KEY AREAS
Mitte Its name literally means 'middle’, and the historical centre of Berlin (formerly part of East Berlin) has once again become the city’s economic, political and cultural hub. The oldest part of Berlin—dating back to 800 years ago when it was nothing more than a fishing village on the Spree river—was wiped out in the wars and has, for the most part, been replaced by ugly Soviet tower blocks. However, around Unter den Linden, Berlin’s central boulevard, you’ll still find many examples of grand Prussian architecture from the time of Frederick the Great. At one end of Unter den Linden is the iconic Brandenburg Gate, once the western gate of the city leading into the king’s hunting grounds (now the Tiergarten park). Perpendicular to Unter den Linden runs Friedrichstrasse, an upscale shopping street lined with shops, corporate offices and cafés. Charming (and posh) Gendarmenmarkt square is just a stone’s throw away. The eastern end of Unter den Linden leads to the Museum Island, home to three first-rate art museums and one ancient history musuem, the Pergamon. Not far from here, on the northern side of the river, is the trendy part of Mitte. In the streets radiating out from Hackescher Markt, you’ll find Berlin’s gallery district (Augustrasse, Linienstrasse), trendy fashion boutiques (Neue Schönhauser Strasse) and plenty of bars and restaurants (Oranienburger Strasse).
This area is also home to countless advertising, design and media firms. Prenzlauer Berg Traditionally the bohemian quarter of East Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg is still a haven for artists and alternative culture, despite gentrification. The area was relatively unscathed by Second World War bombing, leaving street after street of intact 19th and early 20th century apartment buildings. Prenzlauer Berg has become the favoured neighbourhood for well-to-do young families and expats and boasts the highest birth rate in Germany. Centres of activity are Kollwitzplatz with its excellent Saturday market, the more fashionable Helmholtzplatz, and Kastanienallee, a studenty strip lined with cafés and bars.
Friedrichshain East of the city centre, Friedrichshain is the place to be for the young studenty or alternative crowd. It’s slowly morphing into a fashionable district and property prices are starting to rise, but it still has a few years to go. Schöneberg A pleasant, ethnically diverse district mostly known for its restaurants and nightlife, it has also been the epicentre of gay Berlin since the days of Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories. Charlottenburg The upscale western district of Charlottenburg is Berlin’s other downtown, after Mitte. During the Cold War this was the commercial centre of West Berlin. The core of activity is the knot where Kurfürstendamm, Joachimsthaler Strasse, Bahnhof Zoo and Tauentzienstrasse come together. Here you’ll find excellent shopping at Europe’s largest department store KaDeWe or in the many smart boutiques further up Kurfürstendamm (locally known as Ku’damm). Cafés, bars and decent restaurants abound around Savignyplatz. Tiergarten This is both a district and the name of the 255-hectar park in the middle of Berlin. Traffic passes through it, doing a loop around the imposing Siegessäule (Victory Column). Slicing though the park’s length is Strasse des 17 Juni, which leads to the Brandenburg Gate at the eastern end. Just south of it are the museums of the Kulturforum and the resolutely modern architectural conglomerate of entertainment, shopping and offices on Potsdamer Platz, Berlin’s sleek new city centre, built on the wasteland where the Berlin Wall once stood. Every February Potsdamer Platz is the centre of the huge Berlin Film Festival.
Kreuzberg Dismayed by rising rents in East Berlin, hipsters have recently rediscovered Kreuzberg as the 'new Mitte’, with new bars and clubs sprouting up around Schlesisches Tor. Thanks to a large Turkish community and more punks, anarchists and alternative folk than you can shake a stick at, Kreuzberg feels like neither East nor West. Hanging out in cafés is a full time job for many of the Lebenskünstler (artists of life) here. The main drags are grungy Oranienstrasse and the more upmarket Bergmannstrasse.
GETTING AROUND
Berlin is served by a combination of buses, trams and an underground railway system called the U-Bahn. One-day (€5.60) and the seven-day (€24.30 ) passes for all of them are available at any station. Regular service stops around midnight, but the Nachtbus (night bus) continues service on the main routes throughout the night.
If you tire of walking or taking public transport, do as the Berliners do and hop on a bicycle. You can hire a red and silver Deutsche Bahn 'Call a bike’ (they can be found at virtually every major crossroads), then just leave it anywhere when you’re finished. All you need to do is find one of the sturdy bikes, call the hotline with your mobile phone (Tel: 0700 0522 5522) and give them your credit card number. Standard rate is 6 cents per minute, maximum €15 per 24 hours.
Taxis are not very cheap and sometimes they’ll deliberately take a long route if they think you’re a tourist. Some of the best cab firms are City Funk Taxi (Tel: 21 0202), Würfelfunk (Tel: 0800 222 2255), and Spree Funk (Tel: 44 3322). Cab fares start at around €2.50 for pick-up and €1.53 per kilometre.
