro, each kilometer 2 euro.

Choice of affordable housing

The highest concentration of hostels is observed in the districts Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, but not everyone will like the atmosphere that reigns in this part of the city - in the numerous bars in the evenings, noisy companies of informals of all stripes gather here. These are not the outskirts of the city, but you need to get to the main attractions by public transport. For the same money 11-20 Euro) you can check into one of the hostels in the area Mitte. Mitte is the central district where many famous places in Berlin are located.

Food: tasty and inexpensive

1. Very popular in Berlin street fast food. The most common snacks are German sausages and doner kebab. Kiosks where they are cooked are found everywhere. Sausage prices are in the range from 2 to 3.5 Euro, and doner, as a rule, costs 3-3.5 Euro.
2. Various asian fast food sold at the Friedrichstraße station (average price 3-4 Euro), and the area of ​​the Zoologischer Garten station was chosen by the Chinese, who sell national dishes at prices from 4 Euro. In general, in Berlin, the largest number of tents with street food is concentrated around metro junctions.
3. A lot of inexpensive establishments found in the areas of Hackescher markt and Kastanienallee.
4. Thai and Indonesian Restaurants transit, where the cost of any first course is 3 Euro.
5. Stalls on Alexanderplatz sell grilled sausages during the day for 1.35 Euro.
6. In Berlin, there are hostels with a shared kitchen where you are allowed to cook for yourself. It is better to buy products in large chains ALDI, LIDL, PENNY where prices are lower than other supermarkets. They also have products with a 50% discount marked with the inscription "Reduziert" - these are products with an expiring shelf life.

What to watch

The most visited places in Berlin are monuments of culture, history and architecture. Most of them are located in the city center, and many are close to each other so that you can walk between them. For example, Museum Island, located within walking distance of Berlin TV tower and Alexanderplatz square, between them - the two oldest temples of the city: St. Mary's Church and Church of St. Nicholas. Opposite the last Red Town Hall, a historical landmark of the middle of the 19th century.

On the other side of the city, in the Potsdamer Platz area, there are also several museums located close to each other: Cinema Museum, Museum of Decorative Arts, Museum of Musical Instruments. Berlin Wall Museum(Checkpoint Charlie) is also located in the same area, and a 25-minute walk from it - Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Monument to Soviet soldiers and Madame Tussauds museum.

Free Attractions

• Brandenburg Gate- this is perhaps the most recognizable attraction not only of the city, but of the whole of Germany.
• Reichstag. The observation deck under the dome of the Reichstag is free to visit. Pre-registration required.
• Tiergarten park- the most popular place for walking among Berliners. Here they ride a bicycle, lie on the grass, swim on the lake in a boat, and so on.
• Monument "Warrior-Liberator" in Treptower Park with a figure of a Soviet soldier - a picture familiar to every native of the CIS.
• Art Gallery East Side Gallery. Section of the Berlin Wall covered in graffiti. The famous image of the kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker is drawn here.
• dilapidated old Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and, located nearby, a modern temple of an unusual octagonal shape is another hallmark of the city.
• Berlin beaches. In summer, the beach at the Wannsee lake becomes a popular holiday destination for the townspeople. There are other beaches: Captains Beach next to the East Side Gallery, the beach on Lake Müggelsee or opposite the Bode-Museum, etc.

Paid Attractions

• Berlin TV Tower allows you to see the city from a height of 200 m. Entrance fee 13 euros.
• Berlin Cathedral, built in the Baroque style, is not only an architectural masterpiece, but also an excellent observation deck. Entrance 7 euro
• On the Museum Island five of the most famous museums Berlin. Entrance 10-12 Euro (for each of the museums) or Berlin Welcome Card.
• Charlottenburg Palace. architectural masterpiece in baroque style with a luxurious park. Entrance 15 euros.
• Berlin Wall Museum(Checkpoint Charlie). A surviving fragment of the wall and exhibits from the time of the confrontation between the two political systems. Entrance 12.5 Euro.
• Berlin Zoo is the most visited menagerie in Europe. Record holder among zoos in the world for the diversity of animal species. Entrance 13 Euro.
• Madame Tussauds museum- the world famous collection of wax figures. Entrance 14 Euro.

Things to do

In addition to purposeful sightseeing, you should definitely just take a walk along boulevard Unter den Linden, Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz. It is crowded, beautiful and always interesting.

Whenever you visit the German capital, you will almost certainly be able to get to some event. There are practically no free dates in the calendar of the cultural life of the city: Berlin International Film Festival in February, Contemporary Music Festival in March, Carnival of Cultures in May, Berlin music Festival in September, festival of light in October, Berlin Jazz Festival in November, etc. There is always something going on in Berlin. The poster helps to keep abreast of events.

The center of party life in Berlin is the districts Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain which attract representatives of various subcultures with their informal atmosphere. The site helps you navigate the variety of places to stay in Berlin.

Budget

Transport:

• Airport - city - 2.7 Euro
• Public transport - 6.9 Euro (day)
• Hop-on/Hop-off – from 15 Euro

• Hostel - 11-20 Euro
• Couchsurfing - free
• Hotel (2 stars) - from 40 Euro

• Sausage - 2-3.5 Euro
• Doner kebab - 3-3.5 Euro
• Street food - 3-4 Euro

Attractions

• Museums - 10-14 Euro
• Zoo – 13 Euro
• TV tower – 13 Euro

The next paragraph is for those who are NOT met at the airport.

