Germany’s capital is an accepting and open-minded metropolis. You’ve heard all about its past but what do you know about its quirky present?
In Berlin, you never have to worry about running out of gold. All you have to do is make a withdrawal – at a gold ATM. At a special ATM at Berlin’s high-end shopping area, Galeries Lafayette, you can make withdrawals of gold bars weighing as much as 250 grams. If that wasn’t odd enough, the city also has vending machines where you can buy footwear at any hour. Go figure.
The Turkish kebab called a “doner” is a favorite snack among Berliners. But just how popular is it? In the city an approximate 950 doner spits are eaten on any given day, adding up to 60 metric tons of meat. Don’t forget to try one while you’re there!
Museumsinsel (Museum Island) is a truly unique spectacle and the world’s largest universal museum. The island has five of Berlin’s world-class museums including the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Altes Museum. Off of the island, there’s also lots to see – 175 other museums throughout the city. Not a bad place to spend a rainy day, weekend or month.
Berlin is famous for attracting people from all over the world – it’s the perfect place for an intern abroad who wants to become part of a rich, diverse environment. A multicultural or ‘multikulti’ city, Berlin has half a million foreigners that come from 185 different countries. Berliners also come from all over Germany, with just one in four city residents actually from Berlin.
Architects and bridge-lovers won’t know where to start in Berlin. The city has more bridges than Venice – some 1,700. The city also has many waterways, great for boat trips to navigate the city.
Berlin is home to the world’s longest open-air gallery, stretching 1.3 kilometers. Named “The East Side Gallery”, visitors can look at 101 images painted by artists from all over the world. The gallery is located along the Berlin Wall, arguably the city’s most significant historical site.
Berlin has more zoo animals than any other city in Europe. Most of them are located at the city’s two zoos, Tierpark (Friedrichsfelde) and Zoologischer Garten, which is Germany’s oldest zoo.
Berlin is home to not one, not two, but three Unesco World Heritage Sites. The city is one of few places in the world with so many world-recognized historical treasures. The three sites include Museum Island, Berlin’s Modernism Housing Estates and the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam.
Berliners and Berlinerin love their parks. In fact, Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Europe, as some 44% of the city contains parks, woods, rivers and other types of outdoor areas. These 2,500 recreational spaces make Berlin a great city for people who love the outdoors. Berlin is also a great place for cycling, thanks to its intricate bike lane system and 620 km (385 miles) of bicycle paths.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin, http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/germany/berlin/top-10-facts-on-berlin/#slide-9, http://www.thelocal.de/20160523/10-bizarre-facts-you-never-knew-about-berlin
Photos
1. based on Museum Island, by Jaysmark, CC-by-2.0
2. based on Berlin, by Blok 70, CC-by-2.0
3. based on IMG_1341, by Rolf Brecher, CC-by-SA 2.0