Residence Sport & Tagung/Resort GmbH

Possenhofener Strasse 29
D - 82340 Feldafing

phone +49 (0) 8157 / 303 - 0
fax: +49 (0) 8157 / 303 - 500
info@residence-starnberg.de
http://www.residence-starnberg.de/

A city becomes a Metropolis
Berlin presents itself to visitors as an open city once again. Brandenburg Gate - once a symbol of divided Germany - has again become the emblem of the German capital. Covering an area of about 891 km² Berlin unites a large number of urban districts and centers, which are completely different in character. The buildings of the 'Kulturforum' on the Southern edge of the Tiergarten and the modern office and shopping complex on Potsdamer Platz link the Western city, centered around the Kurfürstendamm, with the Eastern city, in the historical center of Berlin between Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz. North of the Tiergarten, new buildings for the federal government and the parliament are being built along the Spree. The parliament has its seat in the newly remodeled Reichstag. The density of the city area does not restrict the lifestyle of the people who live there. There are more than 430,000 people from 184 different nations. Lower rents for residential accommodation in the Eastern boroughs, and the greater supply of jobs in the Western boroughs led to a new mixture of the population soon after unification. Furthermore, since 1993 the population has seen a continuous decline from 3,475,000 to 3,331,000 in 2000. Favorable living conditions and affordable land in the surrounding areas led many people to move away from Berlin.
For more information see: http://www.berlin.de/home/English/

All foreign visitor from non EU-countries wishing to enter the Federal Republic of Germany must have a valid passport. Citizens of the following countries don't need a visa: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Colombia, Korea (Republic of Korea), Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New-Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Slovakia, Hungary, Uruguay, the USA. A visa is needed for example for visitors from China and North Korea (not South Korea). Usually German embassies and consulates need two to four workdays to issue a visa. Tourists who want to combine their stay in Germany with travel to another European country should inform themselves about visa regulations of the other European countries.

Banks

Besides of many Bureaus of Changes, which are often located close to railway-stations and airports, banks can be found all over the city. Banks office hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ATMs and cash machines operate day and night.

Post offices (businesses hours vary)

The electrical current in Germany is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs. If your appliances are dual-voltage, you'll need only an adapter. Don't use 110-volt outlets, marked for shavers only, for high-wattage appliances such as blow dryers. Most laptops operate equally well on 110 and 220 volts and so require only an adapter. Always check the power supply before you use your equipment.

Public phone booths can be found on every street corner. There are different types of public phone booths: The older ones are coin-operated with 30 Pfennig as minimum to make a call. The most public booths require a telephone card, which are sold at post-offices and most press-shops. Phone shops for international calls are, for example, in the area between Kurfürstendamm and train station Zoo (Zoologischer Garten).

The German (and European) currency is the euro. Euro coins have one common side and one national side. They can be used anywhere within the Euro area, regardless of the country of issue. There are coins in denominations of 2 Euro, 1 Euro, 50 cent, 20 cent, 10 cent, 5 cent, 2 cent and 1 cent. There are 100 cent to 1 Euro. And there are notes in denominations 500 Euro, 200 Euro, 100 Euro, 50 Euro, 20 Euro, 10 Euro and 5 Euro. Foreign currency and traveler's checks can be converted into Euro at foreign exchange banks and other authorized money exchangers. Credit cards, including VISA, American Express and MasterCard, are accepted at major hotels, department stores, and large restaurants. The exchange rate is subject to fluctuation.

For information about all embassies in Berlin click: here

There are situations where a taxi seems to be the easiest way to travel. Normally, you won't have to wait long to hail a taxi. Taxi ranks are situated at all bigger traffic junctions. For short distances the "Winktarif" is recommended. You flag down a taxi and ask for a short lift (not more than 2 km), the ride will only cost you 3 €.

Public Transports in Berlin are well developed. There are 9 subway lines, 15 city-train lines and about 150 bus lines, which take you to your destinations in and around Berlin the fastest way. 28 tramlines operate in the eastern part of Berlin. Many buses and some subways and city-trains offer an overnight service. Berlin is divided in three travel zones. Zone A (Berlin subway ring) and B (boundary of Berlin) include the urban area, zone C the surrounding area of Berlin. All destinations within downtown and the boundary of Berlin can be reached with a single fare ticket of zone AB.

Fares for zone AB (train subway, bus):
· Single fare ticket: valid 2 hours after stamping for 2,10 €
· Single fare ticket for ExpressBus and AirportExpress: valid 2 hours after stamping for 3,10 €
· Day ticket: valid until 3 a.m. the day after stamping for 6,10 €
· 7-Day-Ticket: transferable, valid 7 days after stamping for 22 €

At the bigger shopping centers and malls shops are open till 8 p.m., on Saturdays till 4 p.m. The other shops close at 6.30 p.m., generally, there are no lunch-breaks.

Berlin is in the Central-European time zone, which means one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

• Berlin on foot
• Berlin by bus
• Boat Trips

Berlin on foot
On foot you can see details that are easy to miss from the bus or on a bike. Walking will hardly give you a general overview, but it does offer the chance to explore close at hand - on byways through backyards and parks, peeking through house entrances and strolling down narrow lanes.