We will proceed from the fact that you have housing (in Berlin or in its close or distant environs), otherwise how did you end up in Germany at all. Most likely, you will need to use the railway - a bus will deliver you to the nearest such station for FREE - this is 300-400 meters from the airport. At the station, you must buy a ticket at the AUTOMATIC ticket office. Tickets are sold (for trips within Berlin) not to a specific station, but within zones A, B, C. I will not dwell on this, I will only note that on the "remote" box office you will find descriptions of different types of tickets (in German and English) and by pressing the desired button you will see the price on the scoreboard. You can pay with both coins and banknotes. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that having bought a ticket you DO NOT HAVE the RIGHT to travel yet. The ticket must be validated in RED devices, usually located at the entrance to the station or not far from the ticket machines. The ticket is valid for ALL TYPES OF TRANSPORT (but within 2 hours if you bought a ticket for a single trip (EINZIELKARTE)). I note that in the subway you will also not see ternstiles and the procedure for buying tickets there is exactly the same (and the automatic sale cash desks themselves are the same). In city trains and on the subway, tickets are rarely checked. But I don’t advise you to ride without a ticket - a fine of 60 marks, and you can (although not necessarily) run into bigger troubles - they will blacklist the Schengen countries.

So, you have safely reached the stop you need in the center of Berlin (this is most likely one of the Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse or Zoo stations). If you don’t have time for excursions on this day, but you need to go further - look first at img.bahn.de - the official website of the German railways - there you will find when and how much you can get from Berlin (and from any other place ) to the required point in Germany. The cost of traveling by train in Germany is a special topic, and perhaps I will return to it later. If you are free of luggage, or it is very small and there is time for excursions, I advise you to immediately go to the ZOOLOGISHE GARDEN (zoo) station or, as it is sometimes called, just to the ZOO. At the same time, buy immediately at the TAGESKARTE airport (it will cost 8 marks 70 pfenigs). With such a ticket, you can travel all day on all modes of transport (although I indicated the price only for trips inside zones A and B, but this is enough for seeing the main Berlin attractions; a trip to Potsdam will require a slightly higher cost).

After leaving the station square in ZOOLOGISHE GARDEN, look for bus N100. Feel free to enter it (you have a ticket, and if the time is not later (no 20.00), then you don’t need to show it!), But only from the FRONT SITE, where the driver is sitting, and go up to the second floor - the path is relatively long, and everything will be visible from above. This route was opened on November 26, 1990 in order to acquaint the residents of West and East Berlin (nightmare word) with the city in which they now live together, and passes through all the main sights of Berlin (excluding Charlottenburg). You will pass by a church with a destroyed dome, Europa-imgnter, a statue of the victory of the Germans over the French in 1881, the President's Palace, the Reichstag and through the Brandenburg Gate you will enter the central street of the former East Berlin -Unter den Linden ("under the lindens"). On the right, the building of the Russian Embassy will flash (just in case), on the left - a monument to Frederick the Great, then the opera house and, in the depths on the left - Museum Insel, as well as DOM - a huge cathedral. Further - on the right is the town hall (red building) and the TV tower. Here I recommend getting off (THROUGH THE BACK DOOR) and looking around (by the way, you could get off at any other stop, and then continue the route - everything is paid for).

Now you need to decide what to do next. If time is running out, cross over to the other side and take the N200 bus. Of course, you can use the N100 route again, but the N200 will return you to the ZOO in much the same way, with the exception that you will pass through the new center of Berlin - Potsdamerplatz - this is worth seeing at least from afar (by the way, at one of the bus stops in the Potsdamerplatz area you can use INTERNET(!) services.

If you have time - visit the Berlin TV tower (especially since we are unlikely to be able to climb the Ostankino tower now). This pleasure costs - 10 marks, works from 10.00 to 24.00. The view from the tower to Berlin, especially in good weather, is simply beautiful. Then, with a quick step, we stomp past the town hall (a large red building near the tower) to the Nikolai-firtel district - a beautiful area with old buildings. Then we go to the DOM Cathedral (it’s not worth entering, there’s nothing particularly interesting inside) and again, reflections - on the right - Museum Island - you need to set aside a special day to visit it (and if you happen to be in Berlin on the FIRST SUNDAY of the month, then this should be done exactly on this day, because on the FIRST SUNDAY of the month, admission to any of Berlin's museums is FREE), and to the left and slightly ahead in the back above the buildings you will see a gilded sculpture on the dome of the French House - this is a building on the Gendarmenmarkt - the most beautiful square in Berlin. I advise you to definitely visit this square - there is a conservatory building with a monument to Schiller in front of it, and also, in addition to the French House (set in connection with the arrival of the French in Berlin, who fled from the St. stories in it.

It seems to me that by this point you should be tired and hungry. If you have enough money - any restaurant is at your service - there is plenty of it in the Gendarmenmarkt area. But if you are on a budget, I recommend visiting a modest cafe located at the intersection of Charlotten strasse and Taubenstrasse. You can find it in the following way. Behind the building of the conservatory (at the intersection of the indicated streets) you will see a green inscription Lutter&Wegner. Walk past this restaurant 10 meters along Taubenstrasse and under the arch you will see the inscription Cafeteria. Feel free to go up to the 2nd or 3rd floors (a little more expensive at the top). Here you can eat for 4-5 marks (meaning the second course). By the way, here you can also use the toilet for free (there are paid booths on Unter den Linden and I saw how even
in pairs, but we will not do this). There is also a free toilet on the dome of the Reichstag, where (of course, to the Reichstag) we will go now, returning to Unter den Linden and walking along it to the Brandenburg Gate, and then to the right. The dome can be climbed from 8.00 to 22.00 (except for extraordinary events such as NATO council ambush), entrance is FREE, and look at the surroundings from above. In addition, through the system of windows from the dome, you can see how the meetings are held inside the Reichstag.

Having descended from the Reichstag, let's go to the monument to Soviet soldiers who died during the capture of Berlin. If you have flowers put them down - unfortunately I don't see them very often here. If not - let's just stand and remember them - they ousted Nazism. Unfortunately, I sometimes see its sprouts again in Germany (and not only in Germany). But that's another conversation....

