football: 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Berlin

Football World Cup

Berlin:

Berlin, built on sand, is located on the rivers Spree and Havel in the north of Germany. It is enclosed by the German state of Brandenburg, and constitutes a state of its own since 1920.

Berlin used to be part of Brandenburg province of Prussia but was incorporated into Greater Berlin in 1920.

Since German reunification on 3 October 1990 it has been one of the three city states, together with Hamburg and Bremen, among the present 16 German Bundeslander.

Trivia: Between approximately the 1890s and the mid-1920s, Berlin was the fourth-largest urban area in the world after London, New York, and Paris. Today, it is only the sixth-largest urban area in the European Union, and approximately the 80th-largest urban area in the world. From 1949 to 1990 it was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin. 

 

Transport I Hotels I Car Hire I Entertainment I Food I Sport I Stadium I Tourist Tips I History

Transport:

The Berlin U-Bahn is, together with the Berlin S-Bahn, the backbone of the public transport system of the German capital Berlin. It opened in 1902 and now consists of 170 stations on nine subway lines with a total length of 144.2 kilometres. The whole system is operated by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).

Frequency of trains varies from one every three minutes at rush hour on workdays to one every ten minutes in the evening and on weekends. Operations cease shortly after midnight. However, on Friday and Saturday and before public holidays services operate at 15-minute intervals throughout the night except on the U3 and U4 and certain sections of other lines.

The Berlin S-Bahn consists of 16 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system. Although the S- and U-Bahn are part of a unified fare system, they have different operators: the U-Bahn is run by BVG, the main public transit company for the city of Berlin.

The S-Bahn routes all feed into one of three core lines: a central, elevated east-west line (die Stadtbahn), a central, mostly underground north-south line (die Nord-Süd Bahn), and a circular, elevated line (die Ringbahn). Geographically, the Ringbahn takes the form of a dog's head and colloquially known to Berliners by that name (Hundekopf). Outside the Ringbahn, suburban routes radiate out in all directions.

All means of public transport - U- & S- Bahn, trams, buses and ferries - can be accessed with the same ticket.


Getting There:

Berlin has three main international airports, Berlin Tegel (TXL), Schonefeld International Airport (SXF), which is to be expanded and renamed Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI), and the Tempelhof International Airport (THF), which is due to close in 2006. 

Schonefeld is slated to be transformed into Berlin Brandenburg International Airport. Once the new expansion of the terminal starts construction, Tempelhof airport will close (initially planned for October 30, 2004, but still open for the time being). Six months after the airport is renamed and the new section opened, Tegel airport is to close (effectively sometime in 2007).

The airport is served by the Flughafen Berlin-Schonefeld railway station. This station is the terminus of line S9 of the Berlin S-Bahn, and is served by mainline railways as well.

 

Hotels:

The greatest concentration of hotels, from the cheapest digs to the most expensive, lies in the centre near the Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm), the main boulevard of western Berlin. Most good-value pensions and small hotels are in the western part of the city; note that many such accommodations are in older buildings where plumbing is rarely state-of-the-art.

Eastern Berlin often attracts Germans from other parts of the country who want a glimpse of the Berlin that was shut away behind the Wall for so long. The eastern sector still doesn't have the visitor structure and facilities of the west, although several first-class and deluxe hotels have opened there, notably the Grand, Adlon, and Hilton.

5 Star Options

  • Berlin Grand Hyatt
  • Intercontinental Berlin
  • Kempinski Hotel Bristol
  • The Regent Berlin
  • Excelsior Hotel Berlin
  • Grand Hotel Esplanade Berlin
  • Swissotel Berlin
  • Hotel Palace Berlin
  • The Westin Grand Berlin
  • Marriott Berlin
  • Madison Potzdamer Platz Hotel
  • Hotel Steigenberger Berlin
  • Ritz Carlton Berlin
  • Hotel Adlon Kempinski
  • Hotel Brandenburger Hof
  • Radisson SAS Hotel Berlin

 

4 Star Options

  • Crowne Plaza Berlin Hotel
  • Movenpick Hotel Berlin
  • Hilton Hotel Berlin
  • Hotel Art Nouveau
  • Jolly Hotel Vivaldi
  • Alexander Plaza
  • Mark Apart Hotel Berlin
  • Dorint Sofitel Schweizerhof Berlin
  • Schlosshotel im Grunewald
  • Savoy Hotel Berlin
  • Golden Tulip Park Consul Hotel
  • Clarion Hotel Berlin

