About Berlin

Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city. Within the city limits, Berlin in 2022 had a population of 3.7 million. Berlin is coming into its own again as a cosmopolitan capital of one of Europe's wealthiest nations. "Arm aber sexy" (poor but sexy) as a former mayor would have it, Berlin attracts young people, students and a creative bohème like few other cities in the world. With architectural heritage from Prussian monarchism, Nazism, East German communism and Potsdamer Platz, filled with 1990s and 2000s-style glass palaces after having been a "blank canvas" due to the wall, Berlin's architecture is as varied as its neighbourhoods and its people. And due to its long history as a cosmopolitan capital, it has attracted immigrants from all over the world for more than 300 years now, who continue to leave their own marks on the city. Berlin is home to world-renowned universities, orchestras, museums, and entertainment venues, and is host to many sporting events. Its Zoological Garden

Source: Wikipedia

Essential Information

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Symbol: €

Language

German

Phone Code

+49

International dialing code for Germany

Driving

Drive on the right

Standard for Germany

Region

Europe

Western Europe

Connectivity

You can find internet cafes and telephone shops all around Berlin. Do a bit of research with the telephone shops because most focus on a particular region in the world. Many bars, restaurants and cafes offer their guests free wi-fi. Customers of the ubiquitous Einstein Coffee get 30 minutes of free wifi. Metro (U-Bahn) stations offer free wi-fi to everybody:BVG Wi-Fi.

How to Get to Berlin

Transportation options and arrival information

You may also want to consider flying in to the large German airports ofHamburg(HAMIATA),Frankfurt(FRAIATA) orHanover(HAJIATA). From there you can take atrainor intercity bus to Berlin. The nearby airports ofLeipzig(LEJIATA),Dresden(DRSIATA) andSzczecin(SZZIATA) have fewer scheduled flights but you may just find a low-cost Europe flight from there.

Getting Around Berlin

Local transportation and navigation tips

Pedestrians should be careful not to walk in the designated bike lanes.

Safety in Berlin

Very High Safety (Global Peace Index: 1.462)

About the Global Peace Index: Global Peace Index measures peacefulness on a scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful)

Berlin might be a safe place, but it is a huge city, and as such has some not-so-well maintained areas. No specific rules apply with the exception of public transportation and tourist areas wherepickpocketsare a problem. Watch your bags during rush hours, at larger train stations (with the central and Warschauer stations being notoriously sketchy at night).

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace (2022)

Where to Stay in Berlin

Accommodation tips and recommendations

Berlin is still witnessing a construction boom of hotels and offices since the end of the Cold War. The boom leads to a significant oversupply of hotels which results in comparatively cheap prices even in the 5 star category (off-season prices of €110 per night are not unusual). Especially for a short visit, it may be best to stay at a place in Berlin-Mitte (around Friedrichstraße), as most of the main sights are located there. Due to its history most hotels in Berlin are still located in the Ci