Berlin is one of the cities you have to visit in your life. Not just for its colourful history – it’s been capital of the many forms of Germany through the centuries – but also for its renowned culture scene. There are iconic buildings such as the Brandenburg Gate and stunning city squares such as the Gendarmenmarkt.
Park your hire car and walk across the square marvelling at the twin cathedrals bordering it and between them the concert hall of the world famous Berlin Symphony Orchestra. If you’re lucky you may be able to catch them in concert.
Berlin Mini Guide
Berlin is the capital of
Germany and renowned for having an amazing atmosphere as well as being a cultural centre. This city of four and a half million people is situated within the federal state of Berlin and has been reconstructed well after being badly damaged in World War II.
The city was also divided by the Berlin Wall in the Cold War. The West side of the city was run by the Americans French and British and the East side of the city was under the control of the USSR, but Berlin has flourished since the wall was taken down. However, to this day some tensions still exist between people from either side.
Berlin is accessible from many world wide destinations as well as domestically from the rest of Germany. You will either fly into Tegel International Airport or Schonefeld Airport. Tegel is to the northwest of the city while Schonefeld is in East Berlin. Many major airlines use Tegel such as KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France. Flying into Schonefeld can often be the cheaper option though because German Wings, easyJet and Ryanair fly from there.
You can pick up your Rhino hire car from either of these airports. The main road you will use in Berlin is the city ring road – the A10 – and it is also worth knowing that all cars in Berlin need to have a low emissions sticker on their window screens. Ask our rental agents about this. A third airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport is due to open in the next couple of years. Berlin is split into many different districts. There is Mitte, the historical centre and the foundation of East Berlin, Zehlendorf, which is a wealthy district where the university can be found, and Prezlauer Berg, a trendy district in the former part of East Berlin which is poplar with students.
Youth is given a precedence of place in Berlin with state grants for musicians and artists meaning that a bohemian feel pervades. A surplus of empty buildings has meant that there are many night clubs in Berlin especially as the licensing laws allow the clubs to stay open until the clubbers decide it is time to go home.
Fashion, electronic music, art and design are also well practised by Berlin’s young population. If clubbing is not for you and you prefer to go to Berlin’s many museums you should get the museum pass which gives you three days access for under 20 Euros.
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