The day has passed. Now you can take the N100 bus or walk to Potsdamerplatz (it's about 10 minutes on foot), wander around this new area and return to the ZOO with the N200 bus. There is Europa-imgnter with a water clock and a system of various restaurants and shops (which, after the construction of Okhotny Ryad in Moscow, look rather provincial) - and Kurfürstendamm Street (or Kudamm for short) a former showcase of the Western world with a KDW store and a number of other expensive and cheap shops in its vicinity. But now you know everything yourself, and you no longer need me.

Berlin is the most dynamic and densely populated city in Germany and Europe and one of the most remarkable places in Europe. The city has many hypostases - active and multifaceted, it attracts both creative youth and business people like a magnet. Berlin is a kind of antipode of other major European capitals: relatively inexpensive, straightforward and unpretentious, it seems to be created for talented people and, as it were, calls to participate in their internal changes. The capital of Germany is a combination of several different worlds in one. And it is precisely the contradictions that make it what it really is. Become a guest of the German capital and draw your own conclusions. Let's say one thing: you definitely will not remain indifferent to Berlin!

10 things to do in Berlin

• "Take" the Reichstag by climbing into the glass dome at the top;
• Take a walk around the Island of Museums;
• Arrange a promenade along Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate;
• See the ruins of the Berlin Wall;
• Visit the State Opera or go to a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra;
• Ride on a pleasure boat on the Spree;
• Taste all sorts of beer and German know-how "alster" (beer with apple juice) in the biergarten;
• Visit sales at Ku-damm (Kurfürstendamm);
• Visit the Sony headquarters;
• Have a Berlin-style picnic in front of Charlottenburg Palace.

When to go to Berlin

The best dates to plan your trip to Berlin are from May to September. If you go in the summer, you need to assume that it will be hotter than usual. However, colorful sales in the form of flea markets, gatherings on the embankments and river walks along the Spree, street concerts, museums and outdoor cinema and club parties make you forget about everything and enjoy beautiful city to the maximum.

Autumn and winter there are no snowfalls and piercing frosts in the city, however, the wind piercing to the bones is not conducive to long walks around the city. In spring, the city is filled with the aromas of flowering cherry trees with unusual flowers, and it is already quite warm - the weather is suitable for sightseeing.

Where to stay in Berlin

The German capital is striking in its size, therefore, in case of the wrong choice of place of residence, the risk of winding extra kilometers in pursuit of sights increases significantly.

At the same time, there are more than one and a half thousand hotels in Berlin, even if you do not take into account hostels, campsites and other budget options. At the same time, prices for rooms in hotels in the German capital are almost a third cheaper than similar options in other European capitals, and the quality does not suffer from this. Therefore, we advise you to first decide on your goals in Berlin, and choose the area of ​​​​residence according to your needs and travel time.

If you only have a couple of days in Berlin and would like to cover the whole center, it is worth staying in Mitte area(Mitte). Nearby are the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, the Central Zoo and Potsdamer Platz. In the west of the district is the Tiergarten park, the northern part is bounded by the Spree. It is also close to famous Berlin restaurants and shops.
The only disadvantage of the area is that there are practically no shops with inexpensive products in the center, so you will have to dine in a cafe or hotel. The central railway station is located across the river from the Reichstag, it will take some time to get to it.
Room rates: from 3500 rubles. for a room in a 3-star hotel, from 5 thousand rubles. per day in a 4-star hotel and from 9 thousand rubles. for a 5-star room.

The second most popular and hotel density district of Berlin - Charlottenburg. It is located in the West of the city, and it is here that the most famous shopping street in Berlin, Kudamm, and the largest transport hub, the Zoologischer Garten station, are located. Buses to Tegel Airport leave from here. The area is ideal for those tourists who are already familiar with the center of Berlin and want to get to know other areas, shoppers and those who plan to travel outside of Berlin. Hotels here are not as expensive as in Mitte. There are inexpensive supermarkets and shops here. In short, the area has a lot of advantages.
Cost of living: an average of €60-70 per night with breakfast.

For lovers of a relaxing holiday and those who do not find it difficult to spend half an hour on the road to the center, we recommend staying in the sleeping areas of Berlin: Treptow-Kopenick, Tempelhof-Schoneberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Accommodation prices here are pleasantly pleasing, and walking along the local streets will give a complete picture of the wonderful controversial city.

As for general recommendations, it is worth noting that most Berlin hotels raise prices for festivals and major exhibitions (such as the Berlin Film Festival) and provide discounts during the Seven Shopping Weekends before Christmas. Major hotels often offer discounted weekend rates. At the same time, hotel prices are still pleasantly pleasing in comparison with the pan-European ones. Keep this in mind when planning a trip, and it will not be ruinous for your wallet.

How much money to take with you to Berlin

Berlin currently remains one of the most inexpensive European capitals, so a vacation there will not be burdensome with careful planning. An average tourist who visits a cafe and loves to taste national cuisine spends at least €40 per day on food. The cheapest eateries at the same time are Italian, Chinese and Greek. If you cook yourself and don't show off too much, you can live on €10-20 per day. As for the cost of living, it is better to go to Berlin together, so you will spend less money on hotels. If you take with you an amount of € 50-60 per day (it does not include long journeys and purchases), then this will be enough for the eyes in the German capital.

How to get to Berlin

The best way to get to Berlin is to fly there by plane. Direct flights to Germany are regularly operated by AirBerlin, German Wings and Aeroflot. Flight time is less than 3 hours. The cost of tickets is from 4000 rubles round-trip, including fees.