 

3 Star Options

  • NH Berlin Mitte
  • Holiday Inn Berlin Esplanade Hotel
  • Holiday Inn Berlin Humboldt Park Hotel
  • NH Berlin Alexanderplatz
  • NH Berlin Potsdam
  • NH Berlin Treptow
  • NH Berlin Heinrich Heine
  • Best Western Hotel President
  • Best Western Hotel Boulevard am Kururstendam
  • Best Western Hotel Steglitz International
  • Best Western Euro-Hotel Berlin
  • Best Western City Consul
  • Best Western Hotel am Schloss Kopenick
  • Best Western Hotel Ravel
  • Mercure Checkpoint Charlie
  • Quality Hotel Imperial Berlin

 

Car Hire:

Please contact Kirsty or Stuart Stamp on 01903 832888 or email us with your requirements.  Click here to see rates online.

 

Entertainment:

  • Alexanderplatz, formerly East Berlin's major shopping centre, and home to the Centrum-Warenhaus, which was the DDR's department store. It is now a thoroughly Westernized shopping centre, belonging to the Kaufhof chain.
  • East Side Gallery a memorial for freedom based on the last parts of the Berlin Wall
    Rotes Rathaus (the Red City Hall), historic town hall famous for its distinctive red-brick architecture.
  • Rathaus Schoneberg with John-F.-Kennedy-Platz, whence John F. Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech.
  • Checkpoint Charlie, remains and a museum about one of the crossing points (albeit restricted to Allied forces) in the Berlin Wall.


Culture:

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 many buildings in the former city centre of East Berlin (today the district Mitte) were renovated. Many had not been rebuilt since World War II.

The art scene in Berlin is extremely rich and it is home to hundreds of art galleries. The city is host to the Art Forum annual international art fair. Berlin also offers one of the most diverse and vibrant nightlife scenes in Europe. Most Berliners take great pride in their city's reputation as one of the most socially progressive cities on the continent.

Hackescher Markt, Spandauer Vorstadt and Scheunenviertel, the home to fashionable culture, with countless small clothing shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the New Synagogue area in Oranienburger Strabe (originally built in the 1860s in Moorish style with a large golden dome and reconstructed in 1993), and the Hackesche Hofe, a conglomeration of several buildings around several courtyards, nicely reconstructed after 1996. This area was a centre of Jewish culture up until the 1930s. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a Holocaust memorial opened in May 2005.


Museums:

Berlin has more than 170 museums and collections. They offer everything from the ancient to the ultra-modern - the Egyptian Nefertiti, the greek Pergamon Altar, the painters of the "Brucke" and the "Bauhaus" and works by Baselitz and Beuys. The works found in the city's museums and collections and private galleries are as exciting as they are diverse.

Take advantage of free admission to all the state museums on the first Sunday of every month, including the Pergamon, Alte Nationalgalerie, Altes Museum, Agyptisches Museum, Gemaldegalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Sammlung Berggruen, and Museum for Gegenwart at Hamburger Bahnhof.

  • Kaiser-Wilhelm-II-Kirche
  • Berlin Memorial ChurchArchenhold Observatory Archenhold-Sternwarte 
  • Museum Island with the Altes Museum, Pergamon Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie
  • Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery), European art (mostly paintings) from the 13th to the 18th century 
  • Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), one of the last buildings by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
  • Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), 19th-century painting and sculpture
  • Jewish Museum Berlin
  • Hamburger Bahnhof (Museum for contemporary art)
  • Berlin State Gallery
  • Bauhaus Museum 
  • Broehan Museum
  • Deutsche Guggenheim Museum
  • German Film Museum 
  • The Berggruen Collection (Picasso and his Age)
  • Museum of Natural History
  • Berlin Wall Documentation Centre
  • Prussian Palaces and Gardens in Berlin

 

Theatres:

  • Schaubuhne
  • Volksbuhne
  • Deutsches Theatre
  • Berliner Ensemble 
  • Theatre des Westens
  • Grips-Theatre
  • Theatre am Potsdamer Platz
  • Maxim Gorki Theatre
  • Renaissance Theatre

 

Nightlife:

Berlin is a vast city renowned for a wild nightlife. There are more bars and cafes here than in any other European city, and the tradition of 24-hour entertainment is alive and well. This social whirlwind is not reserved just for the young but for the social animal of any age. Beer festivals are held at many locations throughout the year, but it is the local shared love of live music that provides Berlin with its reputation as one of the liveliest places on earth.

