Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Germany : Berlin - October 2009

Country Code: Dial for Germany

Getting around

Tempelhof Airport is located in the southcentral borough of Tempelhof- Schöneberg.

Train: The airport is connected to the city centre by U-Bahn line 6, which can be picked up from Platz der Luftbrücke station. The journey takes 10 to 15 minutes and tickets cost €2,10.
Taxi: The trip into the city centre takes around 15 minutes and costs about €12.
Tourist information: There are offices at the Brandenburg Gate and the main railway station (0025, visitberlin.de).

KREUZBERG

Home to immigrants, artists and students alike, Kreuzberg is a riot of colour both day and night.

Sleep soundly – Book one of the 50 spacious loft-style rooms at the international Hotel Transit (53-54 Hagelberger Strasse, tel. , hotel-transit.de, rooms from €62). Breakfast (always included in the price) is served until noon.

Culture vultures – Built by the uncle of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, Martin-Gropius-Bau (7 Niederkirchner-strasse) is exhibiting the largest ever Bauhaus retrospective until 4 October. It’s also staging the fascinating Languages of Futurism exhibition (2 October to January 2010), featuring masterpieces by Carlo Carrà, Gino Severini and Luigi Russolo.

Must eat – Missing good French cooking? Make a reservation at Crêperie Bretonne (30 Reichenberger Strasse, tel. ) for some authentic Gallic treats. Wash it all down with the house cider

Must drink – Ankerklause (104 Kottbusser Damm) is a legendary literary bar perched precariously on the canal. Sip an Astra beer while spinning the jukebox.

Dance the night away – Spindler & Klatt (16 Köpenicker Strasse) draws Kreuzberg’s trendiest types and comes complete with its own restaurant. Expect big-name DJs, live music, riverside views and lots of neon

Shop til you drop – Modern items and whimsical antiques rub shoulders at Maisol (17 Bergmannstrasse). The whole street is great for bargain hunting – check out the vintage stores.

SCHÖNEBERG

This bohemian borough, birthplace of Marlene Dietrich, is full of diversions.

Sleep soundly – A stone’s throw from Gedächtniskirche, Berliner Hof (8 Tauentzienstrasse, 4950, berliner-hof.com, rooms from €66) is the perfect starting point from which to discover the museums and shopping streets of traditional West Berlin.

Must eat – Fischer’s Restaurant (5 Regensburger Strasse, tel. ) serves five-course menus to diners sitting on leather benches in a lovely Tegel Airport is 8km north-west of the city centre. Bus Route 109 and Express-Route X9 connect Tegel to the western city centre, also stopping at the nearest subway station, Line U7. Route TXL connects Tegel with the Mitte and the train station, Hauptbahnhof, while route 128 links to subway Line U6. Journeys take around 20 minutes and tickets cost €2,10. Taxi A taxi into the city centre takes about 20 minutes and costs around €15. Tourist office There are offices at the Brandenburg Gate and the main railway station (0025, visitberlin.de). turn-of-the-century setting.

Must drink – Take your inner bookworm on a date at Café Bilderbuch (28 Akazienstrasse), where you can sip at your latte macchiatto while flipping through the books on the heaving shelves.

Dance the night away – Connection (33 Fuggerstrasse) is an adventure playground for Schöneberg’s gay community. Make new friends to the sets of offensively-named DJs, then hide from them in the dungeon.

Shop til you drop – KaDeWe (21-24 Tauentzienstrasse), or Kaufhaus des Westens, is a true cultural symbol of Berlin. Stroll through acres of luxurious jewellery and clothing, spread across the seven imposing storeys of western Europe’s legendary department store.

PRENZLAUER BERG

This district in East Berlin has set about redefining the notion of cool.

Sleep soundly – Drop your backpack on a bunk at Alcatraz (133a Schönhauser Allee, tel. , alcatraz-backpacker. de, rooms from €15) or get an apartment with friends.

Culture vultures – Enjoy an arthouse flick at Lichtblick-Kino (77 Kastanienallee), a cinema staging minifestivals and one-off screenings. Films range from classic to cutting edge.

Must eat – The new Le Gavroche (22 Oderburger Strasse, tel. ) does classic French food, such as leek risotto with bacon and cherry tomatoes or guinea fowl with sage and olives, at affordable prices.

Dance the night away – Descend the stairs to the brick cellar of Icon (15 Cantianstrasse) and throw yourself at the mercy of the most punishing drum’n’bass and breakbeat DJs in Europe. A very alternative pick in a very experimental city.

Shop til you drop – Head straight to Kastanienallee for independent fashion and design shops scattered between trendy cafés and lovely Parisian-style apartment buildings.

Compiled by Nadja Vancauwenberghe