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Wetter
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In der Sommerzeit erreichen die Temperaturen angenehme 23 Grad Celsius (74 Grad Fahrenheit) und Regen ist minimal. Die Winter sind kalt und obwohl Schnee in den meisten Regionen üblich ist, hat es keine fatalen Auswirkungen auf Berlin.
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Weather
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The summer in Berlin are balmy and pleasant. So the daytime temperatures are usually around
23°C (74°F).
Winter there are cold but normally it doesn't achieve a temperature over -5°C. Typically there is not much rainfall and snow in Berlin.
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Languages
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German is the official language spoken in Berlin, although there is still a minor difference between standard German (Hochdeutsch) and Berlin dialect. English is widely understood and spoken in most of the touristy places.
Furthermore, by reason of the huge community of the Turks outside of Turkey their language is widespread in Berlin.
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Religion
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Berlin is with its many several faiths a multicultural meeting-place for everyone. However, Berlin is not as religious as the south of Germany. The city is rich in churches. Furthermore, there are some districts where solely people of Turkish decent live. In these parts of the city the Islam is represented very often. After the effort to obliterate the Jewish people in WW II, they got more self-confident again. The Jewish community and its religion grows every day.
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Währung
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In Deutschland wird der Euro verwendet. Geldscheine sind in €100, €50, €20, €10 und €5 und Münzen als €2, €1, € 0.50, € 0.20, € 0.10, € 0.05, € 0.02 und € 0.01 erhältlich.
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Trinkgeld
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Trinkgeld ist normalerweise in die Rechnungen von Restaurants und Hotels einbezogen. Allerdings ist es üblich 5-10% des Endpreises als Trinkgeld zu geben (auch bei Taxifahrern).
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Taxes
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From January 2007 the VAT increases from 16% to 19%. In some shops which are signed with the „Tax Free“ shopping sign, the VAT can be reclaimed by visitors from outside the EU. In order to do that you have to fill a tax-cheque by the time of purchase. At the airport your purchased items need to be taken to the customs clearance where the customs official will provide a tax stamp which can be cashed at any of the airport banks in a variety of currencies.
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Telephone
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To call Berlin from abroad, dial +49 for Germany and then 30 for Berlin. Calling from hotel is in general pretty expensive. To use a public phone you need a telephone card or coins. In some public phones you can use money or credit cards. Telephone cards can be purchased in any post office, at the main stations and in a lot of kiosks.
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Internet
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Berlin has a lot of internet cafés. The prices start with one euro. Some of the internet cafés have a lot of other services like laser printing, internet-courses and multi-player online games. A number of the normal cafés offers also an internet station - this service is often for free.
Below is a short list of internet cafés:
Easy Everything: Kurfürstendamm 224, surf-inn at the Galerie Kaufhof: Alexanderplatz 9, Library of the Humboldt University: Dorotheenstraße 27, KaDeWe: Tauentzienstraße 21-24, etc.
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Telefonnummern für den Notfall
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Ambulance (kostenpflichtig): 19222
Notfall(Krankenwagen, Feuerwehr, med. Notfälle): 112
Andere nützliche Nummern:
Operator: 03
Auskunft: 11833
Internationale Auskunft: 11834
Operator Weckdienst: 01141
Polizei: 110
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Banken
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Banken befinden sich fast überall in Berlin. Die normalen Öffnungszeiten sind 9.00 – 16.00 Uhr montags bis freitags. Einige Banken sind donnerstags länger geöffnet. Die meisten Bankautomaten sind 24 Stunden zugänglich. Die Gebühren für Geldwechsel sind an den Geldautomaten gering. Generell werden nur Gebühren für ein internationales Geldabheben von Ihrer eigenen Bank berechnet.
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Nationale Feiertage
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An den folgenden Tagen sind Geschäfte und Büros geschlossen. Die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel verkehren nach Sonderfahrplänen.
1.Januar (Neujahrstag)
Karfreitag, Ostersonntag, Ostermontag (Ende März oder Anfang April)
1.Mai (Maifeiertag)
Christi Himmelfahrt (10 Tage vor Pfingsten)
Pfingstmontag (für das exakte Datum schauen Sie bitte in einen deutschen Kalender)
Frohnleichnahm (10 tage nach Pfingsten)
Maria Himmelfahrt (für das exakte Datum schauen Sie bitte in einen deutschen Kalender)
3. Oktober (Tag der deutschen Einheit)
1. November (Allerheiligen in katholischen Gegenden)
25. Dezember (1. Weihnachtfeiertag)
26. Dezember (2. Weihnachtsfeiertag)
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Safety
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Berlin is one of the most visited cities in Germany. In general the city is relatively safe and has a low crime rate, especially in the centre and close to the attractions. Most of the time it is safe to walk through town even in the night. That refers also for the public transport. However, there are some points of notice and take care about. Pay attention with petty crimes like pickpockets. If you are in crowds or in cafés and restaurants take care of your belongings. In Berlin’s centre are some places where you can also find trickster, for instance the famous “Hütchenspieler”. Do not engage in such a game – it is sure that you will always lose it!
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