BERLIN
Survival Guide
Arrival & transport
Berlin has two main airports. Schonefeld is south-east of the centre, linked by train and S-Bahn metro (20-30 minutes).
A one-way ticket (¤2.70/£1.90) allows for any changes on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines or bus. A one-day pass is ¤6.30 (£4.40). Tegel airport is north-west of the centre, connected to Zoo, the main railway station in west Berlin, by X9 or 109 bus (35 mins, ¤2.50/£1.75). Details can be found at www.berlin-airport.de. The city’s main central rail station is the completely revamped Lehrter Stadtbahnhof. Berlin’s transport system is divided into zones A (city centre), B and C. A basic single ticket is ¤2.10 (£1.45).
Hotels
Mid-range options include the Hotel Hackescher Markt (Grosse Prasidentenstrasse 8; +49 30 280 030; ¤150-200/£105-£140) and the Honigmond Garden Hotel (Invalidenstrasse 122; +49 30 281 007; ¤125/ 58 The Artist Hotel-Pension Die Loge (Friedrichstrasse 115; +49 30 280 7513; ¤70/£50) and the Kunstlerheim Luise (Luisenstrasse 19; +49 30 284 480; www.kuenstlerheim-luise.de; ¤100/£70) are good, cheaper alternatives. For hotel booking and information, contact Berlin Tourismus Marketing (Europa-Center, Budapester Strasse, Charlottenburg; +49 1805 754040).
Eating & drinking
Prussian food is heavy and pork-laden. Sausages are ubiquitous, with wurst stands on every other corner, in a variety of sauces. For local cuisine, Gugelhof (Knaackstrasse 37; +49 30 442 9229) offers quality at reasonable prices.The Kellerrestaurant im Brecht-Haus (Chausseestrasse 125; +49 30 282 3843) serves dishes made to recipes of Helene Weigel, partner of playwright Bertolt Brecht, whose memorabilia adorns the interior. Bars worth a visit include the Mitte Bar (Oranienburger Strasse 46; +49 30 283 3837), the Anker-Klause (Kottbusser Brucke; +49 30 693 5649) and the Holst Am Zoo (Joachimsthaler Strasse 1).
Daytime entertainment
Museum Island (Museumsinsel) is home to the Pergamonmuseum (Am Kupfergraben; +49 30 2090 5577), filled with treasures from antiquity. The Reichstag (bottom picture) (Platz der Republik; +49 30 2272 2152) is another popular destination.
After dark
The landmark clubs are Tresor/Globus (Leipziger Strasse 126A) and the Kaffee Burger (Torstrasse 60).
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