- Berlin is unique, a city of superlatives and there are far more than 10 facts you should definitely know
- Sunny weather and culturally intense: Berlin has more museums than rainy days per year. Berlin offers more than 180 museums covering everything from arts over history and technical stuff to Currywurst and toys, while it rains only on about 106 days a year.
- Ever-moving city: Every hour 18 people move from one district to of the city to another one.
- Highly international: About 500,000 foreigners live in Berlin, coming from about 185 different nations. But Berlin is not only interesting to foreign nationalities: Many people from all over Germany live in Berlin and so it may not surprise that only 1/4 of all people living in Berlin, are born and raised in Berlin.
- Growing city: Every day 435 people move into Berlin while only 327 leave the city.
- Green, greener, Berlin: More than 44% of the city’s area is made up by parks, woods, river and other recreational areas. This makes Berlin the greenest city of Germany and high-ranking worldwide.
- City of superlatives:
- KaDeWe is the largest department store of Continental Europe
- longest beer-garden in the world (2.2 km long)
- East Side Gallery is largest open-air gallery of the world
- more than 9 times bigger than Paris
- more bridges than Venice
- Berlin is the only city in the world having 3 opera houses, comprising more than 4000 seats
- Ever wanted to get gold directly from an ATM? – At the Gallerie Lafayette in Friedrichstraße this is possible! You can buy gold in 250g portions from the ‘Gold ATM’
- Relaxed mentality: Berliners are least worried about the future than everyone else in Germany.
Category Archives: General
Beginning of the festive season – Christmas markets
Autumn shows its wintry side those days in Germany: its cold and dark, snow is falling… So some festive atmosphere is coming up already – how great that most cities in Germany open their Christmas markets soon:
21st November – save the date: beginning of the festive season, time for savoring some Christmas treats.
A beautiful and popular tradition, making those cold, rainy days less dreary and shortening the time until Christmas. Visiting a Christmas Market with family, friends or colleagues. Chatting while having hot drinks or enjoying some Christmas biscuits, or better the good old Currywurst – Or a Bratwurst? Children can enjoy a ride on a merry-go-round, everything glooms and glows and its smelling Christmassy.
The most beautiful and most popular Christmas Markets of the German metropolises of Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart welcome their visitors with manifold Christmas treats, music and handicraft. Some Christmas Markets are open on certain weekends only, others are open throughout the entire pre-Christmas season.
The Christmas markets are various: some focus on carrousels and merry-go-rounds, some on handcrafted or design presents for Christmas and other on Christmassy treats and culinary delights.
What they all have in common: visiting a Christmas market is a welcomed alternative during the dark time of the year.
Relocation: to move or not move
If you have ever been offered a great job in another city or country, you know the feeling. On the one hand, there’s the excitement of a new place and a new culture. On the other hand, you feel sad about leaving friends behind. You worry that your family will be unhappy in a new city.
How can you decide if a move is the right thing or not?
First of all you should gather as much information as possible about the new location, city and country. Try to find out the big differences between your home country and your new destination.
Before you make a decision, you should also look at what other job opportunities are available in the new location, if this company is the only company there in your industry and the job doesn’t work out, it may be difficult to find something else.
What is about your family?
Give them a chance to visit the new city to find out what it can offer them. Still, it might be better for everyone if your family stays in your current location while you get used to your new position, gohelpy specialists say. “The initial period in the new job is about making connections, meeting people and working many hours to get up to speed”.
Sometimes, a decision to go out before the rest of your family can be a great one. It gives you time to focus on the transition and pave the way for the rest of them to join you.