There are at least three magazines that list happenings in the city. The English-language monthly, Checkpoint Berlin, is available for free at hotel reception desks and tourist offices and sold at news kiosks.


Food:

The influx of immigrants has had a tremendous effect upon Berlin cuisine. Turkish falafel stalls run second only to kebab restaurants, where truly authentic recipes are a far cry from the slightly dubious western European version that can often, quite literally, leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

Indian and Mediterranean cooking is also excellent, but the wonderfully civilised tradition of Fruhstuck (breakfast) is an experience not to be missed. Available 24 hours a day in many places, everything associated with Germany features on the buffet style menu: sausages, buttery eggs, sauerkraut, potato cakes, schnitzel, ham, cheeses, fresh rolls and an extensive list of juices and beers, with the result that the only difficulty is what to choose and what to leave out.

Service charges are generally added to restaurant and hotel bills in Berlin, making tipping unnecessary. Some of the smaller cafes and bars are excluded from this custom, and it is standard practice to round up the bill to the nearest euro. The cost of service should be clearly stated and visible in brochures or on menus.

 

KaDeWe:

Tauentzienstrasse 21-24
Tel: +49 30 21210
This shopping extravaganza — about 60,000 square metres devoted to retail space—houses a food hall that offers exceptional, diverse cuisine, well worth a stop even if you’re not going to shop. There are 33 stands that serve everything from North Sea shrimp sandwiches to bouillabaisse soup. Some 1,200 varieties of sausage and cold cuts are offered up as well, which can be washed down with one of 2,400 different types of international wine.

 

Some suggested Berlin Restaurants:

VAU
Jägerstrasse, 54-55
Tel: +49 30 202 9730
It’s pricey, but well worth the cost. Up-and-coming chef, Kolja Kleeberg, combines German classicism with French elegance in a minimalist setting.

Vox
Grand Hyatt Berlin, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2
Tel: +49 30 2553 1772
Fax: +49 30 2553 1235
This is one of the most exciting and creative restaurants in Berlin, far outshining any competition within the vast architectural complex at Potsdamer Platz. One of Switzerland's best design teams created the minimalist decor, with lots of visual emphasis on a mostly stainless steel, open-to-view kitchen.

Hugos
InterContinental Berlin, Budapester Strasse 2
Tel: +49 30 2602 1263
Fax: +49 30 2602 1239

Zille-Stube
Park Inn Hotel Berlin, Alexanderplatz
Tel: +49 30 2389 0
Fax: +49 30 2389 4305

Bamberger Reiter
Regensburgerstrasse 7
Tel: +49 30 218 4282
Fax: +49 30 2147 4799
choose a la carte or go for one of the set 5-8 course menus. The decor is traditional yet elegant, the service attentive and friendly. Prices reflect the fact that that this really is a top-end establishment. A cheaper alternative is to head to the next-door bistro, where the food is equally delicious, but the prices significantly lower.  

Borchardt
Französischestrasse 47
Tel: +49 30 2038 7110
Fax: +49 30 2038 7150

Alt-Luxemburg
Windscheidstrasse 31
In Greater Charlottenburg
Tel: +49 030 323 8730
Karl Wannemacher is one of the outstanding chefs of Germany. Try the honey-glazed duck breast or the saddle of venison with juniper sauce. His Bavarian cream of eel and sturgeon terrine is also excellent. For dessert, don't miss the memorable semolina dumplings with orange ragout or the orange sorbet. The service is both unpretentious and gracious.

Rockendorf's
Passauerstrasse 5-7
Tel: +49 30 2199 2170
Fax: +49 30 2199 2174

Die Quadriga
Hotel Brandenburger Hof, Eislebener Strasse 14 
Tel: +49 30 2140 50
Fax: +49 30 2140 5100
The setting is a cherry-panelled room on the lobby level of a hotel (the Brandenburger Hof) that's a long urban trek from the restaurant's namesake, the four-horsed statue (Die Quadriga) atop the Brandenburg Gate, in faraway Berlin Mitte. Meals are served atop snowy linen to no more than 28 clients at a time, each seated on a chair designed in 1904 by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wines are available by the bottle or by the glass, and menu items vary with the season and the inspiration of the chef.

