5 minute read
Berlin
Amazing World
BERLIN
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Berlin is a modern city with lots to offer. Victoria Bitzer is here to tell us all about it. Getting Around One of the great things about Berlin is the transport system. They have buses, the U-bahn (an underground train) and the S-bahn (a fast train that runs through the city), and they take you nearly everywhere. You can also go by bicycle; and as Berlin is the German city with the fewest cars per capita, it’s a pleasant way to get around town. There are specific bike paths along the sides of the main street. However, as a pedestrian you should be careful not to walk onto one without looking. Boat tours are another way of exploring the city. Some of the best are the ones that take you around the magnificent Berlin Dome (one of the largest cathedrals in Berlin), and to the Bundestag (the national parliament).
Checkpoint Charlie
One of Berlin’s main attractions is its history. There are monuments all over the city, such as the Brandenburger Tor (which is where the Berlin Wall once stood), Checkpoint Charlie (the famous East/West border crossing), and government buildings such as the Reichstag. There are more than 170 museums in Berlin too. The Berlin National Museum has classical, modern and contemporary art. The most popular museum is the Pergamon Museum, which has ancient treasures such as the Itshtar Gate and the Pergamon Altar. Other favourites are the Technikmuseum, which has aircraft and automobiles, and the Jewish Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind and which opened in 2001.
Drink
After all these trips to museums, you’re going to need some refreshment. And the best thing to try is some German beer. There are so many beers to choose from that it would be impossible to try them all. Here is some useful advice on what to ask for: 1. “Ein helles, bitte.”
If you ask for this, you’ll get a standard, light beer in a pint glass. 2. “Ein pils, bitte.”
If you want something bitter, try a “pils”, which is also called
This is a dark beer that, against popular belief, does not have the highest alcohol content. 4. “Ein weissbier, bitte.”
This is a good beer to have on a hot day. It’s a light-coloured, light-tasting beer that is served in a tall half-litre glass. It is actually the strongest beer in terms of alcohol. 5. “Ein bock, bitte.”
This is a strong beer that is made by monks.
Food
And just to go with your nice glass of beer, you’re going to need some good old German food. The most typical meal is sauerkraut, sausage, and potatoes. Other dishes mostly consist of vegetables and meats, and there isn’t much fried food. It is common to eat the heaviest meal of the day at lunch; dinner usually consists of cheeses, salamis, wurst (sausage) and bread. Fruit is also popular for dinner. And just to complete your meal, you can have a lovely German dessert. Germans are big supporters of the bread and pastry industry; and chocolate and fruit cakes are among the most popular desserts. Apart from German restaurants there are hundreds of international ones in Berlin too. Chinese and Italian are among the favourites, but there are lots of others.
Lakes
Now, after all this good food, you are going to need to go for a walk. There are lots of nice places to visit in and around Berlin. In the summer, you can go to the lakes, such as the Wannsee, Nikolas-see or Schlactensee. Many of these are next to old castles and picturesque forests. If jumping in a lake isn’t your cup of tea, you can also visit some of the many islands just hours away from the city. A little north of Berlin there are areas with pristine beaches, rich history and the bracing Baltic Sea. And if you don’t feel like travelling too much, there is the Tiergarten, which is right in the centre of Berlin. This is a good place to go if you want to relax in the afternoon.
Nightlife
If you’ve still got any energy left, you may want to go out at night. Most of the nightlife is concentrated in the mid-northern area, where the bars and pubs can get quite crowded. Good streets to find bars in are: Warshauer Strasse, Oranienburg Strasse and Haackescher Markt. The Strandbar and the Sage Club are among the most popular bars and nightclubs in the summer. One really interesting club is the Burger Café, which is an old East German club that plays 70s music and has carpeted walls; and another good one is the KitKat Bar, which is like something from the 1920s. So now you know what to do on your trip to Berlin.
INFORMATION BOX
Festivals During the summer, one of the biggest and best-known festivals is the annual Love Parade, the world’s biggest street party. It is a combination of techno music and eccentric costumes, and it gets about 750,000 visitors every year. It usually takes place in late July.
Recycling Don’t be surprised if your bottle of water costs more than a beer. This is because there is a refund system in which you are given change when you return your plastic bottle to the store or café.
G L O S S A R Y
to get around town phr vb to travel around town a bike path n a special little road just for bicycles a pedestrian n a person who walks a border n the line that divides two countries a pint glass n a glass that can hold one pint of liquid (about half a litre) bitter adj not sweet a monk n a religious man who dedicates his life to God and who lives, works and makes beer in a monastery a dessert n sweet food that you eat after eating meat or fish isn’t your cup of tea exp isn’t something that you like bracing adj cold crowded adj with many people in it