Trains are another affordable and convenient way to get to the German capital. Direct train Moscow-Berlin (No. 013/014) departs from the Belorussky railway station. The frequency of following - 6 times / week. summer, 3 times - in winter, spring and autumn. Travel time is a little over a day. Regular trains to Berlin also depart from St. Petersburg, Adler, Kaliningrad, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Omsk.

The Moscow-Berlin train arrives at the Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten station. In total, the city has several railway stations Lichtenberg, Alexanderplatz, East Station, Zoological Garden station and Berlin Central Station.

Using rail transport in Germany is pleasant and convenient. Trains run frequently and almost always according to German accuracy. And the inhabitants of Berlin itself, despite the presence of city buses and tram lines, prefer rail transport (S-Bahn and U-Bahn).

Airports

The historical past of the city even affects the aviation component: there are two airports in Berlin at once - Tegel and Schönefeld (the result of the post-war division of Germany). They are located on the territory of western and southeastern Berlin. Until 2008, there was also a third airport - Tempelhof, but now an ultra-modern air-air complex Berlin-Brandenburg-International is being built in its place.

The main airport is Tegel(Berlin Tegel Airport). It adjoins the district of the same name and is located 8 km from the city center. Russia is connected to this airport by flights from St. Petersburg and Moscow. The airport terminal is quite convenient, there is a place to relax and have a snack, and the layout of the airport is understandable even to an inexperienced traveler. The only caveat is that the airport's transit zone is “sharpened” for AirBerlin flights, so it is not uncommon for passengers to leave the transit zone to change flights. Therefore, when landing in Tegel, you should not forget about the need for a Schengen visa.
From the airport to Alexanderplatz (actually the city center), the DXL bus runs every 10 minutes, the journey takes about half an hour. You can also get from the airport to the Berlin Bahnhof Zoo station - by buses 109 and X9.

Another Berlin airport is located 20 km southeast of the center. Schönefeld receives fewer flights than Tegel, but they are both domestic and international. Not far from the airport is the railway station Berlin-Schönefeld, where the Regionalbahn and S-Bahn trains (S9, S45) stop in the direction of the city. You can also get to Berlin Central Station from Schönefeld on the "airport express" lines RE7 and RB14. For those wishing to get to Berlin by taxi, their parking lots are located at the entrance to Terminal A.

How to get from the airport to the center of Berlin

Tegel Airport is 8 km from the city center, so the trip to Zoologischer Garten or Alexanderplatz takes less than half an hour. There is no metro within walking distance from the airport, the main way to get to the city is by bus. Express shuttles JetExpressBuses depart from Tegel Airport to Alexanderplatz (actually the city center). Berlin Bahnhof Zoo train station can be reached from the airport by buses 109, X9, 128 and TXL. Buses work time - from 5 am to midnight with an interval of 5-10 minutes. All buses have a luggage compartment. They stop near the exit of the airport, so you are sure to find them. The cost of a bus ride to the center is €2.5. The ticket can be bought at the entrance from the driver, at the machine at the bus stop or at the machine at the exit of the airport.
A taxi ride from Tegel Airport to the center (Ku Damm) will cost around €20. The taxi rank is located in front of the airport exit.

Not far from Schönefeld Airport is the Flughafen Berlin Schoenefeld railway station, from where S-Bahn suburban trains (S9, S45) and Regionalbahn trains (RE7, RB14, RB22) leave in the direction of the city. Tickets are sold from vending machines at the railway station. The station platform can be accessed through an underpass connected to the international terminal. Travel time - 20 minutes for trains, 45 minutes - for suburban trains. Both modes of transport run from 5 am to 11 pm with an interval of 10 minutes. Tickets cost around €10. In addition, in half an hour you can drive to the central railway station Berlin by Airport Express train.

Buses from Schönefeld Airport to Berlin run 24/7. Bus numbers 163, 164, 171, 734, 735, 736, 741, 742. Buses numbered N7 and N60 are night buses.

For those who want to get to Berlin by taxi, their parking lots are located at the entrance to terminal A. A taxi ride to Berlin from Schönefeld Airport will cost about €35-40.

Stations

Hauptbahnhof Berlin(Berlin Central Station) is the most important railway station in Berlin and, at the same time, the largest and most modern railway station in Europe. Built according to the design of the German architect Meinhard von Gerkan, it has been operating for the departure and reception of passengers since May 2006. The two-level building is designed in such a way that 14 paths from different directions intersect here. In total, the showroom daily receives 164 high-speed long-distance trains, 314 regional trains and more than 600 city and commuter trains. Berlin Central Station receives trains from all over Europe and local destinations.
Address: Europaplatz 1,10557 Berlin (Mitte).

Berlin Zoologischer Garten(Station Zoological Garden) - one of the most important transport hubs, located in the center of West Berlin, next to the largest zoo in Germany. The station began its work in 1882, and 20 years later it was connected to the U-Bahn metro station. There are only 2 passenger platforms and 4 train tracks, but the station has always served as a major transport artery of the city. Now commuter trains and the S-Bahn city train come here and depart from here.
Address: Hardenbergplatz 13, 10623 Berlin (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf).

Nordbahnhof Berlin(North Station) - one of the oldest stations in Berlin, has undergone many renovations and was reopened only in 2006. Previously, the station connected Berlin with Pomerania and the Polish city of Shetzin, which was important for Berlin residents to travel to resorts Baltic Sea. Now this railway station serves S-Bahn trains and commuter trains.
Address: Invalidenstrasse, 10115, Berlin (Mitte).

Bahnhof Alexanderplatz(Station Alexanderplatz) - this station is located in the city center, in the Mitte district. The station is one of the most active transport hubs and has been operating since 1882. The station complex operates to serve passengers of the city electric train (S-Bahn), metro (U-Bahn) and regional trains.
Address: Dircksenstrasse 2, 10179 Berlin (Mitte).