Ana e Bruno
Sophie-Charlottenstrasse 101 
Tel: +49 30 3257 110
Fax: +49 30 3226 895
This is one of Berlin's most charming Italian restaurants, turning out a delectable cuisine that takes full advantage of the freshest ingredients and produce in any season.

Kaiserstuben
Am Festungsgraben 1
Tel: +49 30 2061-0548
Fax: +49 30 2045 2981

Cafe Orange
Oranienburger Strasse 32
Tel: +49 30 2832 440
Smart, chic clientele visit for the affordable pasta and fish dishes as well as for the people watching in an arty, orange-walled setting. Fresh, vegetable-filled salads, such as the mozzarella salad, are tasty, but may leave you craving chips and the signature sausage.

First Floor
Budapester Strasse 42
Tel: +49 30 2502 1020
Master chef Mathias Buchholz serves up top of the line German cuisine in an elegant setting. Wine stewards encircle the candle lit dining room poised to pour one of 600 different vintages.

 

Sports:

Berlin will be one of the host cities for the 2006 World Cup, (9th June - 9th July) to be held in Germany as well as hosting the 2009 athletics world championships.

 

Stadium:

Berlin Olympic Stadium:

There have in fact been two stadia on the site, the present facility, and one that was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics, both of which were designed by members of the same family, Otto March and his son Werner March.

The German Stadium was built between 1912 and 1913 within the boundaries of the horse racing track at Charlottenburg near the Grunewald Forest. At the time, its capacity of 40,000 made it the largest sports stadium in the world, intended to be the main stadium for the 1916 Summer Olympics, which had been awarded to Berlin, but which were cancelled due to the First World War. After the war, the stadium became the home of the College of Physical Exercise.

When Berlin was awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics, what was initially planned was a refurbishment of the German Stadium. However, following the rise to power of the National Socialists, who recognised the prestige of the Olympics, a brand new stadium was ordered to be built on the site. The Olympiastadion was constructed between 1934 and 1936 as part of the new Olympischer Platz, and had space for 110,000 people.

The most notable feat to have taken place at this stadium was the triumph of African-American track and field athlete Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics.

It is currently the home of the Bundesliga side Hertha BSC Berlin and the Berlin Thunder, a NFL Europe American football club. Today, the stadium has been refurbished for the Football World Cup 2006, for which it will be the venue of the final. It now offers a capacity of 74,400 seats.

World Cup Stadium Schedule:

  • 13th June 2006 Group F: Brazil - Crotaia
  • 15th June 2006 Group B: Sweden - Paraguay
  • 20th June 2006 Group A: Ecuador - Germany
  • 23rd June 2006 Group H: Ukraine - Tunisia
  • 30th June 2006 Quarter Finals: winner of Game 49 - Winner of Game 50
  • 09th July 2006 Final: Winner of Game 61 - Winner of Game 62

 

Location:

The stadium is the home ground of Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga and located on Bismarckstrasse in the western part of Berlin in Charlottenburg. District Charlottenburg-Wilmnersdorf. The city-train axis S3, S5, S7 and S9 traverses Charlottenburg from Zoo station to the fairground, U2, U9 and ring train (S41/42) condense the public transport net. North of the fair grounds (ICC) there is the central bus station (ZOB). Still, Zoo station is Berlin's most important long-distance railway station, Tegel airport neighbours the district in the North.

 

Tourist Tips:

The Brandenburg Gate:

The Brandenburg Gate is a triumphal arch, the symbol of Berlin, Germany. Located on the Pariser Platz, it is the only remaining one of the series of eighteen gates through which one entered Berlin. One block to its north lies the Reichstag. It constitutes the monumental termination of Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which led directly to the royal residence. It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a sign of peace and built by Karl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791.

The Brandenburg Gate consists of twelve Greek Doric columns, six on each side. This allows for five roadways, although originally ordinary citizens were only allowed to use the outer two. Above the gate is the Quadriga, consisting of the goddess of peace, driving a four-horse chariot in triumph. The gate stands 26 metres high, 65.5 metres wide and 11 metres thick.

