curso/ctr travel writing: berlin calling

8/11/2019 Curso/CTR Travel Writing: Berlin Calling

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When faced with such a huge array of incredible mu-seums, cracking cuisine, the best night clubs on earthand a history richer than a Black Forest gâteau, it canbe difcult to know where to start. However, this com-pilation should go some way to helping you decidehow best to tackle this amazing city; offering hints you

won’t nd at the tourist ofce, as well as letting youknow what really doesn’t live up to the hype. We’llalso offer practical tips; how to get around, when tobeat the queues at the most famous sites, or whichfast food outlets to visit when you need to stave off a

hangover.Whatever you do, you’re sure to have a great time.The culture is vibrant and the beer is cheap. Perhapsbest-known these days for its thriving arts scene and

ever-growing hipster credentials, Berlin in its currentincarnation has a lively, young atmosphere perfectlycomplemented by the historical monuments whichgreet you on every corner.In a city once ravaged by war and conict, Berlin

has overcome some major obstacles in weaving itsextraordinary tapestry of people and pursuits – thosewhich make it the diverse and ever exciting city it istoday.

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The capital city of Germany, Berlin, is lled

with history which is embraced throughout.The rst German settlers reached the areanow known as Berlin in the 11th century. Cen-turies after this, by 1709 the city was namedthe capital of Prussia and had around55,000 inhabitants, ruled by Frederick III,who had crowned himself king of Prussia.

Berlin continued to grow at a fast pace in the1700s as it was made the centre of culture andarts in Prussia, as well as the army. By 1814,the city was in fantastic economic shapeand had a population of around 400,000,making it the fourth largest city in Europe.

During the First World War, Berlin suffered as a re-sult of Germany’s rations, and the rising unem-ployment, sinking morale as the war progressed.By the end of World War 1, the Monarchy and Aris-tocracy were no more and Germany becamea Republic known as the Weimar Republic.

After the economic devastation caused

by the Treaty of Versailles, Berlin beganto enjoy the 1920s as the economy be-gan to stabilise and the nightlife scenebegan to grow and Berlin grew to be-come the largest industrial city in Europe.

Following the economic disasters caused bythe Wall Street Crash in America, Adolf Hit-ler rose to power as Chancellor of Germany.The Nazi’s anti-Semitism was clear from thestart of their rise to power: all Jewish doc-

tors were required to leave Charité hospital.

The Nazi’s at-

tempted to de-stroy the Jewishcommunity inBerlin. Before Hit-ler’s reign, around160,000 Jews livedin Berlin and after1939, only around75,000 remained.

Hitler had built s e v e r a lbuildings across Berlin, together withhis architect Albert Speer a whole newBerlin was planned and was to be named‘Welthaupstadt Germainia.’ However theoutbreak of war postponed all of these plans.

During the war, Berlin suffered a great deal as aresult of several air raids, several bombings andthe battle of Berlin left the city crippled with anestimated one fth of all buildings destroyed.

With the end of the War, the city was left

divided into 4 sectors by the allies. Thearea occupied by the Soviets becameknown as East Berlin, they removed railwaytracks and destroyed industries in Berlin.

On the 26h of June 1948 the Soviets blockedground access to West Berlin which lastedfor a year. Conditions worsened across Berlinand in 1961 the Communist government be-gan to build a wall dividing East and West. Thiswas built alarmingly fast and hundreds of fam-

ilies were separated. East Berliners could nolonger travel to the West, however, West Ber -liners could visit the East through checkpoints.

The wall continued to divide the city until TheFall of the Berlin Wall on the 9th of November1989. This marked the end of the Cold Warand Germany and Berlin became reunited.

By 1990 only small sections of the wall remainedas most had been demolished and in 1991the German Parliament voted to move the

capital of Germany back to Berlin from Bonn.Sarah Kueter

SHORT HISTORY OF BERLIN

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SURVIVAL GUIDEBerlin is an incredibly interesting, unique and vibrant city, particularly for young people. This

brief survival guide aims to provide some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ to assist you on your trip!

Language

Firstly, don’t arrive with the as-sumption that everyone in Ber -lin will speak English. Many will,of course, but you will make farmore meaningful connectionswith others and have a muchbetter time of getting what youwant if you can pick up someessential phrases beforeyou come!

BudgetOne of the city’s attractions for the variousinteresting types who have made Berlin theirbase is how one can live fairly inexpensive-ly but miss out on none of the things whichgive the German capital its distinctive char -acter. Charged attractions and entertain-ments aside, €10-15 per day is enough tocover a day’s eating and drinking on themove. If you want to splash out a bit more,a decent meal out in the centre of town is

unlikely to cost you more than €20. When itcomes to tourist attractions, the larger andwell-known sights will inevitably chargesteeper entry fees, but it should be borne inmind that Berlin is a city withmany facets and interestingplaces that are worth a vis-it, not only the commercialand touristy ones.