Ostbahnhof Berlin(East Station) - opened in 1942 and often changed its name, having managed to visit Frankfurt, Silesian, Central and finally becoming East in 1998. The station complex is quite large, it includes a hotel complex and business centers. Several tracks of the station are allocated for S-Bahn trains, the rest receive and send trains in the direction of Potsdam, Spandau, Koenigs-Wusterhausen and Schönefeld Airport.
Address: Straße der Pariser Kommune 5, 10243 Berlin (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg).

Bahnhof Lichtenberg(Station Lichtenberg) - another "eastern" station in Berlin, located in the Lichtenberg district. Previously, trains from Russia and Eastern Europe arrived here, but now the station receives mainly commuter trains.
Address: Weitlingstrasse 22, 10317 Berlin (Lichtenberg).

How to get from the train station to Berlin airport

How to get from Tegel Airport to Hauptbahnhof Berlin

The airport is located away from metro lines, so you can either use a taxi or take a bus. The bright yellow TXL-Express bus from Tegel Airport to Hauptbahnhof (via the nearest S-Bahn station "BeusselStrasse") and Alexanderplatz runs every 10 minutes until 10 pm, and even at night, only at longer intervals. This bus is the most convenient option to get to the center of Berlin. Travel time - about 20 minutes. The fare is about 3€. Tickets can be bought directly from the driver.

Berlin Zoologischer Garten

By bus 128b 109 or X9 you can reach the nearest underground station (U-Bahn, line U-7) Jakob-Kaiser-Platz in 5 minutes, or go to the western part of Berlin, to the Zoologischer Garten station. Travel time is 30-40 minutes, the cost of a one-way ticket is about 3 € (it can be purchased both at the box office at the bus stop and from the driver). The interval of movement is 15 minutes.

Bahnhof Alexanderplatz

The best option is the TXL-Express or JetExpressBuses buses, going from Tegel Airport to the station via Alexanderplatz to another Hauptbahnhof station every 10 minutes until 22 hours (less often at night), costing about 3 €.

Ostbahnhof Berlin

To do this, you just need to take the train (either RB14 or RE7, 18 minutes) or S-Bahn (line S9, 25 minutes) from the airport station to Ostbahnhof.

Just get to the nearest S-bahn and U-bahn stations - Kurt-Schumacher Platz (line U6) from Tegel will help you bus route 128. Travel time - 10 minutes. Bus tickets can be bought near the exits of terminals A-B at the ticket office or from the vending machine on the street. The driver sells tickets for one trip, travel cards can only be purchased from vending machines. Payment in cash euros or by Maestro card.

When purchasing train or bus tickets, remember that you need a three-zone (ABC) ticket from Schönefeld Airport and a two-zone (AB) ticket from Tegel Airport.

How to get from Schönefeld Airport to Hauptbahnhof Berlin

S-Bahn lines S9 and S45 run from here, which will take you anywhere in Berlin with transfers - to Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstrasse, Alexanderplatz, Hauptbahnhof railway station. Trains run every 10-15 minutes. Tickets are sold at vending machines at the railway station for cash or with MAESTRO cards. Travel time from Schönefeld Airport to the center of Berlin is about 40 minutes. The fare to the city center is 2.30€.

The so-called "airport express" lines RE7 and RB14 depart twice an hour to Hauptbahnhof Berlin, stopping at the Ostbahnhof and the Friedrichstraße train station.

Berlin Zoologischer Garten

An express train runs between Berlin Scheinefeld Airport and Spandau Station, from where ICE high-speed trains leave. It runs every half an hour and is on the way from the airport to the Spandau station in 45 minutes, making stops along the way at the Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten.

Also in the direction of Berlin Zoologischer Garten from Tegel Airport, the S-Bahn lines S9 and S45 (with transfers) run every 15 minutes. Tickets are sold at vending machines at the railway station for cash or with MAESTRO cards. Travel time from Schönefeld Airport to the center of Berlin is about 40 minutes. The fare to the city center is 2.30€.

Bahnhof Alexanderplatz

The best option is the same express train between Berlin Scheinefeld Airport and Spandau Station. It runs every 30 minutes and on the way from the airport to the Spandau train station it makes stops along the way, including at Alexanderplatz.

Also, S-Bahn lines S9 and S45 (with transfers) will take you to Alxanderplatz from Schönefeld Airport. Tickets are sold at vending machines at the railway station for cash or with MAESTRO cards. Travel time from Schönefeld Airport to the center of Berlin is about 40 minutes. The fare to the city center is 2.30€.

Ostbahnhof Berlin

An express train runs between Berlin Scheinefeld Airport and Spandau Station, from where ICE high-speed trains leave. It runs every half an hour and is on the way from the airport to the Spandau station in 45 minutes, making stops along the way at Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstraße, Alexanderplatz, Ostbahnhof und Karlshorst.

Transport in Berlin

Berlin transport includes underground (U-Bahn Berlin; 173 stations and 9 lines) and surface metro (S-Bahn Berlin; 165 stations and 15 lines), buses, trams and river ferries. An expanded system of all types of transport makes it easy, safe and inexpensive to get to any part of the city - it is not without reason that native Berliners prefer public transport. Most of the transport services are provided by the Berlin Transport Company (BVG), the largest organization in Germany.

When purchasing a travel ticket in Berlin, everyone has the opportunity to choose a ticket valid in one or more fare zones. It is advisable for tourists to purchase a ticket valid in the AB fare zone. If you are going to visit Potsdam, it is worth taking travel document operating in all three tariff zones - ABC. Tickets for public transport in Berlin are uniform and valid for buses, trams, underground (U-Bahn) and surface trains (S-Bahn) and ferries.s

Types of general travel tickets:

• Kurzstrecke - a ticket for a short distance;
• Einzelfahrschein - ticket for two hours;
• 4-Fahrten-Karte - four 2-hour tickets;
• Tageskarte - daily ticket;
• Kleingruppen-Tageskarte - group daily ticket;
• 7-Tage-Karte - 7-day ticket;
• Monatskarte - monthly ticket.