Travel business: Berlin-Erkundungen
Tours: 13 different tours, individual bookings
Tel. +49 30 - 32703783
More information available under http://berlin.de/berlin-erkundungen
6 to 9 € per person

Travel business: Berlin Walks
Tours: 4 different tours
Tel. +49 30 - 3019194
More information available under http://www.berlinwalks.com/v1/berlin_tours.html
9 to 14 € per person

Travel business: Insider Tour
Tours: insider walks, excellent guides
Tel. +49 30 - 6923149
More information available under http://www.insidertour.com/templates/tours.php
9 to 12 € per person

Travel business: Herden Studienreisen
Tours: 15 different tours
Tel. +49 30 - 28392351
More information available under http://www.herden.de/english/e_stadtrundgang.html
Walking tours take two to three hours and are limited to 25 persons.
Prices range from 120 to 155 € plus V.A.T., depending on the subject.

Berlin by bus
Buses are rented by time (1 to 7 hours). Each hour costs between 35 and 58 € (16% VAT included). Prices for the guides range from 120 to 140 € for a 2 to 3 hour tour.

Travel business: Berolina Sightseeing
Tours: City-Circle-Tour, Super-Berlin-Tour, tour to Potsdam Sanssouci
Tel. +49 30 - 88 56 80 30
More information available under http://www.berolina-berlin.com/english

Travel business: BBS-Berliner Bären
Tours City-Circle-Tour, Super-Berlin-Tour, Potsdam Sanssouci
Tel. +49 30 - 351 952 70
More information available under http://www.sightseeing.de

Travel business: BVB-Bus-Verkehr-Berlin KG
Tours: City-Circle-Tour, Super-Berlin-Tour, Potsdam Sanssouci
Tel. +49 30 - 88 59 88 0
More information available under http://www.bvb.net/e_index.html

Travel business: Severin + Kühn
Tours: Big Berlin-Tour, Potsdam Sanssouci, Dresden/Meißen, Spreewald
Tel. +49 30 - 880 41 90
More information available under http://www.severin-kuehn-berlin.de/e_citycircle.html

Travel business: Tempelhofer
Tours: Berlin City-Tour Hop on - Hop off, boat trips
Tel. +49 30 -752 40 57
More information available under http://www.tempelhofer.de

Travel business: Top-Tour-Berlin
Tours: Historic double decker bus, party train
Tel. +49 30 - 256 247 40
More information available under http://www.bvg.de/service/e_citytours.html

Boat Trips

Berlin has more bridges than Venice. On these tours by boat you can count them or discover Berlin in the most relaxed way.

Travel business: Herden Studienreisen
Tours: Different Tours: Historical city tour, Bridge trip on the Landwehr Canal and the Spree, City tour on the Spree, City nights, Big Havel lake tour and palaces tour to Cecilienhof, 7 lakes tour, Big Oberhavel lake tour
Tel. +49 30/ 28 39 23 51
More information available under http://www.herden.de/english/e_schiff.html
Prices range from 9 to 14 € per person (20 persons or more 10% red.).

Local Attractions

Brandenburger Gate: The town's landmark

Reichstag: Parliament, government quarter and chancellor's office. Sightseeing of the glass cupola every day from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (last admission 10 p.m.)
Tel. +49 30 - 227 32 152
For more information see: http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/index.html

Unter den Linden: Berlin's most beautiful chaussee

Friedrichstraße: Flair and elegance. Combines the tradition of the "Golden Twenties" with the architecture of the New Berlin.

Checkpoint Charlie: former border crossing point between East- und West-Berlin, the museum "house at the checkpoint" opens daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tel. +49 30 - 253 72 50
For more information see: http://www.Mauer-Museum.com

Gendarmenmarkt: Beautiful square, accessible Thu-Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the German Cathedral and the French Cathedral are open Tue to Sun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Museumsinsel: A culture consortium that units 5 important museums
Tel. +49 30 - 20 90 55 55
For more information see: http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de

Berliner Dom: Court cathedral of Prussia's royal family, the Hohenzollern. Mon-Sat 9 a.m to 8 p.m., Thu 9 a.m to 10 p.m, Sun 12 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tel. +49 30 - 20 26 90
For more information see: http://www.berlinerdom.de

Fernsehturm and Alexanderplatz: Panoramic view and urban center, March-October: every day 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Tel. +49 30 - 242 33 33
For more information see: http://www.berlinerfernsehturm.de

Hackesche Höfe: Berlin's meeting place with bars, restaurants, clubs.

A short assortment of Berlin's restaurants.

For more information see:http://www.berlin.de/TouristCenter/TouristInformation/english/gastro/gastro.html

The prices include service and tax, but it is customary to round up the bill. A 10 percent tip is usual.

If you buy non-edible goods in Berlin you are entitled to a VAT-refund unless you are citizen of another EU-country. If you enter a shop with a Tax-Free sign outside, ask for a special form. This form must be stamped when you get through Customs - but be prepared to show your goods, which must still be in their original packing. The tax is refunded either at the border or sent to the address on the envelop containing the cheque.