"Berlin: A city no longer Divided" a Berlin Travel Page by lashr1999

When growing up television filled my mind with images of a divided Berlin with wall, Hitler, Nazi’s. When visiting Berlin, I had expected to encounter people dressed as they do in TV and movies now. In my favorite episode of Alias, Sydney walks through a club in Berlin filled with people in punk clothing. During my time in Berlin I only encountered one such person dressed this way. In clubs people were dressed in regular clothing and on the street the people were very friendly and helpful.

What I encountered when exploring Berlin was a city filled with culture and a mixture of old and new. When walking through Berlin you can find modern supermarkets, new shops and the Parliament building with its new mirrored dome. On other streets you can see the remnants of a Church with it’s roof bombed off decades ago or see remnants of the Berlin wall.
To get a feel of the city, ride the train. They are pretty clean and on time. Remember to buy a ticket and validate it because you may be fined 40 Euro if you do not. My roomie in Berlin almost found this out the hard way. He bought a ticket but he did not validate it. A cop pulled him and several people over to check their tickets. It was a good thing he had a ticket, he was able to get off with just a warning. Other people who were on the train without a ticket had to pay a fine. Tickets in 2006 cost 22 euro for 3 days and 16 euro for a 2 day Welcome card. One day tickets are available if you plan to use the train more then 2 times in the day. The card is also good on the bus system, where you can travel and have good views of the city.

Get the Museum pass which costs 15 Euros for 3 days. It is the best value for the money since it allows entry too many Berlin museums over 3 days. The museums are clustered in the Museum-Sinsel (Museum Island) in the East and the Kulturforum area in the West.

Though many people do speak English, try to learn at least some words to help you get around. If you are willing to try to speak a few words people would be more willing to help you out.

There are some good clubs, bars and restaurants in Berlin. Hackesche Hofe is an area that shouldn’t be missed because of its nightlife. Also, try going to the Mitte where there are galleries and theaters. On the Mitte, Friedrichshain and Oranienburger Straße, there are numerous bars to crawl your way through in east Berlin. In the west, the nightlife is more spread out. Although I only learned of this when I left the city, people who were on the trip suggested picking up a magazine like Zitty or Prinz to find out what is going on in the city.One thing to note is during the Oktoberfest time various beer tents pop up in the city. It is nice to hear some traditional music and beer songs when in these tents and mingle with regular German people.