Underground

Pass options for tourists

Berlin CityTourCard- 48 (72) hour or 5-day travel pass, providing discounts from 15% to 50% on partner offers. Attached to the ticket: a list of partners, a city plan, a diagram of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines. Valid without restrictions in all types of urban public transport.

Ticket price in zone AB:

• 48 hours - €16.90;
• 72 hours - €22.90;
• 5 days - €29.9.

Berlin Welcome Card– 48 (72)-hour or 5-day ticket. Valid without restrictions in all types of urban public transport. provides the right to receive discounts from 20% to 50% on partner offers. The ticket includes: a list of partners, a city plan, a guide to city restaurants and castles, a selection of tips for spending time in Berlin, a multi-sound guide with useful tips, a diagram of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines.

Ticket price in zone AB:

• 48 hours - €17.90;
• 72 hours - €23.90;
• 5 days - €30.90.

Berlin WelcomeCard Museumsinsel- 72-hour travel ticket. Valid without restrictions in all types of urban public transport. The ticket is valid without restrictions in the AB/ABC tariff zone (the city of Potsdam also belongs to the ABC zone) and provides the right to receive discounts from 20% to 50% on partner offers + the right to free admission to all museums and exhibitions of the Museum Island. The ticket includes: a list of partners, a city plan, a guide to city restaurants and castles, a selection of tips for spending time in Berlin, a multilingual guide with useful tips, a diagram of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines.

Ticket price in zone AB: €34

In Berlin, as in most European cities, there are no turnstiles in the subway and trains, entry and exit is free. There are very few points for selling tickets in the metro or train stations, everywhere there are ticket machines for both cash and Maestro cards. All types of tickets can be purchased at BVG ticket sales points, as well as in hotels at the reception. Before entering the subway car, you must buy a ticket and be sure to validate it (put a stamp on it - the date and time). In the bus and tram tickets are bought directly in the cabin.

Taxi

Taxi services are the easiest option for those who are afraid of getting lost in such busy city as the capital of Germany. Taxi fares here are officially approved by law, so during the trip you don’t have to worry that drivers will want to cash in on inexperienced tourists.
The cost of landing (calling a car) in Berlin is about €3. The cost of the short route is €4 per 2 km. Over 7 km - €1.28 per 1 km. The cost of waiting is €25 for 1 hour. For the transportation of bulky luggage, pets and when ordering a car for 5-8 people, you need to pay extra separately.

When trying to pay with a credit or other bank card, drivers may require a surcharge, since not all taxis are equipped with cashless payment systems, and drivers in Berlin are not required to accept payment by card.

On your car

What to see in Berlin

Reichstag

The Reichstag is undoubtedly the most famous building in Berlin with a rich historical past. Now it is the Parliament building. Built in 1894, the builders crowned the building with a glass dome, unusual for that time. Having passed the Second world war, several fires and reconstructions, the Reichstag still proudly towers over Berlin. Directly under the glass dome there is an observation deck for tourists, where you can get in for free by appointment with documents. Those who wish can stay and dine in the panoramic restaurant Kafer, which offers amazing views of Berlin. All city tours start from here.

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is a visiting card of Berlin, like the Tower of London or the Roman Colosseum. The gate was erected on Paris Square, in the heart of Berlin, the height of the building exceeds 25 meters. During construction, the architect K. Langgans took the main gate of the Roman Acropolis as a model and, according to his idea, they were to become world famous. Hence the second name - the gates of the World. At the top of the gate stands a statue of the goddess of victory (peace) Irena-Victoria, she holds a cross in her hands. Address: Straße des 17. Juni, Berlin, Germany. During the war, the Brandenburg Gate was also partially destroyed, but restorers worked on it. And now many residents of Berlin and tourists from all over the world come to feel the history and recall the historical events that are associated with this symbol of the city.

Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall is an infamous post-war building that has influenced Berlin in many ways. It was this wall, erected overnight, that divided Germany into the FRG and the GDR, and split the families of Berliners into pieces for almost 30 years. During the existence of the wall, a huge number local residents was killed trying to cross the wall. After the unification of countries into one in 1989, pieces of the wall, carefully painted with graffiti, were sold to private collections. Now the authorities are trying to restore fragments of the wall, buying them from the owners for incredible money. But it's worth it, because for the whole of Berlin the wall is a symbol of freedom, the struggle for independence and the unity of people separated by the political regime, but remaining spiritually close to each other.

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz is one of the main squares of Berlin, which is a major transport interchange, one of the ten most visited places in Germany. Today, the architectural composition of the square combines modern buildings and pre-war buildings. So, it is here that the 4th highest television tower in Europe is located - the Berliner Fernseeturm, whose height is 368 meters. The Red Town Hall, a monument to Karl Marx and F. Engels, "Alex" - the largest department store in Berlin and the Fountain of Neptune also rise on the square. Address: Alexanderstraße, Berlin, Germany.

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral is the largest Protestant church in Germany. It is located on the museum island and, despite its purpose, it was built in the Baroque style, so it turned out to be quite bright and lush. The height of the cathedral is about 100 meters. Millions of visitors come to see the beauty of the decoration - sculptures, stucco, paintings and stained-glass windows. According to many reviews, the cathedral does not “crush” with its Gothic style and is popular with tourists. Address: Schlossplatz, Berlin, Germany.