SHOPPING
The main shopping streets are Kurfürstendamm and Friedrichstrasse, where you’ll find all the finest international shops such as Gucci, Prada, Hermès etc. The city has its share of department stores, such as the French import Galeries Lafayette (Französische Strasse 23, Mitte), which just opened a new floor of made-in-Berlin fashion, and the massive and exclusive KaDeWe (Tauentzienstrasse 21, Schöneberg, Tel: 21 210, www.kadewe. de). If you’re looking for something more original, head for the small boutiques in Mitte around Neue and Alte Schönhauser Strasse, where many local designers will introduce you to Berlin chic. The pleasant streets off Kollwitzplazt in Prenzlauer Berg are home to many design shops, including trendy hand-made jewellery— Tosh (Sredzkistrasse 56) and Scuderi (Wörtherstrasse 34) are two of the best.
GIFTS TO BUY
If you’ve got children back home who think that business trips are fun, and wait by the door for you to return with a gift, bring them some traditional German wooden toys. They’re easy to find around Kollwitzplatz, the area with the highest density of children in Berlin.
Try also Kunsthandwerk Aus Dem Erzgebirge at Friedrichstrasse 194-99, Mitte.
To satisfy someone’s sweet tooth, some fine chocolates from the massive Fassbender & Rausch (Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenstrasse 60, Mitte, Tel: 757 8815) or tiny Int’ Veld Schokolade (Dunckerstrasse 10, Prenzlauer Berg, Tel: 4862 3423) should do the trick. Fassbender & Rausch is Germany’s cocoa bean temple, offering a selection of more than 250 delights over 500 square meters. If you know someone who’s fussier about the cup they drink their tea out of than the tea itself, you should head over to traditional Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur (KMP), where you’ll find something to satisfy even the most selective porcelain collector (Wegelystrasse 1, Tiergarten, Tel: 3900 9215).
German sausage, when properly made, can be truly divine, and German wines— go for the whites if you want to stay on the safe side—are always a good buy. Wein and Wurst shops are countless throughout the city.
For a safe and quick buy, try the KaDeWe department store’s huge food hall on the top floor. You’ll find lots of other delectable gifts here as well.
Ostalgie (East German nostalgia) or not, Ampelmänchen—the East Berlin crossing light symbols—make the coolest Berlin souvenirs. Get a red T-shirt (at Make Design, Hackesche Höfe, Mitte, www. ampelmann.de) or new-design satchels with the jaunty green walking man and his brimmed hat, or one with the red 'don’t walk’ man with his arms outstretched.
THINGS TO DO
Berlin is a haven for art, history or architecture buffs. The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Mitte is home to eight world-class museums, from the Nationalgalerie (classical sculptures and paintings) and the Alte National Galerie (German Romantic painters) to the Pergamon Museum (one of Europe’s best ancient history museums). All three are located at Bodestrasse 1-3, Mitte (Tel: 2090 5555).
Is modern art more to your liking? The Hamburger Bahnhof, a former railway station turned contemporary art mecca, currently houses the Flick Collection. The Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) is also a must.
Another must-see is the Jewish Museum. Architect Daniel Liebeskind’s extraordinary zinc-clad, broken Star of David-shaped building houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the German Jewish community (Lindenstrasse 9-14, Kreuzberg, Tel: 308 785 651). Also don’t miss the brand new Jewish Memorial near the Brandenburg Gate, a large field of 2,700 concrete slabs that looks like a huge graveyard, dedicated to the Holocaust’s six million victims.
TOURIST TRAPS
Avoid the confusing, overcrowded and overpriced Checkpoint Charlie Museum (Friedrichstrasse 43-45, Mitte), which attempts to shed light on the history of the Berlin Wall. Another tourist trap is the poor value-for-money Sea Life aquarium (Spandauer Strasse 3, Mitte). The impressive Zoo Aquarium (near Zoologischer Garten Station, Tiergarten) is a much more enjoyable experience.
Also be sure to avoid 'free walking tours’ as you’ll probably end up in a huge group of American backpackers. For a high-quality English-language walking tour, try Berlin Walks (Tel: 301 9194, www. berlinwalks.de).
CONVENTION CENTRES
The Messegelände (Trade Fair Ground) hosts dozens of international exhibitions every year, from cultural fairs (Art Forum, Popkomm) to massive consumer fairs for food, tourism, electronics and the erotic industry. It is located in the far west of Charlottenburg, but is easy to reach with public transport. Visit www.messe-berlin. de for more information. The neighbouring ICC (www.icc-berlin.de) building hosts large conferences.
Smaller fairs and trendy conferences on graphic design and the like are held in the sleek, newly renovated BCC which is very centrally located on Alexanderplatz in Mitte. Visit www.bcc-berlin.de for more information.