Eating Out

Berliners like their food, and they like it rich!Large-scale immigration since the 1960shas developed the vast range of multi-cultural food and drink on offer here. Inparticular, you will notice restaurants andtakeaways offering Berlin’s adopted fa-vourites currywurst and doner kebabs onmost streets, particularly in Kreuzberg, thedistrict colloquially known as ‘Little Istan-bul’. Here, you can pick up some deliciousstreet food for as little as €2. You shouldalso take note of the various food mar -

kets taking place across the city daily,where patrons can sample

the culinary delights ofa multitude of nations

across all continents.

Going OutThe nightlife of Berlin has earned itsreputation justly. The city’s manybars and clubs are innumerable,and each district will hold some-

thing for everyone. Just remem-ber that Berlin is an incrediblycasual city, so don’t expect to gain entry tomost places dressed to the nines. Likewise,do not be disheartened if you are told ‘nottonight’ by the door staff after queuing forsome time at some of the larger clubs, arbi-trary though it may seem. The hype aroundcertain places can be exactly that, and youwill nd other places you like just as much.

Staying SafeBerlin is a safe city but, as with all major cities, it pays to besavvy as a tourist. Some of the larger tourist zones or major citytransport hubs, such as Alexanderplatz, have a problem withpickpockets. Likewise, do not let yourself be engaged by themany bogus charity representatives combing the streets asall reputable causes will allow you to donate at your leisureonline. Whilst going out in excessively large or rowdy groupswill not be particularly favourable to whatever you want todo in Berlin, try to avoid venturing far without trusted com-pany, especially at night. Plan journeys carefully in advance,

and be sure to have noted down the telephone numbers ofthe emergency services, just in case. EU citizens should alsotake their European Health Insurance Card. by Scott Clair

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Heart of Gold HostelIn the wise words of Nicki Minaj ‘Starships are

meant to y’ – they’re not supposed to be theinspiration for hostels. According to both thewebsite and the brochure for Heart of Gold,however, this is a Hitchhiker’s Guide to theGalaxy spaceship themed establishment, de-spite that fact not being expressly stated any-where inside. A few wall paintings of a looselyspace-related nature aside, it’s just a cleanand easy place for students – not the kindof place where the lm Hostel is set – with acentral location near Friedrichstraße. Heart ofGold is also rife with other peculiarities, whichinclude the ear-ringing heavy metal musicplayed over breakfast (by no means idealafter a few drinks the night before) and thefact that there is not one sign to show wherethe place is – indeed there’s barely even astreet number. Despite this, there are positivequirks to the hostel – such as the eclecticrange of sunglasses for rental and the occa-

sional movie night. However, the salient fea-ture of Heart of Gold is its reasonable prices

and no-nonsense bar packed with friendlytravellers every night of the week. Bewareof the prices on the brochure however, asthey have not been updated since 2008 andhave increased signicantly since then…or

perhaps Heart of Gold just operate in a dif-ferent period of space and time. Either way,beware.

Jack Parkes

The Circus Hostel

Located in the city-center hotspot of Mitte,this one-of-a-kind student hostel offers trav-elers from near and far a comfortable andaffordable accommodation while visitingBerlin. Depending on your budget, several

different accommodation options are avail-able. Rooms of 8 to 10 people available for€23 per night, rooms with 4-5 people are €27per night, and if you feel like having more pri-vacy, you can rent a single room for €50 pernight. Room fees also include free wi-, show-ers and linen services. Additionally, the Circusalso offers a safe for your passport and stor-age lockers where you can drop your bagsfor the day while you’re out exploring the cityfor no additional charge. Make sure to visitthe hostel’s Katz & Maus café for a deliciousand affordable breakfast. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet complete with teaor coffee for a budget-friendly €5 while youpour over a map and plan out your route forthe day. In addition to being located acrossthe street from the Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahnstation, the Circus is within walking distanceof a plethora of quaint cafés, clubs, and res-taurants. If you’d rather see the city on twowheels, rent a bike from the front desk for €12per day.

Caitlyn Bishop

Johannisstraße 11, 10117 BerlinStation: S7 Friedrichstraße, M1 Or-anienburger Straße+49 30 29003300Reception open 24/7.

http://www.heartofgold-hostel.de/

Weinbergsweg 1a, 10119 Berlin-MitteStation: U8 Rosenthaler Platzwww.circus-berlin.de030 20003939

AccommodAtion 6



Public Transport

Berlin’s public transportation system is just asamazing as it is comprehensive, with 9 dif-ferent lines and 170 different stations makingup the U-Bahn system (underground) and15 lines and 166 stations in the S-Bahn (over -

ground) system. Many of the stations, such asthe Deutsche Oper (U2), Paulsenstraße (U7)and Richard-Wagner Platz (U7) have beencolorfully decorated to match the playful andartistic spirit of Berlin and are worth keepingan eye out for during your travels! Wherev-er you go, you’ll never be too far away fromany U- or S-Bahn station, and directions to ei-ther one are clearly marked throughout thecity with a giant, green S or a glowing, blue U.