Tiergarten

Tiergarten is a huge park, the center of informal Berlin, which is a kind of panacea for the city's residents from the frantic pace of life and a popular vacation spot. It is not without reason that it is called the "green island in the middle of Berlin." The park has existed since the 16th century, in the 20th Vladimir Nabokov liked to walk here, and now you can often meet officials and dignitaries. In addition to walking, in the Tiergarten you can also buy gifts for yourself and your friends - the quantity and quality of rarities per square meter at the local flea market can only be envied.

Unter den Linden

Unter den Linden - like Arbat in Moscow, Broadway in New York and Khreshchatyk in Kyiv, Unter den Linden is known all over the world and is a symbol of Berlin. The street of museums, palaces and squares got its name from two rows of linden trees planted along the edges of the pedestrian alley. The street is about 1390 meters long and 60 meters wide. Most of the city's key attractions are located here - the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin State Opera, the Humboldt University, the Berlin Cathedral, the Arsenal, the Wilhelm I Palace, so few people pass Unter den Linden upon arrival. This street is the soul of Berlin and the center of modern life, so you should definitely visit it.

Itinerary: Berlin in 2 days

If you are going to visit the German capital on your own car, you should remember that there is a nature protection zone in Berlin. This measure was taken by the authorities in order to reduce the concentration in the air of harmful substances emitted into the air by cars. Only cars that meet certain exhaust gas toxicity standards can move around the fenced zone, while the rest move outside this zone. Confirmation of the right to enter the center of Berlin is a special green sticker that must be stuck on the inside of the windshield.

Berlin. Day 1.

The first day of acquaintance with Berlin should be devoted to a sightseeing tour of Berlin by bus hop-on hop-off. Along the way, you can see all the main sights and get off at any of the 20 stops to stay somewhere longer. Two more options are to ride around the city on a cycle rickshaw or on 2-wheeled segway scooters, which have become so popular lately. The main landing points are the corner of Kurfustendamm-Rankenstrasse; location opposite the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, Alexanderplatz and the main entrance of the Park Inn Hotel

Purchase the Berlin Welcome Card for 48 hours. It will give the right to free travel on all types of urban transport and discounts on visits to museums and cultural places up to 50%.

1 On the way, the bus will pass Brandenburg Gate- probably the most significant building and hallmark of Berlin. The gate is the only one of the old city gates that has survived to this day. For a long time they separated the main Germany and Berlin, being built into the Berlin Wall, but still became a symbol of peace and the unity of the city. At the top stands a statue of Victoria, the goddess of Victory, on a chariot of 4 horses.

2 The next item is the former German parliament - Reichstag. The building was badly damaged during the defense of Berlin, and now its top is crowned with a futuristic dome designed by Norman Foster. To get to the observation deck inside the dome itself, you need to sign up for a visit in advance or at least 2 hours in advance.

3 Take a look at Potsdamer Platz, where the infamous Berlin Wall separating the western and eastern parts of the city. Now there are debris in the East-Side Gallery area and signs on the streets of the city showing the location of the wall. Now the 25-storey skyscraper Kollhoff-Tower stands on the square, which in just 20 seconds on the fastest elevator in Europe will take tourists to a platform with a magnificent panorama of Berlin.

4 Another significant point of our route - Alexanderplatz, the main square of the city and former center East Berlin. It is here that you can climb the Berliner Fernseeturm, the 4th tallest TV tower in Europe, with a height of 368 meters.

5 Unter den Linden- "the main artery of Berlin covered with lindens" - the famous boulevard and perfect place to get a first impression of Berlin The street starts at the walls of the Berlin cathedral, and ends at Paris Square. Many significant places are located here - Humboldt University, the State Opera House, the Royal Library, the Arsenal building and the Crown Prince's Palace.

6 Kurfürstendamm or Kudamm- another famous boulevard with a length of 3.5 km, a must-see as part of our route. Now it is one of the main shopping streets of the city, where you can find boutiques, jewelry stores, department stores and shops of all international chains. It is a favorite place for many foreigners to walk around Berlin, so those who are not interested in shopping will find here the opportunity to admire the city. In the eastern part of Ku-damm originates from the memorial church of Kaiser Wilhelm.

Berlin. Day 2

On the second day in Berlin, "hurry-up travelers" should visit the numerous museums, exhibitions and cultural institutions, and perhaps go shopping. There is an opinion that there are much more museums in Berlin than cloudy days in a year - and the opportunity to "cultivate" is available in 2 days.

1 Helmut Newton Museum of Photography. The museum collection occupies 2000 sq. meters in the City Museum of Berlin next to the Zoo. Tourists and especially "experts" will be delighted with this "Mecca of photography": the building houses the photographer's personal archive with all the sketches and notes. And the Museum itself regularly holds large-scale exhibitions on various topics.

2 Not far from the museum is located Berlin Zoo with a great aquarium. The territory of the zoo extends over more than 35 hectares - it is not surprising that it is considered one of the largest animal havens in all of Germany and the first place in the world in terms of the number of species represented - there are about 13 thousand of them.
Address: Hardenbergplatz 8, Berlin.

3 Pergamon Museum and the next point in our program is one of the many "interesting things" of the Museum Island on the River Spree, which is visited daily by about 850 thousand tourists. The museum, named after the ancient Greek city, essentially combines three expositions of which are dedicated to the ancient Near East, Islamic art and antiquity. Museum exhibitions allow you to touch history in the literal and figurative sense and feel the monumentality of ancient buildings.

You can travel all over Berlin in two days by renting a bike. The cost of traveling on two wheels is 10 euros per day.

