Many say Berlin is the city of the youth and it really is. It’s full of parks, lakes and many other natural features offering relaxation and the locals use it for sporting activities. There’s also enough infrastructure for an afternoon of grilling. But Berlin is more than just that. As the capital of Germany it is the gathering point for political and cultural events with a rich history and a great abundance of science.
This is felt also by many museums that don’t empty your pocket. For a three-day pass, which allows you entry to most main museums with temporary and permanent exhibitions (there’s over 50 of them), you’ll be about 20€ lighter (half the price if you can get a student discount). Some special exhibitions might be a bit more expensive, but the choice is so large, you should just take the top 10 pic – unless you have something specific in mind. It’s also a good idea, to plan the visiting hours, for some museums offers interesting demonstrations and it would be a shame have to hurry through them.
Exploration of museums might be hard work, so it’s good to get some food as well. Berlin is a great metropolitan city and you can find many different cuisines. But most popular is the fast food, which even isn’t all that unhealthy, for many stands want to make their food look healthier than the competition (which is really on a high level). The prices, on the other hand, are comparable to Ljubljana, or even eater friendlier. In the less touristy part of the city I got a special discount for a falafel, which a Lebanese gave me for a Euro. Due to the Turkish minority you’ll also have a large choice of kebab and there’s McDonald’s everywhere as well as many other fast food chains.
Because Berlin covers a large area, you really should think about your transport. A bicycle is extremely economical. Motorised vehicles are more cycle friendly and cycling paths are part of the roads and not pedestrian paths as back home. So there’s a better flow through the city and the cyclist’s mentality is a bit more “southern” and temperamental – maybe due to many immigrants from southern countries? It’s not a problem – they have the motto: “if the road is free, it’s free.” They don’t always wait for the green light and so forth. Daily cycling trips are a great way to explore the city and feel its vibes. Bike rental costs 10€/day, but you get to see a lot more than with a cab or subway. It’s good to have a phone with you, or even better a smart phone, to show you where to go. Taxi drivers have their special school there, which makes them very cultivated, professional and have them drive new Mercedes, but the price is also appropriate with the offer. Subways are most price efficient and only stop for two hours every night, making them ideal, for coming back from a party.
The goings on are very appropriate for the first sentence I’ve wrote. Night life is vibrant and not only on weekends. From loud speaker clubs, to shiny discos and beach pubs – everybody finds something here. The hardest thing might be finding a party for you, for there are no special announcements and the most exclusive clubs are usually hidden behind some old factory wall – or have a long, long cue with people waiting to convince the entrance guards to let them in for they’re cool enough. And because Berlin is a city of gay, you might get to a bouncer that will not let you in due to the sex ration – or otherwise put: enough same gender oriented people should have fun in there. Berlin is surprisingly open-minded and seems like a liberal get together for new age hippies. It only makes you feel it’s even more yours, never mind how hard-headed you might be.
Like every city, there are downsides as well, especially about the homeless – Berlin is no exception. But it does not encourage people to get money without earning it. Every glass bottle found on the street is worth 8cents and every plastic PET bottle 25cents.
Food and drinks are relatively cheap in markets (compared to our standard), but smokers will feel the difference in the European price of their smokesticks. Board is reasonable, but again it depends on your expecations and location, but you can get a decent hostel for less than 10€ a night.
So that’s Berlin in a nutshell and I suggest it to everybody, who’s young enough at heart.
Matej