In Eastern Berlin, trams are more commonly

used as public transport. Nine different tram

lines run throughout this side of the city and

frequently stop at major S- and U-bahn sta-

tions. Timetables for all trams are available attheir individual stops. Buses run throughout the

vicinity of the city, and timetables are availa-

ble at all stops. An orange H designates tram

and bus stops. Tip: Both buses and trams run all

night, but their schedules will become increas-

ingly staggered the later it gets. Don’t forget to

keep an eye on the time when you’re out late!

TicketsDepending on how long you plan on staying in Berlin, there are many different types oftickets you can purchase:

One-way ticket:

Valid for one person and a twohour jorney. One-way tikets mustalso be purchased for returns

Zones AB: €2.60Zones BC: €2.90Zones ABC: €3.20

Short Distance ticket:

Counts for 3 stops within theS- and U-Bahn and 6 stops inbuses

Any Zone: €1.50

One-Day ticket:

Valid for one person during thewhole day for as many differ-ent trips until 3am the next day.Ticket only valid in Zones A&B.

Zones AB: €6.70

Seven-Day ticket:

Valid for one person for 7 con-secutive days. Ticket expiresat midnight on the 7th day.Tickets only valid in Zones A&B.

Group Day ticket for up to ve

people:

This ticket allows for up to 5 peo-ple to travel on all forms of publictransportation until 3am the fol-lowing day. Tickets only valid in

Zones A&B.

Monthly Pass:

This ticket allows for unlimitedpublic transportation for onemonth after the ticket’s pur-chase. So go crazy!

Zones AB: €28.80

Zones AB: €16.20Zones AB: €78.00Zones ABC: €94.00

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Dos and Don’t When Using Public Transportationin Berlin

Buy a transportation ticket assoon as you reach Berlin! Tick -ets can be purchased in anyS- or U-Bahn station with cashor credit cards.

Bring your transportation tick-et with you wherever yougo! If you are caught with-out your ticket, even if youforgot it at home, you willautomatically be ned €40.

Download the BVG app for

smartphones. Not only arethere comprehensive mapsof all Bahns, trams and busesthroughout the city, but therealso timetables with up-to-datetrain times to help you planyour trips.

Free up seats for the elderly,pregnant women, families andthose with injuries or disabilities.They need the seats more thanyou do!

Be polite and patient with fellowpassengers and the occasion-al late train. There are alwayslots of ways to get to where youneed to be!

Say “enstchuldigung” (Ein-shool-dee-gung) in case youaccidently bump into some-one or if you’re trying to geton or off a train.

Eat or drink on thetrams or trains. Beconsiderate andwait until you reachyour destination.

Worry about gettinglost; all of Berlin’s publictransportation is very wellconnected and there isalways a way to get towhere you need to be!

Treat public transporta-

tion as your own personalpre-party spot. This is ob-noxious and disrespectfultouristy behavior that’sannoying for everyone.

do

don’t

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Brandenburger Tor /Brandenburg Gate

Regardless of whether or not you enjoy spend-ing your time in overhyped areas which are al-ways surrounded by large crowds of families,walking tours and pick-pocketers, Branden-burg Gate is something which should be vis-ited during your stay in Berlin. The gate itselfis not very big which can come as a surprise,but it is still a great historical sight of Berlin.Constructed in 1688, the gate was built torepresent peace and religious tolerance. Fol-lowing Prussia’s occupation of Paris and theirvictory against France, the structure that wasonce the symbolism of peace became Prus-sia’s triumphal arch and the woman who ridesthe chariot on top of the arch was given anIron Cross and the Prussian Eagle. During theCold War the gate become one of eight Ber -lin Wall Crossings, however during demonstra-

tions on the west side the crossing was closed.Visiting the gate costs nothing and onecan also nd various walking guided toursbeginning around the square, which costlittle to nothing and provides a great-ly detailed insight into the history of thegate and the areas which surrounds it.

Sarah Kueter

Gedenkstätte BerlinerMauer / Berlin Wall Me-

morial

Marking one of the most important and icon-ic parts of Berlin’s recent history is The Ber-lin Wall Memorial, located along BernauerStraße. The Wall was built in 1961 as a wayof separating the Soviet controlled East fromthe West and fell in 1989. Walking down thestreet provides an amazing visual experience.A line of poles stretches for 1.4km along theformer border, leading the way down thestreet. Start at the visitor centre next to Nord-bahnhof – here you will nd hourly showingsin English of two 15 minute informative lms

about the history of the wall. Then on to themonument. It is immense, consisting of twomassive steel walls which preserve a 70msection of the death strip. Peering throughsections in the wall you can see a desolate

Pariser Platz,10117 MitteStation: U55 BrandenburgerFree entry

Bernauer Straße 119,13355 Pren-zlaur BergStation: U8 NordbanhnhofOpen: Tues - Sun: 09.30-19.00 +49 (0)30 467 98 66 66www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstae-tte.de

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