While the main design of the Brandenburg Gate has remained the same since it was completed, the gate has played varying roles in Germany's history. First, Napoleon took the Quadriga to Paris in 1806 after conquering Berlin. When it returned to Berlin in 1814, the statue exchanged her olive wreath for the Iron Cross and became the goddess of victory.

When the Nazis rose to power, they used the gate to symbolize their power. The only structure left standing in the ruins of Pariser Platz in 1945, apart from the ruined Academy of Fine Arts, the gate was restored by the East Berlin and West Berlin governments. However, in 1961, the gate was closed when the Berlin Wall was built.

Finally, when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the gate symbolized freedom and the unity of the city. It reopened on 22 December that year when the West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl walked through to be greeted by the East German Prime Minister, Hans Modrow.


The Reichstag Building:

The Reichstag building in Berlin was constructed as the place where the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, would convene. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933. It again became the seat of the German parliament in 1999 after a reconstruction led by master architect Sir Norman Foster.

Today's parliament of Germany is called the Bundestag. The Reichstag as a parliament leads back to the Holy Roman Empire and ceased to act as a true parliament in the years of Nazi Germany (1933-1945).

In today's usage, the German term Reichstag thus refers to the building, while the term Bundestag refers to the institution. In 1992, Sir Norman Foster won yet another architectual contest for the reconstruction of the building. His winning concept looked very different from what was later executed.

Before reconstruction began, the Reichstag was wrapped by Bulgarian artist Christo in 1995, attracting millions of visitors. During the reconstruction, the building was first almost completely gutted, taking out everything except the outer walls, including all changes made by Baumgarten in the 1960s. The seat of parliament was transferred to the Reichstag in April 1999. The reconstruction is widely regarded as a success; the Reichstag, most importantly the huge glass cupola that was erected on the roof as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola, is one of the most visited attractions in Berlin, giving an impressive view over the city, especially at night. The main hall of the parliament below can also be seen from the cupola, and natural light from above radiates down to the parliment floor. A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically and blocks direct sunlight which might blind those below. It is open to anyone without prior registration, although the waiting queues can be very long, especially in the summer.


Potsdamer Platz:

This entire quarter was built from scratch after 1995. The historic Potsdamer Platz was not rebuilt as it was divided by the Wall. A must-see for people who like modern city planning. Just to the West of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum, which houses the Gemaldegalerie, and is flanked by the Neue Nationalgalerie and the Philharmonie.

There are so many historical, cultural and beautiful sights in Berlin, the traveller has somewhat of a dilemma as to how much they can cram in during a visit to the city.

Some other sightseeing suggestions:

  • Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin, surrounded by two famous cathedrals and the concert hall.
  • Berlin victory column, monument to Prussia's victories.
  • The Berliner Dom, an historic cathedral. A large crypt houses the remains of the Prussian royal family.
  • Cathedral of St. Hedwig (St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale)
  • Schloss Bellevue, now the residence of the German President
  • Schloss Charlottenburg, the largest surviving historical palace in Berlin
  • The Neptunbrunnen, a famous fountain in Berlin Mitte.
  • Tiergarten is Berlin's largest park and a masterpiece of park design.
  • Berlin Zoo
  • Nikolai Quarter

 

History:

Even though Berlin does have a number of impressive buildings from earlier centuries, the city's appearance today is mainly shaped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century.

Each of the national governments which had their seat in Berlin — the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany — initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character.

Berlin was devastated by bombing raids during World War II, and many of the old buildings that escaped the bombs were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both West and East. Much of this destruction was caused by overambitious architecture programs, especially to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. It would not be an exaggeration to say that no other city in the world offers Berlin's unusual mix of architecture, especially 20th-century architecture. The city's tense and unique recent history has left it with a distinctive array of sights.

Not much is left of the Berlin Wall. The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain near the Oberbaumbrucke over the Spree preserves a portion of the Wall. By looking at the architecture it is still possible to tell if one is in the former eastern or western part of the city. In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools.

Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions received an opt-out during the standardisation of road traffic signs after re-unification, and have survived to become a popular icon in tourist products. They are however starting to appear in western Berlin too.

 

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