And finally, you will not be a real guest of Berlin if you do not spend a few hours shopping as part of our 2-day tour. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping here: department stores KaDeWe, Galeries Lafayette, Quartier 206, shopping centers on Potsdamer Platz, fashion stores near Hackische Höfe. An interesting find is the eco-friendly market at Kollwitzplatz, where you can buy delicious treats for your loved ones. Another highlight of Berlin is the numerous Sunday flea markets where you can find a lot of interesting things. You can end your weekend in Berlin in cozy cafes in the vicinity of the shopping districts, tasting the famous Berliners, currywurst sausages and German beer.

Things to Do in Berlin

Berlin Zoo. Here, in the oldest zoo in Germany, about 15,000 animals of 1,460 species live and there is a whole complex of aquariums.
Opening hours: daily 9-18;
Tickets: 12 euros / discounted 9 euros;
Address: Zoologischer Garten, Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin.

tropical islands(Tropical Islands) - the largest water park in Europe, which is conveniently located in Berlin. It is a gigantic pool complex, many attractions, slides, a sauna complex, sports grounds. Enchanting water shows often take place here. It is located 90 km from Berlin.
Opening hours: Daily from 09:00 to 01:00;
Input: Combined ticket (pools + sauna) €30.00. Children: (4-14 years old) - €19.50;
Discounted - €27.50.

Legoland amusement park– fans of the famous Lego constructor in Berlin will be delighted, because a huge Legoland Discovery Center park with many activities and attractions is open for them. Here you can learn how the famous Lego "bricks" are made, see Berlin in miniature, watch Lego movies in a 4D cinema.
Ticket price: €16;
Address: Potsdamer Straße 4, 10785 Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany.

Thematic tours of the undergrounds of Berlin. Since 1999 the Berliner Unterwelten e.V. provides everyone with walks through the underground structures and bomb shelters of the city. This excursion is especially popular with history buffs who attend such events with an active interest.
Address: Berliner Unterwelten e.V., Brunnenstraße 105, 13355 Berlin

In addition, in the vicinity of Berlin there are such amusement parks and attractions as Phantasialand(Fantasy Land), Panorama-Park Sauerland Wildpark and others.

What do Berliners love?: discounts, demonstrations, graffiti, coffee in pubs, bicycles, museums at night, shopping, Halloween, flea markets.

What Berliners don't like: noisy tourists, bright elegant look.

Where to eat in Berlin

Each city is known, including through the "prism of food", which is considered a cult here. The Germans love dishes from potatoes, cabbage, pork, they know more than 600 varieties of bread, and they drink beer, always locally prepared. German cuisine is particularly full and calorie-rich, so you won't leave a cafe or restaurant hungry. At the same time, the Germans have practically no complex dishes on the menu. The main dishes consist of meat, fish and game with a side dish of vegetables. Sausages, sprats, and herring dishes are also common. At first, the Germans eat broths with eggs, dumplings, rice and tomatoes, mashed soups and soups with noodles. And fried sausages with cabbage in German are probably known all over the world.

Once in Berlin, there are a few things you should definitely try. First, this currywurst- fried sausage with tomato paste and curry sauce. It is sold at almost every step: from street stalls to fashionable restaurants. This dish is very popular with the local population - even a currywurst museum was opened in Berlin on its 60th birthday.

The second dish is the world's most famous round yeast dough donuts - Berliners. Now you can buy them in any cafe or confectionery in the city. Berliners with condensed milk and powdered sugar are especially tasty.

Homemade pork knuckle- the third dish - perhaps migrated to the cuisine of many peoples. However, the Germans are well-known meat-eaters, and they don’t cook knuckle like they do here. Recommended: tartar sauce and country-style crispy potatoes to complement.

Stollen- the fourth must-taste Berlin delicacy. It is made from yeast dough with the addition of raisins and candied fruit. It resembles Russian Easter in taste and recipe, but German cooking technology still makes this dessert unforgettable.

The name of the fifth dish is " Berliner Allerley” translates from German as “Everything that is eaten in Berlin”. And this is actually the case: when you order this dish, you will immediately see on the plate the whole mix of associations with Germany, which probably stubbornly settled in your head: fried sausages, stewed cabbage, boiled pork and pork, sausages in curry sauce from the first point, fried potatoes , pork burger and pea pudding. In our opinion very comfortable for couples and big companies, as well as for those who want to immediately taste all the wonders of German cuisine.

Visa to Germany

Citizens of Russia and residents of the republics of the former CIS to travel to Germany require an entry Schengen visa. On the territory of Russia there are 4 consulates dealing with the issuance of visas to Germany, as well as several visa centers.

Required documents for obtaining a visa to Germany:

• Passport (valid for at least 3 months after the end date of the tour/trip);
• Three identical photographs 35 x 45 mm;
• Certificate of employment on the letterhead of the company indicating the position, income and date of employment (indicating the profile of the enterprise);
• Two completed questionnaires of the German Embassy with handwritten signatures and detailed information about yourself and your immediate family (home and work phone numbers, information about your spouse and previous trips to Germany and the countries of the Schengen agreement are indicated);
• Flight confirmation (copy of air ticket);
• A photocopy of the Russian passport (completed pages of the internal Russian passport);
• Medical insurance (for the entire period of stay in the country). The amount of insurance coverage must be at least 30 thousand euros;
• Financial guarantees (independently, or from the inviting party). In the first case, a bank statement will be required;

For an independent trip, you will additionally need a confirmation of the hotel reservation, a detailed description of the route and, preferably, photocopies of the purchased tickets. In the case of a private visit, an invitation and financial guarantees from a person residing in Germany.

For children, additionally - a copy of the birth certificate and a notarized consent of the parents to leave for minors (under 18 years old).

Non-working pensioners need to present the original and a photocopy of the pension certificate, a certificate from the place of work of the person paying the travel expenses, financial guarantees from the sponsor and a photocopy of the first page of his Russian passport.